Jason Mraz opened his 2019 Singapore show with “You and I Both”. His selection gave me hope that he’d bring out the classics. I was rooting for “Sleep All Day” and “Absolutely Zero”. Disappointingly, I got neither. He even chose to ditch the medley of “The Remedy”, “Geek in the Pink” and “Curbside Prophet” which he performed everywhere else.
I am opening my article with this criticism as there’s nothing much I can complain about after. All other aspects of the concerts were amazing. I left with nothing but good vibes.
I watched him on this same tour six months ago. Majority of the show remains unchanged. But the aspects that did definitely improved.
For one, besides “I’m Yours”, people stood up and danced to the rest of his music. Into his second song, he urged the crowd to get up on their feet. There was a lot of hesitation on my part. I was never the leader in this department. But I chose to be courageous. I gave zero fucks if the others in the audience judged me. Nothing was going to get in the way of me enjoying his music. And I attribute my bravery to his “I won’t worry my life away” attitude. Luckily, people followed suit.
He even gave a shoutout to people who came in alone – a gesture I find helpful as I often watch concerts by myself. The act is purely coincidental with no intent of emboldening my life choices. This dialogue was his transition to “Unlonely”. But I prefer my interpretation.
All the romance that make his ballads poetic continue to give the event a perfect date night vibe. “Might as Well Dance” is silly but he loosened me up enough that talking about taking pants off doesn’t sound dorky. I also found “Love is Still the Answer” to be cringeworthy. But he managed to make the track palatable by giving the context behind the song’s creation – a tribute he made for a couple’s wedding.
But what struck me most was how much gratitude and love flows through his veins. He continues to shower the crowd with well wishes – most evident in his dedication of “Have it All” to the audience. He’s now very kumbaya and draws energy from your inner hippie. If Timon and Pumbaa merged into one and reincarnated into a singer-songwriter, Jason Mraz would be the embodiment. With performances like “Make It Mine”, “Living in the Moment” and “3 Things”, how can the spiteful bitch within you not disappear?
His songwriting ability has never been in question. This night, he graced the audience with his lyrical masterpiece “Chocolate”. Putting his talent to use and creating wonderful verses for his wife is the best gift he can give her. The line “The way that Kanye loves some Kanye” just demonstrates his clever choice of words and how in touch with reality he remains.
Jason Mraz is not afraid to share the limelight. All the time, superstars get up-and-coming musicians as opening acts. But he takes this practice a step further and integrates them to his show. Raining Jane continues to accompany him in most songs. Youtube star Renee Dominique flew from Manila to partner him on “Lucky” and debut their new duet “Could I Love You Any More?”
Performing 20 songs seemed fair. Generally, he met my expectations and broke some of them. I got my value for money. I would definitely pay to see him a third time.
One Man Anthem 