concert review Archives - Page 2 of 2

Doja Cat Is Ready To Silence The Haters

November 3, 2023 by newhiphopnews

doja cat scarlet tour recap — Getty Image / macrovector_official on Freepik/Derrick Rossignol

There were plenty of narratives swirling around Doja Cat heading into the launch of her Scarlet Tour. Questions surrounded the size of the venues on the tour, her first honest-to-goodness tour since falling into her glittering success era in the middle of a global pandemic; whether she’s been going through some kind of breakdown after shaving her head and seemingly going on a year-long crusade against her most devoted fans; whether or not she’s a “real” rapper.

It’s a shame the people propagating such narratives probably weren’t in attendance at Staples Center in Los Angeles Thursday night (alright, fine… Crypto.com Arena. UGH). Not only did the Los Angeles native handily address each of those narratives but she and her opener Doechii also batted down a few of those that have been bandied about concerning the state of so-called “female rap” (gross) for the past few years (and especially the past few days).

With much of Doja’s success coming during the live music shutdown of 2020 and her opening slot on The Weeknd’s recent stadium tour nixed after surgery, there were observers — loud ones — who thought that Doja wasn’t “ready” for arenas, or that she wouldn’t be able to sell out an arena tour, especially after pissing off “core” fans by insulting “stupid” stan account admins who clung to their parasocial connection like a life raft in a hurricane at sea.

Well, consider that myth busted; it’s fitting that Doja’s hometown show brought all the drama to Tinseltown — and none of the gimmicks that far too many other acts half of her stature have resorted to for attention. Born and bred on the internet, Doja’s well-versed in the online chatter about her, and systematically dismantles every complaint in her Scarlet Tour set, which is presented in five acts and finds her confronting both the haters and the unhinged alter ego her latest album is titled after.

Accusations of Satanism are skewered by a churchy staging of “Shutcho,” while Doja assumes a classic Jesus pose during “Attention” that irreverently takes the piss out of worrywarts who read malintent into something as commonplace as a bat tattoo. She subtly knocks down criticisms of her struggle with her biracial origins (her mom’s white, her dad’s South African) with an African traditional dance to open “Woman.”

Then she adds Brazilian bossa inflections to her biggest hit, “Say So.” This is telling. She’s previously reinterpreted the disco-pop hit as a rollicking rock anthem and alien EDM dance floor bop, saying she got sick of performing the song the same way over and over during the pandemic. By infusing it with diasporic influences, she revels in her heritage, recapturing a part of herself so many seem so eager to snatch away.

She proves her rap chops again and again throughout the night, but also her singing. The Badu impression on “Often” reaches fully-fledged neo-soul vocalist dimensions on her Hiatus Kaiyote cover “Red Room.” And I shouldn’t need to point out that her stagecraft at this point is beyond even some of her predecessors.

On Thursday, the native Angeleno even incorporated a Staples tradition, the in-game kiss cam, imbued with her own meme culture-obsessed humor, and handled an unplanned mic malfunction with her signature humor, pulling a face I really wish I’d gotten a photo of. And you want to talk props? How about a massive robotic spider, like something out of The Matrix, hovering over her head, or being flanked by a giant walking eyeball during “Paint The Town Red,” complete with attached optic nerve?

More than anything else, it looks like the narrative she is most interested in debunking is one she has maybe fed into a bit herself. On stage Thursday night, she looked like she was actually having fun performing… Check that. She looked like she was having the time of her life, like all the effort and time and money she’s put into this thing was actually worth it for the 90 minutes she spent up there captivating and communing with her audience — the “real” fans.

The ones who bought tickets, who overlooked or ignored the narratives, who put the music first, the way she does, the way she always has. She put on a show, not just for them and not just for Doja Cat, but also for Amala, the girl who loved music so much she made it her life against all odds (and sometimes her better judgment). She made Amala proud.

Check out more of our Scarlet Tour coverage here.

Gunna Is At The Top Of His Game, And There’s No One Who Can Bring Him Down

September 12, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Gunna Barclays Show 2023 — Teflon’s Archives

With “Back At It” blaring from the speakers in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, Gunna emerged atop a platform that held him several feet above the ground. The rapper’s face and a large snake, both in the form of stone-like sculptures, were laid out on the stage beneath him. This entrance was equally triumphant and boastful, and rightfully so, as this time a year ago, Gunna was behind bars as a part of YSL’s 56-count RICO Act indictment filed by Fulton County in May 2022. Gunna was released seven months later after he agreed to Georgia’s Alford Plea “in which a defendant doesn’t admit he committed the crime but acknowledges that it is in his best interest to plead guilty.”

