A lucky fan of James Arthur was able to fulfill his dream of performing alongside his idol on Dec. 5 during the artist's concert.
Most famously known for his 2016 song "Say You Won't Let Go", James Arthur held his first-ever solo concert in Singapore at The Star Theatre as part of his South East Asia Tour 2023.
Halfway through his concert, a lucky fan was able to join him on stage to perform a song together.
How it happened
Jon Chi, 19, was already delighted by the idea of getting to see his idol live at his concert — he didn't think he would ever get the chance to sing with him as well.
The final-year diploma student, who is studying at Temasek Polytechnic, attended the concert after his older brother surprised him with Arthur's concert tickets for his birthday.
An avid fan of the singer since his early secondary school days, Chi had known that Arthur called a fan to the stage during his Jakarta concert but wasn't sure if the same situation would happen during the Singapore performance.
"I was kind of stuck in anticipation," He told Mothership. "I was sitting four rows from the front and when he asked, I frantically waved my arms to get his attention, and he picked me."
"I was nervous but not really because of the crowd, but the fact that I was performing with the artist I’ve idolised for years."
Together, they performed Arthur's "Just Us".
Newfound confidence to perform
Chi said that he was familiar with being on stage as he used to be in choir during secondary school, though he had never performed at a venue the size of The Star Theatre.
Another fan who attended the concert posted their performance on TikTok.
@sovvyyy find john !!! #jamesarthur #jamesarthursoutheastasiatour2023 #singapore ♬ original sound - Sovvy
After the performance with Arthur, Chi was also able to take photos with the singer on stage, as well as get a hug from him.
Photo courtesy of Jon Chi
Chi said that before the performance he had mainly been a shy kid, but after the performance he found a confidence he didn't know he had.
Supportive comments from TikTokers
Chi's elder brother also captured the moment of Chi singing together with Arthur on TikTok. He writes in the caption, "What an experience for the lil bro, thanks @James Arthur for the experience last night".
@doncze_ what an experience for the lil bro @Joncye , thanks @James Arthur for the experience last night ✨ #jamesarthur #justusjamesarthur #onceinalifetime #jamesarthursingapore ♬ original sound - don.
Comments from users have been supportive, with many cheering Chi on for his performance.
Screenshot via @doncze_ / TikTok
Chi tells Mothership that he has been songwriting for the past four to five years, and he aspires to be a singer-songwriter in the future.
Top photos courtesy of Jon Chi