It hardly seems possible that, more than three years after the resounding success of “Old Town Road” – which became the longest-running single in Billboard history and the most platinum-certified single, with 15 at last count – and many-sometimes-controversial videos and TV performances, Lil Nas X is just on his first major tour.
The artist’s 29-date “Long Live Montero” tour made two sold-out stops at New York’s prestigious Radio City Music Hall this week, and it didn’t disappoint in terms of music or visuals (although kept things relatively PG, aside from kissing one of his dancers behind a curtain).
The show was divided into three acts, similar to a play, with different costume changes and sets. Each act was preceded by a video of a model speaking about a message of self-worth, a theme that has been central throughout Nas X’s career.
Supported by three wall-sized screens and a team of background dancers, Nas opened with his hit single “Panini” and was on the way with a show that played to his core strengths: song, dance and charisma. The dance numbers in particular, which were choreographed by Sean Bankhead, amplified and expanded the artist’s relatively small catalog – just an album and an EP, after all – and turned the show into an almost Broadway-style production. .
This theme continued, as viewers received poster-like pamphlets, which included advertisements for GLAAD, The Trevor Project, Nas label Columbia Records, and tour sponsor Google. The tech giant was also subtly integrated into the show as part of an interlude during “Old Town Road,” which featured Nas using a Google pixel to track his online presence over the years from Nicki Minaj stan to viral. sensation, and now a global superstar.
The highlight of the performance was arguably “That’s What I Want,” which used stripped-down musical backing and choreography reflecting the video’s love triangle, but the surprise was that Nas paid homage to Beyonce with a full performance. of her”Song “Rebirth” “Pure honey.”
The set ended with its No. 1 single “Industry Baby”, which also brought up the music video on stage. After running through the crowd and waving and hugging the fans, he closed the night with his new single, “Star Walkin’,” and offered a heartfelt thank you to the fans.