It’s been a while since the Jackson Wang from China held his first concert in Brazilian territory with the Magic Man Tour in 2023. Now, three years later, he came back for more with a new tour, a new story to tell, and new ways to make us have the best night of our lives, and we couldn’t be happier to have been there to experience it. Held on Thursday, April 23, at Suhai Music Hall in São Paulo, the Magic Man II Tour marked a more than positive return for Jackson and his Brazilian fans.
Since the very first concert of this tour, we knew the vibes were different from last time, but that only made it that much more special. This tour is all about Jackson taking off the Magic Man mask and showing his fans who he is without filters, without illusions, and there’s something truly special about an artist like that.
From soundcheck to encore, there was a different type of energy in the air, one that only a Brazilian crowd is capable of bringing, even Jackson himself stopped at one point and said “let me hear you”, and you best believe the fans delivered! Especially during more fast-paced songs such as ‘GBAD’ and ‘Buck,’ we could barely hear anything other than the crowd screaming the lyrics and truly feeling every word.
The Setlist Is 🔥
No concert review is complete without mentioning the setlist and we think it’s safe to say this is one of our favorite ones yet! Mixing songs from Magic Man II with previous releases and even a couple of unreleased masterpieces we’re expecting to see in his next album, which he says is already finished, so we have that to look forward to as well.
- ‘High Alone’
- ‘Access’
- ‘Hate to Love’
- ‘Shadows on the Wall’ (Unreleased)
- ‘Contact’ (Unreleased)
- ‘Closer’ (Unreleased)
- ‘Not For Me’
- ‘Blue’
- ‘Everything’
- ‘Long Gone’ (Unreleased)
- ‘Dopamine’
- ‘BUCK’ (feat. Diljit Dosanjh)
- ‘Let Loose’
- ‘TITANIC’ (feat. Rich Brian)
- ‘GBAD’
- ‘Dear:’
- ‘Sophie Ricky’
- ‘Made Me a Man’
- Encore/Remixes: BUCK (Remix), Access (Remix), GBAD (Remix)
Jackson did a great job of mixing melancholic, upbeat and sexy songs throughout this setlist in a way that makes us hungry for more at every turn. We feel especially inclined to highlight the unreleased songs portion, with ‘Shadows on the Wall,’ ‘Contact,’ and ‘Closer’ giving us a preview of what we can expect from Jackson Wang next. As revealed by the man himself, his next album will be called Sex God, and we’d better get these three songs officially released on that album, Mr. Wang!
Another highlight of his São Paulo concert was by far ‘GBAD,’ hands down. Not only are we pretty sure that even people outside of the venue could hear the crowd, but we’ll also never forget the image of Jackson lying down on the floor as the audience kept singing the chorus of ‘GBAD’ back to him. It almost felt like it was a Brazilian Jackys feat. Jackson Wang version of the song, and we’re not sure who loved it more, the crowd or the artist. Once again, Brazilian fans have proven that not only can they match the artist’s energy, they can give it back tenfold and that’s part of what makes moments like this so special and unique.
Finally, we can’t not mention the older songs Jackson brought back for this setlist. The audience’s reaction to ‘TITANIC?’ Unmatched! ‘Long Gone’ followed by ‘Dopamine?’ Absolute perfection! Special mention to the fact that some lyrics of these songs were slightly altered, bringing them closer to the vibes of this new tour, such as the ‘Dopamine’ lyrics going from “I came here to get some dopamine” to “I just need some dopamine.”
The Storytelling Is Next Level
Nothing Jackson Wang ever does in his work is without a reason, and that’s one of the many things that makes him one of our all-time faves. And that translates so well onto the stage, it’s even hard to put into words. Throughout the concert, we got a series of videos projected onto the screens to help tell the story Jackson wanted to share with his audience.
Everything feels intentional, every metaphor used works perfectly, and it feels like another layer of the Magic Man II story being portrayed on stage, and we were truly impacted by all of it. And that’s not even mentioning the costume changes during the concert that are also telling a story, starting in all black, into something that resembles a straitjacket, and finally, a white suit after the nightmare ends and we see Jackson leave his worst moments behind and step into a new era.
We also can’t talk about Jackson Wang’s storytelling without mentioning the video played right before ‘Dear:’ and ‘Sophie Ricky.’ Recounting a bit of the year Jackson took to write Magic Man II, the video dives into his feelings, coming to terms with the changes that come with age and maturity, and we won’t lie, we were very much bawling our eyes out by the end of it.
And the tears did not stop when Jackson came back on stage for the final part of the setlist. ‘Dear:’ is sung with his back to the audience as he faces a picture of his parents, which stays there as he turns back to the audience to go into ‘Sophie Ricky,’ just to keep the tears coming. It’s amazing to see how much love was put into this tribute to his parents and how much Jackson values and is grateful for them.
Then, right before ‘Made Me A Man,’ we get what’s probably one of the best motivational speeches we’ve ever heard. Jackson once again thanks his audience for being there and reminds us to always look for our own standard of happiness, not everyone else’s, which we consider to be pretty solid advice.
The Stage Wasn’t Just His
The one thing you can always expect from Jackson Wang is for him to treat his fans to the best of the best in every possible way, including inviting them on stage during the show. The first time it happened was during the three unreleased songs portion, where fans were called on stage and had the chance to see Jackson dancing right in front of them.
After that, at the end of the concert, a higher number of fans were called on stage for the encore, to sing, dance, and party like never before. But here’s what made these moments so special: it wasn’t just the fans on stage who felt like part of the show; the entire venue felt that magic and connection. Everyone was dancing, singing, and having the best night of their lives.
Plans For The Future
“I’ll be back next year.” That’s what we heard from Jackson at the end of the concert, and like… can next year come around already? We’re already missing the feeling of being at Jackson’s concert. With a whole album already finished, it’s not hard to assume that he’s very serious about his plans for 2027 with another tour, and we can only hope to be able to be there to witness it as well.
Also on the topic of what comes next, we couldn’t help but notice how the name on the screen behind the stage went from “Magic Man II” to “J. Wang” at the end, once again hinting at the official beginning of a new era in his career, leaving the Magic Man behind and showing us who he is now, healed from previous experiences and fully embracing this new stage.
Long story short, the Magic Man II Tour in São Paulo was one of the best nights of our lives and we’re so thankful to Jackson for being the artist who made it all happen. Following his journey has been amazing so far, and we can’t wait to see what comes next in this new era.
Are you planning on catching the Magic Man II Tour in the next stops? Or maybe have been to previous ones? Tell us at @TheHoneyPOP on Twitter, or find us on Instagram and/or Facebook. We’d love to have a chat!
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