- By Marwa Hamad, Special to tabloid!
- Published: 10:49 September 28, 2013
- Image Credit: Gulf News
- Selena Gomez on stage
Dubai’s die-hard Selena Gomez fans had the chance to see their idol in action this Friday at the second night of Dubai Music Week’s much-anticipated concert weekend. Thousands flocked to Dubai World Trade Centre by 8pm to get a glimpse of the 21-year-old’s only Middle East performance on her first world tour.
After a short but sweet opening set by Lebanese-Canadian R&B singer Karl Wolf, the eagerly-awaited Gomez rose to stage amidst a deafening chorus of high-pitched screams with her four-piece musical band, two back-up singers and two back-up dancers.
The star stomped around with a seductive smile, opening the show with “Bang Bang Bang” off her award-winning 2011 album “When the Sun Goes Down”. Gomez’s youngest fans were hoisted up onto their parents’ shoulders to get a better view, tweens were huddled together in giddy excitement, and even an odd few fully-grown men were shamelessly busting out their best moves.
The party heated up in earnest when the starting notes of Gomez’s hit single “Love You Like a Love Song” sounded in the air, setting the crowd off into another round of ear-splitting cheers and a singalong.
But after a succession of fast-tempo tunes sung into her bedazzled microphone, including a slightly out-of-place cover of Rihanna’s suggestive “Birthday Cake”, Gomez transitioned into a stripped-down and emotional rendition of “Love Will Remember”, a candid ballad inspired by her highly publicized breakup with heartthrob ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber.
She topped off the newly-relaxed mood by playing the harmonica and covering a couple of her favourite slow-paced songs, namely Priscilla Ahn’s “Dream” and Lorde’s “Royals”.
Gomez, once a child actress now finding fame fresh out of Disney, is no stranger to critics and the harsh limelight, which is surely part of the reason she chose to give the crowd of youngsters some sound anti-bullying advice, telling them to “let those people who hurt you motivate you and make you be better” before she launched into her feel-good hit “Who Says”.
A few rock-influenced renditions of her studio tracks later, Gomez polished off her hour-and-a-half-long set with a spirited performance of chart-topping hit “Come & Get It” and her latest single “Slow Down” amongst a fired-off sea of colourful confetti.
Donning her signature red lipstick and hoop earrings, the ever-stylish icon dashed off for two outfit changes during the show while a dream-like sequence of videos chronicled her rise to fame on a screen above stage.
She started the night off with an edgy look of gold-studded shorts, a sheer black shirt and knee-high boots, changing midway through into a classic black jumpsuit and finally ending the night in a sheer white blouse paired with high-waisted short-shorts over glimmering opaque tights.
Though, for a pop act, Gomez had minimal choreography and she often relied on her back-up singers to fill in the gaps in her vocal range, she more than made up for it with her strong, captivating timbre, her high-energy, engaging stage presence, as well as her obvious love for her devoted fans who she says are responsible for making her dreams — such as playing a show in Dubai — come true.
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