User:Razr Nation/sandbox/Metamorfosis World Tour

Metamorfosis World Tour is the third and current worldwide concert tour by Guatemalan singer–songwriter Ricardo Arjona, in support of his thirteenth studio album, Independiente. It began in January 2012 and is the first tour before abandoning Warner Music to become an independent artist. The tour was announced in December 2011, with dates for American, Argentinian and Chilean venues revealed.

The tour has received positive critical response. The show consists of four ambiences on top of a rotatory stage through which Arjona performs and each one of them are directly related to the songs being performed. The first of them is similar to a two-floor department. The second stage resembles a bar; The third a circus, and fourth and final stage a theatre.

Metamorfosis World Tour has broke many records in terms of its ticket sales, commercial gross and audience attendance. On Buenos Aires, it became the most attended show ever for any artist on the Velez Stadium, with a total attendance of more than 160,000 people on four consecutive sold out concerts. In Guatemala City, Arjona became the first artis ever to have two consecutive sold out concerts at the Mateo Flores Stadium, with more than 50,000 people on both shows. As of April 2012, the tour has been seen by more than 500,000 people in 8 countries.

The number of songs played varies from 19 to 23. Independiente is the album with the most number of songs performed. Fellow guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno has appeard in every concert, only to perform "Fuiste Tú" alongside Arjona. The tour follows his past Quinto Piso Tour, which has been one of the most successful tours made by a latin artist, with an attendance of more than one million people from 19 countries.

Background
thumb|left|200px|Metamorfosis [[record label.]]Independiente is the first album Arjona releases as an independent artist. It was released through his own record label, Metamorfosis, a company he created to refocus his career. This new company, presided by Arjona and some friends, is based in Miami and Mexico City, and also includes the photographer and director Ricardo Calderón, Universal Music México's executive Humberto Calderon and BMG's Miriam Sommerz.

Although, the album is being distributed by Warner Music. Arjona commented, in multiple times, that he considered the way he decided to go independent raised more compromise than freedom, saying that "Inside the word 'Independent', even when it sounds like extreme freedom, there's a big amount of compromise and the responsibility of being able to administrate, in the best way possible, such independence."

Weeks before the release of Independiente, the Guatemalan singer released a letter in which he talked about his past relations with recording companies. In the letter, Arjona revealed that he entered in his first record label by exchange, and that he received the "minimum royalty percentage" out from his most successful albums. Billboard notes that although other groups have decided to launch independently their works after having a contract with major record labels, Arjona is by far the most important artist in the Latin pop to follow this trend.

Scenography
The show consists of four ambiences on top of a rotatory stage, through which Arjona performs along seven musicians and one showgirl. 50 people are needed to set up the 45 ton stage, transported on 17 trucks. 150 illumination lights, 70 of them being movable, plus 10 additional tons of scenography. Each one of the ambiences are directly related to the songs being performed on the show.

The first of them is similar to a two-floor department, full of books, tables, chairs and some other objects very familiar in homes. On this stage, the songs performed were "Lo Que Está Bien Está Mal", "Animal Nocturno", "Hay Amores", "Desnuda" and "El Amor", which was performed during the stage change.

The second stage resembles a bar. On this stage, Arjona performed first "Historia de Taxi". Then, he performed "Como Duele", and started interacting with the public, mainly to collaborate on "Pingüinos en La Cama", which in some locations Arjona sang to one of the fan's phone, and after that, inviting a 40-year-old woman to the stage to help him perform "Señora De Las Cuatro Décadas".

The third stage is a circus. The stage usually changes while Arjona performs "Reconciliación". The other songs performed in this circus stage are "Tarde (Sin Daños a Terceros)", "Fuiste Tú", which has been performed in all dates with fellow guatemalan singer Gaby Moreno, "Te Conozco" and "Si El Norte Fuera El Sur".

The fourth and final stage is a theatre. And is very similar to the first stage. Here, the singer performs "El Problema" before partially going out of the stage, simulating the end of the concert. After some minutes, he returns to the stage to perform "Minutos" and "Mujeres", and to close the show.

A big LCD screen covers the top of the scenography. In this screen, at the beginning of the concert, is shown a supposed news program called Metamorfosis, a series of images from Arjona's life while playing "Vida" as a background music, and several images of Salvador Allende, Frida Kahlo, Donald Trump and Barack Obama, among others, during the performance of other songs on the show. In Santiago de Chile, the chilean flag and some peace symbols appeared on the screen. In Buenos Aires, the argentinian flag was shown.

