One thing I’ve always loved about Mitski’s music is the contrast between the gritty rock elements and her sweet, cool voice. She enunciates and sounds out consonants in a way that many of her peers don’t, if only to more clearly (and thus effectively) impart the emotional content of each song.
The American singer-songwriter brought that energy — and more — to her first-ever show in Manila. The crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on July 14 was a blur of prints, textures, colored hair, and even cat-inspired makeup, all to fit the theme of Mitski’s latest album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me.
Mitski Live: Voice and Stagecraft
Mitski knows how to put on a show. Despite the echoing and a bit of feedback ringing in the first two songs, she goes on undisturbed, singing in that pristine tone, sometimes smiling, sometimes with a furrowed brow, always looking at the audience. She prances around the Queen Anne decor littered around the stage: a desk, a sofa, and lamp shades that glow orange. In “Washing Machine Heart,” she shrugs when she sings “Why not me?” but it’s not a small shrug; her arms go all the way out, the way theater kids are trained to make their gestures big.
As she sings, supercuts from old Hollywood movies play on the large screen behind her. I only recognize Tod Browning’s 1931 film Dracula. In “Working for the Knife,” black-and-white footage of factory workers and farmers during the later years of the Industrial Revolution plays in the background.
The Setlist: Deep Cuts and Old Favorites
When Mitski started the show with the folksy “In A Lake,” I knew that this would be a set of deep cuts, but she doesn’t totally forgo the more popular songs. While “First Love/Late Spring” wasn’t in the setlist (though there was much clamor for it from the crowd), the audience did get to hear and sing along to “I Bet On Losing Dogs,” “Francis Forever,” “My Love Mine All Mine,” and “Nobody.”
Highlights from the show include “Dan the Dancer,” one of two Puberty 2 tracks in the set, and a song that smolders with the friction between love and fear. Like all the other songs in the concert, the tension in “Dan the Dancer” translates well live (I’m particularly in awe of touring drummer Bruno Esrubilsky’s work here). But the audience doesn’t really have a chance to match the song’s energy when even those who paid for their spots in the floor section have to sit down.
It’s in “Two Slow Dancers,” Be the Cowboy’s closing track, that stillness does pay off. Here, the screen goes black, and we’re left with orange spotlights falling on Mitski. “Does it smell like a school gymnasium in here?” she sings over electric piano chords, her vibrato coming through the arena speakers. The synths soar, but the singer never leaves her place behind the mic.
“It’s such a privilege to get to be here in order to play a show,” Mitski says between songs, Filipino fans hanging onto her every word like forest animals to a Disney princess. “That’s like… a dream come true. And I’m so grateful to all of you for making it possible.”
After a head-banging performance of “That White Cat,” Mitski waves the crowd goodbye, and it responds with calls for an encore. She returns to sing “Pearl Diver,” the last track on her debut album Lush, and a song about seeking something out until death. “Treasure hunter, you are dead / the light of the world is fading” might not be savory parting words for an audience you’ve only been acquainted with, but Mitski’s voice, pained but powerful, sticks even as the stage goes dark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mitski performed her first-ever Manila show on July 14, 2026 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The concert marked her Philippine debut, with the audience dressing to match the theme of her latest album, Nothing’s About to Happen to Me.
Mitski’s first Manila concert was part of her “Nothing’s About to Happen to Me Tour” and also served as the first stop on the tour’s Asian leg.
Mitski played a total of 25 songs and an encore in her Manila concert. Highlights include “In A Lake,” “Working for the Knife,” “Washing Machine Heart,” “Dan the Dancer,” “Francis Forever,” “Two Slow Dancers,” “My Love Mine All Mine,” “Nobody,” and “Pearl Diver.”
No, Mitski did not perform “First Love/Late Spring” in Manila, despite audible requests from the crowd. The song was left off the setlist, though the audience sang along to other favorites including “My Love Mine All Mine,” “Nobody,” and “Francis Forever.”
Mitski closed her Manila concert with an encore of “Pearl Diver,” the final track from her debut album Lush.
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