Gunna’s plea deal and subsequent release led to a wave of criticism from rap fans, many of whom were supporters of Young Thug, who to this day, remains behind bars as a result of the same RICO indictment. Gunna was called everything in the book as many believed that his plea deal contributed to Young Thug’s ongoing imprisonment. Many declared they would no longer listen to the Atlanta rapper because he was a “snitch.” Unmoved by this, Gunna released his fourth album A Gift & A Curse in June of this year in what would be the start of his summer takeover. It debuted at No. 3 on the album charts to become his fifth top-10 release and the album. It also spawned the hit record “Fukumean” which has spent the last two months in the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 while also becoming the highest-charting single of his career.

Gunna’s 2023 success is wrapped in plenty of irony. He’s a rapper who became more successful than ever after many – both fans and artists alike – cut ties with him. He’s also a rapper that, as our own Aaron Williams pointed out, many called a snitch despite simultaneously claiming that Young Thug and others were innocent of all charges against them. None of that mattered though as the rapper stood on that platform in Barclays for his first live show since his prison release. What mattered is that, as his A Gift & A Curse album proved, Gunna is back and he can’t be stopped.

After his captivating entrance to “Back At It,” Gunna dove into took on other A Gift & A Curse records like “Bottom” and “Idk Nomore” to solidify the commanding presence he established with his opening record. He quickly catered to fans of his 2022 chart-topping album DS4EVER with performances of “Too Easy” and “Poochie Gown,” the latter of which was eloquently accompanied by women in Pucci gowns on stage. Through this opening section, Gunna made it clear that he was not deterred by the unproven allegations placed on him from all angles over the last year. He’d successfully filled up Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with a show that nearly sold out, and in return, he treated his audience to a spectacular concert with an attention to detail that was not only admirable but worthy of applause as well.

When Gunna performed “Top Off” from his beloved 2018 project Drip Season 3, he did so from a hanging mic to reference his viral A Colors Show rendition of the record. He recognized the popularity of B-side records like “Baby Birkin,” “Who U Foolin,” “Met Gala,” and “Pedestrian,” a delivered those moments to fans who have been unable to see the rapper since his Drip Or Drown 2 Tour in 2019. Regardless of what his stance with YSL artists and affiliates is, Gunna knew to perform standout collaborations like “Drip Too Hard,” “Yosemite,” “Sold Out Dates,” “Ski,” and “Hot.” More recently in terms of his discography, Gunna took notice of the acclaimed transition from “F*kumean” to “Rodeo Dr.” on A Gift & A Curse and recreated it at Barclays for a moment that sent the audience into an explosive cheer that nearly threw the arena off its axis. Gunna has always been a showman who knew what his audience wanted, but with plenty to prove to the world, the rapper delivered a performance with fiery authority for a set that will be remembered throughout his career.

The rapper’s show at Barclays did have its minor flaws. At its halfway point, the rapper performed a section of songs that sent the arena into a bit of a lull. The nine-song section included slower-tempo records like “Bread & Butter,” “Paybach,” and “I Was Just Thinking.” After such a fiery start upended by songs like “South To West,” “P Power,” and “Dollaz On My Head,” the switch in energy was noticeable as Barclays felt noticeably dormant. Thankfully, Gunna brought life back to the arena with a section of records dedicated to Young Thug as he performed tracks that featured his YSL boss. “Hot,” “Ski,” “Oh Okay,” and “Pushin P” all rang out after a “Free Jeffery” graphic appeared on the big screen. The songs sent the arena into a frenzy, and more noticeably, signaled that maybe the internet rumors about Gunna’s post-incarceration relationship with Young Thug is what the internet chalked it up to be. Maybe there is no animosity on either side, but at the bare minimum, nothing is confirmed, and maybe the assumptions and theorizing should be saved for more important things.

Gunna’s 2022 incarceration couldn’t have come at a worse time in his career. He was just a few months removed from landing his second No. 1 album with DS4EVER, a project that impressively beat out The Weeknd’s Dawn FM for the top spot. Eighteen months later, Gunna delivered another top-3 album to the world with A Gift & A Curse as well as a summer hit with “Fukumean.” Keeping all this in mind, Gunna’s Barclays Center concert was a reminder of many things. The rapper is still one of music’s most beloved acts at the moment, as the arena of fans rapping his lyrics for nearly two hours proved. The rapper is an entertainer who knows how to captivate a crowd with both his music and his fashion sense. Lastly, Gunna is at the top of his game and it’s going to take a lot more than rumors and agendas to bring him down.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Beyoncé Knows Exactly What We Need

September 5, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The shimmering of SoFi Stadium was practically blinding.

