American pop star Lady Gaga at her sold-out Singapore concert at the National Stadium on May 18, the first of her four concerts at the venue - ST READER
SINGAPORE: American pop star Lady Gaga played a dazzling, sold-out set at the National Stadium on May 18, the first night of her four gigs in Singapore, her only stops in Asia.
Backed by a group of dancers, the theatrical two-hour show in support of her latest album Mayhem (2025) featured tight choreography and a spectacular stage set-up with multiple props and costume changes.
Kicking off the proceedings at 8.15pm, 15 minutes after the stipulated start time, the 39-year-old actress-singer-songwriter appeared in an exaggerated towering red Tudor gown and launched into an orchestral rendition of her 2011 song Bloody Mary.
The crowd at the 55,000-capacity venue then eagerly danced along to the follow-up song, an energetic rendition of dance-pop banger Abracadabra from Mayhem, released in March.
The concert was styled as a dramatic five-part opera, chock-full of 22 old and new hits, and Lady Gaga would appear on stage after each interval in a different costume, which included armoured bodysuits, feathered wings and flowing trains.
“You are so very special to me, my Little Monsters in Singapore,” she told the audience at one point, adding that she had fond memories of her previous shows in Singapore.
She last played here at the Singapore Indoor Stadium in 2012, as part of her Born This Way Ball world tour. She also staged a concert at Fort Canning Park in 2009, and did two exclusive showcase performances for local telco Singtel in 2009 and 2011.
American pop star Lady Gaga at her sold out Singapore concert at the National Stadium on May 18, 2025. - ST READER
While singing the 2010 track Alejandro, she brought out the Singapore flag and draped it over one of the multiple balconies on the set. At her recent concerts in Brazil and Mexico, she did the same with their national flags.
And during Vanish Into You, another track from Mayhem, she walked down from the stage to the standing floor to get up close to her fans, accepting their bouquets and signing an autograph.
Lady Gaga is also set to perform on May 19, 21 and 24. Her Mayhem Ball world tour, which kicks off in July, will visit smaller venues in the US, Europe and Australia.
The award-winning multi-hyphenate has been garnering rave reviews for her 2025 concerts so far, including a free show at Copacabana Beach in Brazil. That drew an estimated 2.5 million people, the highest-attended concert by a female artiste.
Liow Ying Xuan, a 21-year-old student, called the Singapore opening night “exhilarating”.
She told The Straits Times: “It felt like a dance party where all of us were just in a very intimate space, being ourselves and singing and dancing along to the music. Even though we were physically far from her, we felt connected to her as an audience.”
When Lady Gaga took out the Singapore flag, Liow – whose interest in the music artiste was piqued most during the Covid-19 pandemic, thanks to the album Chromatica (2020) – was “so shocked”.
“I felt like she really appreciated and enjoyed performing here, that she was really honoured to be here and loved our presence.
“Her interaction with the audience was really genuine – especially coming from a big star. I think it was really cute that she went down to the floor to shake hands with the fans there.”
Calling his idol a “live Pinterest” board, Quang Pham, 24, said he was spoilt for choice when it came to playing dress-up for the big day.
Quang Pham, a 24-year-old copywriter from Vietnam, pictured ahead of the concert on May 18, 2025. - ST
Quang Pham, a 24-year-old copywriter from Vietnam, pictured ahead of Lady Gaga's Mayhem Ball Tour held at the National Stadium on May 18, 2025.
He eventually decided on an outfit inspired by what she wore when performing Bad Romance (2009) at music festival Coachella in April.
The copywriter from Vietnam added: “What I like about Lady Gaga the most is her uniqueness, from her style to her music to the way she performs. She is the definition of originality. And after more than a decade of following her, finally being here to meet her – my 14-year-old self would be proud.” - The Straits Times/ANN
