drake blur tour review

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Drake May Be on Tour But He’s Stuck in Neverland

Drake kicks off his career-spanning It’s All a Blur tour like a prize fighter. Flanked by two beefy security guards, he enters from halfway up the arena, sauntering past screaming fans before walking onto the stage and sitting next to an unnerving, younger Drake lookalike. The doppelgänger (who I’m calling Frake from here on out) hits a bong then hands over a notebook to present-day Drake, who begins rapping the first verse of 2011’s “Look What You’ve Done,” detailing an argument he had with his mother the night before Lil Wayne flew him out to sign with Cash Money. It’s a direct call back to when Drake left his breakout role on Degrassi in an attempt to take music seriously. The stakes were high — he was the primary breadwinner of his household at the time — but his attachment to rap was pure, driven as much by his desire to help his family as it was by being the best. That fresh-faced hunger is represented through Frake, who’s all smiles and enthusiastic head nods while older Drake raps of recording So Far Gone and earning enough money to send his mom to Rome like it’s a bedtime story.

The temporal mismatch of the Canadian superstar reminiscing with a younger version of himself — or his real-life mother, who subbed in for Frake during Tuesday’s Madison Square Garden set — is a double-edged sword. Drake is looking back on a tumultuous time from a place of comfort. And starting the show by retelling an underdog tale after entering the arena like Floyd Mayweather highlights the distance he’s traveled from the desire that once propelled him. Drake in 2023 is far from the same figure he was in 2009 — he’s become complacent, set in his position as a virtually bulletproof pop culture institution. But to indulge in the lavish fantasy world Drake inhabits is to valorize the history and come up that preceded it. It requires recognizing every hater, ex-girlfriend, and fellow artist as a stepping stone for his eventual makeover into a rap giant. “Marvin’s Room” and “Started From the Bottom,” both of which pop up early in the set, are crucial to understanding how Drake can turn any situation, whether it’s horny drunk dialing or disputing claims that he grew up rich, into rallying cries for his status as both victim and victor.

Her Loss , the album he and 21 Savage are on tour promoting, plays this angle from the opposite end. All 16 tracks pull from Drake’s deep bag of tricks — petty fuckboy come-ons, region-hopping flow changeups, the seemingly endless sea of relationships bound to his money and status — in ways that may be fun to rap along to in a room full of strangers but aren’t particularly fresh or timely (save for when Drake talks about the kind of paranoia that comes with having an alleged net worth of a quarter of a billion dollars). Considering the lukewarm response to his first 2023 release, the fun but scattered dance-rap excursions Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss, and its accompanying road trip feels as if he’s resigned himself to making and embracing the old Instagram caption rap that made him famous.

The tour’s throwback-heavy first half puts this into perspective. Early tracks linger on times when the only concern on Drake’s mind was who he’d be sharing his bed with that night. Most of the song choices — from the wistful romance of “Say Something” and “Can I” to the shoulder-brushing confidence of “The Motto,” “Headlines,” and “Energy” — highlight a Drake who was charting singles but had yet to reach the height of his celebrity. These songs lay out the blueprint for the contemporary hits that fill out the back half of the set, including “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “Laugh Now Cry Later.” Drake’s brand of market-tested, function-ready hitmaking is well-practiced, and hearing that strategy feed into itself live makes for a captivating experience with a crowd that knows all the words. But it can also be disorienting. The pacing seems to take the It’s All a Blur moniker literally with most songs not lasting longer than a verse and a hook, like a setlist being chosen by an overeager Drake fan skipping through tracks on a party playlist.

Later, the tour’s production design gets in on the nostalgia act with balloons and other props that call back to specific Drake songs in both funny and unnerving ways. A giant bride mannequin — seemingly the spirit of a past relationship that haunted him — bounces around the stage while Drake performs “Jaded,” while a huge balloon of an anime-style bikini-clad woman joins him for “Way 2 Sexy.” During Frake’s second appearance — tucked into an onstage bed as he flips through TV channels playing the intros of Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , and Degrassi — an inflated Peter Pan floats by while Kathryn Beaumont’s rendition of “Your Mother and Mine” from the 1953 animated film plays over the speakers. It feels like a blatant nod to the constant critiques of Drake never growing up, which dovetails with his decision to plant a Degrassi flag within the pantheon of old Black sitcoms — a not-so-sly acknowledgment that his own legacy has always started with Jimmy Brooks.

Drake is now 36 years old with 17 years in the music industry, nearly a dozen Billboard chart-topping hits, and more put-on accents and flows than a rapping AI. But he’s at a strange crossroads: too relevant and restless to be a legacy act but so far removed from the ain’t-shit antics that have defined his music that he ought to be considering what the next phase of his career looks like. The blend of earnest history and gaudy spectacle — the tour has already featured a guest appearance by J.Cole, a mid-set walk-on from Stephen Curry, and a giant drone-powered sperm balloon whizzing above the stage — is more than expected from a rapper who’s spent years trafficking in both. But that also leaves Drake jogging comfortably in place — in his live performances and his albums and interviews. He’s become notorious for letting his music do the talking, yet Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss offer little insight into Drake outside of his love-hate relationship with fame. Nor do his recent sitdowns with fellow rapper Lil Yachty, Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, and deadpan TikTok star Bobbi Althoff, which are basically comedy skits masquerading as journalism (and the closest thing he’s done to press since his raw 2019 chat with Rap Radar). Drake has turned his multipronged approach and mysterious underpinnings into a template for one of the most profitable and influential careers in rap history — but the kind where you still fashion yourself as a boxer entering the ring years after you actually stopped fighting. In Drake’s universe, if it ain’t broke, keep flexing.

• vulture section lede
• vulture homepage lede
• it's all a blur
• concert review

Most Viewed Stories

• Megalopolis Is a Work of Absolute Madness
• Cinematrix No. 60: May 17, 2024
• Bridgerton Season-Premiere Recap: The Hot Goss
• We’ve Hit Peak Theater
• Bridgerton Recap: A Lost Cause
• Bridgerton Recap: The Carriage Scene

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

• May 16 Remaining Lost and Found items will be disposed of or donated by 3 p.m., Friday, May 17.
• May 16 The library will be closed all day Friday, May 17 for the Honors Symposium.
• May 13 Subscribe to our weekly newsletter by clicking here.

• ASG 400M- 25 4x400 Relay - 25th CIF D4 Prelims May 4 / Varsity Track & Field
• ASG 15 Finals 4 May 3 / MS Softball
• ASG 200 yard Freestyle- Amelia Hines #2, 50 yard Freestyle- Lacey Thompson #4, 500 yard Freestyle- Amelia Hines #1, 200 yard Freestyle Relay- #1, 400 yard Freestyle Relay- #2 CIF D3 Finals May 3 / Varsity Swim
• ASG 0 Team Playoffs 6 May 1 / MS Tennis Purple

BREAKING: 2024-2025 Student Council Executive Board results announced • 536 Views

Benefitting and learning through sports: Student athletes develop endurance, time management • 181 Views

Column: 'Alpha Male Podcast Bros' and the epidemic of misogyny • 175 Views

Media for minors: Upper school students 'fly' to Florida in ArtemisEngage's second discussion • 153 Views

Parents of Jewish Archer Students affinity group holds Shabbat, encourages community bonding • 151 Views

• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Review: Drake and 21 Savage’s It’s All A Blur Tour was one giant party

Disclaimer: Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour setlist may not be appropriate for younger audiences, as it includes explicit language and references violence, drugs and sexual themes. 

The tour name, It’s All a Blur, was rather unfitting, in my opinion, because the night I saw Drake live for the first time was anything but a blur.

