American indie pop artist Fiji Blue takes his fans on a wave of ecstasy and melancholy through his songs in the Manila leg of his Asia Glide Tour.
Fiji Blue, real name Trevor Dering, made his return to the Samsung Hall on 29 November, playing some of his older hits as well as some new ones that will appear on his upcoming album, “Glide.”
“It is so special having a group of amazing people who support my music here. And if you’re here, it’s because the music means something to you. And because of that, we are family in some way,” Dening said, welcoming fans to the show.
He opened the show with his 2020 single “I Should’ve Told You,” having the crowd dance and groove to the beat, followed up by “I Loved You What Happened,” a melodramatic R&B track from his first album.
The singer-songwriter played a two-hour long set made up of 20 songs, including hits garnering millions of streams on Spotify like “Day by Day.” “Waves,” “Affection,” “Outside,” and “Butterflies.”
Previously released singles from the Glide album like “Peppermint” and “Start Over” had the audience chilling to its smooth vibe, while songs like “Angel” and “June” contrasted it with its slower and more emotional tone.
In his monologue, he told fans that the night would have fans vibing out to his songs, but also show songs that bring out an authentic side of him.
“There will be moments of happiness and moments of sadness in this setlist that I can promise you, but if there’s something you can take from tonight, I hope that whatever you are going through in your life, and I’m not a therapist by any means, I hope that you can find a way to feel better, even if it’s a one percent increase,” Fiji Blue said.
Fans were also in for a treat as he played three unreleased songs from the new album slated for release on 13 December. These sneak peeks include “Shadow of You,” a tale of trying to move on, “Pink,” a tune about waiting for his love to come back to him, and “Beautiful,” a song he first performed at his wedding and about his wife.
Dering also shared the heartbreaking news that his wife, Natasha, had been diagnosed with cancer, adding that it had been a tough time for him and their relationship since they found out. Though he adds that she is getting better and pushed for him to continue the Asia tour for her, and the fans that awaited him.
“It’s been difficult playing some of these songs as you can imagine, but I really can’t explain how much it means to me playing it with you guys, I’m happy you’re here, I don’t feel alone so I appreciate you guys,” he says. “Next time I’m here, I’ll bring Natasha.”
After the show, Trevor met with all his fans present at the show, taking pictures and signing autographs in the lobby with every single one of them before leaving the venue.
Fiji Blue made sure to thank his Filipino fans one more time before taking off for his Hong Kong concert the next day on 30 November.
“Manila, still not over yesterday…thank you so much for all the love you showed last night. Cannot wait to be back as soon as possible,” he said in an Instagram story.