Music
The number of songs played varies from 19 to 23. Independiente is the album with the most number of songs performed with seven. Fellow guatemalan singer-songwriter Gaby Moreno has appeard in every concert, only to perform "Fuiste Tú" alongside Arjona.

The first song played on the show is "Vida", from the album Poquita Ropa. Although, it is not sang by Arjona; instead, it's played on a big screen, interpolating several images, such as Arjona when was a kid, movies and shows. Then, the singer arrives to the stage to sing "Lo Que Está Bien Está Mal". Following, "Animal Nocturno", from the album of the same name, "Hay Amores" and "Desnuda", from the album Vivo, are performed. In some cities, like Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile, Arjona performed "Acompáñame A Estar Solo" before playing "El Amor". In Monterrey, "El Amor" was performed first.

On his concert in Mendoza, Arjona commented that "The day I decided this profession was the day i realized that a phrase said in words could give as a result a slap, but the same phrase sang could give sighs." Then, he sings "Mi Novia Se Me Está Poniendo Vieja", a song he composed for his mother, and, as Arjona himself commented, didn't liked it because it make her cry. On his website, it was claimed to be a favourite for the fans. "Dime Que No" and "Como Duele" followed. On Santiago de Chile, "Dime Que No" was replaced by "Historia de Taxi".

After "Como Duele", on some shows, "Pingüinos En La Cama" was performed before "Señora De Las Cuatro Décadas". "Reconciliación" is perfomed next. At this moment of the show, the stage has changed to become a circus. On some countries, "Fuiste Tú", the duet with Gaby Moreno, is played before the stage change to a circus, and thus before "Reconciliación". On Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires, "Fuiste Tú" was performed after "Reconciliación" and "Tarde (Sin Daños a Terceros)", while the latter was perfomed usually after "Fuiste Tú" on most dates.

Following are "Te Conozco", "Te Quiero" and "Si El Norte Fuera El Sur". Then, Arjona performs "El Problema" before partially going out of the stage, simulating the end of the concert. After some minutes, he returns to the stage to perform "Minutos" and "Mujeres", and to close the show.

Critical and commercial response
The tour has been widely praised by critics and fans alike. Natalie Torres from newspaper Dia a Dia commented that "Arjona knows how to handle his 'girls', with a mix of attitudes from a 'rough' male and seductive lyrics." Jon Pareles from New York Times commented that "Arjona is one of Latin pop’s finest lyricists: observant, nuanced, sometimes wry, sometimes melancholy and especially fond of the play of opposites." He also said that "unlike some of his fellow Latin pop stars, Mr. Arjona is no saccharine lover boy."

Aracely Chantaka from mexican newspaper La Vanguardia commented, after the show on Monterrey, that "Arjona's metamorphosis has been noticeable throughout the years. He's not the same young man who sang in a bar accompanied only with a guitar. Today he's surrounded by a great production." She finally stated that "essentially he's the same: the one who sing to love."

Argentinian newspaper Clarín praised Arjona’s great rapport with his largely female audience following a two-year absence from Argentina. The appearance of Gaby Moreno to perform "Fuiste Tú" was also highly praised by critics and fans, and was considered to be the top performance of the show.

Records
Between 31 March and 1 April, Arjona toured Guatemala, his native country. The two concerts he presented in the Mateo Flores stadium were both sold out performances, becoming the first artist in Guatemalan history to achieve this feat. As of 16 April 2012, his Metamorfosis World Tour has reached more than 400,000 fans, from which about 160,000 were only from his Buenos Aires tour dates on April 12–15.

On April 25, Arjona's show on Mendoza, Argentina accumulated an attendance of 24,000 people, breaking the record set by Luis Miguel 10 years prior, and thus becoming the highest-grossing artist ever on that province. Hours before his performance on Mendoza, the Malvinas Argentinas stadium in which the concert was held, a fire burned close to one of the entries of the complex.

Additional notes

 * The order of the performances and songs performed usually vary.

Tour dates
Following, the confirmed tour dates as of April 22, 2012.

Attendance and Box office
Alert: The following table contains extensive original research on the box office column, so its not suitable for a Wikipedia article.
 * Estimated ticket price / Average ticker price: $78,22
 * Attendance ratio: 1.000

I believe, when finished, this concert tour will have a box score higher than $100 million.