Dua Lipa and Martin Garrix share the stage at Singapore Grand Prix concert

Dutch DJ Martin Garrix performs during the F1 Singapore Grand Prix Concert at the Padang on Sept 16, 2018. ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

REVIEW / CONCERT

FORMULA 1 2018 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX

DUA LIPA, MARTIN GARRIX

Padang Stage/Sept 16


SINGAPORE - When the most-streamed female artist in the world, and the top DJ in the world come together, they create magic on stage, as was evident during Dua Lipa's guest appearance during Martin Garrix' set at the Padang on Sunday (Sept 16).

The British singer, 23, joined the Dutch wunderkind DJ-producer, 22, to sing live on the track Scared To Be Lonely during the latter's DJ set, setting off the crowd of 60,000 attendees.

Garrix's show might have been the closing set of an electrifying weekend of performances by the likes of everyone from Taiwanese singer Jay Chou to American rock band The Killers, but Lipa, who is in prime global pop star mode, was the real scene-stealer on the day.

Dressed in a Grand Prix-appropriate checkered bra top and pastel blue tracksuit bottoms, the stunning and statuesque Lipa took to the stage earlier in the evening with an energetic pre-race concert that proved her magnetism as a performer.

She performed a very similar set list in Singapore not four months ago to a sold-out crowd of 5,000, and as with the last show, the first 20 minutes of the set was a breathless romp through Blow Your Mind, Dreams and My Love - including choreography and high kicks that would not be out of place in a piloxing class.

This time, however, she brought back up singers, dancers and a stage set up that allowed her to get up high on a raise platform for some balletic and modern dance choreography on pop ballad Lost In Your Light.

But even in front of a crowd much larger than her previous concert here, the bona fide pop star managed to keep it fresh and upbeat throughout her 70-minute set.

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She might be best known for the infectious earworm that is New Rules, which she closed off her gig with, but she has plenty of other smash hits - all with only one album to her name - and most of which she dipped into.

Whether it was the tropical vibes of No Lie, or the dance floor banger and Calvin Harris collaboration One Kiss, it was the perfect mix for the diverse Singapore Grand Prix crowd that typically includes everyone from hardened Formula One fans who are there for the race, to the fans who are specifically there for the music acts, and everyone in between.

Notably, she left brooding ballads such as Homesick and Thinking 'Bout You that would have shown off her sultry and soulful vocals, as well as hot-off-the-press dance track Electricity. But she was clearly playing to the crowd, and they lapped it up.

Like Lipa, Garrix's set was a show that proved why he is at the top of his game, and the top of the DJ Mag Top 100 poll.

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Between the hopping around on stage and on the decks, he brought the smash hits, the spectacular laser lights, confetti canons, and pyrotechnics. It was clear that he was firmly in the driver's seat as he took the crowd on an electronic dance music (EDM) journey through his 90-minute set.

He traversed between his breakout hit Animals and older songs like Together, and newer material like his ballad with American singer Khalid called Ocean, which he unexpectedly turned on its head with a drum and bass breakdown.

He also managed to do what no other act had done this weekend, in getting the crowd -even the ones all the way in the back - to put their hands up and jump on one of the many bangers he dropped.

While Saturday's rock acts The Killers and Liam Gallagher eschewed the long runway from the stage, Lipa and Garrix made use of it to get close to the fans, with Garrix even going out on stage to take a video with his phone.

The buoyant, youthful energy of Lipa and Garrix was exactly the shot in the arm the Singapore Grand Prix concert line up needed this year.

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