24^th July 2015 – The Queen of Chinese Pop was back in town for her fourth concert PLAY WORLD TOUR, titled after her latest album.

The night was full of the sexy entertainment and chock full of entertaining tunes that had the entire audience on their feet. Sets and costumes were spared no expense, as the singer donned headpieces and multiple costumes amidst props like a huge diamond-studded skull and a Barbie doll set up.

Jolin Tsai definitely knew how to impress as she appeared on stage with headpiece full of silvery snakes that each had a life of its own to the appropriately named song, “Medusa”. Her vocal skills had definitely improved since the last time she was here four years ago, and it was lovely to see Jolin rocking fast tempo songs to soaring notes in ballads.

Going back to her roots, Jolin pulled out hits and classics from her 16 years worth of tracks like “Prague Square” and “Dancing Diva”, as well as trying to squeeze in as much songs as possible in the three hour long concert. From highlights of certain tracks to medleys, the singer spiced things up with different arrangements that was a treat for fans, some of who flew in specially for her concert.

Her posse of dancers also did not let down, as they first appeared in high heels, providing a subtle subversion of gender roles, and later on became gazers in a jazz club scene.

Despite having a 360-degree stage, Jolin was not intimidated by the sheer size of the stage as she constantly revolved around the four sides of the stage. The pint-sized power dancing machine showed off her moves through the physically demanding dance routines, and did not seem to tire, fitting her title as a dancing diva.

Another highlight was when Jolin took a trip down memory lane, and turned the stage into a scene straight out of a 1920s movie as she appeared in a flapper dress.

Having made the news previously for her controversial track, “We’re All Different, Yet The Same” which she performed towards the end of the night, Jolin’s conviction in using music to support what she stands for showed her firm beliefs in encouraging a person to follow his feelings.

Known for her ease at speaking with the audience, fans were worried that fan interaction would be kept to a minimum as Jolin shared, but the singer started loosening up towards the end of her concert. Jolin’s musical ties to the local music scene were through two Singaporean musicians, brothers Paul and Peter Lee, who were amongst her first producers.

Jolin’s confidence and ease on stage comes with her many years of experience on stage, and she was in control of the entire atmosphere. She knew exactly how to get the energy level up, from telling the crowd to “Get Off Your Asses!” to snapping selfies.

Article by: Michelle Ng
Photos taken by: Quek Yu Shan

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We would like to thank IMC Live Group and Star Planet for extending the invitation to StarArena to cover this event.