Friday, August 1, 2008 - "25 LIVE" - The George Michael Concert

The controversy surrounding George Michael's sexuality, his diva-like behaviour, his legal battles with his label and his status as an icon of the '80s - it's very easy to forget why we know him in the first place: the man is simply an amazing singer.

Last nite in Atlanta, GA, on his latest "25 LIVE" tour, he gave a performance that satisfied fans looking for the Michael of Wham! days, pleasing them with "I'm Your Man," "Everything She Wants" and "Careless Whispers," which drew the entire arena into a mass karaoke session.

His solo career after Wham! yielded a body of work that kept fans on their feet with songs like "Faith," "Fastlove," "Too Funky" and the final encore, "Freedom '90." With the latter songs, videos that featured supermodels Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista moved the eye toward the screen, reminding fans of a time when videos weren't on demand via YouTube.

What was surprising is how much of Michael's new music seems current and easy to dance to; "Amazing" and "Flawless" lived up to their titles. He also interspersed ballads into the set, which sealed the impression that he's at the top of his game.

The openly gay singer infused rainbow colors all over his video set, and much of his newer music reflected comfort with his sexual orientation. But the older "Freedom" was the overwhelming crowd favorite, perhaps because of its anthemic qualities: "I think there's something you should know / I think it's time I told you so / There's something deep inside of me / There's someone else I've got to be." Michael is finally that someone else, true to himself.

After 17 years, George Michael is touring in North America again. But with his "25 LIVE" tour, Michael shows he's not so much about comeback as he is about continuity.