Drake receiving a giant pink bra and giving out a Birkin Bag were two things I sure didn’t think were going to happen at his tour because they are absolutely wild. Am I surprised they did? Absolutely not. I mean, I expected nothing but greatness and lots of surprises from Drake and 21 Savage .

I didn’t know what to expect from Drake’s openers,   but I was pleasantly surprised. My friends and I laughed and teased each other at the first opener, Sexxy Red . Even though we didn’t know many songs of her songs, her stage presence was entertaining, and I had fun watching her perform. 

Next,   Zack Bia , a DJ and producer, made his way to the DJ booth alongside Lil Yachty.  From “ Party In The USA ” by Miley Cyrus to “ Sprinter ” by Central Cee, Bia hyped up the crowd as we prepared for Aubrey Drake Graham to appear on stage.  

Finally, escorted by security, Drake  made his way through a crowd of 17,000 people to begin his long-awaited show.  Meanwhile, a young Drake lookalike arose from under the stage. Sitting on an ordinary couch, the Drake lookalike proceeded to take a hit out of a bong and hand the real Drake a notebook when he finally reached his stage.

“ Look What You’ve Done ” began to play as Drake read the lyrics in the book to the younger version of himself. “ Look What You’ve Done” was the perfect song to start the show because it is arguably one of his most detailed and meaningful songs. It explains an argument Drake had with his mother the night before he flew to Los Angeles to record his first demo. 

Drake then got up from the couch and told the audience how he knows when his “O.G. fans are in the room,” and that he expects us to know all of the words to his old songs.   He then sang “ Wu-Tang Forever ” and “ Marvin’s Room ,” two classics.  

I was most excited when I heard the first chord of “ Feel No Ways ,” one of my personal favorites.   Out of all 48 songs Drake sang. The best songs had to be “ Headlines ,” “ Gods Plan ,” “ Childs Play ,” “ Work ,” “ Massive ” and “ Jimmy Cooks ,” among many others. 

Vibrant colors and beams lit up the stadium. Drake stood upon a glowing, box-shaped stage that projected different animations throughout the show.

The energy of the crowd stayed at a constant 100% throughout the entire show. Whether Drake was performing a slower song or screaming the words into his microphone, the crowd was yelling and moshing throughout each banger. 

I may have gotten my hopes up before the show, as I wished Drake would have brought out a special guest as he did at many other of his shows. Yet, I cannot complain, as this concert was one of the best I’ve ever been to.

After Drake performed most of the setlist , 21 Savage   made his way through the crowd and onto the stage for his section of the show.

With a flashy outfit and a lot less enthusiasm th an Drake, 21 did not set my expectations high.   I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he was a great singer, and I was excited that I knew most of the songs on his setlist. My favorites out of his set were “ 10 Freaky Girls ,” “ Rockstar ,” “ a lot ” and “ Mr. Rightnow. ”

Yes, 21 Savage may have just stood in one place on stage rapping his songs, but that didn’t dull the energy of the crowd. Excitement roared from the audience as Drake joined him ba ck on stage to perform songs from their album together, “ Her Loss. ”   The two sang “ On BS ,” “ Spin Bout U ,” “ Jimmy Cooks ” and “ Rich Flex . ” All four songs fit the vibe of the concert well, and Drake and 21’s voices blended together just as they did on the album recordings: perfectly. 

Drake had a few surprises for this L.A. show. He played a few minutes of one of his new unreleased songs, and earlier in the show, his father sent up a massive pink bra with a note inside reading, “Dad’s wishing big things for you. I love you,” among other words of encouragement.

After a night of screaming, rapping, dancing and even a few tears, it was time to make our way back to our car.  Merch in hand and voice gone, I am able to confidently say Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour may have been one of the best nights of my life. 

Even if you are not a Drake fan or have only listened to a few of his songs, the It’s All A Blur Tour would still be absolutely worth it.

• Stage Presence

Drake and 21 Savage performed at the Forum Aug. 16. It was the perfect concert to scream your heart out to with your friends. Neon lights and phone flashlights lit up the venue as Drake and 21 Savage rapped their setlist of 48 songs.

• drake concert
• its all a blur
• its all a blur tour

The student news site of The Archer School for Girls

• Letters to the Editor

Comments (1)

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Noah • Sep 11, 2023 at 10:02 pm

Flying bras, floating sperm and Kevin Durant: Drake shows love for Texas at Austin concert

Rapper Drake returned to Austin on Monday for the first time since his epic 2015 Austin City Limits Music Festival headlining spots . The “It’s All A Blur'' tour clocked in around 2 hours and 20 minutes and included a sprawling setlist over 40 songs deep, a solo section from tour partner 21 Savage and (checks notes) massive inflatable sperm. The Canadian superstar took a packed Moody Center audience on an often exhilarating, occasionally odd and deeply emotional journey.

Here are 10 things that happened at the show.

Drake walked in with former Longhorn Kevin Durant

A longtime NBA fanatic, Drake has been opening each show on this tour with a walk through the stands accompanied by a famous baller. For the Austin show, he entered at the top of the arena’s lower seat bank with the biggest star the Longhorn basketball program has ever produced, Phoenix Suns power forward Kevin Durant.

The two took a slow stroll down the aisle high-fiving fans. About five steps in, Drake received his first bra of the night, an orange satin number (more on Drake’s lingerie collection later).

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Drake wanted to bring “a real Texas legend” with him, he said later. The crowd went wild.

More: Watch the Texas women’s, men’s basketball teams meet Drake, Kevin Durant in Austin

Drake played all the hits

Drake has a new album, “For All the Dogs,” dropping on Sept. 22, and he’s released four albums, plus the collab joint with 21 Savage since his last Austin appearance. “Normally I would come out here and get you turned up with the latest and greatest,” he said, but he wanted to make this outing a show “for the day ones.”

Exploring his younger years was a motif for the show. The stage was set as a square in the center of the arena. For the opening, a couch appeared at the center of the square with a kid sitting on it, smoking a bong. He looked eerily like a young Drake but is actually a Texas teen actor named Brooklyn Cox . Drake took a seat beside his young doppelganger, who handed him a composition book. Then he rhymed “Look What You’ve Done,” a poignant tribute to his family off his second album “Take Care,” with the earnest intensity of a teenager sharing poetry in class.

More: Foo Fighters will tape 'Austin City Limits' in October for Season 49

From there he launched into his early hit “Marvin’s Room.” Later, he quick mixed through old faves such as “Just Hold On We’re Coming Home” and “Started From the Bottom.” And with the whole crowd in full YOLO mode, he coaxed a unison scream of Weezy’s line “Oh my god, Becky, look at her butt,” on “The Motto.”

For “God’s Plan” he split the arena in two and had us take turns shouting bars at each other. “One Dance” was an ecstatic singalong and, as a wall of dance music rocked the Moody, four robots with lasers positioned at each corner of the arena basket wove light beams around him during “Massive.”

Drake added to the bra collection he’s been curating on this tour

Oh, the bras, so many bras. The king of lovelorn sing-rap performs with aching sincerity that burns so brightly it overshadows often trifling lyrics that raise a million red flags. (Do not date Drake, ladies. He has literally told you it will not end well.) He works hard to connect with his audience, singing directly into the crowd, and is rewarded with underthings.

As he paused to marvel at one fine specimen tossed onstage, a green number sized 44 H — “God bless you,” he said, pledging to hang it over his bed — he was hit with four more bras while he was speaking. At one point the stage was littered with lingerie.

