Camila Cabello triumphs at star-studded Poptopia
Shawn Mendes, Charlie Puth also deliver in radio station’s concert/party
The holiday season is off to a happy start for thousands of local pop music fans thanks to 99.7 Now!
The radio station hosted its annual holiday concert/ party Poptopia on Saturday at the SAP Center in San Jose, drawing a capacity crowd to see a lineup featuring three of the genre’s biggest stars. Of that trio of titans, it was Camila Cabello who put on the best performance, although the two other chart-toppers — Shawn Mendes and Charlie Puth — delivered enjoyable sets as well.
In all, it was another successful edition of Poptopia (formerly known as the Triple Ho Show), an event with a reputation for offering blockbuster bills.
The 2018 lineup wasn’t as impressive as last year’s, which featured Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Chainsmokers, Niall Horan and Khalid, among others.
But with Cabello, Mendes and Puth on board, the concert had three artists who could each headline — and likely sell out — SAP Center entirely on his or her own merits.
Mendes was the first of the three to take the stage, drawing a huge chorus of shrill screams from the mostly young, female audience.
The 20-year-old Canadian opened his abbreviated set with a strong statement, rolling confidently through a version of the multiplatinum 2017 single “There’s Nothing Holding Me Back” that had seemingly everyone in the audience energized and singing along with gusto.
He sounded strong on the microphone as he continued through “Lost in Japan” and “Stitches,” accompanied by 10,000-plus backing vocalists in the audience, and he also impressed on the electric guitar on “Ruin.” It was enough to remind one of a young John Mayer.
Mendes did his finest work on an aching version of “Mercy” before closing his set with “In My Blood,” the smash from his self-titled third album.
Mendes will be back in these parts this summer with shows slated July 11 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento and July 13 at Oracle Arena in Oakland. (Visit www.ticketmaster.com for details.)
Next up was Puth, who opened his short set with a double shot of “How Long” and “We Don’t Talk Anymore.”
The New Jersey native, who seems to score a new hit single every five minutes, appeared to be in a great mood on this night, the eve of his 27th birthday.
“You know this is the best birthday present ever,” he told the audience.
He was obviously feeling talkative, taking the time to chat about his love for Bay Area hip-hop artists like E-40 and Mac Dre, in between cleanly crooning such numbers as “One Call Away” and “See You Again.”
Then came Cabello, who despite having only one full-length solo album to her name — this year’s blockbuster “Camila” — was awarded the evening’s headlining slot. She definitely made the most of it with a set that was heavy on star power and talent.
Unlike the two other stars, who pretty much performed on a bare-bones stage set, Cabello employed some production elements, including a smoke machine operating on overdrive and a really cool dance troupe, which factored in on several occasions. Cabello was charismatic and worked hard at creating a bond with the crowd. By the end of the night, it felt like we knew her.
“I would definitely classify myself as a hopeless romantic,” she told her fans.
“I love to write about love. I love to sing about love. I just think it’s the most amazing thing.”
Fans clearly concurred, showering Cabello with affection as she continued through “Bad Things,” “Consequences” and, of course, “Havana.”
Besides Cabello, Puth and Mendes, the other acts on the Poptopia bill were Jack & Jack, Bebe Rexha and Why Don’t We.