It started with a seemingly simple request from someone who doesn’t usually ask for much. As Leo season concluded and Virgo season commenced, Beyoncé made a rare Instagram post asking that fans coming to her upcoming shows wear their “most fabulous silver fashions” to grant her a birthday wish. And suddenly, it didn’t matter that tickets were hard to get or that many fans had been waiting years for Beyoncé to roll back through town.

Folks by the tens of thousands took to Etsy, thrift stores, designer boutiques, and their parents’ closets to find something to fit the bill, to sparkle and shine in Beyoncé’s presence. Even the most casual of dude threw on some grey jeans or a charcoal shirt. At worst, as acclaimed writer Roxane Gay noted, it was a slight annoyance. But for the vast majority of eager participants, it was a chance to take an already special occasion and turn it into the kind of collective experience that is both exceedingly rare in contemporary life and increasingly successful when executed on a massive scale. From Barbenheimer to the Eras Tour, life in 2023 feels more vivid and vibrant when you are experiencing it en masse with others. And at the Renaissance Tour during Beyoncé’s birth season, that moment was bathed in chrome.

It made for fun people watching, as mirror ball-reflective cowboy hats and glittery body paint and retro suits and sequin dresses gathered in the state-of-the-art football stadium. It was enough for Beyoncé to beam with joy as she made her way through the set’s relatively relaxed opening numbers. She commented on how amazing those in the front looked with their distinct silver fits, smiling wide that so many had answered the call. And while the fans could feel content that they had granted Beyoncé’s “B-Day” request, the truth is that Beyoncé knew exactly what the fans needed to take an already monumental tour to the next level. It further cemented the sense of community, giving those in attendance a sort of uniform as Beyoncé supporters. And hell, it just looked really cool.

This is a defining trait of Beyoncé, an artist who displays pristine intentionality in everything she touches. While her evolution from standout girl-group member to generational musical force has developed over the decades, her choices keep finding the Venn diagram of what is right for Beyoncé and what her fans need looking more and more like a perfect circle. There was her 2013 Super Bowl triumph and adventurous return three years later; the surprise self-titled album release; the shift to more nuanced capital-A Art on Lemonade and its accompanying movie, a Coachella appearance that redefined what a festival set can be; and then, coming out of the pandemic, an album that pushed people out of their homes and into the shared spaces that felt like they might never return to. She’s a chessmaster thinking multiple moves ahead, giving fans exactly what they need and allowing them to feel like they are giving it right back.

But as much as fans did give it back to Beyoncé, it still always feels like a candle compared to a sun when in her presence. For nearly three hours on Friday night, she danced, sang, and presented an engrossing spectacle centered around her latest album. There were moments that felt specifically centered around Blackness, others that focused on femininity, and still others that honored the queer dance culture that heavily influenced the sound of the record. She provided her fans an in-person glimpse at the status of her first foray into motherhood as daughter Blue Ivy showcased the performer’s DNA that runs through her blood by dancing during “MY POWER.” She gave a rare opening set from DJ Khaled, who in turn paraded out a steady stream of rap royalty, including Coi Leray, Offset, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, Roddy Ricch, and an abbreviated Lil Wayne, who unfortunately had microphone delay issues. And with her actual birthday falling on the last of her SoFi stops, Los Angeles got a special treat with the return of “The Big 3” as Beyoncé returned “THIQUE,” “ALL UP IN YOUR MIND,” and “Drunk In Love” to the setlist for only the third time on tour, while the actual birthday show on Monday saw appearances from Diana Ross and Kendrick Lamar.

Los Angeles might not have nailed the on-mute-moment during “ENERGY,” but they certainly were up for the key changes of the “Love On Top” singalong. Still, an element of the concert felt like Beyoncé preparing fans for the future. Beyoncé turned 42 yesterday, and while her time as a dancing, stadium-selling artist is far from over, she also proved that if she ever went the Adele route, she’s more than equipped to let her vocals be the star. The whole first portion of her set is geared around this, as she simply stands and sings and basks in the glory of the moment. Later in the set, she appears inside a giant sea shell that feels directly ripped from the Vegas crooners of yesteryear. If she ever does fully pivot in this direction, it will be for an audience that is aging with her.

But for now, Beyoncé is still proving that she can do it all, enrapturing millions of fans across continents with a massive show. She knows she can elicit screams by interpolating a tiny bit of “Say My Name” within “VIRGO’S GROOVE” or can bring chills to tens of thousands by simply saying “Los Angeles” in her unmistakeble, husky speaking voice. She knows she has an ace in her back pocket if and when she decides to release the visuals fans have been clamoring for. She’s a master for walking that tightrope of knowing the right amount of music, merch, and content to keep fans both satisfied and wanting more. The trust that people put in Beyoncé is well-earned, and was never more tangible than in the sparkling reflective color scheme across SoFi Stadium. Beyoncé asked for a gift, only so she could give one right back.