It was all love this past weekend as the “All Hearts Tour,” headlined by singers Robyn and Kelis, launched in Los Angeles, CA. Opening up with special guests Dan Black and Far East Movement, the ladies set it off at the Music Box at Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood.
The headliners started off with Kelis intro-ing her song, “22nd Century,” off her latest album, Flesh Tone. The album marks the start of something new for Kelis, in terms of sound. More known for eclectic pop/R&B hits such as “Milkshake” and “Bossy,” the former Mrs. (Nasir) Jones forays into dance/techno themed sounds this go-round, much to the packed audience’s delight.
Dressed in a sequined, fuchsia one-piece while donning a silver pom-pom wig, the eccentric singer was flanked by two DJs, a drummer, and two very decorative pink, fluffy flowers bookending the stage as she pushed through bass and dance mixes of new and old hits including “Millionaire,” Ol’ Dirty Bastards’ “Baby, I Gotcha Money,” and a quick, sizzling fusion of Madonna’s “Holiday,” her own “Milshake,” and Major Lazer’s “Pon De Floor.” From that point on, it was all about Flesh Tone.
The crowd was in a bouncy trance as she performed her latest single, “4th Of July (Fireworks)” through smoke and strobe lights. The movement nor the energy stopped there, as she continued and performed “Home” and “Scream,” commanding the audience to scream and shout—which they had no problem obliging. In the age of Lady Gaga—spectacular performance theater mixed with high energy and extravagance— the singer still managed to carve out her own unique space. Although commanding new energy and excitement throughout her performance, she maintained a somewhat subdued presence throughout her set. A different Kelis has definitely emerged, and while the beginning of her set was somewhat shaky, by the end it was clear that there was no shortage of love for her transformation. With the comfortable support of the DJ laced backing vocals, she managed to connect with the audience through empowering renditions of emotionally charged, strength-driven song including “Emancipate,” “Brave,” “Song For Baby” and “Lil Star” before breaking into dance for the album’s biggest hit, “Acapella.” After a DJ-mixed cover of the Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” Kelis told the crowd, “It was a pleasure. I love you. God bless you,” as the “good night” continued on with Swedish pop sensation, Robyn, hitting the stage.
In contrast to her co-headliner’s set, singer-songwriter Robyn’s performance was full of high energy and massive movement from top to bottom. Preceded by her band, dressed in all white, made up of two keyboardists and two drummers, the singer jumped into a crowd hyping performance of the electronica-based “Fembot” from her latest, self-described “dancefloor” record, Body Talk Pt. 1. Performing almost the entire album including songs “Cry When You Get Older,” “Dancing On My Own,” and “Don’t F*cking Tell Me What To Do,” Robyn was sure to inform the crowd, “We’re going to have a party tonight!”
And a party, she delivered.
Dressed in high-waisted floral pants, a black sheer top, and a shimmering sports bra, the electro-pop singer rocked the stage with past hits that included “Cobrastyle,” “Dream On,” “Be Mine,” and her first top ten hit familiar to most, “Show Me Love.” Showcasing wild stamina throughout, she even managed to get “duurty” with the wining as she performed the Caribbean-themed tracks “None Of Dem” and “Dancehall Queen,” proving you don’t have to be an island-native to “run this thing like a dancehall queen.”
As Robyn closed out the show singing “With Every Heartbeat,” the “All Hearts Tour” proved to have had hearts thumping (in a good way) by night’s end, with us more than willing to look back fondly.
What happened to a little video footage? lol