‘This night means a lot to me’ – Chris Brown on explosive first night in Johannesburg

On Saturday, Breezy gave concertgoers an unforgettable night celebrating his legacy as a musician many grew up listening to.

Chris Brown went all the way out for his performance in Johannesburg, and even the rain relented to allow him to perform for a mesmerising two-and-a-half hours.

Night one of Breezy’s show was not only attended by South Africans, or those living in Johannesburg; it was an African affair, with people flying in just to see the legend performing live on African soil.

And Brown gave a performance worthy of placing him in the musical history books. He took his screaming and cheering fans on a journey, reminiscing from the days of 2002 when he was just a pretty boy, showcasing his evolution as an artist. With a discography spanning two decades, there was plenty of music to choose from but the musician prepared a set list that celebrated his journey.

He included songs ‘Angel Numbers/Ten Toes’, ‘Anxiety’, ‘Heat’, ‘No Air’, ‘Don’t Judge Me’, ‘Ayo’ and ‘Back to Sleep’.

Brown showed off his most famous dance moves and gave his all for the entire performance, even throwing in an aerial stunt as he performed ‘Wall to Wall’.

The crowd at the FNB Stadium didn’t disappoint either, as fans sang loudly and boldly along, cheering the multi-award-winning musician on.

From his 18-dance member crew, to the stage design, lighting and visuals, Brown and his team thought of everything to give a world-class performance.

Breezy, being the superstar that he is, had four outfit changes and each one paid homage to the different chapters of his career, starting with basketball T-shirts and baggy jeans. He even rocked the merchandise that was being sold at the concert and threw out some of the items he was wearing – a jacket, cap and T-shirt – to some very lucky fans.

His on-tour deejay, DJ Fresh, added that extra spice to the concert by rocking songs like ‘Weekend Special’ by Brenda Fassie, ‘Fela In Versace’ and ‘Boss Zonke’ – paying homage to the late greats, AKA and Riky Rick.

Showing just how well-researched this concert was, he even added South Africa’s second unofficial national anthem ‘Sister Bethina’.

Vibrations were felt throughout the stadium with each performance, with many comparing his performance to the Super Bowl half-time show in terms of the size of the crowd and production level.

Brown’s concert may have been eagerly anticipated but it wasn’t without controversy from the moment it was announced in September, when non-profit organisation Women For Change launched a petition calling for the cancellation of the concert.

This was due to the musician’s history of abusing women, with the 2009 abuse of Rihanna being the most notable example, and allegations that he raped a woman aboard a yacht owned by disgraced music mogul, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Despite the criticism, Brown gave the performance his all, showing that the show meant a great deal to him.

He closed off with ‘Forever’, which was fitting as the lyrics matched the magnitude of the performance, for both his fans and himself.

“I just want to say from the bottom of my heart, I love you guys so much. This night means the world to me. I ain’t been out here in a long time. I’ve been rocking for two and a half hours, and y’all just let me rock. I appreciate that.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for this kind of moment,” he said before breaking into the song.

Breezy gave his fans more than they asked for with his performance; it might just have made any hassle they experienced ahead of his performance worth it, like the technical fault on the Gautrain’s line between Park and Hatfield where a 30-minute delay caused a minor snag. However, once the train arrived, the bus was waiting at Park and the journey to the stadium was a breeze, and after the concert, Gautrain buses were waiting to take concertgoers back to Park station.

Big Concerts had promised to beef up security for concert, especially with the concerns following the 2018 Global Citizen Festival. They sure delivered, with blue lights everywhere and the areas around the stadium and various parking lots being well-lit.

Brown performed at the FNB Stadium for his second concert on Sunday night, where he was due to be joined by his Nigerian collaborator Davido. – IOL Entertainment

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