Why James Morrison is well loved by Filipinos

James Morrison enthralled the Filipino audience in his first concert in the Philippines. Video by Cathy Miranda/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—If there is one word to describe British singer James Morrison during his concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, he was a “sincere” performer.

The 28-year-old crooner was in Manila for “The Awakening World Tour,” a promo for his latest album.

The concert crowd at Araneta on Tuesday night went jubilant when Morrison entered the stage after the lights went out and piano started to play the first few tunes for his opening song, “A Beautiful Life.”

He belted out 16 of his songs all the way from his first album “Undiscovered” with his signature soulful style and boyish charm. The songs included were: “Nothing Ever Hurt,” “Precious Love,” and “This Boy.”

With every strum of his guitar when he sang his ballads, as well as the way he jumped and danced to his upbeat tracks, Morrison was clearly having fun at his show, which drew his audience in.

He even went down the stage to get closer to the crowd.

Fans passionately sang their heart out when Morrison played his hits “You Give Me Something,” “I Won’t Let You Go” and “Up.”

He also played solo his song collaboration with Nelly Furtado, “Broken Strings.” His soulful voice shone when he performed an acoustic version of the song.

Towards the end of the show, Morrison thanked the crowd for their love for his music, seemingly surprised that he has made quite a huge fan base in the Philippines. He expressed his intention to come back soon.

For the encore, the singer played two more songs before he played his last for the show, “Wonderful World,” which brought up the audience to their feet.

After the last song, he introduced his band and bowed and waved goodbye to the crowd, who was completely blown away by his performance.