It is 2010, and it had been a few years since Selena Gomez graduated from Disney. Moving on to the next phase of her career, she was making a name for herself with some blockbuster films and catchy dance-pop singles, sweeping America with her girl-next-door image while dating the hottest teen pop star.
Six years later, Selena is 24, and is clearly grown up as she commands a packed Manila arena with killer stage presence and that undeniable charm. Shedding off the past of her children’s programming days and stepping out of the shadow of her previous Justin Bieber romance, Selena is her own woman. This is her Revival.
Entering the stage with 90’s style round sunglasses on, Selena is edgier, sexier, complete with topless dancers and blasting lights all around, with all the whistles and stops in props and effects, with one part of the show having larger-than-life inflatable roses drop down from the sky amidst Mexican-style death day aesthetics.
The Mall of Asia arena cheered on the loudest “SELENA!” as she started the concert with a performance of Revival, clad in skin-tight leather and boots. And of course, as soon as the intro for “Same Old Love” comes on, everyone’s up to their feet, singing along to every single word.
While this may be a revival, Selena is introspective, never spiteful about her roots. “As this is my first time in this country”, she says, “Let’s do a throwback.” The pop star treated fans to a Stars Dance-era hit, Slow Down, and the ever-catchy Love You Like A Love Song. But nothing brought the thousand-size crowd together as the whole arena sang in unison to the self-love anthem, Who Says.
Later on in the show, she slows down and gets in touch with her spiritual side, singing a cover of Hillsong’s Transfiguration on the piano, wearing a simple black floor-length dress.
Aside from her songs, her outfits are also a central part to the concert. Aside from an outfit that involved vintage Muay Thai boxing shorts, Selena and her crew definitely turned heads in a sexy sheer thong top with denim patch designed by Sami Miro. A favorite part of the show, however, is when she shows up in a pink jogger ensemble, conjuring memories of the 90s with both parts sexy and playful.
Selena brought the party as she ended her first Manila concert with “Kill ‘Em With Kindness” and the Zedd collab, “I Want You To Know”.
The pop star was beyond beautiful and definitely knew how to put on a show. We cannot wait for her nex tour back in Manila!
Special thanks to Marie France for making this awesome concert possible.
Did you catch the #RevivalTourManila last night? Share with us your experience!
