DEANTRBLxSAAY in Manila – an intimate & powerful night The New Frontier Theatre was jam-packed with Filipino Rebels on a Saturday night for not just another R&B concert with DEAN, but a celebratory gig for the singer-songwriter’s 26th year of youth and passion, together with SAAY, who had also made her name in the Korean R&B scene.
When the lights turned off, the DJ started playing a mix of the first artist’s songs as an introduction to her fierce stages. It’s SAAY, the leader of the former idol group EvoL in 2012, who is now an acknowledged R&B singer under Universal Music Korea. Everyone fell in love when she started to sing to her tracks from the 2ND MIXTAPE [THE HORIZON] particularly Vodka & Lemon Shot and Quiet Down. She also slayed it with her swag and sexy moves during RUN, and Love Drop which she introduced through singing a beautiful rendition of Michael Buble’s Love in acapella. She reached out to the fans as she sat down at the edge of the stage while she sings to the washed-out strings and locked-groove loops of Fallin’ , followed by her notable dance track ft. Crush, Sweaty. Of course, one of the most favorite Korean R&B songs of 2017 shall not be missed – Circle.
For the final song, she gave us the honor to be the first live listeners of her third single that was released early this year, Cold View that ironically brought warmth to the whole venue. She remarked that the set list was changed just for this concert, moving the hearts of the fans who enjoyed her all-out performances. Encore became her final stage as she paved the way for the man that everyone’s waiting for. The deanfluenza can be easily felt as soon as the star of the night’s voice was heard, informing everyone that he’s still recovering from a cold he caught 3 days ago but will still do his best to perform for his fans.
DEAN entered the stage after a bit of an introductory mix by the DJ while he sings to the groovy ‘Put my hands on you’ followed by Fanxy Chil that definitely turned the crowd up as they respond ‘yeah yeah yeah yeah’. With a mic stand, he showed all rebels the ‘love’ through his sexy, soothing voice. When he stopped to greet, the fans sng Happy Birhday which turned ‘instagram’ to a touching performance, then smoothly transitioned to he next songs including ’21’.The theater formed a gray ocean through the flashlight that the phone emits as DEAN cued for the D(Half Moon) atmosphere then showered water while the Rebels party over ‘I’m not Sorry’. Sadly, it’s time for him to go, but before tha, his ‘Bermuda Triangle’ burned the stage with non-stop screams and fans singing along. Indeed, the show is the greatest present DEAN gave his fans and vice versa – a memorable birthday for this iconic R&B artist who reached another milestone in his life.
Check out more photos on PKCI’s Page.