Singing down memory lane

Going to an S.H.E concert is akin to attending a high school reunion of sorts.

It's fun, familiar, and filled with good memories.

Taiwanese singers Selina Jen, 34, Hebe Tien, 32, and Ella Chen, 34, who form the veteran A-list girl group, were in town yesterday for the S.H.E / Aaron Yan Forever Stars 2015 Singapore gig.

And judging from the deafening screams of the 7,500 fans present, it was evident everyone was in a nostalgic mood.

Taiwanese idol Yan, a former member of popular boy band Fahrenheit, kickstarted the 2½-hour show at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with 10 tracks, including new song It's Good That You Are Blissful, and a cover of US singer Bruno Mars' When I Was Your Man.

OPENER: Singer Aaron Yan, formerly of boy band Fahrenheit. TNP PHOTO: CHOO CHWEE HUA

However, the 29-year-old provided nothing more than eye candy, as his performance was forgettable and he went off-key many times.

Compared to Yan, S.H.E were like a well-oiled machine. Both acts are on record label HIM International Music.

The trio started off strong, bursting onto stage with infectious uptempo hits Super Star, Can't Wait, and Happy.

Their impressive stage presence and soaring vocals got the crowd on their feet, cheering, screaming and waving neon lightsticks.

The lively atmosphere led Tien to exclaim: "When we first appeared on stage, I really felt like it was our own (solo) concert! It seems like all our fans are here."

S.H.E were last in Singapore in 2013, when they performed to a sell-out crowd of 8,000 fans at the same venue.

The group, formed in 2001, are best known for their award-winning radio hits throughout the past decade, and they didn't disappoint.

The cheeky members even prompted the audience to sing along to their songs, with Jen joking: "If you don't sing, you will be dragged out of the stadium for questioning."

The fans were more than willing to oblige.

During ballads Where's Love, He Still Doesn't Know, and Don't Say Sorry, they sang along to every word.

But the top highlight of the night came during the girls' rendition of the Jay Chou-composed Tropical Rainforest, as the stadium was transformed into a huge karaoke room, with the fans' voices threatening to drown out those of Jen, Tien and Chen.

At one point, Jen asked the audience, "Is S.H.E part of your youth and your younger days?", to which they replied with a loud "Yes!".

She then said in jest: "I hope we can accompany you all the way into old age."

NO ENCORE

The charming threesome then blazed through dance tracks such as SHERO and A Beautiful New World before calling it a night.

They manoeuvred comfortably through the different pitches and hit the high notes effortlessly.

It was a shame there was no encore, despite the fans chanting for one.

For most of them, the concert was a special walk down memory lane.

Systems engineer Sharon Tan, 33, told The New Paper: "I feel like it took me back to my younger days because S.H.E sang all my old favourites which I could sing along to. It was nostalgic and fun listening to their classics."

Purchasing manager Lim Weiren, 30, said: "It felt like one big KTV session, and we got to sing together with S.H.E. They can sing so well and their songs bring back all these good memories from the good old days. I hope they get together again to release a new album soon!"