Christina Aguilera spellbound thousands on Saturday evening as she rocked and entertained the free, sold-out EuroPride concert at the Granaries.
The Grammy-award-winning singer and songwriter took the stage in the evening, following Malta's most jubilant and colourful Pride march so far.
With a full band, four backup singers and eight dancers in red, Aguilera kicked off the much-anticipated concert with her electro song Your Body, which immediately set the party tempo.
The atmosphere was electric, as the crowd danced and sang along to hits like Dirrty, Hold Us Down and Moves like Jagger.
“It’s so beautiful out here tonight, so amazing to see all your faces from here,” Aguilera told the crowd.
“Malta! I was walking around the other day, and it is such a beautiful place to share these beautiful moments. Let’s have a fun night!”
The powerhouse entertainer thrilled the estimated 38,000 crowd, singing adopted versions of classics such as Genie in a Bottle, as her dancers twirled, bounced and jumped across the stage.
With a career spanning over 20 years, Aguilera said she was grateful that the audience was part of her journey.
“Where are my sexy people tonight,” she asked the crowd as her track Vanity began.
The crowd was just as energetic, as people jumped, sang, and moved their hips to the music, waving Pride flags and flapping fans in the humid air.
‘You have to be your own voice’
During the over one-hour jam-packed fun and energetic set, Aguilera found a moment to slow down the tempo, with even the stage lighting dimming to set the mood.
Before performing Say Something, the 42-year-old singer opened up to the crowd about the inspiration and message behind the track.
"I was at a point in my life where I had a lot of questions, where to go next, what to do," she said.
"In the end, you have to be your own voice and have faith that there will be better days."
The crowd also sang along to her 2002 award-winning track Beautiful, where many people were seen holding hands or hugging friends and partners, swaying to the music.
The song is known to be an unofficial anthem for the LGBTIQ+ community for its message of self-empowerment, self-love, and acceptance.
"Our message for everybody tonight is to love each other," the singer told the crowd.
Aguilera closed the set with her track Let There Be Love, with the stage screen showing a background of rainbow colours and hearts.
The singer was supported by a number of other musicians before she hit the stage, including Greek singer Katerina Stikoudi, iconic Maltese Eurovision singer Ira Losco and Gozitan band, The Travellers.
Will you marry me?
The concert was a memorable one for many but especially so for David Smith and Luke Brincat.
Towards the end, Smith held a banner asking "I want to propose to my boyfriend on the main stage. Can you help?"
And shortly after Aguilera left the stage, a DJ introduced the couple and invited them to go on stage.
"This is Luke, my boyfriend, and he's a great choreographer here and I want to show him how much I love him," Smith said before getting down on one knee and proposing.
The crowd cheered the couple on, clapping and shouting "how sweet".