Adam Levine will be loved

Adam Levine can really work a crowd.

Maroon 5 last played in the same venue in 2012 to rave reviews.

On Saturday, there were no signs of laurel-resting.

It was the second night of the 2015 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix and the screaming fans rivalled the noise of the race cars.

Every move that wildly-popular frontman Adam Levine made seemed to push the frenzy dial further into the red.

Apologies to the rest of the band, but Levine was the draw of the show.

The fans' mania was understandable. Levine was topless by the end of the night.

That alone would have satisfied many in the crowd, but there were other highlights in the 90-minute show.

MOVES LIKE LEVINE

Pssh! Forget Jagger. Levine thrilled the crowd with moves of his own.

He's not as showy as Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger, but Levine's confident swagger was apparent.

A subtle hip thrust and a wink sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Then there was that slow burn striptease.

He went on stage in a floral black and white shirt and singlet. By the end of opening track Animals, Levine, who made heavy perspiration look abnormally sexy, had lost the shirt.

By the end of the set, the singlet had disappeared too, giving the crowd a good look at his sculpted, tattoo-laden body.

STYLE AND SUBSTANCE

Maroon 5 is not all about Levine and his sex appeal. The band showed off their skills by performing a cappella versions of their hits like Payphone and She Will Be Loved

Given their radio-friendly tracks, it might be easy to forget that Maroon 5 are actually talented.

And Levine made sure to remind us by whipping out a guitar solo here and there.

The crowd was in full voice, too, singing along to every word of even their earliest hits.

AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

There was very little patter with the crowd, but there was plenty of encouragement to sing.

Levine asked the audience to join in often and if he was not pleased, he would tell them they could do a better job.

At one point, he said: "There are 17 million people here. Look at the crowd! You guys can (expletive) do better!"

And the crowd quickly obeyed.

MAROON 5 IS NOT JUST ADAM LEVINE AND THOSE OTHER GUYS

Pop star, actor and judge on The Voice, Levine has it all.

But let's not forget that Maroon 5 is a six-member GRC (Generally Rocking Collective)

Guitarist James Valentine, while not hitting Levine's sexy heights, had great guitar solos and exaggerated faces while playing these solos.

Keyboardist PJ Morton, who joined in 2010, received particular attention. During the introductions, Levine requested an extra special greeting in the form of a "Hey, PJ!" chant.

When Morton was satisfied, he played the familiar opening notes of Sunday Morning.

HOT MAN, HOT PINK

For those who thought Levine's glistening torso on full display was the pinnacle, there was more.

Oozing confidence, with his swagger and masculinity, he strapped on a hot pink guitar and treated his fans to a mean, gritty solo (well, as gritty as it can get with Maroon 5).

Yes, folk, hot men can wear (hot) pink.

djenn@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on September 21, 2015.
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