Peter Pan, Ghostface, a sex doll and sperm floated across the stage

A strange selection of massive stage props floated around the stage throughout the show. A ghost bride wafted around the arena during “Jaded.” While the young Drake lookalike lounged in a center stage bed watching vintage TV shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Family Matters” and “Degrassi Next Class” (featuring actual Drake), Peter Pan hovered around, reminding us some boys never want to grow up.

While Drake mused about hiding the keys to his Bugatti from his lady on “Child’s Play,” streams of sperm zig-zagged in light streams across the stage while a giant inflatable sperm floated above. As he planned to bed a groupie’s friends on “Way 2 Sexy,” a giant inflatable sex doll hovered overhead.

Later, Ghostface Killer (from the “Scream” film series, not the rapper) menaced the audience with a massive knife during the 21 Savage collab set.

He talked about how he loves Texas

Drake loves Texas. Houston, mostly, but he’s willing to give the whole state a plug. His first visit to Austin was during the South by Southwest Music Festival when he played to 125 people, he said. Now, he marveled, he feels like the luckiest man in the world to play to an audience of 20,000. He stopped at many points in the set to remind us how he loves our state.

For subscribers: Your fall Austin music guide is here with Doja Cat, Travis Scott, Luis Miguel and more

“A lot of the songs that I've written in my life. I wrote those in Texas, for women in Texas at least,” he said. “Texas has been inspiring me since day one and if you listen to my music I think you know that." He reminded us that our contributions to music and culture are felt around the world and that our sounds shaped his artistic vision. “I want to let you know there would be no Drake without Texas and I think you know that. … So usually I make some jokes and (expletive), but that there's nothing funny about that. I owe you everything and I think you can tell.”

He made true connections with fans (except the one who snuck onstage)

Drake's ability to forge intense personal connections in crowds of thousands is his superpower. He spent part of the set hanging out in a stageside DJ booth with the lights dimmed to give the arena a club vibe. He spotted a woman in the audience with a sign listing all the Drake concerts she’d attended. He pulled her up to the DJ booth and serenaded her with “Passionfruit,” then autographed the sign for her.

He was much less charitable when a stray kid somehow made it onstage near the end of the set. “Is there security in here? Y’all are slow as (expletive),” he said. A guard grabbed the kid and yanked him offstage.

He played with fire

Drake’s 2015 ACL Fest set was marked by one of the largest pyrotechnic displays ever seen at the fest and his Moody outing was also en fuego. Fireballs fell from the sky as a massive UFO floated around the stage on “HYFR,” “Energy” was punctuated by plumes of fire, and massive flames shot through the stage as he reminded the haters to never underestimate him on the set closing mega hit “Rich Flex" with 21 Savage.

He gave 21 Savage a prime time set

He did not give his tour partner an opening set. Instead Atlanta rapper 21 Savage took the stage shortly before 11 p.m., nearly an hour and a half into the show. Savage shifted the vibe from melodic lovefest augmented by weird remnants from Drake’s childhood and sex fantasies to rugged and raw trap house. He played a tight set that included hits like the Young Nudy collab “Peaches and Eggplants,” Post Malone joint “Rockstar” and the Metro Boomin’ collab “No Heart.”

Drake's shift from misunderstood lothario to serial killer was … interesting

For the final act of the night, Drake joined 21 Savage to perform a set of songs from their 2022 collab album “Her Loss.” The vibe changed dramatically. The aforementioned Ghostface killer floated around the arena ominously wielding a massive knife. Drake — who spent most of the night reminding us to love each other and leave the concert with a new friend — appeared in serial killer finery, blood spatter red shirt and pants, a heavy butcher’s apron and rubber gloves.

The “no more Mr. Nice Drake” look matched the energy of songs like “Knife Talk,” which feature Drake at his meanest. But dressing like he was about to dispose of a body added a sinister edge to his crooning about love and sex on “Spin Bout U.”

The pair of bangers at the end, “Jimmy Cooks” and “Rich Flex,” rattled the rafters at the Moody.

Drake promised to come back to Texas soon

Over and over throughout the show he apologized for leaving us Drakeless for eight years. After closing the show with a deconstructed version of “Legend” (prefaced by more talk about how he loves Texas), he told us the new album will open a new chapter for him. And he made a promise: “I’ll never leave you like that again.”

Drake tour 2023: See the setlist for the 'It's All a Blur' tour

Drake kicked off his It’s All a Blur tour with a dizzying amount of music.

The rapper-singer launched his 56-date tour in July at Chicago’s United Center and held true to his promise that the show would be “a celebration of the last decade.” For his first headline outing since 2018’s Aubrey & the Three Migos tour, Drake uncorked 48 song appearances while performing on a massive square stage.

During that show, he told the crowd, “I have an album coming out soon for y’all.”

Drake’s run with opener 21 Savage – who joined him for a few songs during the main set — is slated to crisscross the U.S. through Oct. 9 in Columbus, Ohio.

Renaissance changes: Beyonce canceled a Pittsburgh date and changed others on her U.S. tour

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Drake’s setlist

• “Look What You’ve Done”
• “Wu-Tang Forever”
• “Marvins Room”
• “Say Something”
• “Shot for Me”
• “Feel No Ways”
• “Headlines”
• “HYFR (Hell Ya F------ Right)”
• “The Motto”
• “Started From the Bottom”
• “Know Yourself”
• “Sicko Mode”
• “Way 2 Sexy”
• “BackOutsideBoyz”
• “Jumbotron S--- Poppin’”
• “Laugh Now Cry Later”
• “God’s Plan”
• “Crew Love”
• “Child’s Play”
• “Wait for U”
• “In My Feelings”
• “Nice for What”
• “Controlla”
• “One Dance”
• “Fountains”
• “Yebba’s Heartbreak”
• “Texts Go Green”
• “Calling My Name”
• “Search & Rescue”
• “P---y & Millions”
• “Spin Bout U”
• “Knife Talk”
• “Jimmy Cooks”
• “Rich Flex”
• “How Bout Now”

Review: Drake plays first night at the Wells Fargo Center with a surprise intro with Meek Mill, and a featured set with 21 Savage

“This might be the most important show of the tour,” the rapper said of the South Philly stop of his 'It's All A Blur' tour.

Drake’s “It’s All a Blur” tour is so named to convey that the Canadian rapper and singer’s career has been a whirlwind, a series of head-spinning triumphs flying by too fast to allow for a moment’s contemplation.

Now, with the vastly successful entertainer born Aubrey Drake Graham — the top-selling digital artist of all time — back on the road after a five-year break, the idea is to take stock as a 36-year-old rapper with a decade-and-half of experience in the game.

At the Wells Fargo Center on Monday, in the first of two back-to-back sold-out Philadelphia shows (in which 21 Savage also performed and Lil Yachty was an unannounced opener), Drake found a dramatically Philly way to introduce themes of personal growth and evolution. He did it with Meek Mill by his side.

Responding to chants of “Au-brey! Au-brey!” Drake made his entrance to the square stage at the center of the arena floor like a prizefighter, moving through the crowd, fist-pumping and high-fiving along the way.

That’s how he has regularly started off his “It’s All A Blur” dates this summer. But this time he was accompanied by Mill, the street-tough Philadelphia rapper with whom he was famously locked in a bitter mid-2010s back-and-forth rap battle.

That beef has long since been squashed, but Drake — widely considered to have won his war of rhymes — was not about to miss the chance to make a public gesture of unity upon his return to the hometown of his former rival.

After beginning the show with “Look What You’ve Done” from his 2011 album Take Care, he addressed the crowd on the significance of the occasion.

