Fiji Blue is known for taking his listeners on a unique yet familiar journey of euphoria and melancholy through his heart-tugging songs. And Filipino fans were no exception as they experienced a wave of blues and happiness during the singer’s “Glide Tour” in Manila.
After two years since his first show in the Philippines, the American indie pop artist, whose real name is Trevor Dering, made his much-awaited return to the country on November 29 for the Manila leg of his Asia Glide Tour.
“There will be moments of happiness and moments of sadness in this setlist,” Dering said during the show. “If there’s something you can take from tonight, I hope that whatever you are going through in your life—and I’m not a therapist by any means—I hope that you can find a way to feel better, even if it’s a one percent increase.”
And, indeed, he took the audience on a rollercoaster ride of emotions from the get-go as he performed a mix of groovy and melodramatic tracks, including “I Should’ve Told You,” “I Loved You What Happened,” and “How Can I Tell You?”
The singer-songwriter also performed some of the familiar hit tracks that tug at the heartstrings of his fans, such as “Day by Day,” “Waves,” “Affection,” “Outside,” “Butterflies,” and “It Takes Two.”
Aside from the familiar tracks, Dering gave a sweet treat to his fans as he serenaded them with some of his tracks from his upcoming debut album, “Glide.”
Among those he performed were the previously released “Peppermint,” “Start Over,” “Angel,” and “June.” He also gave a sneak peek at some of the unreleased tracks from the album, including “Shadow of You,” “Pink,” and “Beautiful.”
In an exclusive interview with select media groups a few hours before he hit the Philippine stage, Dering shared that one of the surprises he had for his Filipino fans was to give them a sneak peek at what “Glide” is all about.
“Glide” is a project to which he dedicates to his wife, Natasha, who’s currently battling brain cancer.
Set to be released on December 13, this 11-track album contains Dering’s personal anecdotes where all songs explore the themes of beauty, love, vulnerability, and grief. In it, Dering displayed his potent songwriting skills through heartfelt lyricism that encapsulated a year of highs and lows Dering had experienced.
“For this album, I started from scratch… I want to be able to tell a story that is completely new to me. And there was a lot of pressure to make your first album because it felt like I just kept on trying to get to the finish line that was constantly moving,” the “Waves” hitmaker recounted, adding that there was so much trial and error that the album had to go through before it becomes completely finished.
“I fell in love with the process [of creating this album] as it encapsulated a year of highs and lows of my life,” he added.
For Dering, what made the album more special is that more of the songs were written and finished during his weeklong retreat in Topanga.
“Much of my [previous songs] were written inside my bedroom, living room, you know. So, it was fun to take a moment and go to this beautiful home that we rented in Topanga for a few days. There, we kind of shut down our minds to the outside world and just created [music]. So, it was special to write and be at that moment,” he recalled.
When asked about how he’d like to be remembered, Dering said he wanted to be remembered for his songwriting skills and that he hoped it could help his listeners maneuver through whatever they’re going through.
And it does. Dering’s music has inspired thousands of his listeners, which he still couldn’t imagine would be possible.
“I’m still in awe and I have to pinch myself that that’s a reality. I used to write a lot of music in my bedroom when I was 15 years old and now I’ve been receiving a lot of messages from fans all over my world that they’re touched by my music in some way,” said the “It Takes Two” singer.
“Obviously, I make music to fulfill my musical desires. But to help someone in a small way to get over what they’ve been going through everything [with my music]? That means so much to me,” he added.
The Glide Tour in Manila was presented by Wilbros Live.
