When Ne-Yo sings, his voice seems to come straight out of a stereo tuned to 2000s FM radio. The American artist treated the audience to a nostalgic show filled with hit songs this Thursday at The Town.
A master of R&B and pop from the first decade of this century, the singer was expected to take The One stage early on. During the intermission between evening shows, hundreds of fans lining the grid chanted his name repeatedly. Repeated practice during presentation.
He’s already started making waves with his “Closer,” Brazilian flag, black and white suit, and some dance moves. He has already greeted the audience and performed “Nobody,” “Champagne Life,” and “One in a Million.”
Just before Maroon 5, there was a crowd on the main stage, The One Stage, to see the musicians in the main show of the day. “Miss Independent” was one of her biggest hits, making audiences sing among all the pop music of the late 2000s.
Even though it was a cold night at the Autodromo de Interlagos in southern São Paulo, where the festival is being held, Ne-Yo moved so much on stage that he was sweating. After taking off his suit, he performed his hit song “So Sick,” whose lyrics were on the lips of the audience.
The singer defined this song as a classic song about the first kiss that you hear in high school. Much of Ne-Yo’s appeal comes from this emotional memory of a song that rocked parties, dates, and breakups around the world some 15 years ago.
Among the great hitmakers of the 2000s, Ne-Yo was one of the most romantic in releasing songs with an aesthetic between R&B and pop. He struck this flirty pose on the festival stage.
At one point, he called three women from the audience onto the stage for something like a dance contest. One of them rolled and rubbed against him, but the winner was a woman from São Paulo, which caused screams from the audience.
The romantic atmosphere returned, setting the tone for the critically acclaimed “Mad,” which continued into a string of hits that Ne-Yo wrote for other singers. Among them were Rihanna’s “Take a Bow” and Beyoncé’s “Irrepleceable.”
He did not sing the songs with the band, relying only on the audience’s chorus and playing only the original recordings. It was a reminder of the power of his pen, from which the soundtrack of an era of pop music was born.
There were three more hit songs in the finale. “Play Hard” with Ne-Yo and David Guetta, and two songs with Pitbull, “Give Me Everything” and “Time of Our Lives.” It was a show that was perfect for the average audience, tuning in to big hits like “The Town” and evoking emotional memories.