“You see who I walked out here with, right?” he asked. “The last time I was here in this building — that man right there, he’s been representing this city since he started — we weren’t getting along at that time … And I’m gonna tell you the truth: “It means the most to me that I can come back to this city and show the growth as two men, that we can come here tonight and represent for [expletive] Philadelphia together. That’s what this is about!”

That connection with Mill led Drake to the posit that “this might be the most important show of the tour.”He revisited the thread of evolution over time and learning to love one another throughout the night.

At one point, he implored the mostly under 30, probably 60% female, racially diverse and ready-to-rap-or-sing-along-to-every-word crowd to turn and give a stranger a hug.

The long arc of Drake’s career, in which he’s mixed melodic, sensitive come-ons like those on his 2021 album Certified Lover Boy with harder boasts like “Over” and “Energy” was emphasized.

That began with the opening, in which the rapper pretended to read lyrics from a school composition book while sitting beside actor Brooklyn Cox, who wore a Phillies jersey and looked eerily like a teenage Drake.

The effect appeared to be achieved with AI technology altering Cox’s features on video screens, creating a not-quite-human effect.

The two-hour show was electrifying in stretches. Compared to other megastar spectacles of the summer — namely, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift’s across the street at the Linc — “It’s All A Blur” was a minimalist production.

Drake was alone on a bare stage for most of the show, with no band or dancers. The hits kept on coming — he performed at least part of more than 40 songs. He acted as his own tireless hype man, urging fans to make some noise not for him, but for themselves.

On “Childs Play” a sperm balloon hovered overhead. For “Sicko Mode” and “Way 2 Sexy,” it was a barely dressed inflatable woman. It was silly, though no sillier than the Rolling Stones’ long tradition of blowup doll stage props.

The show was oddly structured and anticlimactic, though not without a casual, not-overly-choreographed charm.

First Lil Yachty — who’s due back in September for Made in America — played a short set on stage, and another in the DJ booth.

After an hour-plus that showcased verbal dexterity and variety of supple flows, Drake moved over to the DJ booth and kept rapping with the seductive “Controlla” from 2016′s Views .

Turning the venue into a club with DJ Drake at the helm was intriguing. But he didn’t stick with it for long, instead heading back to the stage for a few more songs, before exiting to make way for 21 Savage.

The London-born, Atlanta-based rapper’s compact 11-song set was diverting. But at that point — nearly 11 p.m. — the audience was hungry for more Drake, not a solo show from his special guest. Drake showed back up in white, for a somewhat rushed five songs with 21 Savage, pulling from their 2022 album, Her Loss .

During that collaborative set, a towering multistory figure loomed large beside the stage. The hologram was a representation of Virgil Abloh, the fashion designer, Louis Vuitton creative director, and close friend of Drake’s, who died in 2021.

Drake closed with a heartfelt tribute to Abloh in his encore, circling back to his earlier Meek-inspired message about “putting your ego to the side” and stressing “it’s always possible for things to end in love.”

And He also announced he’d no longer close his show nightly with “Legend” as he had on every date of the tour. Instead, inspired by the Philly crowd — and maybe Taylor Swift’s nightly two song surprise set? — he’s going to play something different every night.

So on Monday, the show about growth and maturity ended with “Teenage Fever,” a song said to be about his Drake’s teen crush on Jennifer Lopez. And Fans headed to Tuesday night’s second Philly show — and all further “It’s All A Blur” dates — will need to wait till the end to hear their surprise song.

‘It’s All a Blur’ Tour Brings Drake-Level Sensory Overload to Cleveland: Review

Life can be a big blur, and in that blur, moments come into focus — a sharp, high-contrast kind of focus. The sight of neon lasers cutting through dark arenas. The sound of audiences scream-shouting hits like “Hotline Bling,” or “Passionfruit,” or “Nonstop,” or “One Dance.” The gigantic presence of one musician, standing in a spotlight beamed from a UFO hanging overhead.

This is what Drake brought to the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for two electric evenings of his It’s All a Blur tour’s “Big As a What?” leg on Saturday and Sunday: this larger-than-life entertainment from one of the biggest entertainers of all time. This excess of light and sound.

Much of it was, as expected, a blur.

Let’s check our notes: The backup dancers, encircling the singer with sultry moves — a Youngstown man who was slimed for some reason during “Slime You Out” — a real marching band, vibing on a set of metal bleachers — appearances from Cleveland natives Machine Gun Kelly and Doe Boy — a floating, drone-powered inflatable paper airplane — floating, drone-powered fairies — floating, drone-powered sperm.

And all that was just some of it.

On Sunday night’s stint Drake, co-headliner J. Cole and opener Lil Durk, hopped atop a raised light cube of a stage on the center of the floor to deliver performances to every corner of the venue. J. Cole's set was noticeably lower key, as an inflatable town sign of his hometown, Fayetteville, North Carolina, drifted above him during a strong mix of songs like "Love Yourz," "No Role Models" and "Middle Child," before he was rejoined onstage by Drake to together perform "In the Morning" and "First Person Shooter."

Most of it was here on this lit-up cube, except sometimes Drake also sang from a small shark tank dangling from the ceiling — or from a small stage designed to look like a high school locker room, adjacent to the marching band (a nod to his Degrassi days, perhaps).

(J. Cole performing at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse)

In Drake’s blur of a life, it’s clear the Canadian television show and his role of Jimmy Brooks made a big impact early-on. One that deserves mentioning, 16 years after the musician departed the show, after all the Grammys, record-breaking singles and online streams, massive tours and explosive fame.

Back in July, before the first date of the It’s All a Blur tour, Drizzy shared a video on social media recounting his Degrassi audition — revealing that he got high with a group of kids the day before. From that, he still experiences a little bit of paranoia, all these years later:

“I kind of wonder, like, if something bad happened that day or maybe I’m still high, maybe I’m in some coma, and this is just, like, me playing out my ideal life,” he says in the video. “That concept has stuck with me for a lot of years. I mean, it feels like reality, it feels tangible, but I definitely wonder sometimes.”

You wonder about reality, and the break from reality in this room — one that lasts from 8 p.m. until nearly midnight on Sunday night.

You watch him bounce around massive flames onstage, a burst of warmth felt across the arena, and yet so close to his skin — watch him really embrace Cole, an artist he’s known and worked with since he started releasing music more than a decade ago — watch numerous inflatable characters and props drift slowly through the air, in time with the music — watch him perform songs that we all know, that we’ve all heard a thousand times, and yet which still somehow sound new, in his first show in Northeast Ohio in more than a decade.

You just... wonder.

(Drake performing at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse)

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our  Cleveland Magazine Daily  newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

7:00 AM EST

February 26, 2024

Related Articles

Cleveland Music Catchup: New Tunes for the Month of May

Hear some new songs from pop artist Corry Michaels, R&B singer Sianah, Americana group Rye Valley and much more in our Cleveland Current playlist, updated every month. By Annie Nickoloff

The Brownhoist is a Budding Home for Cleveland Creatives

The historic building is changing its tune to bring new artistic collaborations and event programming to the city. By Annie Nickoloff

This Cleveland Taco Bell Hosted Another Punk Show: Photos

Baja Blast 2 featured a handful of local punk and metal bands. By Matthew Chasney

site categories

‘grand theft auto vi’ release set for fall 2025; take two interactive stock slides as game’s timing dents full-year outlook, drake announces it’s all a blur 2023 tour: see complete itinerary.

