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Jay Chou encourages fans at his concert to 'stalk' his Instagram, promises them a meal if they find him in Singapore

Jay Chou encourages fans at his concert to 'stalk' his Instagram, promises them a meal if they find him in Singapore
Bryan LimPUBLISHED ONJanuary 11, 2020 6:00 AMByBryan Lim

In an age where social media has allowed fans to get closer to their idols, cases where overzealous fans cross the line aren't unheard of.

But in his concert yesterday (Jan 10), Mandopop king Jay Chou encouraged his supporters to 'stalk' him on Instagram.

He asked the crowd if they use the social media tool and said: "I took a lot of pictures (of Singapore) this afternoon because it was such a rare opportunity to be here.

"If any of you see me in a restaurant here tomorrow, I'll treat you to a meal," he added to the roaring fans and advised them to check out his Instagram for clues.

But there's a caveat — if he's eating bak kut teh, wait till he's done with the rib before approaching so the superstar can greet you with clean hands.

Jay is in town for his Carnival World Tour and will be staging a second performance tonight (Jan 11) at the National Stadium.

And it was clear that he loves putting on a show.

It wasn't his ostentatious outfits (with more bling than a getai singer) that gave it away, but the opening credits that preceded his show. Yes, Jay had opening credits for his concert. His dancers then swarmed the stage dressed as circus performers before he launched into the uptempo Ban Shou Ren (Half-beast Human) and rounded up the first segment with rock ballad Yi Lu Xiang Bei (All The Way North).

During his performance of Ye De Di Qi Zhang (Chapter Seven), Jay appeared on a large golden throne as he took the stage. It might be a little brazen if it were any other singer, but not for Jay. Not only is he a Mandopop king, but he's also nicknamed Zhou Dong (President Chou) by fans and press alike — a testament to his talent and impact on Asian music, and his achievements in his various business ventures.

The two-hour set was jam-packed with songs spanning his 20-year career and despite minimal talking in the first 90 minutes, Jay still hadn't run through his entire repertoire. The man has that many great hits.

That said, the set list definitely appealed to both young and old as he belted out oldies like Qing Tian (Sunny Day), Gao Bai Qi Qiu (Love Confession), Ju Hua Tai (Chrysanthemum Terrace), and Gui Ji (Orbit), and also showed some love to his new songs like Deng Ni Xia Ke (Waiting For You) and Shuo Hao Bu Ku (Won't Cry). Won't Cry is his latest song and a collaboration with Taiwanese singer-songwriter Ashin from rock band Mayday.

While his extensive catalogue of songs showcased his range in genres, one thing that hasn't changed is his signature style of singing with slurred enunciation. The woman next to this writer remarked that she "doesn't know what he's singing", causing her companion to reply: "That's his style what."

However, it's also no surprise that the sound quality at the National Stadium leaves much to be desired. There were times when the sound faltered and it sounded like Jay's voice disappeared completely. It was definitely an annoyance considering the price of the tickets, and we were left wondering if it was because of Jay's enunciation, him forgetting the lyrics, or the sound system.

Thankfully, Jay worked the crowd by serving a whole platter of fan service, and went through a collection of fan-favourites through a jukebox roulette. Certain members of the audience were selected to pick a number (from one to 10) and the crowd was treated to the chorus of a random song.

Familiar classics like Ge Qian (Step Aside), Xing Qing (Starry Mood), and Qi Li Xiang were on the list and it got the entire crowd joining in a chorus of pitchy voices.

The entire concert was such a joy, but the highlight of the evening probably had to be the last 30 minutes of the show where Jay had a Taiwanese talkshow-style segment. He bantered with the audience and went through several iconic songs — some of which this writer had forgotten about — which turned into a karaoke session.

Jay gave us an encore of a lifetime with eight songs and he repeated Gao Bai Qi Qiu (Love Confession) because a fan asked for it, but not before the singer joked: "Were you in the toilet when I sang it earlier?"

He even went down into the crowd and ear-splitting shrieks erupted as fans reached across the fence to touch the singer's hand.

Among the songs performed were Fen Lie (Split, from his 2002 album The Eight Dimensions) and the nostalgia-filled Kai Bu Liao Kou (I Find It Hard To Say) and Hui Dao Guo Qu (Back to the Past).

By the time the curtains came down, we were utterly spent and waxing nostalgic. There's really nothing to say except that it was a great concert and definitely worth the buck. On the way out, a fan was heard telling her friend: "Those who've watched his concert will want to watch it again because it's good."

The second night of the Singapore leg of Jay Chou's Carnival World Tour will be held tonight (Jan 11) at the National Stadium.

ALSO READ: Gossip mill: Mandopop king Jay Chou brings mummy dearest sightseeing in Singapore - and other entertainment news this week

bryanlim@asiaone.com

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