Giveon to serenade beloved PH fans
The smooth-crooning R&B star Giveon is headed to Manila just in time for next year’s Valentine’s season. And although at first though his chart-topping, melancholic anthems might seem out of place with the occasion’s typical mood, his artistry goes beyond heartbreak and encompasses the whole spectrum of love.
After all, love isn’t just a snapshot but a journey. And through his intimate storytelling, the American singer-songwriter can create an atmosphere that’s not just plain romantic but also layered and fully realized.
There’s his definitive hit, “Heartbreak Anniversary,” a piano-led ballad about revisiting a painful breakup date. Meanwhile, “Another Heartbreak” explores the weariness that comes from being burned one too many times. In “Twenties,” the American singer-songwriter sings of regrets and time spent on long-term relationships that ultimately end in failure.
Transformative growth
Yes, some of his songs might have you wallowing in your sorrows, but others evoke yearning, redemption, and commitment. Besides, heartbreak isn’t just heartbreak. He believes that blues also represent healing. That’s the blues in rhythm and blues.
“Keeper” reflects on past mistakes and asks for a shot at change and growth. “Make You Mine” tries to take a leap from casual dating to something more serious and permanent. And while “For Tonight” hints at an illicit connection, it nonetheless captures how something so fleeting can be so intoxicating.
This is the same emotional breadth showcased in Giveon’s sophomore album, “Beloved,” which powers his ongoing tour, “Dear Beloved.” Presented by Live Nation Philippines, the show will be held on Feb. 4, 2026, at the New Frontier Theater.
“It’s a complete encapsulation of the very transformative growth I experienced over the past three years. My trials and tribulations, the good and the bad, all helped form this album,” he says in a statement.
His misgivings about pure romantic drama reflect his mindset on love and his approach to songwriting. “I’m very realistic,” he tells Uproxx. Truth be told, he’s not exactly the love-song type of guy, but he will still include them because, as he puts it, “that’s just the course of how relationships go.”
Distinctive baritone
But it’s not just his storytelling that sets the mood. Whatever Giveon sings about, the throughline is always his distinctive baritone. He draws inspiration from old-school icons—Frank Sinatra and Barry White foremost—and this influence is evident in his vocal delivery and proclivities.
His tone can be warm for intimacy or heavy for gravitas. Sometimes there’s a slight muffle or rumble in his breath—the better to convey rawness and vulnerability. He isn’t so obsessed about hitting everything pitch-perfect, because he believes in perfection in imperfection. While he can sprinkle in the occasional curlicue of notes for flourishes, he does so with restraint, keeping the focus on the narrative.
But if the rich textures of his voice aren’t enough to reel you in, perhaps his live ensemble and visuals will. True to his love of the classics, Giveon takes the stage, gliding across it, often dapper in a suit. If he feels like it, he will throw on a luxurious coat for good measure.
“Beloved” was recorded with live instrumentation in the studio, so it’s only fitting that behind him, a band—eight or ten pieces, depending on the stage size—swathes his songs in a soundscape that’s lush and sophisticated but not any less soulful. “I think it’s going to be magical because the album was made live, so it’s made to be performed live,” Giveon says of the show in Rolling Stone.
“It’s going to be my best tour. I want to do strings, I want to do horns, I want to do background vocals,” he adds. “The album is really a movie, it’s a world, and I want the night to feel like that.”
