Concert review: G.E.M.’s National Stadium gig marks the highest attendance for a Mandopop diva

G.E.M. I Am Gloria World Tour – Singapore

National Stadium March 1

Absence may have made the heart grow fonder, as an eight-year break has catapulted G.E.M. to a new concert record in Singapore.

Some 42,000 fans turned up for the Hong Kong singer’s National Stadium gig on March 1, the highest attendance for a solo female Mandopop singer in the venue’s history. It topped the 20,000 people who went to see local singer Stefanie Sun perform there in 2014 and Taiwan’s A-mei in 2016.

During G.E.M.’s show, part of her G.E.M. I Am Gloria World Tour, the 33-year-old commented on the audience’s enthusiasm: “You guys are very loud. So loud, I have to increase the volume of my headpiece to hear the music.”

She also marvelled at the venue’s retractable roof, and said it was her first time performing in a stadium which could be covered.

She had many sweet words for the Lion City. For example, when she was bitten by a mosquito during the gig, she said Singapore had given her a “fei wen” (“flying insect” in Chinese). To reciprocate, she sent flying kisses – also “fei wen” in Chinese – to the crowd.

G.E.M. last performed in Singapore in 2017, doing two shows at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. She also helmed three nights at The Max Pavilion @ Singapore Expo in 2015.

After her 2008 debut, her popularity skyrocketed in the mid-2010s, following her appearance on the Chinese reality singing competition I Am A Singer 2 (2014).

Since then, she has kept the momentum up, releasing three studio albums since her last Singapore performance. In particular, she dropped the well-received work City Zoo (2019), which won her the Jury Award at the Golden Melody Awards in 2020.

This album was her concert’s main selling point, with eight of its 13 tracks making the set list.

Its hip-hop title track was the show’s opening number, set against slithering serpents projected on the big screen. Dressed in a sculptural white outfit, G.E.M. followed up with the electronic number Grey Wolf, themed around the idea of moral relativism, while supported by 16 backup dancers.

Also from City Zoo was the pop song Full Stop. Its lyrics touched on her difficult relationship with former record label Hummingbird Music, which she left in 2019 and faced contractual issues with. There was also the tortured power ballad Selfless and angsty rap number Miss Similar.

Fleshing out tensions between external forces and one’s inner desires, many songs expressed strong emotions of anger, disappointment and sorrow, which the singer seemed to be grappling with in recent years. In 2019 and 2020, reports alleged that she suffered “mental abuse” and was “treated unfairly” under Hummingbird Music, and speculated she might have to give up her stage name G.E.M. after the label trademarked it.

Indeed, during the 170-minute show, the star commented that there was much trouble, unfairness and uncertainty in the world. Holding back tears, she said: “Although the world can be chaotic, we can still love one another.”

Themes of self-discovery and renewal were present in G.E.M.’s current tour, which embraced her given name Gloria Tang, as well as six eye-catching outfits. Yet, it also held true to her stage name, short for “Get Everybody Moving”, with its empowering lyrics and energy-pumping tracks.

Her glorious pipes shone particularly brightly on Cantonese cover song Like You, and hopeful dance number Heartbeat, on which she also danced her heart out amid a brilliant confetti shower.

Fans who remember her from I Am A Singer 2 were also treated to a medley of covers she performed on the series, including Mayday’s You Are Not Truly Happy, Wang Feng’s Existence and Jay Chou’s Tornado.

Whether it was out of empathy for her past struggles or awe at her powerful voice and feisty never-say-die attitude, fans had clearly been won over. G.E.M. had come a long way and she is now the one to beat.