Concert Review

Soul music, if I have to describe it, is a participatory drama. It allows singers to establish a bond with their audience. Hongkong singer-songwriter, Khalil Fong, offered his audience a feel-good pill as he brought his Soulboy Lights Up World Tour to the Star Theatre on October 11. Splicing soul music with pop-rock element, Khalil Fong managed to not only soothe listeners' souls with his breezy blues but also ignite the fervor - albeit a slow type and an ephemeral one- inside these souls. Personally, I luxuriated in his concert at the moment but took home an unsatisfying pleasure.

Frankly, Khalil Fong's performance in Singapore was one of the quietest and calmest concerts I had been to. Famous for writing slow-tempo R&B ballads, Fong maintains a shy-boy-next-door image. It was likely that the audience that night were not prepared for his opener like a rock star, dressed in a sleek black suit, belting out his new songs such as Dangerous World and Zombie.

Perhaps composure is a trait of fans appreciating Fong more well-known for his songwriting talent. Sitting in front row of the theatre and watching Fong trying to move the soul through the feet awkwardly deluded me as if I were a judge grading this singer at a talent show. Unlike Singapore Indoor Stadium or any outdoor stage, Star Theatre does not have any standing room for audience to dance to the tempo. Though Star Theatre does not cater to a dance atmosphere, it compensates the audience with top audio-visual experience. Overall, I felt enveloped by Fong's voice created by the high-end audio equipment as well as the reflective surfaces inside the theatre.

Even though some warm-up time was necessary, we were indeed electrified as we stood up and danced to Fong's songs as soon as we grabbed the cue from Fong. The concert really hit its stride when Fong had his 2,500 fans on our feet for the uptempo Fun.

One of the highlights