Neither the drastic image reinvention nor the controversies that hound Miley Cyrus kept her mostly teenage girl fans from trooping to the teen queen's concert at SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds on June 17. All prettified a la Miley channeling Hannah Montana, the popular Disney character that propelled her to stardom, the girls had their parents in tow, making the concert, which is part of Miley’s “Corazon Gitano” or “Gypsy Heart” tour, quite like a family affair with a few friends on the side. The concert showed off Miley's sexy and more mature side both in the music and costumes. But, more importantly, the 18-year-old singer gave her fans something to aspire for and be inspired about.
And who better to do that than she? The pop star has traveled a long road, literally and figuratively, from being an ordinary girl from Tennessee to the “Hannah Montana” phenomenon she’s been. She created an empire through the teen show, selling millions of albums and merchandise, and holding concerts around the world for her gazillion supporters.
The fans that Bulletin Entertainment interviewed before the concert were one in saying that Miley has been a good role model to them. “She taught me ‘yung importance ng pagtulong sa ibang tao, and ‘yung importance of just being yourself,” said Erin De Guzman, 14. “Nagustuhan ko rin maging katulad niya,” Nadine Esplana, 11, related. Bianca Villanueva, 18, shared what Miley would later on advise her fans during the concert: “Dreams do come true. Na-influence niya ko to never give up on my dreams.”
Miley in the house Miley showed up on stage just before 9 p.m. clad in a sexy, bejeweled outfit that showed off her cleavage. She kicked off her 21-song set with “Liberty Walk,” a track from her latest CD, “Can’t Be Tamed.” She gave energetic song and dance numbers via “Party In The U.S.A.” and “Fly On The Wall,” both from previous albums. Miley was ably backed up by band mates and dancers (who performed emotive, interpretative dances, such as in “Robot”) while sophisticated lighting enhanced the spectacle. The big LCD screen at the top portion of the stage even showed the Philippine flag at one point. It was noticeable how Miley wasn’t singing some parts of her songs but instead, she resorted to using a sort of spoken-song technique. While it’s interesting in that it gives the song a different flavor, it kind of diminishes their overall power and message. Well, at least we know she’s not trying to make the songs sound like they do on record. Miley showcased considerable lung power in the singing contest-favorite piece, “The Climb,” as well as in “Driveway” and in her cover of Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn.” These she belted out, hitting the high notes without strain.
Miley only had a few quick breaks for costume changes during the more than hour-and-a-half show. She may have had only a few spiels, but these were meaningful ones. In introducing "Forgiveness and Love,” Miley said, “Without these two the world will be impossible.”
You give love, you get love
The singer paid tribute to music that inspired her “and gave [her] the strength to be here (music business).” Among these were a cover of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and a medley of “I Love Rock ‘N Roll (Joan Jett & the Blackhearts),” “Cherry Bomb (The Runaways)” and “Bad Reputation (Joan Jett).” Miley kept saying, “Thank you guys so much!” after almost every number. Her fans in the Philippines, her only stop in Asia for her tour, didn’t fail her. They gamely sang along and danced to her hit singles. They also received with warm applause, even her non-singles (most notably “Forgiveness and Love” and “Driveway").
Some also brought Miley merchandise like books, pins and bags. A few waved banners during the show, one of which even caught Miley’s attention because it was a fan sign for her mother, Tish Cyrus. For encores, Miley wore a hot, red outfit and sang “See You Again,” “My Heart Beats For Love,” and “Who Owns My Heart.” Miley told her fans, “Everything starts with a dream… You gotta make your dream your purpose. I hope you guys feel inspired.”
