BUBLÉ (WITH STREISAND AND MISS PIGGY). Returns to Manila on Jan. 31. PHOTOS BY NEIL JACOBS/NBC
As his concerts and live albums attest, Michael Bublé never sings a song the same way twice—which is what makes watching his concerts instructive, especially for young singers who wish to learn the tricks of the performing trade.
His fourth annual Yuletide special for NBC, “Michael Bublé’s Christmas In New York,” shown at the height of the holiday frenzy last week, was full of soothing, stress-busting treats (“It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” and his fresh take on Mariah Carey’s ubiquitous “All I Want For Christmas Is You”), made more festive by Miss Piggy, the flirtatious porcine diva who, in “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” wanted to share some sassy fun with him. As they say, while the gullible green frog is away, the frisky sow will play—!
Bublé’s human guests were just as formidable—from 21-year-old, steel-voiced hotshot, Ariana Grande (who sang her show-stopping version of Wham’s “Last Christmas,” and the spectacular cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” with Michael), to the 72-year-old superstar, Barbra Streisand, who sang “It Had To Be You” with the 39-year-old crooner.
Disarming candor
We’ve always liked Michael, because he isn’t just an exceptional performer—his warmth and disarming candor have always been part of his winning ways. We immediately noticed his potent charm the first time we met him in Manila more than a decade ago.
Back then, it took more than a year for Bublé’s self-titled debut album to reach its peak on the Billboard 200—at No. 47! He has since amassed more than four No. 1 albums.
His jazzed-up standards reintroduced Big Band-style crooning to hip-hop-weaned music buffs. He didn’t want a temporary dash of flash, he wanted—and got—longevity!
How has a decade of character-forming trials and exhilarating triumphs changed Michael? We’ll get the answer when he returns to Manila later this month, to perform at the Mall of Asia Arena on Jan. 31 (call 470-2222).
After six “official” studio albums and side projects with his gifted collaborators (Streisand, David Foster, Idina Menzel, Nelly Furtado, Thalia, Shania Twain, Bryan Adams and Reese Witherspoon), our wish list for his MOA repertoire includes “Everything,” “Haven’t Met You Yet,” “Home,” “You and I,” “Fever,” “Sway,” “Kissing A Fool,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “Cry Me A River” and “It’s A Beautiful Day!”