J.Lo gets 15,000 fans to ‘Dance Again’ at Gardens by the Bay

Mud coated their shoes, rain threatened again and work the next morning awaited.

But 15,000 fans still made the trek down to The Meadow at Gardens by the Bay for Latina dance queen JLo's Dance Again World Tour Tuesday night. They jostled for room near the stage as they grooved and shook along to her chart-topping tunes.

And although concertgoers had to wait over an hour for the diva to finally come on stage — judging by the enthusiastic screams throughout her 90-minute set, it was all worth it.

Y! Singapore gives you the lowdown on JLo' first ever live concert here in our sunny island and, of course, our take on whether that famous derriere of hers lives up to all that hype.

Grand entrance

If the concert was judged just on entertainment value alone, it was definitely worth the ticket price. Ever the consummate entertainer, JLo switched from one amazing sparkling outfit into another, raising gasps as the hemlines got shorter and the necklines got lower.

The concert kicked off with a bang, literally, as JLo made her entrance in a feathery, sparkling white gown complete with over-the-top white fur Cossack hat in all glory of her luminous skin, honey blonde hair and piercing eyes.

Her princess-style gown's long, flowing train was quickly torn off to reveal a sparkly short pantsuit as she burst into the opening bars of "Get Right" and straight into vigorous dancing with tuxedo-clad male dancers.

Cool stage sets

Once introductions were out of the way "Singapore, Wo Ai Ni, are you going to dance with me?", it was a trip down popular radio memory lane as JLo broke into club anthem "I'm Into You" with its catchy "na-na-na" tune, warming up the rain-chilled crowd.

Appreciative fans were treated to a full view of her famous behind, be-sparkled and barely covered, as she performed one sexy shimmy after another.

"Waiting for Tonight" was another big hit — laser lights cut across the field, creating an almost 3-D effect and lighting up the night sky as JLo got down and dirty with several half-naked male dancers with washboard abs.

Particularly entertaining was a "real' boxing match held onstage as JLo made yet another costume change into yet another glittering boxing outfit featuring its own bling-ed up gold hood before opening into "Goin' In", her collaboration song with Flo Rida with its thumping fierce beats and street vibe.

Back to the Bronx

JLo may be a flawless Latina Queen today, but it was Jenny from the Block that really resounded with the crowd on Friday night.

"I'm a long way from home but I feel good. Did you see how the boxers fell and got back up? It's how we do here back where I'm from… and I'm just a simple girl from the Bronx," were the magic words — as the crowd started cheering wildly in anticipation of watching her perform her older hits, live.

JLo didn't disappoint — donning her Bronx girl "uniform" of tube top and track suit (still covered in glittery crystals), she broke out good old R&B hits "I'm Real" and "Ain't That Funny". Y! SG spotted crowdgoers singing along word for word while grooving along.

Moving moments

The mother-of-two took time in the middle of the concert to show a softer new side of her, singing "Until It Beats No More" to a video of her two adorable twin children with ex-husband Marc Anthony, Max and Emme.

Wearing an ethereal seafoam-coloured Grecian-style gown, JLo looked visibly emotional as she sang her heart out "I was fading but you pulled me through" to footage of her playing and kissing her children.

No stranger to the public eye and famous for her public romances, JLo's relationship with 25-year-old backup dancer Casper Smart was also on show for all to see during a shortened version of "Baby I Love You', when a surprisingly tasteful yet intimate video of the two was played — no crass cougar antics here.

But in case fans were getting worried about the concert descending into a sappy emotional fest, the final leg changed tune and followed one sexy dance floor anthem after another.

On fire

In a tiny red dress, JLo showed off her curves as she swung, shook, and swayed to the Latin beats of "Let's Get Loud". Her outfit was a visual wonder as at some angles JLo looked just like a red-hot flickering flame dancing faster and faster, surrounded by fuchsia feather fans.

By the end of the night, everyone was on their feet dancing with their hands in the air as JLo worked the crowd to fever pitch with "Papi" and "Dance the Night Away".

The night ended with a literal bang as fireworks were set off during the final encore piece "Dance Again" (surprise surprise) along with clouds of silver glitter — a truly awesome sight with the backdrop of the Gardens' Super Tree Grove and Marina Bay Sands.

For 15,000 fans, the end of the concert also meant another long arduous journey back into civilization and another trudge through the mud, but as we overheard one fan saying to another, "JLo can tell me to Dance Again anytime she wants".

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