Iconic singers…who springs to mind? For some it might be the powerhouse divas that are Adele, Aretha or Whitney or for others it might be Freddie Mercury and Frank Sinatra. But for me it will always be Mariah Carey; the voice that can (allegedly) open garages and shatter glass. Mariah’s songs have been a soundtrack to many a peoples life; from heartache to happiness she has always had a song to fit the mood.

With her first U.K. tour in 13 years, The Sweet Sweet Fantasy Tour hit Manchester last night and I was exceptionally lucky to score a ticket to this must see gig. Notorious for keeping her fans waiting in anticipation, the DJ kept the crowd entertained with a majestic set of throw back RnB tunes to give everyone that Friday feeling. When the lights dimmed the anticipation was palpable. Mariah made her entrance upon a chaise lounge carried by the most handsome (and seriously ripped) backing dancers… it was so camp! Wearing a stunning sequin body suit, Mariah belted out her opening number of “Fantasy” which whipped the audience into a frenzy and had everyone immediately on their feet and dancing along to her iconic single.

The staging was pure pop-star perfection, featuring projections of Mariah’s signature butterfly motif and a live band that evoked a Las Vegas style Jazz club. Following on from her tremendous entrance, Mariah covered a plethora of hits such as Emotions, My All (which was captivating and tender in it’s execution), Always Be My Baby (that was accompanied by a movie of her beautiful children) and I’ll be there. Mariah’s costume changes were numerous (all sequined, sexy, sultry leotards and evening gowns), but were made easy to wait for by the male dancers who put on a very Magic Mike inspired show that left most of the audience VERY hot under the collar. Upbeat songs such as Heartbreaker, Touch My Body and Obsessed were juxtaposed beautifully by a touching tribute to Whitney Houston with a stunning rendition of If You Believe.

The overall sense of the evening was a stroll down memory lane with retro, nostalgic and feel good vibes…what more can you want for a Friday evening?

Follow Mariah Carey on Twitter @MariahCarey

Photography by Stephen Farrell 

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