By Greg Evans

NY & Broadway Editor

More Stories By Greg

• Tony McFarr Dies: Chris Pratt Stunt Double Was 47
• ‘It Ends With Us’ Trailer: First Look At Blake Lively-Justin Baldoni Romantic Drama
• ‘Death Becomes Her’ Musical Sets Fall Broadway Opening

Four-time Grammy-winner Drake has announced dates for his upcoming North American It’s All a Blur Tour, with the 29-date arena stops launching June 16 in New Orleans and winding up in Glendale, Arizona on Tuesday, September 5.

Also on the itinerary: Four shows in New York City and four in the Los Angeles area.

See the entire itinerary below.

Related Stories

BET Awards Nominations: Drake & Nicki Minaj Lead The Field

2024-25 Awards Season Calendar - Dates For Oscars, Tonys, Guilds, BAFTAs, Spirits & More

IT’S ALL A BLUR 2023 TOUR DATES:

Fri Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Mon Jun 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Wed Jun 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jun 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Wed Jun 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena

Sat Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

*Additional shows including Toronto to be announced at a later date.

Must Read Stories

Coppola on movie biz after ‘megalopolis’ premiere; latest market deals & reviews.

IATSE & Studios Close To Basic Agreement Deal, But Sticking Points Remain

How ‘young sheldon’ and ‘so help me todd’ said goodbye, la screenings are back: talent returns & slates get global.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

No comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Drake Is Bringing A Rotating 360-Degree Stage To His ‘It’s All A Blur Tour’ With 21 Savage

Drake and 21 Savage are preparing to perform ( at least ) 29 North American dates for their It’s All A Blur Tour , as announced by Drake via Instagram on Monday, March 13, after months of teasing his intent to tour in 2023 . The stage had been set in November with the release of Drake and 21’s collaborative Her Loss , which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and housed the top-10 Hot 100 hit “ Spin Bout U .”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi)

Cash App customers got the first crack at tickets during Wednesday’s (March 15) presale, giving the everyone else their first look at the It’s All A Blur stage setup and seat map. Guys, Drake is giving us a 360-degree rotating stage. (As a byproduct, “Spin Bout U” live is likely to go crazy .)

Drake's "It's All A Blur" tour will have a rotating 360 degree concert stage design pic.twitter.com/jukIxh0iNO — SOUND (@itsavibe) March 15, 2023

https://twitter.com/CIRC0L0C0/status/1635297246668529668?s=20

Wednesday’s Cash App presale also resulted in fans lamenting ticket prices reportedly running as high as $1,000 .

Me thinking imma get Drake tickets for $250 pic.twitter.com/eQhIJHZbsh — EARTH ANGEL (@MISSBETHANYMAE) March 15, 2023

Drake ticket prices are wild for the Atlanta show. I didn’t even pay this to see Beyoncé pic.twitter.com/RbZAMOHd8i — … (@Iamnishhh) March 15, 2023

me after buying drake tickets pic.twitter.com/eGLj2AyHgH — bianka🩷 (@biankaflores_) March 14, 2023

The next presale is scheduled for Thursday , March 16, and is exclusive to those with an access code provided by Sprite , the official tour sponsor. The general public sale is scheduled for Friday, March 17, beginning at noon local time.

All ticket information is available here .

See all of the announced It’s All A Blur Tour dates below. More dates are expected to be added, including Toronto.

06/16 — New Orleans, LA @ Smoothie King Center 06/19 — Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena 06/21 — Houston, TX @ Toyota Center 06/24 — Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center 06/28 — Miami, FL @ Miami-Dade Arena 07/01 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 07/02 — Atlanta, GA @ State Farm Arena 07/05 — Chicago, IL @ United Center 07/06 — Chicago, IL @ United Center 07/08 — Detroit, MI @ Little Caesars Arena 07/11 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden 07/12 — Boston, MA @ TD Garden 07/14 — Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre 07/17 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center 07/18 — Brooklyn, NY @ Barclays Center 07/25 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden 07/26 — New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden 07/28 — Washington, DC @ Capital One Arena 07/31 — Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center 08/12 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum 08/13 — Inglewood, CA @ Kia Forum 08/18 — San Francisco, CA @ Chase Center 08/21 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena 08/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ Crypto.com Arena 08/25 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena 08/28 — Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena 09/01 — Las Vegas, NV @ T-Mobile Arena 09/05 — Glendale, AZ @ Desert Diamond Arena

Drake Announces ‘It’s All a Blur’ 2023 Tour Dates

By Jem Aswad

Executive Editor, Music

• Lainey Wilson and Chris Stapleton Win Top ACM Awards, Post Malone Gets a Big Look 10 hours ago
• Spotify Sued by Mechanical Licensing Collective Over Bundled Music-Audiobooks Subscription Plans, Which Result in Lower Royalties 12 hours ago
• Sony Music Warns AI Developers Not to Use Its Content for Training 18 hours ago

Drake  has announced dates for his 2023 “It’s All a Blur” tour presented by Cash App, Visa and Sprite. Produced by Live Nation, Drake and 21 Savage will be going on a 29-date arena run with stops including Chicago, Boston, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping up in Glendale, AZ at Desert Diamond Arena on Tuesday, September 5.

Popular on Variety

CASH APP CARD PRESALE : For all US shows, the first tickets to the ‘It’s All A Blur’ Tour will be available for Cash App Card customers via an exclusive ticket presale presented by Cash App and Visa.

      •    Beginning Wednesday, March 15 starting at 12pm local time through Thursday, March 16 at 10pm local time, Cash App Card holders can unlock the earliest access to ‘It’s All A Blur’ tickets by using the first 9 digits of their Cash App Card to access the presale and then completing the purchase using their Cash App Card.

      •    Presale start times vary by market, check your local listings at drakerelated.com for more information. For more information on the Cash App Card presale, please visit  cash.app/drake-presale.

SPRITE PRESALE: Sprite is the official beverage sponsor for the ‘It’s All A Blur Tour,’ his first in North America since 2018. This marks a natural progression of their partnership since Sprite executed his first worldwide brand deal in 2010. Fans can look for updates on Sprite.com and sign up for Sprite emails to gain access to Drake’s presale experience.

DRAKE: ‘IT’S ALL A BLUR’ 2023 TOUR DATES:

Fri Jun 16 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center

Mon Jun 19 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena

Wed Jun 21 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center

Sat Jun 24 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center

Wed Jun 28 – Miami, FL – Miami-Dade Arena

Sat Jul 01 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Sun Jul 02 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena

Wed Jul 05 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Thu Jul 06 – Chicago, IL – United Center

Sat Jul 08 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena

Tue Jul 11 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Wed Jul 12 – Boston, MA – TD Garden

Fri Jul 14 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre

Mon Jul 17 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 18 – Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center

Tue Jul 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Wed Jul 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Fri Jul 28 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena

Mon Jul 31 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center

Sat Aug 12 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Sun Aug 13 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum

Fri Aug 18 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center

Mon Aug 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Tue Aug 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena

Fri Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena

Mon Aug 28 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena

Fri Sep 01 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena

Tue Sep 05 – Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena

*Additional shows including Toronto to be announced at a later date.

More From Our Brands

Hear miley cyrus’ edgy cover of talking heads’ ‘psycho killer’, isa just unveiled a new line of sleek and sinuous superyachts, john malone: the atlanta braves are ‘not for sale’, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, jim parsons reprises big bang’s sheldon ahead of young sheldon series finale — watch video, verify it's you, please log in.

Drake Brings Out J. Cole for ‘It’s All a Blur’ Tour in Montreal

By Charisma Madarang

Charisma Madarang

During Drake ‘s It’s All a Blur tour stop at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada, J. Cole joined him onstage in place of 21 Savage on Friday.

