28 May 2009

Beyoncé 'I Am...' World Tour Concert Review

I will always speak the truth no matter what. And I'm about to speaketh da truffus now.

I don't go to many live shows because I like to spend my money on artists who I believe are worth seeing. I've seen Brandy [don't ask, that was a loooooooooong time ago], Linkin Park with Jay-Z, Mariah Carey [twice], New Kids on The Block, Prince and Beyoncé. Come September I'm going to see Coldplay with Jay-Z at Wembley Stadium.

Mariah is my favourite female artist, Linkin Park my favourite group and Prince my favourite male artist. I saw him at the same venue, London's O2, two years ago and the man was stellar. Just stellar. He's one of those artists if he's doing a show in Vegas or China it's well worth just going and making a vacation out of it. Who would top Prince in terms of entertainment value on stage? It would be hard to top Prince.

Although, Beyoncé topped him, and she trounced Mariah as far as live shows go. Now I've been a Mimi fan for close to 20 years. So you know I'm being unbiased if I'm saying Bey gave a better show than Mariah ever could.

Costumes, stage productions, dancers, vocal ability on stage all hands down beat Mariah. I can't even front. Yes my girl can hit high notes galore, but the power behind Bey's voice, I'll just have to stand up and give her her rightful props. Seriously.

Live, Mariah sounds as good as the album.
Live, Beyoncé sounds better than the album.

I have all of Mariah live concerts on DVD and VHS [as only true fans would] and the last one 'The Adventures of Mimi' WTF was that? I am STILL MAD about that DVD. I've watched it once and was disappointed as hell, never played it again. Vision of Love performed like what? Stage costumes looking like who? Listen and watch below and see why I'm vex. Mariah has lacked live vocally for some years now. I'll always give her comeback credit and being in the game for so long, and having broken as many records as she has, but after seeing Bey on Monday night, she has nothing to worry about with anyone coming to steal her shine.



It's not until a video montage of Destiny's Child and solo efforts are played that you realise the magnitude of what she's done musically in 12 years and still a few years shy of 30. It dawned on me that this girl literally is a global superstar. But you can't knock her hustle, cause she's doing it, and doing it well.

She strutted, she flew, she dipped, she twerked, she popped, she floated, she got crunk during the 2 hour show as well as delivering vocally on point. The vocals that really stood out for me was during 'Ava Maria' if you've seen the live show, you'll know what I'm talking about.

*Note to Mariah...bring that full voice back, cause the whispers ain't cutting it.

Bey has a very strong and confident voice. Her vocal ability seems effortless, and how she remembers all those dance moves during a show is beyond me.

She performed Single Ladies just like in the video, and came out to a Deja Vu/Crazy in Love medley doing the infamous booty shake dance to the "uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, na na na" parts and gave the crowd what they wanted and then some.

I knew I was going to be entertained at this concert, which is one of the main reasons I bought a ticket. After seeing her in a humble non-Sasha light on the X-Factor with Alexandra Burke in December I started to warm to her a little. I was not a 'hater' of Beyoncé's, I was just a truth talker on 'the forum' if she irked me I made my point clear. I take NONE of it back and won't. I still think after this tour she needs to take a break from the performing and albums for a minute cause too much Bey can be overkill and has been for the past decade or so.

But you know something, I can see why she won't siddown. Just for a second I wish I had pushy parents who forced me to dance and sing and become a huge superstar, because performing that show looked like a hell of a lot of fun. After seeing that would I like to be Bey for a day. I think I would. It was pure energy, even during the ballads.

I think you get the gist that I loved this show, and really do not think it'll be my last Beyoncé concert in my lifetime. I HAVE TO see her again live.

Whether you like her or not, [and I steered toward the 'not so much' side] seeing her live is one of those shows you have to see before she hits MJ status talking about an end of the road tour.

I was on the floor section in B1 and directly to my right I noticed her cousin/PA Angela Beyincé, I also noticed a former Top of the Pops dancer, and also Sade. Yep Sade was in the house. Now this woman needs a new look. Same tired ponytail, red lips and hoop earrings.

She's coming out with a new album this year. *YAWN* I can't stand Sade's music, Americans love her. I find her so, so dry, and her music is only good for background music after a dinner party, where you and your friends are at the coffee stage before calling it a night. The only songs I liked of hers were 'No Ordinary Love' and 'By Your Side.' I remember watching a concert of hers Live in San Francisco, standing there barefoot, looking gorgeous but just dull. Oh my days.

She did look beautiful and flawless, I'll give her that much. Hmmm...but I wonder if she's still wanted in Jamaica?

After all that, I gotta give Ms Knowles her props! A consummate professional and a great show 10/10.

And who woulda thought and from me of all people.

11 comments:

  1. Being an American - I love Sade.
    Beyonce? Ehh...

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  2. first!!first time here i think...im a beyonce lover so im really happy u liked her...i love artist hu perform better than their albums..ive always lykd akon but wen i went for hs show..i fell in love...hes much better in person.

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  3. When I saw the title..I was kinda like ooooh LondonDiva's going to thrash my girl Bey BUT nope, you told it as it is!! I have watched a few live Bey concerts and m always like WOW!!
    Hmmm so Sade is actually still around??Just typing out her name has me feeling extra sleepy!!

