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Stefanie Sun 2014 Kepler World Tour | 4/5

SINGAPORE – The anticipation was palpable when we stepped into the Singapore National Stadium yesterday (July 5) to witness the Singapore instalment of Stefanie Sun’s world tour to promote her latest album, Kepler. After all, Sun’s concert – the first pop music event at the newly minted stadium – was music’s hottest ticket. (The show was sold out before one could say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” – okay, er, 10 times.) And everyone wanted to experience what a gig at the stadium would be like.

Stefanie Sun didn't let anything stand in her way as she delivered a spirited performance at the National Stadium on Saturday night. Photo: Jason Ho

Stefanie Sun didn't let anything stand in her way as she delivered a spirited performance at the National Stadium on Saturday night. Photo: Jason Ho

SINGAPORE – The anticipation was palpable when we stepped into the Singapore National Stadium yesterday (July 5) to witness the Singapore instalment of Stefanie Sun’s world tour to promote her latest album, Kepler. After all, Sun’s concert – the first pop music event at the newly minted stadium – was music’s hottest ticket. (The show was sold out before one could say “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” – okay, er, 10 times.) And everyone wanted to experience what a gig at the stadium would be like.

So, yes, you could literally feel the excitement building as the minutes ticked down until the show started. Or perhaps it was just the fact that, despite having the much-vaunted air-conditioned seating in the huge arena, the said cooling system wasn’t as effective when one was seated on the field area along with thousands of Sun’s fans. Many hands make light work - and many bodies create much heat.

Prior to the show, the Internet was abuzz with photos and talk of Sun’s apparent collapse after she completed a concert in China. Would she recover in time, fans asked. Would the show be cancelled? To allay fears, the singer had posted online that she was merely tired and had caught a bug – but that the show would go on.

And go on it did, although it did get off to a bit of a tentative start. There was a slight rasp to Sun’s voice as she kicked off the show with a sparse rendition of one of her most memorable hits, Cloudy Skies. But then she launched into the show proper with gumption, reeling off song after song – Dash, Green Light, First Day, Unforgettable, Leave, Natural (she even through in a snatch of EMF’s Unbelievable) – and even showcasing some dance moves. Backed by a band that featured familiar players such as Jimmy Lee on drums, Daniel Chai on guitar, Ruth Ling on keyboards; Sun’s vocal performance was assured and her delivery was strong. Surprisingly, she sounded better on the slower material than the fast-paced tunes.

However, while Sun tried not to let a minor illness hamper her performance, it was evident that she hadn’t quite shaken off the bug she picked up. Her voice occasionally sounded a little hoarse and she could be seen trying to clear her throat whenever she wasn’t singing. Halfway through the show though, the singer had to stop the proceedings as she tried to get her vocal cords in order.

“Jia you!” shouted her fans in support, as Sun stood in silence and took gulps of what looked like juice to hydrate her throat.

“A concert is a delicate balance,” she later explained, adding that even though she may look composed onstage, she always felt nervous “every time”. “Because you have to be on your toes but you can’t be too tense; you have to be relaxed but not too slack.”

Nevertheless there were no evident signs of her nervousness; and we’re guessing it wouldn’t have mattered to the fans. They were, of course, rapturous. When Sun exhorted them to syncopate their claps, they did. When she asked them wave their fans and sing along, they did. When they were asked to turn on the assistive light function on their mobile phones, they duly complied.

“Now, this is a concert!” said Sun, as she gazed into the bleachers of the National Stadium, which, thanks to the thousands of tiny blips of lights from said mobile phones, made it look like a sea of stars. “Actually, my concert is now over. This is now our concert.”

She then led the 20,000-strong gathering through a string of her hits, such as My Love, Realise and I Miss Him Too, turning the last third of the concert into one massive karaoke session. At least she got to save her voice a little.

After dishing out two National Day songs back-to-back – We Will Get There and One United People, complete with pyrotechnics (“Isn’t this like National Day?” beamed Sun) - she did a lovely performance of Encounter, before leaving the stage. While everyone would have forgiven her for not having an encore, she once again showed her gutsy side and came back out once more to perform a passionate rendition of My Desired Happiness, before leaving the stage for the final time, as the band played her out with a reprise of First Day.

Despite the heat and the imperfect sound (there was occasional echo resonating in the cavernous arena), Sun’s concert was one of the best shows we’ve seen this year. Not only did she show her unwavering commitment to get the job done – she sang a total of 30 songs in a show that lasted almost three hours - it was obvious that she wasn’t just going through the motions. It was a polished performance, but there’s something about Sun that always makes it not so much about presenting a perfect show, but making it a personal one. When she showed her gratitude to her fans for turning up, you really believed that she meant every word she said and that she gave it her all.

This isn’t the same girl we last saw at the Singapore Indoor Stadium a few years ago. She has grown – in more ways than one. Stefanie Sun may often be dubbed Singapore’s Pop Princess by the media, but it was clear that when she was on stage yesterday, she was the queen of the night.

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