“Getting off the plane yesterday and driving into the city, I really felt like home,” Ed Sheeran declared.
On the memorable evening of 16 February, the English singer-songwriter celebrated his birthday in advance during the Singapore stop of his + - = ÷ x 2024 Tourat the National Stadium. We were honoured to have shared some special moments with the ‘Shape of You’ – from a surprise appearance by JJ Lin to playing ‘Happier’ for the first time in five years.
Minutes before the show, chatters of excitement filled the air as we waited to be reunited with the crooner. After all, his last visit to the Lion City was way back in 2017 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. This year marked an impressive milestone for the 33-year-old singer as he serenaded a 60,000-strong crowd, comprising fans from various countries.
“This is the biggest show that I have ever done in Asia. It is also the biggest ticketing concert that they’ve had in Singapore history, and what a way to be making history,” Sheeran said with pride.
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Right in the heart of the stadium, stood an intriguing circular stage that drew our attention. Positioned at four corners of the stage were screens shaped like guitar picks, and a circular LED screen that hovered above the stage, showcasing a panoramic sight of the striking red visuals from Sheeran’s = (2021) album.
So when the five-minute countdown timer struck down to the final 10 seconds, Sheeran ascended to the stage with his acoustic guitar, commanded the attention of every single person in the stadium, and we knew that we were in for a picture-perfect night.
MUSIC IN AN ENDLESS LOOP
Standing alone on the circular stage, there was no denying that Sheeran's intimate set was visible from any direction. Adding to the immersive experience, he stood atop a continuous treadmill loop, rotating 360 degrees. The unique setup gave every fan a chance to be face-to-face with the crooner, amplifying the connection between them.
With nowhere to hide, Sheeran candidly shared that his performance for the night hinges on the loop station – controlled by his feet.
“Everything you hear tonight is completely live, there is no backing track whatsoever, this is all made live on the spot and controlled by my feet,” he shared.
Just then, the stage lights and LED screen display transitioned from a fiery red hue to a cool, electric blue when Sheeran demonstrated the use of the device. Adding layers of the first strum of the guitar, to the upbeat tap of his keyboards, the crooner took us on a ride with his chart-topping hit, ‘Shivers’.
And thus commenced the biggest karaoke extravaganza we’ve ever witnessed.
STAYING IN TUNE WITH THE CROWD
Carrying a hefty 26-track setlist throughout a 130-minute show may sound like a daunting feat. But, in true Ed Sheeran fashion, he had a couple of fun tricks up his sleeve to get us on our feet and groove along to the beat – fitting for a birthday party.
When the time came around for his performance of ‘Give Me Love’ off his earlier album, + (2011), Sheeran segregated the stadium into half and instructed the first half to sing the lower harmony, while the second half belted out the higher harmony.
@sghabibi when you are vibing with ed sheeran before his birthday #givemelove#edsheeran#fyp#sg#concert♬ original sound - ❤️ Habibi ❤️
Of course, the crowd charged up their pent-up energy for Sheeran’s classic hits including ‘Galway Girl’, ‘Shape of You’, and ‘Thinking out Loud’.
‘HAPPIER’ EVER AFTER
After discovering from a fan that ‘Happier’, a track off his ÷ (2017) album, was popular in Singapore, Sheeran re-learned the track and included it in his setlist as a surprise after five years.
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A bittersweet track about letting go of a former partner, Sheeran sung the words with much fervour as the crowd harmonised along to the chorus.
“Hadn’t played ‘Happier’ in 5 years ‘til this weekend in Singapore. Here’s me having a refresher before the show, was kinda like riding a bike, all came back pretty quick!” Sheeran shared in an Instagram post.
Taking a comforting break from all the buoyant songs that he played, including ‘Galway Girl’ and ‘Sing’, ‘Happier’ was like a breath of fresh air that kept us on our toes for more surprises throughout the night. Little did we know, this wasn’t the biggest moment that astounded us.
A BIRTHDAY SURPRISE BY JJ LIN
“As I’ve said, it’s my birthday. I would like to bring out a very, very special artist right now. It's someone that I’ve met before, someone that I love the music of, someone that you love the music of. So, let’s give it a whirl,” Ed declared before calling out JJ Lin to join him on stage.
The moment the Singaporean singer-songwriter emerged front and centre, an uproarious cheer echoed through the stadium roof.
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Taking us on a unique duet, the pair took us on a sentimental sonic journey with the Mandopop icon’s hit single, ‘Twilight’. What caught us off-guard was that Sheeran also belted out the lyrics in Mandarin.
“My first time speaking and singing in Mandarin and deffo not the last,” Ed shared in his Instagram post.
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While fans were already delighted by the unexpected moment, what went down ten minutes before the show was even more impressive. In an Instagram reel, Ed disclosed that he spent some time with JJ Lin before his show to run through the lyrics of ‘Twilight’.
In light of the special night, JJ Lin cleverly disguised his personal birthday wish to Sheeran as he heartily sang the words: “Happy Birthday to Ed Sheeran, Singapore loves you. We’re in love with the Shape of You.”
A night full of startlers one after another, Sheeran’s + - = ÷ x 2024 Tour in Singapore is one for the books. With all the timeless classic tracks that were carried throughout the set, each song felt like a journey through past memories, evoking a comforting sense of nostalgia and served as a great stress reliever after a long week.
“I really know that people could be doing anything with their Friday night. Friday night is a sacred night, it’s the end of a working week and you can enjoy yourself in a way that you want to. And you’ve chosen to enjoy yourself at one of my concerts, so I really, really appreciative it.”
Ed Sheeran + - = ÷ x 2024 Tour in Singapore setlist:
- Tides
- BLOW
- I’m a Mess
- Shivers
- The A Team
- Castle on the Hill
- Don’t / No Diggity
- Lego House
- Give Me Love
- Eyes Closed
- River / Peru / Beautiful People / South of the Border / I Don’t Care
- Overpass Graffiti
- Galway Girl
- Thinking Out Loud
- [Cover] Love Yourself
- Sing
- Happier
- One / Photograph
- Tenerife Sea
- [Cover] Twilight feat. JJ Lin (in Mandarin)
- Perfect
- Bloodstream
- Afterglow
- You Need Me, I Don’t Need You
- Shape of You
- Bad Habits