Cigarettes After Sex, the American dream-pop indie band known for their haunting ballads and angst-fueled tracks, did not disappoint as they performed to a packed audience on January 14.
Fans waited in eager anticipation for Cigarettes After Sex to take to the stage at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Many were dressed all in black, mirroring the band’s dark aesthetic, while others held cardboard cut-outs of lead singer Greg Gonzalez’s face in the hopes of being noticed by the frontman. The air was electric with excitement as fans exchanged whispers and hummed favorite lyrics, ready for the show to begin.
The lights gradually dimmed, and the members of the band — Gonzales on vocals and guitar, Jacob Tomsky on drums, and Randall Miller on bass — slowly took their places underneath the arena’s bright spotlights. Opening the show with “X’s,” the titular song of their third and latest album, the band immediately launched into their signature blend of dreamy reverb, ambient synths, and delicate guitar work. Gonzalez’s soft, distinctive voice weaves through the soundscape like a whisper, melancholic and vulnerable.

The band played melancholic crowd favorites such as “Cry” and “Touch,” often staples on break-up playlists. Miller’s somber basswork ground each song in a mournful undercurrent. Tomsky’s steady drum pulse was hypnotic, almost meditative. Combined with Gonzalez’s delicate vocals, the band enveloped the audience in a melancholic haze.
The concert reached an emotional climax when the band played “K.,” a slow, pensive ballad that sees Gonzalez mournfully singing about waiting for a lover. As Gonzalez sauntered to the front of the stage and closer to the clamoring audience, a wave of soft light rippled across the venue as fans turned on their phones’ flashlights, casting a gentle glow over the arena as the crowd swayed in time with the ballad’s rhythm. Behind the band, a looping visual of white flower petals drifting in the wind added an ethereal touch, pulling the audience further into the moment.
The night concluded with “Opera House,” a romantic dream-pop track complete with the band’s distinctly mellow and wistful composition. As the last notes faded, the band members made their way to the front of the stage, handing out guitar picks, drumsticks, and copies of the night’s setlist to the fortunate fans closest to them. A sense of longing hung in the air as the lights came up, and echoes of the band’s final song lingered amongst the dispersing crowd.