Bryan Adams shares what he thinks of Filipino fans

Bryan Adams would love to hear recommendations from Filipino fans on which of his songs they want him to play at his upcoming Manila concert.

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is currently doing the Asia leg of his So Happy It Hurts Tour and he’s visiting Manila again for his March 15 show at the Araneta Coliseum. And if fans have any suggestions and requests, they can just send them to him via Instagram.

“I would love it if somebody would send me a list of all the songs they want to hear in the Philippines. I mean, I’m pretty sure that we’ve got it covered. But it’s always good to know what else we might need to add to the show,” the 63-year-old Canadian hitmaker told the Filipino press during a virtual interview, where he generously answered questions that also touched on the breadth and length of his career.

“And I do this thing where I’m on stage and I’ll do requests from the audience. I’m not sure if I’m going to do it for this part of the tour, but I have done it in the past. And you’d be surprised by all the different songs that come up during that time. But sure, you know, if anyone has any recommendations, by all means, send me a message on my Instagram and I’ll try and fit the song.”

During the virtual interview, he expressed how impressed he was by how much Filipinos are a sucker for love songs.

Known as one of the best-selling artists of all time, Bryan was grateful that his love songs have had been embraced by Filipino music fans.

These include Heaven, Everything I Do (I Do It For You), Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?, Straight From the Heart, Please Forgive Me, including his collabs with other artists I Finally Found Someone (with Barbra Streisand), It’s Only Love (with Tina Turner) and All For Love (with Sting and Rod Stewart).

“You know, I love it. And it’s very, very sweet. Because, in fact, I will have to say it’s unlike any other country in the world how much they love a love song there. So, I’m excited to go and sing them all for you,” he said.

“We played in Korea the night before, in Tokyo now and (will be) playing in Japan for this week, and then, of course, we’re coming down to see you at the end of our Asian tour. And so very, very excited to be coming back here.”

When asked why he kept coming back to the country, he admitted, “Well, I meet Filipino people all over the world and they always remind me that they love the songs. So, when the opportunity came to come and play in Asia again, I said to my agents, ‘Make sure the Philippines is on there.’”

On what to expect from his concert besides possibly accommodating special song requests, Bryan said, “We’re going to be playing all the songs that you know and love like the ‘Philippine national anthem’ (among my songs) Please Forgive Me. We’ll also be playing a couple of songs from the new album, So Happy It Hurts. And we’ve got a new live show and it’s a whole different look compared to the last time we were there in Philippines.”

Bryan also shared how it felt to be performing again before live audiences. “It’s great as a musician to be playing live again after two years of not being able to do it, although we have in the last year done about 100 shows. So since the pandemic sort of stopped, we’ve been busy working,” he said.

“I mean, we started touring the moment we could. In fact, last year, we started in February, and the first couple of concerts, everybody was still wearing their masks. And it’s interesting to come back to Asia and see people still wearing masks out there.

“Because back in the west and in Canada, and in most places in Europe, people don’t wear them anymore. They’ve given up on the idea of it. But my point is, it didn’t stop us from going out there even though many of our shows got cancelled because of the protocols that were involved with COVID and government restrictions.”

Bryan has also been very productive over the pandemic in terms of music-making. Last year, he released a total of four albums, one of which is his 15th studio album, So Happy It Hurts.

“That was exciting because we got nominated for a Grammy (this year) for the title song. And we got busy in the studio. I’ve just been really busy making new music and creating a new live show. And with all of the time I had on my hands for two years where I couldn’t work, I just wrote a lot of songs.”

He also dropped Classic, an album of re-recordings of his songs from the 1980s to 1990s, such as Summer of ‘69, Heaven, Run to You and Please Forgive Me.

“To re-record the original songs is just to give everything, all the songs, a new breath of fresh air, because it’s sort of opening them up to a new audience. And that’s what’s exciting about music because you can reach and introduce your music once again,” the rocker said.

Meanwhile, it’s hard to believe but Bryan has been making music for 40 years now. “I’ve done this for 40 years. So it’s really turning the page over to the young singers and songwriters nowadays for them to shine. But as I look back and as I look forward, it’s always about the music,” he said.

His music, he was thankful to note, has allowed him to travel the world and connect with his overseas fans.

“It’s always about the songs that I’m most grateful for and the times that have come as a result of that. I mean, there’s no way I would ever have been able to visit and perform in Manila as many times as I have, if it wasn’t for the success of the music. And so I’m grateful to my team and the ability that I have to be able to come and see these places around the world because of music.”

Presented by Wilbros Live, Bryan Adams’ So Happy It Hurts tour is happening on March 15 at the Big Dome with tickets available via TicketNet.com.ph and TicketNet outlets nationwide.