On Wednesday, May 24, Bangkok’s hip gastronomic hotspot The Groove at Central World was more crowded than usual, but not for the reason you may think. There was appetite, all right, but it was for Copenhagen pop sensation Christopher Nissen, better known by stage name Christopher, who drew a sizable congregation of adoring fans to his first showcase in the city.
Unbeknownst to the public, Christopher was supposed to perform in Bangkok last October before the showcase, along with a long streak of events, was cancelled in the wake of the late Thai king’s passing. Despite having already wrapped up his Asia tour last year, the 25-year-old heartthrob was determined to deliver the fans what was promised. “I Won’t Let You Down”, goes his No. 1 hit off 2016’s Closer, and rest assured he means every word of it.
©Warner Music Thailand
The MTV EMAs-winning singer kicked it off with “Twerk It Like Miley”, which must have felt anachronistic to virgin ears (has he not heard of “Malibu”?). But then the whole thing wasn’t really meant for us Nissen newbies. Christopher kept fans engaged and hyped with the “let me hear you sing”’s and “louder louder!”’s during “I Won’t Let You Down” and “CPH Girls”. While the latter early solo Timberlake-vibe track is an upbeat ode to the women of his hometown, Christopher knew how to make the night’s audience feel special, saying: “I have only one thing to say: phom rak khun (I love you)” and, when asked if we can expect his full concert here, “If it’s gonna be this many people, I’ll have a show tomorrow. I don’t care!”
Following a brief fan-service game where the winners got to hug and take selfies with the pop star, the show progressed to a rawer acoustic set. Joined by a keyboard player, Christopher captured all of The Groove’s buzzing bistros with catchy ballad “Heartbeat”. But it’s in “Naked”, stripped from its original R&B synths, that the singer’s high-tenor vocal prowess shone the most. It’s a shame the first half of the show was committed to club bangers and the platitudes of how “them girls, they got it”.
The performance ended on a special note. Christopher played new song “To Me”, which is an English cover of Boyd Kosiyabong’s “Chan Dee Jai Tee Mee Ter” (“I’m Glad I Have You”). The prolific Thai singer-songwriter and producer was present to relate how Christopher’s version came about. “When Christopher got the song, he didn’t know what the Thai lyrics translate,” said Boyd. “He wrote the English version based on what the melodies made him feel. And it’s amazing how, lyrically, ’To Me’ turned out to be almost like a direct response to the Thai version”.
“The fact that I wrote something that is that close to the original lyrics just proves that music is the universal language,” added Christopher.
©Warner Music Thailand
“To Me”, according to Boyd, is expected to drop in the next two weeks. In the meantime, you can stream and download Christopher’s albums, Colors, Told You So and Closer, and latest single “Naked” on Apple Music and JOOX.