The Off-Season rapper was seen walking through the crowd, in the same fashion Drake opened his tour last week in Chicago, while wearing a shirt that read, “The game has changed, you have been warned.”

While 21 Savage, who  made his entrance Chicago’s United Center to Fantasia’s “When I See U,” is set to appear at all of the U.S. dates of the tour, he is not scheduled during stops in Canada.

Drake brought out J. Cole during his show tonight in Montreal 🫡 pic.twitter.com/u7L3HRUSTC — Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) July 15, 2023

In April, it was announced that Cole would be set to become a minority owner in the Charlotte Hornets after NBA legend  Michael Jordan  announced that he was selling the franchise he’s owned for the past 13 years. The rapper is part of a group of minority owners, a cohort that also includes fellow North Carolina music hero: Country star Eric Church.

Donna Summer's Estate Reaches Settlement With Kanye West Over Alleged 'Theft' of 'I Feel Love'

2024 acm awards: the complete winners list, billie eilish releases highly-anticipated third studio album 'hit me hard and soft', chris stapleton and dua lipa deliver super secret duet at 2024 acm awards.

Drake and Cole also recently performed together during a spectacular set at Dreamville Festival 2023 in April, and were joined by surprise special guests as GloRilla, Lil Uzi Vert, and Lil Wayne all graced the stage during the duo’s set. 

Hear Miley Cyrus' Edgy Cover of Talking Heads' 'Psycho Killer'

• Classic Covers
• By Emily Zemler

T-Pain Finds His Own Way on Inspirational Single 'On This Hill'

Zayn reaches for the heavens in 'stardust' music video, watch peso pluma showcase hit single 'la durango' on 'fallon'.

• Late-Night TV

The 2024 ACM Awards Were Cute, Feel-Good, and (Mostly) Predictable

• By Joseph Hudak

Most Popular

'mad max' director says 'there's no excuse' for tom hardy and charlize theron's 'fury road' set feud: tom 'had to be coaxed out of his trailer', sam rubin, longtime ktla entertainment reporter and anchor, dies at 64, melania trump confirms her son barron just made a total 180 once again with his future, dj akademiks says he'll take entire industry down if convicted in rape lawsuit, you might also like, ‘christmas eve in miller’s point’ review: a sweet, nostalgic love letter to suburban holiday-season rituals, richemont sales slow in fourth quarter, as group names nicolas bos ceo, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, ‘megalopolis’ first reactions boast that francis ford coppola’s epic transcends genre: ‘it’s the craziest thing i’ve ever seen’, john malone: the atlanta braves are ‘not for sale’.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.

Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.

• Your Account
• Newsletters

Kendrick fans convinced he ‘won’ feud against Drake - here’s how

The dust has largely settled on the intense feud between rappers kendrick lamar and drake, but who do fans think won the diss track battle, drake announces 'it's all a blur' tour with 21 savage.

Kendrick Lamar fans are convinced the rap star is sitting comfortably on his throne after a series of diss track exchanges with rival rapper, Drake .

Following furious accusations and personal insults, as well as unrelated drama outside Drake’s Toronto home , things appear to have calmed down between the pair.

With Kendrick’s track Not Like Us shooting to No. 1 on the Billboard Top 100 (with his other track Euphoria at No. 3), Drake had slightly less success.

• DJ Akademiks slams sexual assault allegations and lawsuit as a 'shakedown'
• Drake and Kendrick Lamar's bitter rap beef deepens thanks to viral conspiracy

His song Family Matters landed at the respectable No. 7 position, behind yet another Kendrick single, Like That, at No. 6.

Many fans are convinced the result of the feud is pretty cut and dry and Kendrick stayed on top, but how did he do it?

Follow Daily Express US on Google News

Click here to follow Daily Express US on Google News to stay up to date with all the latest US, showbiz, and sports news.

An article in Billboard had the low-down this week, acknowledging Drake’s experience as a seasoned rap battler who nevertheless came up against some fierce tactics from his opponent.

They detailed how Kendrick played the “waiting game” after dropping Like That, letting Future and Metro’s follow-up album We Still Don't Trust You deliver a scathing aftershock, featuring more artists who had beef with Drake.

The Hotline Bling rapper then dropped the one-two punch of Push Ups and Taylor Made Freestyle, which many hip-hopheads think backfired.

Don't miss:

IF is more concerned with making parents cry than entertaining kids  [REVIEW]

Golden Bachelorette Joan admits ‘surprised’ reaction to Gerry and Theresa split  [INTERVIEW]

American Idol fan-favorite Abi Carter teases new original single after bombshell  [SOCIAL]

Drake’s AI-generated verses from Tupac even put him in the crosshairs of the late rapper’s estate, who threatened legal action. Meanwhile, Kendrick continued to say nothing.

“In the end, Drake may have that confused Kendrick’s silence for apprehension, when in actuality it was just the calm before the storm,” Billboard wrote.

Most people also seem to agree that Kendrick’s records simply had better bars and production.

Billboard writes: “In 6:16 in LA, Kendrick plays mind games, as he not only uses a timestamp and location for the song’s title like Drake does whenever he feels like being introspective, but he plants seeds about a mole inside his rival’s camp.

“And we haven’t even gotten to Meet the Grahams, which includes artwork that is at the center of a very weird controversy as we speak, catapulting this beef into a rabbit hole of dark web conspiracies and connections to the NYC ballroom scene.

“This song itself manages to be even more sinister, as Kendrick speaks to each member of Drake’s immediate family (including an alleged hidden 11-year-old daughter) over haunting Alchemist production.”

Meanwhile, some also think the reaction from each of the rappers’ followings also came into play.

One fan on the Drake subreddit recently conceded: “Hate to admit it but Kendrick won.

“If this was a battle of who has more keyboard warriors Kendrick won by a MILE.

“Swear those boys over there have a discord where they discuss shift rotations of who needs to be online and when.”

Drake and Kendrick’s feud seems to have settled down, especially after Drake’s home was plagued by a shooting and trespassing incidents. Even so, fans should still stay on their toes for more surprise drops.

Follow Daily Express US

Get all the latest news, entertainment, sport and lifestyle updates from our dedicated American team.

Follow Daily Express US on  Facebook and Twitter @ExpressUSNews

Related articles

• Drake seems to move on from feud as Kendrick Lamar's diss track debuts at No. 1
• Drake 'books several hotel rooms' for first trip to Australia in 7 years
• Drake and Kendrick feud branded 'humiliating' as Ice Cube and musicians weigh in

Would you like to receive news notifications from The Express?

These artists are touring and holding concerts in Asia in 2024

Check out our running list of artists touring the continent, including Laufey, Olivia Rodrigo, LANY and more

Want a quick look at the big artists touring Asia in 2024? Then read on – NME ’s compiled a list of musicians and bands performing in the continent this year, from pop heavyweights like Olivia Rodrigo and Anne-Marie to metal  favourites like Arch Enemy and more.

And if you’re wondering where all the K-pop concerts and fanmeets have gone – we’ve got a whole other list for them, which you can check out here . And here’s a small sample of the K-pop artists who are coming to Asia in 2024 : aespa, RIIZE, (G)I-DLE and many more.

• READ MORE: Upcoming K-pop concerts, tours and music festivals in Asia: aespa, RIIZE, (G)I-DLE and more

If music fests are more up your alley, you can check out NME ’s list of Asia festivals taking place in 2024 . And here’s a quick list of Asia music festivals happening this year : It’s The Ship, Java Jazz, Seoul Jazz Festival, We The Fest, Fuji Rock, Summer Sonic Japan, Summer Sonic Bangkok, LaLaLa Festival, Rolling Loud Thailand, Maho Rasop and Clockenflap.

