Craig David promises much at dates in Jakarta, Surabaya
Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Justin Timberlake got a shot at being the young Elton John in the latter's video This Train Don't Stop Here Anymore last year.
But that's no great shakes compared to Craig David, who has none other than Elton included on his celebrity fan club list -- along with Bono, Missy Elliot and Jennifer Lopez.
In his performance at 2002's Brit Awards ceremony, Bono even added a verse from David's hit Walking Away into U2's classic One.
While it's clear that UK-based Craig David is better than your average 21-year-old pop phenom, you can be your own judge of his performance here on Tuesday at Bung Karno Sports Complex's Indoor Stadium in Central Jakarta, or on Thursday at Ciputra Golf Club, Surabaya, East Java.
On the strength of his resume so far, it is bound to be a good concert.
The Southampton native won first place in a songwriting contest way back in 1996, which led him to score a club smash with Artful Dodger on Re-Rewind.
David was still a teenager when his 2000 debut Born to Do It went multi-platinum, selling over seven million copies worldwide.
At the tender age of 18, he was the youngest-ever British male artist to achieve a number one hit in the UK for the single Fill Me In, taken from the debut album.
Born to Do It, a seamless mix of R&B, pop, hip hop and garage, went on to become one of 2001's most popular and acclaimed releases, spending more than 60 weeks on the Billboard 200 and garnering gold, platinum and multiplatinum status in over 20 countries.
The album had David racking up an assortment of awards and nominations, including a 2001 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, and a pair of MTV Europe Video Music Awards for Best R&B Act and Best UK Act.
In 2002, David released his much-anticipated follow-up Slicker Than Your Average, which found the singer/songwriter continuing to meld many genres into an inventive and unique sound.
The sophomore effort combines elements of R&B, hip hop, electronica, soul, rock and pop into an irresistible and infectious new sound.
"This album is a clear progression," David said.
"It's important that I'm able to show a deeper side of me. It's a collection of songs addressing a few different things that needed to be touched upon.
"People think I'm squeaky clean and have turned my back on the UK garage scene. Then people say I'm too R&B. This record is my way of saying 'Let me be who I am', because at the end of the day, you can't please everyone."
One of the highlights of the album is David's collaboration with one of his favorite artists, Sting, on Rise and Fall.
The song is built around the melody of Sting's 1993 hit Shape of My Heart. While David initially wanted to simply incorporate a sample from the original song, Sting opted to lend his voice to the new recording.
"Sting comes in on the track as my peer," David said.
"He's actually telling me, 'Watch it, I've had success and I can see what it can do. Remember who you are.'"
Let's see if the concerts match his impressive resume and the price of the tickets. It's Rp 250,000 for tribune; Rp 300,000 for festival and Rp 450,000 for VIP (available at prominent record stores or call Warner Music 021-3867626 or promoter Nepathya 021- 72787484).