Ariana Grande breaks free in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - There were no set transformations and gimmicks. There were no fireworks, only vocal pyrotechnics. The Manila leg of Ariana Grande’s The Honeymoon Tour, which gathered thousands of Filipino Arianators at the Mall of Asia Arena last Sunday night, gave what Pinoy concertgoers value the most — great live singing. The show was short but definitely nothing short of unforgettable moments.

At exactly 8:40 p.m., the lights went off as the giant LED screens revealed the 22-year-old American pop star, sporting her signature ponytail, proclaiming her love for music. After a brief introductory clip, the Grammy-nominated belter appeared in a black two-piece ensemble and did Bang Bang, her hit 2014 collaboration with contemporaries Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. The venue, dominated by teenage girls in black knee-high socks and cat ears, erupted in screams. Proving that behind her petite frame is a vocal powerhouse, the playful songstress went on with Hands On Me, Best Mistake and Break Your Heart Right Back, catchy tracks from her second studio album My Everything, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 in 2014.

After a quick break, Ariana returned on stage wearing a black ribbon headdress —with those sultry-but-cute facial expressions she loves doing from time to time — for her first surprise, a mash-up of Madonna’s Vogue and Whitney Houston’s I’m Every Woman. Already high on energy, the former Nickelodeon star wasted no time and segued to Be My Baby.

Aside from the recurrent “I love you, Manila” and “Make some noise, Manila,” Ariana didn’t talk too much; she just let her powerful voice do the talking and clearly, her fans didn’t mind. And without much fanfare, Ariana took the arena back to her ‘90s R&B-inspired Yours Truly era with Right There, The Way, her first-ever hit, Baby I, and the power ballad Tattooed Heart. After another swift outfit change, she delivered two of her heartbreak tracks, One Last Time and My Everything.

Before hitting the big time, Ariana was known for doing YouTube covers, a small girl who boldly sings the biggest songs done by legendary divas before her. And last Sunday night, Ariana, now in sparkly silver from head to toe, showed this raw side of her again when she took on Whitney Houston’s iconic ballad, I Have Nothing.

“I love this song and I know you love it, too,” the singer told the audience. And she was right; don’t we all love Whitney and her birit songs?

Showing no signs of strain from hitting all the high notes, Ariana entered the last part of the musical extravaganza produced by MMI Live with Love Me Harder and Honeymoon Avenue, and finally ended the concert on a much higher note with her biggest radio hits, Break Free and Problem.

As expected, Ariana concluded her show in Manila with a prolonged belt, reverberating and solid, as if reminding everyone that she’s just begun — and she’s in it for the long haul.