KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — If ever there was a script to define the perfect date in Genting Highlands, it should include “attending a John Legend concert.”
The weather at the resort was suitably cool but John Legend’s Darkness and Light concert on Saturday night warmed up Arena of Star’s surroundings.
The American soul singer dazzled the crowd in a rose-gold tuxedo jacket along with magnificent piano solos and vocals.
The 39-year-old kicked off his show with I Know Better and started grooving into the night on his second and third song Penthouse Floor and Tonight.
He connected with the 5,000-strong crowd, allowing them to lose themselves in the music.
The tightly woven set then took a faster beat as he sang Made to Love – from his 2013 album "Love in the Future" – and the crowd went wild, immediately chanting “We love you, Legend.”
Legend then took a break from his singing and started interacting with the audience.
“It’s good to be back. I love you Malaysia.
“Tonight, we’re going to focus on love,” said the songwriter and actor.
Truly a love genie, the singer then pulled a female fan up on stage to dance with him.
Over the course of the 90-minute show, Legend and his 11-piece band thundered through hits from all five of his studio albums including Green Light, Love Me Now and Ordinary People.
Legend sent out a powerful but truthful message regarding the way love is treated now.
“Sometimes we take our loved ones for granted. If you’re with somebody you love tonight, tell them ‘I love you’.
“If you’re alone, no worries—just tell me you love me instead,” he joked.
“We are currently living in a world where we are chasing likes and forgetting about love.”
His performance reminded the crowd why he is one of his generation’s best, in addition to his 10 Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe award.
At the end of the show, he came back for an encore which included his latest hit song All of Me – a song he dedicated to his then-fiancee, now wife, model Chrissy Teigen.
As if the jazzy tunes and some funky beats were not enough, there was a 15-minute period throughout the night where he sang without the accompaniment of any musical instrument, a true testament to his vocal range.
Prior to the show at Resort World Genting’s Arena of Stars, Legend performed in China, Japan and South Korea.
The Asian leg of his tour will come to an end after his performance at Bangkok on March 23.
