Live Report: Jason Derulo turns the 3Arena into his own VIP Miami Club

If you’ve ever found yourself in a club, you've most likely come into contact with a Jason Derulo song. His songs exude energy, sexuality, and confidence. So do his concerts. The Last Dance world tour came to Dublin last night, bringing his signature music to the 3Arena.

While scantily dressed women, fireworks, and a mound of dancers were to be expected, much of Derulo’s concert was not only unexpected but utterly bizarre.

The packed arena was buzzing with anticipation, barely holding it together. Thecrowd hushed as a video appeared on the big screen, and Derulo’s voiceover took over the arena.

“Wednesday, January 1st, 2025, The year of the snake," he said "They thought they could kill you in silence. They only saw the parts of me that were easy to bury. A version that died. Death was just the beginning. Killed in the shadows. The old me sacrificed, a new me in the dark. Something unbreakable.”

The video was the first sign that this concert would push the bounds of what was to be expected. The video could only be described as a science fiction movie trailer, in which Derulo plays a disfigured mafia leader who throws roses on the floor and punches glass mirrors. He finished the segment by electrifying himself, killing the 'old Derulo' and thus reappearing on stage as the 'new Derulo'.

With fire bolting out of the stage, half-naked women in glass cages, and neon lights flashing around the stage, the performance was sure to be entertaining. Derulo's vocal power was evident too, hitting high notes flawlessly, despite all the rigorous flipping and spinning he was doing. The dancing and timing were clean and choreographed, each moment, breath, and stop appeared well planned and executed.

“I’d like to personally welcome you to The Last Dance world tour," Derulo said "My curtain call My last bow to the Jason that you’ve once known. And a hello to the new era.”

His hit ‘Watcha say’ immediately transported the crowd back to 2009, as they cheered and yelled, getting up on their feet to dance along.

Following Derulo's disappearance under the stage, another video began, showcasing a shirtless Derulo covered in body oil, posing against a black screen, with a piano accompaniment playing in the background. The pivot from his high-energy performance of ‘Swalla’ to this meditation on struggle was jarring, leaving me with more questions than answers.

Then appeared a big sign with "Derulo Jungle" on it. The set, previously hidden from the audience, was revealed to show a stage adorned with palm trees and piles of bushes and leaves. It was like walking into Niki Minaj's ‘Anaconda’ music video. Female dancers were dressed in cheetah-print bodysuits, prowling around the stage. The men meanwhile, were dressed normally, exacerbating a theme female-sexualization which ran rampant throughout the show.

It only got more confusing. What looked like an AI background took up the back screen of the performance, displaying images of robotic women, feline women, and vampire or monster women.  How does this tie in with Derulo's tale of rebirth? Who knows?

‘Riding solo’ brought us back to the basics after the convoluted jungle trip. This throwback to Jason Derulo's earlier material clearly resonated with the audience, inspiring significant movement and satisfying those yearning for that "traditional Derulo" sound. The atmosphere was charged, showing that the most memorable parts of the evening were the more minimalist sections that encouraged sing-alongs.

Derulo's slowed-down rendition of ‘Savage Love’ was dramatic and theatrical. Starting alone on a dark stage, he began the iconic song, showcasing his vocal range through riffs and extended notes. Par for the course, the performance soon descended into a bizarre display: Derulo dropping to his knees, sobbing into the microphone to the sound of cheering, as we appeared to force out the verses.

The next segment, Derulo Volcano, was another eruption of energy, with dancers and audience members alike dancing, turning the 3arena into a 2016 club.

He may be dramatic at times, but Derulo knows how to energise a crowd, and boasts a vast discography of hit songs. His concert was undeniably invigorating, capped off by an intense, prolonged farewell that felt like an attempt to cram three shows into one.  The maximalist approach aligns with the "old Jason Derulo" persona, where "less is only less". Perhaps this explains the hyper-energetic, hyper-sexual excess. It remains to be seen if the "new Jason" will offer a more measured counter-response to the over-the-top style he intends to leave behind.