• READ MORE: Here’s a list of music festivals taking place in Asia in 2024

This list is long, and it’s only going to get longer. Read on to find out which artists are touring Asia in 2024, and whether they’re coming to a city near you…

The artists holding concerts and touring Asia in 2024 are:

Dates: March 24 – June 13 Cities: Taipei, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Tokyo Find tickets and more info here

Atarayo, the Japanese band behind the anime theme song of The Dangers In My Heart season 2, are heading out on their first ever Asia tour. They’ll perform in Taiwan, China, and their native Japan.

• Hitsujibungaku

Dates: March 29 – April 6 Cities: Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Taipei, Bangkok Find tickets and more info here

Recommended

Japanese indie rockers Hitsujibungaku (who’ve experienced an anime-fuelled upswing in popularity thanks to their Jujutsu Kaisen theme ‘More Than Words’) have extended their first-ever Asia tour, which ran from March to April. In July, they’ll perform headline shows in Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines and Hong Kong. The latter two dates are already sold out. In August and September, they’ll head back to Japan for another slew of dates.

Radwimps: The way you yawn, and the outcry of peace world tour

Dates: April 6 – May 26 Cities: Tokyo, Yokohama, Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taipei, Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul Find tickets and more info here

Japanese rockers (and frequent Makoto Shinkai collaborators) Radwimps have announced a massive Asia leg of their 2024 world tour . Latest concerts to be added to their itinerary include Jakarta and a second show in Seoul, after the first one sold out.

• READ MORE: Radwimps: “We don’t want to be a band you can define with one word”

Elephant Gym: The World Tour 2024

Dates: June 14 – July 26 Cities: Tokyo, Gifu, Kyoto, Fukuoka, Seoul, Bangkok, Jakarta, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Ulaanbaatar, Tainan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung Find tickets and more info here

Taiwanese math rockers Elephant Gym are embarking on an extensive tour befitting the title of their latest album, 2023’s ‘World’. After performing four dates in Tokyo in April, they’ll return to Asia for more shows and festival slots in Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Mongolia and their native Taiwan.

• READ MORE: Elephant Gym expand their universe

Arch Enemy: Deceivers Asia Tour 2024

Dates: April 24 – May 21 Cities: Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Taipei, Taichung, Manila, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok Find tickets and more info here

Swedish metal band Arch Enemy have announced a long jaunt in Asia for 2024, playing South Korea, several cities in China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.

Elijah Woods: ilu 24/7, 365 tour

Dates: May 12 – May 24 Cities: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Manila, Tokyo, Taipei Find tickets and more info here

Pop artist Elijah Woods will play seven shows on his first-ever Asia tour, stopping by Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan and Taiwan.

Jay Chou: Carnival World Tour

Dates: May 16 – June 2, September 12 – October 26 Cities: Fuzhou, Changsha, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur Find tickets and more info here

Mandopop superstar Jay Chou returns to Asia for another leg of the Carnival World Tour. It’ll kick off with dates in two Chinese cities in May and June, before restarting in September and October with concerts in China, Singapore and Malaysia. Stay tuned for ticket details.

Psychic Fever From Exile Tribe: Psychic Fever Asia Tour: “Heat”

Dates: May 18 – June 28 Cities: Sendai, Fukuoka, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and more Find tickets and more info here

The Japanese boyband Psychic Fever From Exile Tribe are embarking on a tour of Asia that will kick off with several dates in their native Japan before continuing onto other locations in Asia, a press release states. Stay tuned for more details.

Accusefive: Around the New World Tour

Dates: May 18 – June 22 Cities: Xiamen, Xian, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong Find tickets and more info here

Taiwan trio Accusefive will take their Around the New World Tour to Asia this year, playing two dates in China before heading to Southeast Asia. They’ll perform two shows in Malaysia (adding another after the first sold out), and one in Singapore (which is already sold out). Details of a Hong Kong show are forthcoming.

XG: 1st World Tour “The First Howl”

Dates: May 2024 Cities: Osaka, Yokohama, Bangkok, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Manila, Taipei Find more info here

Japan’s XG will kick off their first world tour in Asia, playing four shows in Japan – two in Osaka and Yokohama apiece – before heading to the rest of East and Southeast Asia. Stay tuned for dates, venues and ticket info.

• READ MORE: XG – ‘New DNA’ review: a genre-splicing, powerhouse record

Alexander 23: American Boy In Asia Tour

Dates: June 6 – June 16 Cities: Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Taipei Find tickets and more info here

Alexander 23 is undertaking the self-explanatory American Boy In Asia Tour this June, kicking things off in China before heading to Hong Kong, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and finally Taiwan.

Perfume: COD3 OF P3RFUM3 ZOZ5 Asia Tour 2024

Dates: June 8 – July 13 Cities: Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, Shanghai Find tickets and more info here

Japanese pop queens Perfume have announced their first performances in Asia in five years, taking their COD3 OF P3RFUM3 ZOZ5 show to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and China. A date and venue has yet to be confirmed for the Shanghai show.

Atarashii Gakko!: World Tour

Dates: June 25 – June 29 Cities: Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Atarashii Gakko! will be playing four dates in Asia as part of their 2024 world tour. Their irrepressible energy, eye-catching choreography and infectious songs make these shows in Thailand, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore not to be missed.

Dates: July 03 – July 16 Cities: Seoul, Gachurt Village, Osaka, Tokyo, Taipei, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta Find tickets and more info here

American blackgaze stalwarts Deafheaven are finally returning to Asia for a proper run of shows for the first time in nearly a decade this July. Over the course of their trek, they’ll perform in cities like Seoul, Tokyo, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Jakarta and more.

Hikaru Utada: Science Fiction Tour 2024

Dates: July 13 – September 1 Cities: Taipei, Hong Kong, Fukuoka, Tokoname, Saitama, Miyagi, Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama Find tickets and more info here

J-pop legend Hikaru Utada is readying their first greatest-hits compilation, ‘Science Fiction’ – as well as a huge arena/stadium tour of Japan and their first-ever solo shows in Taipei and Hong Kong.

Alec Benjamin: 12 Notes Tour 2024

Dates: July 20 – July 27 Cities: Genting, Jakarta, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul Find tickets and more info here  

Singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin will return to Asia this July for a short collection of performances, consisting of solo shows and festival appearances. Benjamin will kick off his run with festival dates in Genting, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia before a solo show in Singapore, next making his way to Taipei, and Hong Kong for solo shows in support of his new album, ‘12 Notes’. He’ll play his final Asia date of this tour in Seoul, South Korea for the Have A Nice Trip festival.

Teddy Swims: I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy Tour

Dates: July 21 – July 26 Cities: Jakarta, Singapore, Manila, Niigata Find tickets and more info here

American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims will make his way to Asia this July for a short run of four shows, consisting of two festival dates and two standalone concerts. He’ll kick off his Asia shows at We The Fest in Jakarta, Indonesia before playing solo shows in Singapore and Manila, Philippines, before ending his Asia trek at Fuji Rock in Niigata, Japan.

Girl In Red: Doing It Again Tour

Dates: July 27 – August 3 Cities: Niigata, Singapore, Hong Kong, Incheon Find tickets and more info here

Norwegian singer-songwriter and producer Girl In Red – real name Marie Ulven Ringheim – heads to Asia for four shows between July and August, kicking off with the iconic Fuji Rock festival in Japan, before she plays solo shows in Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre and Hong Kong’s Aqualand. She will end off her Asian run of shows in Incheon, Korea, where she will play at the massive Pentaport festival.