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  4. BTW thanks for the updates!!! :)

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  5. @uglyblackjohn when it comes to female artists that I like, I like ones with 'vocal range and ability' Sade has none. If she were to come out today, people would slate her singing. She get's by on her 'exotic' looks more than anything [in my opinion]. If I'm going to rep for a British singer, I'll rep for Beverley Knight, Mica Paris and Des'ree [now that's beauty and a VOICE] before I ever give Sade props for that drone she calls singing.

    She's one export I'm glad that does better in the US. They can keep her.

    @leggy Akon is one person I detest, and fling in the same realm as Cassie. Who gave that fool a record deal? That is not singing. He's like an African Keith Sweat. Very beggy beggy.

    @Shona, you know I had to tell it like it is. I'm not going to be biased. I never am.

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  6. Voice - Mariah
    Show - MJB
    Total Package - Alishia Keyes

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  7. lmao I love me some sade! well i only got her best hits.

    lmao I remember this guy i started seeing, and he seemed a bit hard, with tats, bad boy etc, but he always had sade in his car and used to sing it. lmao

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  8. Londondiva, how can you compare the bggest selling female artist of all time with the biggest vocal range that has ever hit pop/r&b music in history, to that of Beyonce?

    Sounds like your just jumping on the bandwagon and are loving her all of a sudden because its the fashionable thing to do.

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  9. @Prima Donna, you really need to check your facts luv. Go back and read the blog and pay attention to the word 'unbiased'. My reason for going to the concert was after seeing her on the X Factor in Dec 2008 diva'd down as Beyonce not Sasha, supporting Alexandra Burke and singing her heart out in that true sisterly moment, was that I saw her in a very humble and real light, which genuinely moved me, and a lot of people I spoke to, and felt that I would give her the time of day seeing her live coupled with the fact that there was no doubt she'd be a great live act to see in my lifetime.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Di32l79qoM

    A bandwagon jumper I never have and never will be. Beyonce has been out for 12 years and I've been a diehard Mariah fan for nearly 20 and will be to the day I die. I'm not about to brown nose Mariah just because I am a fan. If Mariah sings like shit, I'm gonna say it. If she sings on point, I'll give her her props.

    I've paid money to see both artists, I have probably more Mariah memorabilia, remixes, music, DVDs, Videos than you...trust me on that. But I'm not about to give Mariah props for lacklustre vocals over the past few years that do not mirror the vocal capabilities of her first decade.

    There are fans and then there are FOOLS who will give props to their fave artist even when they AREN'T doing so great on certain levels. I'm not about to act like a blind fool cause Mariah wants to struggle vocally and can't perform Vision of Love like she did circa 95 at Madison Square Garden with ease.

    If Beyonce gave a stellar performance and powerhouse vocals then that's what I'm gonna write in MY review on MY blog.

    My eyes and ears work fine, Beyonce can blow live which could put Mariah to shame, and I'm sure Jennifer Hudson would blow Bey out the water vocally. I've even heard singers in West End productions with better vocal range and ability than Mariah that have blown me away. And if it's the truth, then it's the bloody truth I'm going to speak. If you wanna act like a stan then go on right ahead. I'll defend Mariah to the death [where necessary] but just because she has a high whisper register doesn't make her the most powerful voice around. Beyonce has power, Mariah has range. I know how many albums Mariah has sold and her status in the industry as one of the hardest working singer/song writer/producers, but that doesn't mean she can't be outperformed in a live setting.

    I mean what was that?

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuexkG0AWyE

    That 'level of Mariah' has been out for years and it's time 90's live Mariah came back. Very easily outperformed today.

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  10. [.....continued] My review is about concert LIVE performances, NOT the greatest artists of all time.

    One thing about me is I'm not a follow fashion. Why you feel the need to ASSume my reasoning for my comments about a live performace which I saw and heard with my own eyes and ears is beyond me.

    As for fashionable thing to do, you're having a bubble right? If you haven't noticed I'm opinionated and definitely not easily led. It's all over my damn blog. Do I look like the type of person to have a sheep mentality? I like who I like when I like em. If I'm doing the fashionable thing, then why is my black ass 12 years late on the Beyonce bandwagon? Like she's only just becoming popular now as a solo artist?

    Nah, luv I don't 'DO' cause everyone else is doing/loving it and spend £60 on a ticket in the process too.

    Yeah I'm so on the bandwagon like other folks. Must be the same reason why I bought MJ tickets for the most talked about concert of the decade but am NOT going out of choice. Yeah that's me Miss Badwagon jumper. And all those hyped up Madonna shows like Confessions and Sticky & Sweet...And Britney's Circus tour that I'm NOT going to.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1KNlQCWG5M&feature=related

    Now THAT'S Mariah Carey that was all about the vocals with feeling. Her 1st ever live performance before Vision of Love dropped in 1990. If she were doing that today, more vocal, less whispering, maybe my concert comparison review on the vocals would have been totally different.

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  11. excuse me...
    Beyonce has the greatest vocal voice in the world..no one can ever beat her great voice.hehehehe

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