Theo Wargo
From Beyonce to Lauryn Hill, Nicki Minaj and Alicia Keys, #BlackGirlMagic reigned supreme for a great cause
For the second year in a row, Jay Z’s TIDAL streaming service brought an all-star lineup of music’s biggest names and most promising new artists to Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center for the TIDAL x 1015 Charity Concert, benefitting the Robin Hood organization.
Although the evening saw unforgettable performances from a diverse bill of over 20 artists who represented multiple genres of music, the true queens of the night were Black women. In fact, the show itself was headlined by four Black women who have each marked their place as successful, influential trailblazers in music and every single one of them lit up the stage from beginning to end.
Making a somewhat earlier appearance than expected, Beyoncé nearly blew the roof off the venue as she kicked off her set with an artistic performance of “Haunted” before transitioning into a visually captivating rendition of “6 Inch Heels,” from her double-platinum selling sixth studio album Lemonade. Queen Bey later returned to the stage a second time to close out the night, where slowed things down with a performance of “All Night Long,”, while surrounded by a bevy of beautiful Black female dancers and musicians.
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Hip hop icon Lauryn Hill also dominated the stage and proved exactly why she’s one of the most revered names in music. Ms. Hill opened her set with a powerful performance of her 1992 gem “Rebel,” which hears her speak on the lack of regard for Black lives in America. After serenading fans with a soulful run through of “X-Factor,” the former Fugees frontwoman had everyone dancing with her uptempo renditions of several classics, including “Final Hour” and “Lost Ones.”
Ms. Hill even took a quick pause from the mic to join her back up singers for a quick dance break midway through her segment.
Later, R&B songstress Emeli Sande left the audience in awe with a set that included performances of her hit “Next To Me,” and her new single “Hurt,” while Sir The Baptist’s energetic appearance included a Black female vocalist who took his performance to the next level and beyond.
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Nicki Minaj sent the crowd into a frenzy that lasted well into the duration of her set with a performance that included a string of hits like “Beez In The Trap” and “Only,” in addition to fan-favorites like “Moment 4 Life” and infamous her verse from Kanye’s “Monster.” Nicki also used the moment to vocalize her support for Democratic Presidential Nominee Hillary Clinton as only she can. Backstage, the Queens diva was left speechless after receiving props from Lauryn Hill, whom she has long noted as one of her biggest influences. She later shared the moment in a video clip on her Instagram page.
No make up, all smiles and full of energy, the always-soulful Alicia Keys kept the Barclays center mood on 10 as she hit the stage to the tune of her verse from Baby Sham’s “Ghetto Story,” before launching into a performance of her hit, “Girl On Fire.” She slowed things down to do what she does best on the piano and draw the crowd in with an empowering rendition of her socially-conscious 2016 single “Hallelujah.”
All in all, the TIDAL x 1015 was a non-stop jam session that saw the best in music bring their talents together for a great cause — with plenty of Black Girl Magic in the mix! If you missed the show, you can relive the epic night here.
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