“This is a love song I wrote … for Jay-Z,” announced OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder.
In a show packed with surprises, the American band delivered their catchy anthems with plenty of oomph at Abu Dhabi’s inaugural Amplified Music Festival.
And none were more intriguing than his rendition of Beyonce’s Halo, which he wrote for her after she called him out of the blue to express her adoration for her rapper partner.
“She said I want you to write a song for this guy I love,” Tedder said. “I didn’t know she was dating anyone, so I Googled it.
“It turns out she was seeing Jay-Z. So this is what I wrote for him.”
Opening the two-night event at Yas Links, Yas Island, on Friday, the band took to the stage in front of a sold-out crowd of 6,000.
Energetic singer Tedder — sharp, polished and dressed in black — arrived to thunderous cheers before blasting through OneRepublic's many radio-friendly hits.
Their back catalogue is a mix of cutesy rock (too many guitars to be considered simply pop, too many string instruments to be considered anything harder) and Calvin Harris-style clubby beats, with some piano solos thrown in for good measure.
It is the second festival at the site in as many weeks, with fans flocking to the capital for the first time since almost all Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. A fortnight ago, despite Liam Gallagher pulling out at the eleventh hour, the show went on at Club Social with the likes of Kaiser Chiefs, Clean Bandit and Example performing.
Amplified kept the tempo going by welcoming OneRepublic back to the UAE during their first world tour, and the band started off the night by diving straight into Kids and Good Life. “We’ve played Dubai more times than we can count,” said Tenner after 10 minutes on stage. “This is the first time we’ve been lucky enough to perform in Abu Dhabi. It’s the beginning of the concert and I’m already telling you that we’ll be back.”
They continued through Stop and Stare, from the break-out 2007 album Dreaming Out Loud, and the more recent Rescue Me. And, that’s when Tedder teed up a “special surprise” was to come.
Despite forming in 2002 and rising through the ranks of MySpace (remember that?) as an unsigned act, the band only really took off after the release of Dreaming Out Loud and hit single Apologize.
Alongside the band's 15-year career, Tedder has carved out a name for himself as one of the greatest pop songwriters of his era, penning the aforementioned Halo alongside Adele's Rumour Has It, Leona Lewis's Bleeding Love and Ellie Goulding's Burn, to name a few. Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, The Jonas Brothers and Demi Levato join the list of stars he's worked with. And, having promised “good vibes only tonight”, Tedder seized the opportunity to play a medley of his finest hits made famous by others.
The crowd, needless to say, roared along in delight as he took to the piano and flaunted his exceptional vocal range — the man is a phenomenal talent.
Aside from one recent rogue journalist (“no, I won’t say who or what country we were in”), who thought they were turning up to see One Direction, the band drew in delighted fans aged from 7 months to 70 years.
Top Gun star Tom Cruise appeared on a giant video screen to introduce I Ain’t Worried, which, again, Tedder was specifically asked to write, before OneRepublic finished off the evening with the likes of Counting Stars and If I Lose Myself.
Amplified continues on Saturday with fellow American group Cas. With any luck, they’ll extend yet another love story the wizarding writer Tedder delivered for fans. It's not all for Jay-Z, of course.
Amplified Music Festival returns on Saturday, doors open at 7pm. Tickets, priced from Dh149, are available to buy at livenation.me
How to join and use Abu Dhabi’s public libraries
• There are six libraries in Abu Dhabi emirate run by the Department of Culture and Tourism, including one in Al Ain and Al Dhafra.
• Libraries are free to visit and visitors can consult books, use online resources and study there. Most are open from 8am to 8pm on weekdays, closed on Fridays and have variable hours on Saturdays, except for Qasr Al Watan which is open from 10am to 8pm every day.
• In order to borrow books, visitors must join the service by providing a passport photograph, Emirates ID and a refundable deposit of Dh400. Members can borrow five books for three weeks, all of which are renewable up to two times online.
• If users do not wish to pay the fee, they can still use the library’s electronic resources for free by simply registering on the website. Once registered, a username and password is provided, allowing remote access.
• For more information visit the library network's website.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
The years Ramadan fell in May
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EKinetic%207%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202018%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rick%20Parish%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Clean%20cooking%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
MATCH INFO
Barcelona 2
Suarez (10'), Messi (52')
Real Madrid 2
Ronaldo (14'), Bale (72')
MATCH INFO
Europa League semi-final, second leg
Atletico Madrid (1) v Arsenal (1)
Where: Wanda Metropolitano
When: Thursday, May 3
Live: On BeIN Sports HD
The years Ramadan fell in May
More on Quran memorisation:
The schedule
December 5 - 23: Shooting competition, Al Dhafra Shooting Club
December 9 - 24: Handicrafts competition, from 4pm until 10pm, Heritage Souq
December 11 - 20: Dates competition, from 4pm
December 12 - 20: Sour milk competition
December 13: Falcon beauty competition
December 14 and 20: Saluki races
December 15: Arabian horse races, from 4pm
December 16 - 19: Falconry competition
December 18: Camel milk competition, from 7.30 - 9.30 am
December 20 and 21: Sheep beauty competition, from 10am
December 22: The best herd of 30 camels
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The five pillars of Islam
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Zayed Sustainability Prize
More on Quran memorisation:
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
Defined benefit and defined contribution schemes explained
Defined Benefit Plan (DB)
A defined benefit plan is where the benefit is defined by a formula, typically length of service to and salary at date of leaving.
Defined Contribution Plan (DC)
A defined contribution plan is where the benefit depends on the amount of money put into the plan for an employee, and how much investment return is earned on those contributions.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Astra%20Tech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMarch%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdallah%20Abu%20Sheikh%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20technology%20investment%20and%20development%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24500m%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More coverage from the Future Forum
The years Ramadan fell in May
Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
