It's hard to believe that in 2024, Missy Elliott is only now embarking on her first-ever solo headlining tour after a career of standing atop her class and building her legacy as one of the great female rappers of all time. Scratch that, she's one of the best rappers. Period. Sure, it's been nearly twenty years since her last studio full-length album and she hasn't been hitting the road all that often since she slowly made her return back to music after some personal health struggles, but to think we've been waiting for decades for this moment meant the anticipation was paramount. Following opening sets from her protégé Ciara and the legend in his own right Busta Rhymes (who brought out LL Cool J to perform "Flava in Ya Ear" and also threw down his verse from Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario" for all his day-1s in the house), the hype had properly built up by the time the arena went dark and the light-up wristbands given out to everyone in attendance began to glow and the volume began to crank to a volume at which it would remain, with blaring intensity, for the rest of the night. For the next hour and fifteen minutes, the stage became a spectacle of high-flash video screens, mesmerizing choreography, and some of the best production values I've seen at an arena show in quite some time. A massive ensemble of dancers took over the stage for the majority of the show, their impressive skills doubling down on Missy's sick rhymes and helped recall so many of her iconic videos, reminding us all that as innovative as she was in the studio, she brought these songs to life in such monumental ways that the visuals almost leave the same imprint as the sonics. Through out the melee of the night, Elliott gave a crash course through her discography touching at nearly every moment of her career playing not just the hits but reimagining them with updated visuals and revived dance moves. Still, even while the music was absolutely bumping and the energy high, there were some instances that felt all too brief and short-lived. While the costuming and imagery for "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" was top-notch, it was merely a flash in the pan of the night, before moving on to the next number, perhaps popping off too early in the set. "Gossip Folks" was another jolt, but "Get Ur Freak On" made for a major moment that swept the momentum back in Missy's favor. The outfits adorned by Elliott on stage were also next level, her rhinestone collection alone was another dazzling element of the night and even though each ensemble seemed to out do the next, there was a lot of time filled by breakdancers who all could've won the gold in Paris to allow her to get into the new get-ups. However when the hits came, the experience made it all worth while as the screens continued to up the ante with each segment of the night. Better than I remembered comeback track "WTF (Where They From" delivered a real punch and led into the final blowout sequence of the night. "Work It" was sensational and when Lil' Kim made her way to the stage, it sounded like the roof was going to blow off the building. The love for Brooklyn remained as Busta Rhymes reappeared for "Touch It" the crowd continued to go berserk. Bringing it all home with "Lose Control" made for one final moment of true pandemonium as lights and confetti covered the arena, Ciara returned to hit us acapella for the track's climax, and Missy cementing her status once and for all as one of the true greats who can bring their music to life in ways beyond imagination. After already reaching so many other accolades across her illustrious career, this tour really indicates that Missy Elliott truly has done it all.
No comments:
Post a Comment