Sam Smith's 'Gloria the Tour' lights up Manila with celebration of freedom, sexuality

MANILA, Philippines — "This night, this show is about freedom."

Freedom was the overarching theme of English singer-songwriter Sam Smith's "Gloria the Tour" concert, which took place in Mall of Asia Arena last Saturday, October 21, presented by Live Nation Philippines.

Smith's "Gloria the Tour" concert, their third show in the Philippines, proved to be a magnificent showcase of their talent, delving into themes of love, beauty, and sex, while also celebrating freedom and sexuality throughout the captivating two-hour show. 

Smith's performance featured many elaborate outfit changes, each met with enthusiastic applause from their Filipino fans, who were consistently awestruck by the singer's transformations.

'DARLING, STAY WITH ME'

English singer-songwriter Sam Smith performs for their Filipino fans on October 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena as part of their 'Gloria The Tour'. | via John Marwin Elao (@jmarwinelao) pic.twitter.com/Z89InbHbtq

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) October 21, 2023

Concertgoers sang their hearts out to Smith's ballad hits, which included "Stay With Me," "I'm Not The Only One," and "Too Good At Goodbyes," among others. They also grooved and swayed to Smith's more upbeat tracks, such as "I'm Not Here To Make Friends" and their cover of "Human Nature" by pop icon Madonna. The grand finale featured their mega-hit "Unholy," with a screen appearance by German singer Kim Petras.

KIM PETRAS IS HERE!

WATCH: German singer Kim Petras made a special appearance at Sam Smith's Manila concert tonight, performs their ultra-hit song "Unholy" virtually.

Video by John Marwin Elao pic.twitter.com/mKXR1Sfgi0

— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) October 21, 2023

Smith's concert was divided into three acts, each with its own unique focus: "Love," "Beauty," and "Sex." The setlist for each act is as follows:

Act 1 - Love
•    Stay With Me
•    I'm Not The Only One
•    Like I Can
•    Too Good At Goodbyes
•    Perfect (with an extended intro and poem)
•    Diamonds
•    How Do You Sleep
•    Dancing With A Stranger

Act 2 - Beauty
•    Kissing You
•    Lay Me Down
•    Love Goes
•    Gimme
•    Lose You
•    Promises
•    I'm Not Here To Make Friends
•    Latch
•    I Feel Love

Act 3 - Sex
•    Gloria
•    Human Nature
•    Unholy

During the show, Smith expressed their affection for music and reflected on their feelings when the pandemic struck, saying, "We couldn't do what we're doing right now, together. It was the first time for me that I stopped singing on the stage since I was a kid…The truth is I love to sing, and I love to sing with you," which resonated deeply with the fans and prompted enthusiastic applause.