Singer Demi Lovato wows young fans at Singapore gig

Two nine-year-old best friends became the envy of the crowd at Demi Lovato's gig here yesterday when they were pulled onto the stage.

The US singer had spotted students Karis Koh and Celeste Lin seated at the front row of the 3,000-strong sold-out crowd at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre.

She called them "adorable" and asked them to join her to sing the hit Frozen song Let It Go, accompanied by a chorus of voices by other fans.

The unexpected opportunity, said Karis, was like a dream.

"I was scared at first, this is my first time singing before a crowd. I wish I had hugged her," said the fan, who said that Lovato "smelled like flowers".

The girls were led offstage as soon as the song was over.

"I told her to write about it in her journal," said her sales executive mother, Madam Candy Lim, 44.

Karis' best friend of two years and her schoolmate at CHIJ Our Lady Queen of Peace, Celeste, said she could not wait to tell her friends in school today.

"It is the best thing that has ever happened to me," she said.

Lovato, 22, who last performed here in 2013, captivated her fans with her solid, soaring vocals yesterday.

Judging by the roaring screams of the Lovatics at the gig, her first Asian stop as part of her Demi World tour was a success.

Here are five highlights from the gig:

TALENTED

We all know she is a firecracker of a singer, but Lovato showcased another talent in her repertoire: drumming.

Just before her second song, The Middle, she beat the drums wildly and expertly, earning cheers from her fans. Then, just like a true rock star, she tossed the drumsticks over her carelessly. Talk about attitude!

VERSATILE

Fast or slow, mellow or uptempo, Lovato is fearless in showing off her vocal abilities.

The former Disney star switched gears like a pro, sweetly crooning Don't Forget and Catch Me while strumming the guitar before hitting straight for the high notes and letting it rip for the Frozen hit song Let It Go.

FIANCE

We gasped when she mentioned her "fiance" while bantering with a six-year-old in the audience.

But, no, she is not secretly engaged to her boyfriend, That 70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama.

She was referring to her "fiance" Grant, a six-year-old fan who proposed to her at a concert last year.

INSPIRATIONAL

Lovato's past personal struggles with bullying, self-harming, an eating disorder and subsequently rehab have been well documented in the course of her career.

She has also actively spoken out about them.

She told fans before singing Warrior: "I speak out about the things I've been through, you guys can do the same. For anyone who's going through something, you can get through it and tell people your story.

"You overcome your stories and they can, too. You pass it on like a gift."

EMOTIONAL

She mentioned the earthquake in Nepal and dedicated the moving ballad Nightingale to anyone who had lost loved ones in Nepal.

"This is for the new guardian angels that have come out of the tragic event," she said.

This article was first published on April 29, 2015.
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