With daylight disappearing, Lil Wayne protege Tyga opened the show with a short set that featured his first hit, “Coconut Juice,” and “Bed Rock,” by his group Young Money.
Next up, Kelly Rowland brought some sexually charged female energy to the otherwise male-dominated bill, performing choreographed renditions of her solo singles “Like This” and “Motivation,” and a few numbers by her ex-group, Destiny’s Child, including “Say My Name.”
T-Pain’s android whine could be heard before the rapper was seen. He then exploded out, singing his hook from Rick Ross’s “Maybach Music.” He cycled through hits by himself and others. He also dished out healthy sampling of his cameo work, on songs like Jamie Foxx’s “Blame It (on the Alcohol)” and “All I Do is Win” by DJ Khaled.
The rapper explored the geography of the stage throughout his set, working up a sweat under an epileptic light show, as his dancers gyrated and moved, sometimes in step with their ringleader. And then he was gone.
The house lights lowered and a clock blinked onscreen, counting down to Breezy in 10 second increments. “O Fortuna” blared as highlights from the singer’s career ran on three screens. 10 militant dancers march-danced to a pounding bass kick. The audience was a sea of cellphones simultaneously recording hundreds of grainy YouTube videos at once as Brown descended from a red neon stairway on high.
After performing “Transform Ya,” he paused, grinning, soaking up the adulation.
“Toronto,” he said, “Welcome to the motherf---ing F.A.M.E. tour!”
To a mass chorus of screams, he announced that he hadn’t been to Canada in about six years.
Later, Brown stumbled out in a theatrical display of drunkenness, wearing a dress shirt and suspenders, cigarette dangling from his lips, bottle in hand, and sang “Leave The Club.” Drenched in sweat, shirt almost completely unbuttoned, he performed “Body 2 Body,” while his female dancers pantomimed to the song’s lyrics.
A video of the singer taking a shower and putting on a tuxedo as Aaliyah’s “One In A Million” played sent the crowd into a collective scream of ecstasy.
Wearing a large LCD rose on his lapel, he re-emerged, singing “Wet The Bed.” In various states of undress, he performed “She Ain’t You,” before “No Bulls--t,” and “Deuces” (for which Tyga reappeared to rap his cameo).
Flanked by dancers in glowing masks, he launched into “Look at Me Now,” which devolved into a neon light show. Minus the song’s featured guest, Justin Bieber, he did an anthemic rendition of “Next 2 You,” and shortly thereafter, “Beautiful People.”
The whole thing was a relentless spectacle, full of momentum, that went on for some 90 minutes. Love him or hate him, Breezy’s return to Canada was a triumphant one.
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