Kanye West 'Live' At Singapore Indoor Stadium
By Cheryl Leong
Singapore
Singapore Indoor Stadium
October 29, 2008
"Bow in the presence of greatness...
You should be honored by my lateness"
And late, he certainly was. Making an appearance almost an hour and a half later than he was scheduled, Mr. Kanye West finally opened the Singapore leg of his Glow In The Dark Tour with a huge fluorescent splash of smoke and blue flashing lights. He then leapt into a not so apt "Good Morning," before kicking it back old skool with "Through The Wire."
Ye has always been partial to a one-man non-stop rap show. And although isolated on stage, his is still often considered a high-energy performance set. It was a full 7 songs later before the man took a breather and addressed the crowd. You've certainly got to admire his stamina, if not his bare showmanship.
It wasn't one huge dance party as some might have expected, but there were still plenty of happy troopers grooving along to the music. A little disappointing though, that a Glow In The Dark Tour didn't see many waving glo-sticks. At least there were a couple of his signature shutter shades lurking around, having been made into a fashion statement by Kanye in the video for "Stronger."
Kanye kept on a breathtaking mix of hit singles rolling them one after another, albums spanning his impressive repertoire. "All Falls Down," "Heard Em Say," Can't Tell Me Nothing" and "Homecoming" were among some of them. And let's see all em hands in the air, diamond-style, for "Diamonds From Sierra Leone."
The crowd went wild for the Dwele collabo "Flashing Lights," and even more so for the tribal percussive flavor of "Love Lockdown," the first single off his eagerly anticipated 808s & Heartbreak. More Auto-tune continued as Kanye previews "Heartless," also from the new album.
But as Kan himself said, the "party only got started" when he broke into "American Boy" and "Gold digger." Nope, there weren't no Estelle nor Jamie Foxx for a guest appearance, but no complaints either as fans really began taking to their feet in the aisles. "Touch The Sky" and "Good Life" followed hard and fast, before he made an exit backstage.
Point in Ye's favor that he didn't take us high, and leave us dry. Coming back on for a two-song encore, he took us through "Jesus Walks" before the characteristic strains of "Stronger" began thumping in the background. 2007's undisputed rap anthem then ended Kanye's first headlining tour in Singapore.
You know how a great concert leaves you buzzing with an adrenaline rush that doesn't dissipate until the next day? I can't say the same for everyone, but even as I wasn't feeling particularly "honored by his lateness," I will not deny that Kanye West has perfected the art of a one-man consummate performer. At the very least, you know you definitely got your money's worth, with an hour and a half of non-stop rapping.
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