Music from The Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry, among others, blasted as fans dressed in eclectic outfits shoved their way to the front to catch a glimpse of Jason Derulo. From students dressed up as the Blue Man Group to blow-up shark costumes, Boston College students embraced the festivities of Marathon Monday.
BC’s Division of Student Affairs invited Derulo to perform in the Mod parking lot as part of BC’s celebration of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
The roar of the crowd increased when the screen on stage played an introduction video to signify the start of the concert. Jae Murphy, a touring DJ, music producer, and songwriter, presented himself with thunderous beats and prompted the crowd to cheer. Murphy stirred up the energy in the Mod parking lot prior to Derulo’s appearance, calling out to each undergraduate year to draw cheers from the crowd.
Derulo’s entrance garnered enthusiasm from students as they screamed for the pop star. He immediately jumped into a remixed rendition of “Whatcha Say,” accompanied by the emergence of his dance crew. “Whatcha Say” featured a dance break, showing off the synchronicity of his crew. Students sang along, and many filmed the opening track on their phones.
Derulo wore an oversized patchwork jacket, while his dancers sported denim. By the end of his performance, all the performers had stripped down to matching black tops.
The singer performed only the major hits of his discography, next performing “Tip Toe” and “Wiggle.” The crowd chanted enthusiastically throughout the duration of “Wiggle.”
The audience’s recollection of Derulo’s lyrics exemplified the mark that he left on the 2000s and 2010s pop music scene. After “Wiggle,” Derulo addressed the audience.
“Doesn’t it feel good to be out amongst friends, amongst family, in a large public area?” Derulo asked the crowd.
He also mentioned his TikTok account, which has 39.9 million followers, and his online collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Snoop Dogg. His song “Savage Love,” which went viral on TikTok, played later in the show.
“We’re all trying to figure out where to utilize our time—for me it’s on an app called TikTok,” Derulo said. “Does anybody out here follow me on TikTok?”
After his brief speech to the audience, “Take You Dancing” began to play, and Derulo sang with noticeable intensity and passion. He prompted the audience to sing along to “It Girl.”
Synths built up tension while members from the BC Marching Band took the stage to play the introduction of “Trumpets.” Derulo fueled the crowd’s excitement for the rest of the song, belting out the lyrics and showing off his falsetto. “Trumpets” proved to be the crowd favorite as people loudly sang along to the lyrics. Derulo delivered a unique arrangement of the song, playing in a higher octave at times and with a slower tempo.
In one unexpected moment, Derulo sang a surprising introduction to “Goodbye” in an operatic fashion, arousing confused cheers from the audience. The rest of the song remained predictable, and a video of Minaj appeared on screen to sing her verse in “Goodbye.”
“Swalla,” also featuring Minaj, followed, and many concert-goers danced along. Smoke burst from the stage during the beat drops of the song.
Newer songs in Derulo’s repertoire appeared in the second half of his show, including “Jalebi Baby” and “Coño.” During a pause in the show, the crowd began to chant the introduction to The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army.” The chant lasted even into the start of the next track, “Talk Dirty,” which was another crowd favorite.
Prior to his final song, Derulo told the crowd to sing at the top of their lungs. “Want to Want Me” ended the concert on a light note, while Derulo showed off his falsetto once again. Derulo spun and bowed as the audience chanted his name. Derulo thanked the audience for attending and offered gratitude to his band, DJ, and dance team.
“Whatever’s in your heart, whatever dream you have, I believe in you,” Derulo said. “Thank you for believing in me too. I love you all.”
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