Concerts of 2016
BEST
Stella Zhang Qing Fang Live In Singapore 2016, Singapore Indoor Stadium, Jan 30
It has been 20 years since Taiwan’s Stella Chang (photo 13) performed here and time has not dimmed her crystalline-clear vocals. Remarkably, her voice grew in strength and vibrance over the course of the show.
It also helps that she was never a cutesy teen idol and her love ballads have weathered the years well. The staging was elegant and classy and it all came together with a flourish for the finale.
Dressed in a vermillion gown and framed by a giant gazebo with a huge wall of flowers as a backdrop, she cut a striking figure as red confetti drifted down lazily.

Terry Lin Onetake Concert 2016 World Tour In Singapore, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Aug 26
Taiwan’s Terry Lin might not have idol looks and he can be a little awkward on stage.
But none of that matters when he sings. There is a purity to his pipes that makes emotions ring bright and true, and he glides effortlessly over the high notes, even in falsetto.
Apart from performing his solo hits and songs from his Ukulele duo days, he took on several covers, managing to make even a hackneyed ballad such as Making Love Out Of Nothing At All feel fresh. And to think he had a cough that night.

Yuzu Asia Tour 2016 Summer Natsuiro, *Scape The Ground Theatre, July 9
To mark their 20th anniversary, Japanese folk-pop duo Yuzu embarked on their first Asian tour. They brought with them a taste of natsu matsuri (summer festivals) with their sunny and breezy tracks, which were accompanied by guitars and the plaintive wail of the harmonica.
There was even a fun mass dance segment with two costumed Japanese Citron (yuzu) Monkeys leading the choreography with chirpy instructions to “tap tap your bum”.

WORST
“The Invincible” Jay Chou Concert Tour 2016, National Stadium, Sept 3
As expected, the production was top-notch for Mandopop king Jay Chou’s gig. But vocally, the singer was not at his best. He was too ready to point his microphone towards the audience members for them to sing along and he seemed to be relying heavily on his back-up singers.
The sound quality was contentious as well, with some fans demanding a refund after the show due to the poor acoustics.
Not being able to make out what Chou is singing because of his characteristic mumble is one thing. Not being able to do so because of murky sound is another altogether.
(ST)