There’s something extraordinary about the way Jackson Wang is able to touch the hearts of each person he meets.
When we think about Jackson, “TEAM WANG”, “dedicated entertainer”, and “multitalented artist” are some of the most common phrases that come to mind immediately — but not everybody can fully grasp his sheer artistic prowess until they’ve witnessed it live for themselves.
Fans who were present at the multihyphenate’s sold-out Singapore stop of his MAGIC MAN world tour by AEG Presents Asia last Friday (23 December 2022) at the Singapore Indoor Stadium would agree that the concert was nothing short of wonder and awe-inducing theatrics credited to the brilliant minds of Jackson Wang himself and his exceptional team.
JACKSON WANG MAGIC MAN World Tour 2022 3rd Stop Singapore
— TEAM WANG records (@teamwangofcl) December 26, 2022
Singapore, thank you! We love being here sharing our story, know yourself and make your own history.
Hope the show has brought you a great start to the holiday🎄 See you guys in London.@JacksonWang852 pic.twitter.com/X2xfpJwzbb
BANDWAGON TV
More importantly, it was a show that inspired all to find the magic within themselves and go for what they truly love in life.
Jackson shared: “Everyone’s standard is different. My standard of happiness is different from yours. I want you to understand yourselves, give a second for yourselves, [and realise that] okay, this is what I love and go for it. I really want that for my audience.”
At 7:30 PM sharp, TEAM WANG’s up-and-comer Laurie opened the concert. It is difficult to believe that this was her first time opening for a sold-out show as she possessed so much artistic talent and zest for music and performing throughout her entertaining four-song set. The crowd loved every second of her performance and were wildly enthusiastic when she brought a fan up on stage to join her set of fantastical proportions. Laurie shared that it had been a “stressful but very amazing experience”, further thanking her incredible team and Jackson himself for making it happen. As the opening act, Laurie proved to be exceptional at hyping the crowd up for the rest of the night that followed.
As the clock ticked down the minutes to 8 PM, fans’ anticipation was evident as they turned on their finger lights and audible screams started permeating through the indoor stadium air as a series of music videos for ‘Blow’, ‘Cruel’, and ‘Come Alive’ were shown on the screens. Still, nothing could compare to the screams that erupted as the man of the hour descended onto the main stage in a mysterious elevator and emerged from the fog.
From the get-go, elaborate effects such as pyrotechnics were on full display as Jackson Wang started the night with ‘100 Ways’. The energy from both artist and fans did not once halt even as he continued his set with ‘Go Ghost’ and ‘Blackout’. Taking a momentary breather to address his Singaporean fans, he exclaimed: “World tour here in Singapore. MAGIC MAN, we gon’ do this.” before beginning his next song.
Apart from the immaculate performances he’s well-known for by now, Jackson Wang showcased his artistic direction that night. In a bold performance for ‘I Don’t Have It’, the multitalented artist utilised a moving platform leading to the extended stage and visually expressed being chased by his backup dancers, who were dressed eerily as hooded figures — presumably a metaphor for running away from his shadows and fighting a dangerous battle.
As if on purpose, the visuals on the big screens seemed to be delayed and running in slow motion, further giving it a very cinematic effect. By the end of the performance, concert-goers were visibly stunned as brief silence followed before thunderous applause rang out, showing their deep appreciation for the visually thought-provoking expression of the song.
One of the best things about attending live concerts is getting to sing with the artist, which was precisely the case for ‘Dopamine’ as Jackson led fans to sing with him. When the crowd thought that he’d already ended the section, he sang “I came here to get some dopamine” once more as he headed back to the main stage and fans were quick to reply as they were well-rehearsed by then. It was clear that Jackson loved how spontaneous the concert-goers were and it only reaffirms how he and his fans are indeed one.
‘Drive You Home’ and ‘LMLY’ were two of the most apparent fan favourites of the night. Fans’ excitement was evident as they easily recognised the introduction of the songs and were more than eager to sing along to every word of the two love songs.
Before the concert even started, observant fans might have already noticed the walking space which cut through the standing pit. Sure enough, Jackson himself walked through the standing section in search of two lucky fans to join him in both ‘I Love You 3000’ and ‘Dead’ with his comical condition that they must be single (“I can’t pick [you] if you have a boyfriend.”).
The ‘Just Like Magic’ act even played with the idea of choosing a fan seated at the stadium's second level, which garnered loud, hopeful cheers from the section. In what was arguably one of the most highlighted events of the night, Jackson took on the role of a suave romantic for ‘I Love You 3000’ and a possessive lover for ‘Dead’. Though featuring entirely different concepts, one thing is for sure: Jackson Wang truly knew how to make any experience special for his fans.
Jackson appears with alcohol in hand and sings “I keep drinking your poison.” in a surprising twist towards the later part of the concert. Fans were living for the symbolism showcased in the ‘Poison’ performance.
The concert mood seemingly shifted as a video montage was shown, featuring the artist’s journey as part of the industry until his present solo career. The cinematic VCR was an emotional expression of Jackson’s vulnerability as he regaled fans with accounts of his experiences and honest thoughts as an artist — a side fans do not usually see.
“The only thing I want to do when I still have the opportunity [to perform] in front of all of you [is] to share my story and my goal as an entertainer out of the million. I want my audience, my community to be good to yourself.” It is one thing to be able to relate to fans, but it’s another entirely to be able to put a voice to their innermost thoughts that one often finds difficult to express verbally.
As he shared, “I always ask this question to all of my friends and the people around me. Am I doing what I love every single day or am I just working for the salary? Or using that salary to do stuff that I love? I want to let everybody know here that it’s never too late. I want you guys to enjoy because we only f*cking live once.” we realise that the show that night was as much for Jackson Wang as it was for his dedicated fans.
Following hard-hitting performances of fan favourites ‘Cruel’ and ‘Blow’, Jackson returned to the stage after chants of “encore” and delivered his final performances for the night. It was as if the entire concert atmosphere had transformed into that of a club. We see Jackson heading downstage once more to interact with fans and pull staff, backstage crew, and even family members up on stage to share the party experience.
Speaking of fan service, we cannot forget how he single-handedly climbed up to the second floor of the indoor stadium to reach the fans there, much to the excitement (and astonishment) of both fans and security detail alike.
In the final moments leading to the end of the concert, Jackson shared his favourite things about Singapore, including how our Hainanese chicken rice is the best and recalling his first time on our sunny island as a participant during the 2010 Youth Olympic Games, even showing off the tattoo that he got to remember it by.
When one recalls the night, they will fondly talk about Jackson’s impressive performances, which spanned themes of abandonment to hope. They will remember the artist as an unapologetically confident and exceedingly talented individual who shines the brightest on stage.
From putting on stunning stage performances with no shortage of theatrics to embracing his vulnerability and sharing his story and raw personal experiences — everything Jackson does, makes one perceive him for the magic man that he truly is.
“Thank you, Singapore. I love you as always. Promise me one thing. I want you to take away something home and find your own magic.”
Thanks to Jackson Wang, we certainly did.
Jackson Wang MAGIC MAN world tour in Singapore 2022 setlist:
- 100 Ways
- Go Ghost
- Blackout
- I Don’t Have It
- Just Like Magic
- All The Way
- BULLET TO THE HEART
- Drive You Home
- Blue
- Dopamine
- LMLY
- Vibes
- I Love You 3000
- Poison
- Come Alive
- Champagne Cool
- The Moment
- Dead.
- Drive It Like You Stole It
- Cruel
- Blow
- Pretty Please
- 100 Ways MK remix
- Cruel remix
- Blow remix
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