British singer Harry Styles has come to be known for his affinity of high-waisted trousers and shimmering tops. And living up to his nouveau glam-rock style, this 29-year-old fashion risk-taker greeted his thousands of fans who trooped to the Philippine Arena on Tuesday night in, well, his signature eclectic style.
And the venue was filled with people in colorful outfits that very much resembled or were inspired by Harry Styles.
The almost two-hour solo show brimming with visual and aural treats opened with “Music for a Sushi Restaurant’’ – the first track in his Grammy award-winning album, Harry’s House.
Dressed in a sparkly blue and gold T-shirt with yellow piping, teal-gray leather trousers, and green sneakers, Styles greeted his adoring fans “Kamusta Philippines! Good evening, people of Manila, my name is Harry.”
With his guitar slung over his shoulder, the Brit star performed “Golden” and dished out his other hits “Fine Line,” “Adore You,” “Keep Driving,” “Daylight,” and “Woman” in succession.
Keeping his audience on their feet and making them feel that they were part of the show, not to mention making the massive venue look like a party venue, Styles repeatedly asked them to sing along. At one point during the main show, while scanning the crowd, Styles spotted a couple with a hand-written sign that read: “Harry, my boyfriend said he’ll propose if you duet with him.”
“Are you ready to get married? Are you sure?” Styles asked the couple and told the male fan that there was a microphone that he could use to sing with him. The British superstar then sang “Sign of the Times” with the fan and promised that he’d sing the full version later in the show.
“Our job tonight is going to be to try and entertain you, I give you my word. Your job this evening is to have as much fun as you possibly can. You can sing, you can dance. Please feel free to be whoever it is you always wanted to be in this room tonight,” he told the crowd, noting that it was his third time in the country, first was with One Direction, and his second was when he introduced himself to his Filipino fans as a solo artist.
Paying tribute to his former band, Styles sang “What Makes You Beautiful” prompting the entire arena to explode in deafening shrieks from solid Directioners. Prior to that, Styles paraded the stage with a Pride rainbow flag, thrown to the stage by a fan, before performing “Treat People with Kindness.”
The dynamic concert treated the crowd like spoiled brats with Styles dishing out all of his chart-topping hits including “Late Night Talking,” “Watermelon Sugar,” and “Love of My Life.”
Before leaving the stage and seeing his fans off, Styles enthralled the crowd with “Banana Song,” “As It Was,” and “Kiwi” in this LiveNation-presented musical event.
Sidelights
At the Smart booth in the Philippine Arena’s outdoor lobby, concertgoers got to win perks and prizes when they played and won in the Powered Up Quiz. Harry Styles’ fans got to take home photo prints showing their colorful outfits for free when they snapped photos and shared them on social media with the hashtags #LoveOnTourPH and #SmartLive.
Of course, Smart had charging stations on the 2nd and 4th floors of the Philippine Arena so that Smart subscribers had enough battery power for their OOTD shots and concert videos.
Smart brand ambassadors Belle Mariano and Donny Pangilinan were among those spotted posing for photos at the #SmartLive booth. Also in attendance were Darren Espanto, AC Bonifacio, and Jayda Avanzado.