Malaysian fans have been counting stars for days (including me with no exception) in anticipation of OneRepublic’s return to our shores.
It was the evening of the middle of yet another work week, but clearly no amount of blues in the world could bog the spirit that filled the air at the Merdeka Stadium as fans gathered from near and far for OneRepublic's 'Live In Malaysia'. ICYMI, here are the highlights that made up for an electrifying and stellar night:
OneRepublic kicked off their Kuala Lumpur show with “Stop & Stare” and “Secrets”. It seemed like lead vocalist Ryan Tedder the 38-year-old singer’s voice was slightly under the weather at first. But the violin and cello-enhanced instruments were able to get the crowd in the mood. In between tracks, we could hear Tedder greeting the crowd with “apa khabar” and offering appreciation with “terima kasih”.
The 38-year-old singer also shared that he was surprised to find out that OneRepublic’s concert venue was indeed an open-air space. Thank goodness the weather gods were kind to us after thunder and raining for the past few days.
The quintet band continued to fire hit after hit with upbeat numbers such as “Kids”, “Good Life”, “Wherever I Go”, “Better” and “Feel Again”. The talented songwriter must have been feeling good, cause he told the crowd that he was inspired to write 2 songs since landing in Malaysia. If you’ve been following Tedder on Instagram, you’d notice that the singer, has been fascinated with the Petronas Twin Tower.
Speaking of inspiration, Tedder has also been known for writing a ton of hit songs for A-listers in the music industry. He then treated us to 2 covers – Beyonce’s “Halo” (which he described it as his karaoke version) and Ed Sheeran’s “Happier”.
OneRepublic also entertained the audiences with another tender moment when Tedder paid tribute to the recently-deceased Avicii by singing an acoustic cover of “Wake Me Up”. It was a beautiful moment when everyone joined in unison and harmonise to the late DJ’s hit.
Following that emotional tribute, the group performed 2 songs – “I Lived” and “All The Right Moves” – before treating concert-goers with a brand new tune. OneRepublic decided to debut “Born To Race” for their second leg of Asian mini tour. Tedder wrote that for the video game, “Need For Speed”. The music genius also shared that he has been working with rapper Logic and teased about contributing something for “13 Reasons Why” season 2 soundtrack.
Needless to say that the entire stadium truly came alive towards the end of the show. The crowd sang the loudest during “Apologize”. OneRepublic saved the best – “If I Lose Myself”, “Counting Stars” and “Love Runs Out” – for last. It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane thanks to the set list of hits over the past decade. See the full set list here:
1. Intro/NbHD/Stop + Stare
2. Secrets
3. Kids
4. Good Life
5. Wherever I Go
6. Better
7. Feel Again
8. Halo/Happier/Wake Me Up
9. I Lived
10. All The Right Moves
11. Born To Race
12. Something I Need
13. Apologize
14. Rich Love
15. If I Lose Myself
16. Counting Stars
17. Love Runs Out
But alas, even good times must come to an end. It's back to the daily grind for now, and we probably won't be the only ones playing OneRepublic on repeat to counter post-concert withdrawals.
OneRepublic Live in Kuala Lumpur 2018 is organised by WGW Entertainment and supported by Malaysia Major Events (MME), a division of Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), a bureau under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
Be sure to follow WGW Entertainment on Facebook for all the latest updates on OneRepublic Live in Kuala Lumpur 2018, or visit OneRepublic's website.