Nine years have passed since Ed Sheeran first set foot in the country.
He was promoting then his sophomore record titled x, or Multiply, which spawned the hits "Photograph" and "Thinking Out Loud."
Ed would come back in 2017, this time buoyed by the success of his third album ÷ (Divide) and riding on the strength of the singles "Perfect" and "Shape of You."
Fast forward to the present, Ed was back in the Philippines bigger than ever, with accomplishments that include citations as one of today's most streamed artists and receiving an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) bestowed by the British monarch.
Manila was the latest stop of Ed's tour titled Mathematics, a combination of the different mathematical operations, which were titles of the singer-songwriter's previous albums.
FRONT ACTS SET THE STAGE
The concert was held at the SMDC Festival Grounds in Parañaque City on Saturday, March 9, 2024.
Given Ed's popularity, it was no surprise that a big crowd attended to watch the 33-year-old singer-songwriter perform live.
British singer-songwriter Calum Scott warmed up the crowd by singing a few songs, including the hits "You Are the Reason" and "Dancing On My Own."
Calum thanked the crowd for coming in early to see his set.
"If you want me to come back, I will come back," he told the cheering audience.
Next on the bill was the Filipino folk-pop band Ben&Ben composed of brothers Paolo and Miguel Benjamin Guico (vocals and guitars), Poch Barretto (electric guitar), Keifer Cabugao (violin), Patricia Lasaten (keyboards), Toni Muñoz (percussion), Andrew de Pano (percussion), Agnes Reoma (bass guitar), and Jam Villanueva (drums).
The nine-piece band dished out their hits including "Pagtingin," "Leaves," and "Kathang isip" much to the delight of the crowd familiar with these tunes.
Ben&Ben are avid fans of Ed Sheeran, which made their participation in the concert both fitting and a dream came true for the band.
Paolo and Miguel fondly recalled the band uploading on YouTube a video of their rendition of Ed's "Perfect" from a couple of years back.
ED SHEERAN'S REPERTOIRE
At 8:15 p.m., Ed opened his set with the autobiographical "Tides" from his 2021 album = (Equals).
Wearing a shirt with the word "Manila" written on it, Ed came out swinging to get the crowd involved early.
Many of the attendees came prepared, displaying their familiarity with the lyrics and enthusiastically joining in as Ed churned out the songs one after another.
As could be expected of an Ed Sheeran concert, the show was a visual and sensory treat and a display of Ed's musicianship and mastery of the looper pedal.
Read: Ed Sheeran sings karaoke during downtime before Manila concert
For those unfamiliar, a looper pedal is a device designed to capture and replay sounds from diverse instruments and sources.
While Ed had a band accompanying him in some songs, most of his set featured just him utilizing a looper pedal live to intricately layer sounds and prob to enrich the songs as he performed them.
Observing Ed skillfully play the guitar, sing, manage multiple pedal buttons, and maintain his high energy level was similar to witnessing a proficient multitasker in action.
"If you don't know the words, you're at the wrong concert," Ed told the crowd as he began incorporating more familiar tunes into his set.
As expected, hit singles like "Thinking Out Loud," and "Perfect" received the loudest cheers and singalongs.
The venue was filled with singing voices as the audience joined Ed during his performance of "Love Yourself," the song he wrote for pop star Justin Bieber.
"Photograph," "Happier," "Afterglow," and "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" were also well-received and served as one of the night's many highlights.
Speaking of highlights, the moment when Ben&Ben vocalists Paolo and Miguel came back to the stage to sing their hit song "Maybe the Night" with Ed was something to remember.
Read: Ed Sheeran sings Ben&Ben hit song in jampacked concert
Ed in concert is great at getting the crowd involved, as he frequently prompted his audience to sing, chant, and scream specific lines mid-song or before launching into new ones.
Hence, the Manila stop of Mathematics was a visually interactive spectacle, featuring dazzling lights and fireworks, and a rotating stage that enabled Ed to connect with the audience from every angle.
It wrapped up with one of Ed's biggest hits "Shape of You" and "Bad Habits."
The concert clocked in two and a half hours, with Ed performing non-stop, pausing only for a few seconds to change shirt.
Mathematics highlights Ed's brilliance not only as a songwriter and singer, but also as a consummate performer.
Set List
"Tides"
"Blow"
"I'm a Mess"
"Shivers"
"The A Team"
"Castle on the Hill"
"Don't / No Diggity"
"Lego House"
"Eyes Closed"
"Give Me Love"
"Dive"
"American Town"
"River / Peru / Beautiful People / South of the Border / I Don't Care"
"Overpass Graffiti"
"Galway Girl"
"Thinking Out Loud"
"Love Yourself"
"Sing"
"Photograph"
"Tenerifi Sea"
"Happier"
"Maybe the Night"
"Perfect"
"Bloodstream"
"Afterglow"
"You Need Me, I Don't Need You"
"Shape of You"
"Bad Habits"