‘Red’ thrilla in Manila

BONG LOZADA/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Manila was the canvass, and Taylor Swift was the painter.

And she obliged to paint the town “Red.”

BONG LOZADA/INQUIRER.net

Returning to the Philippines after her promise in 2011, Swift was showered with screams and cheers from the thousands of her ebullient Swifties who converged at the SM Mall of Asia Arena last Friday night and the Grammy-award winner returned the favor, belting out her hits for her Red Tour.

Swifties began to swarm MOA Arena hours before Swift’s first song, but the long wait paid off when the American singer popped up on stage. Under red lights that bathed the arena, she roared, “Manila!” and thousands of fans thundered in delight.

“Manila, welcome to the Red Tour,” Swift said to begin her Manila leg of the “Red Tour.”

Clad in a white long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and red shoes, she started her Manila stop with State of Grace, using a microphone that glowed red throughout the song.

Swift danced and pranced with her back-up dancers during her performance with hits like Holy Ground, The Lucky One, Mean, 22, Fearless, You Belong With Me, Sparks Fly, I knew You Were Trouble.

Even her band got carried away with her lead guitarist and bassist joining the singing star in numerous songs and performances.

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Wearing a red t-shirt with “Manila” emblazoned in front, Swift went down to the crowd to get her second-taste of Filipino hospitality and fanfare.

On her third song, Swift changed to an elegant red gown to perform the namesake of her tour, Red.

Reflecting the sadness in one of her songs, Swift changed to a lacy black cocktail dress and played the piano for All Too Well, a ballad that was about letting go.

“We should let go when we can no longer control things,” a teary Swift said during her performance.

For her penultimate song, which was arguably the hit that launched her to stardom, Swift changed into an immaculate white gown to serenade her fans with Love Story.

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Ending her Manila tour, and after an epic costume change with her whole cast, Swift belted out the happy and moving-on hit, We Are Never Ever Going Back Together.

In a playful performance, Swift was clad in a bright red coat resembling a carnival suit and with her back-up dancers in colorful fairy tale costumes prancing around on stage.

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