Chris James

Dates: August 15 – August 26 Cities: Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Singapore, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo Find tickets and more info here

German-American bedroom pop artist Chris James will perform six shows in Asia this August, with stops confirmed in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Thailand’s Bangkok, Singapore, Taiwan’s Taipei, Seoul in South Korea and Japan’s Tokyo. Expect infectious grooves and good vibes all around.

Laufey: Bewitched – The Goddess Tour

Dates: August 17 – September 04 Cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Manila, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

• READ MORE: Laufey: vocal jazz sensation shoots for the stars

NME ’s The Cover star Laufey will return to Asia this August and September for her second slate of shows in the region this year. A healthy mix of festival dates and headlining concerts, the Chinese-Icelandic jazz lumiere will bring with her a breathtaking brand of jazz and pop for her biggest Asia tour date.

Conan Gray: Found Heaven on Tour

Dates: August 23 – September 10 Cities: Jakarta, Manila, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka Find tickets and more info here

At long last, Conan Gray is bringing the ‘Found Heaven on Tour’ show to Asia later this year. Spread across two weeks, the singer will perform a balance of festival performances and headlining concerts that range from coliseums to stadiums.

• Bruno Major

Dates: August 24 – September 8 Cities: Jakarta, Tokyo, Osaka, Manila, Hong Kong Find tickets and more info here

One year after performing in Asia , Bruno Major will return to the region for another string of shows in Jakarta, Tokyo, Osaka, Manila and Hong Kong. For fans who missed out on catching the guitarist and singer-songwriter’s performance in 2023, this is your chance to do so.

ONE OK ROCK

Dates: September 14 – September 21 Cities: Tokyo, Kaohsiung Find tickets and more info here

Japanese rock legends ONE OK ROCK are soon embarking on a tour of Europe and North America… but not before they play a handful of shows in Asia first. The band will kick off their 2024 trek with two shows in Tokyo’s Ajinimoto Stadium, before they head to Kaohsiung to perform at the National Stadium.

Olivia Rodrigo: GUTS Tour

Dates: September 16 – October 1 Cities: Bangkok, Seoul, Hong Kong, Singapore Find tickets and more info here

Good for you, Asia! Olivia Rodrigo has finally announced several long-awaited tour dates in Asia between September 16 and October 1. While she’s confirmed shows in Bangkok, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore so far, the singer has also teased that Manila dates are on the way. Stay tuned!

LANY: A Beautiful Blur World Tour

Dates: September 20 – October 13 Cities: Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Osaka, Seoul, Hong Kong, Kaohsiung, Bangkok, Jakarta, Manila, Cebu Find tickets and more info here

Pop-rock duo LANY are returning to the region yet for their third Asia tour in as many years. They’ll be playing stadiums and arenas this time round, heading to Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Dates: September 24 – October 7 Cities: Tokyo, Osaka, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei Find tickets and more info here

Anne-Marie is finally returning to Asia this year for a small but packed tour that will see her perform in Tokyo, Osaka, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taipei. Tickets go on sale soon so don’t miss your chance to snag passes.

• Related Topics
• Alexander 23
• Atarashii Gakko!
• Elephant Gym
• Niall Horan
• Olivia Rodrigo
• One OK Rock

You May Also Like

Billie eilish – ‘hit me hard and soft’ review: bold, brilliant and somewhat brighter, ‘furiosa: a mad max saga’ review: another mighty, petrol-soaked masterpiece, cage the elephant’s matt shultz: “i was in psychosis for three years – my arrest was a miracle”, breakthrough rapper songer on his life-changing year: “i’ve been pretty fearless”, natalie red: a disruptive, wildly talented force taking over the dancefloor, more stories, japanese rockers king gnu on new music, their first tour abroad, ‘jujutsu kaisen’ and more, nme celebrated a year of the cover with a killer party in singapore – here’s what went down, relive nme’s unplugged edition of girls to the front in singapore with our gallery, glastonbury 2024 to debut first ever south asian dedicated stage, on their debut album, lola amour hold space for joy and grief: “if you’re feeling sad, it’s also nice to dance it out”, hong kong pop stars mirror step out of their comfort zone on new single ‘day 0’ featuring dame d.o.l.l.a, aka damian lillard.

You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

AD LOADING...

• 50 Cent's Final Lap Tour Is Fourth-Ever Hip Hop Tour To Gross $100M

50 Cent ‘s Final Lap tour has been officially declared one of the most successful Hip Hop tours in history, becoming only the fourth tour in the genre to gross $100 million in ticket sales.

Touring Data has a breakdown, by the numbers, of the final tour of the G-Unit boss’s illustrious career. The numbers, which were published on Wednesday (May 15), reveal that the tour grossed $104,975,322 in ticket sales, with 1,179,753 total tickets sold, and an average price of about $88 per person.

92 of the 97 shows have turned in their sales figures, so it’s possible that the final numbers will increase some more.

Regardless, Fif joins the ranks of Drake (who had two tours — Aubrey & The Migos and It’s All A Blur — gross more than $100 million in ticket sales) and Kendrick Lamar (whose The Big Steppers tour also achieved that feat) to cross that $100 million threshold. He is also only the third rapper in history to helm a tour that achieved such a feat.

. @50cent 's "The Final Lap" is the fourth tour by a Rapper in history to surpass $100 million in ticket sales, joining #Drake 's "Aubrey & the Three Migos", "It's All a Blur" and #KendrickLamar 's "The Big Steppers". — Touring Data (@touringdata) May 15, 2024

THE FINAL LAP, @50cent $104,975,322 Revenue ($1,141,036 avg.) 1,179,753 Tickets Sold (12,823 avg.) $88.98 Average Price 92/97 Reported Shows #Update — Touring Data (@touringdata) May 15, 2024

These numbers should come as no surprise to industry insiders, who knew the Final Lap tour would be a success back in March.

At that time, 50 Cent grossed $84 million in ticket sales for the venture, and that was just based on figures from 71 of 103 shows.

Billed as 50 Cent’s farewell as a touring artist (as its name suggests), the Final Lap Tour began in North America last July and later invaded Europe, Australia and Saudi Arabia among other regions.

The 103-date excursion featured support from  Busta Rhymes ,  Jeremih ,  Tony Yayo  and  Uncle Murda , as well as surprise one-off appearances from Eminem, J. Cole and even Ed Sheeran.

related news

January 10, 2024

Busta credited the massive tour with helping him lose weight , joking: “I’m sexy. I lost 37 pounds on that fuckin’ tour. I wasn’t asking if y’all thought I was sexy or not, I just wanted you muthafuckas to understand I’m sexy, period.”

Meanwhile,  Yayo revealed that 50 bankrolled the entire tour himself  and carried himself with military-level discipline throughout.

“He don’t smoke no weed, he really don’t drink like that,” the G-Unit soldier said in an interview with  Vlad TV . “He’s reading scripts, he’s securing movie deals, he got the  Louisiana Tyler Perry big-ass type of studios  out there. So when you see somebody working like that, it motivates you.”

In this article

More on hiphopdx.

• Layzie Bone Claims Kendrick Lamar & Drake Beef Is ‘Counterproductive’ To Hip Hop

news | May 17, 2024

• Cardi B's New Album Reportedly Still Dropping In 2024 Despite Recent Comments

• Akademiks Blames Meek Mill For Drake-Kendrick Lamar Beef: 'He's A Special Type Of Stupid'

Watch on Hiphopdx

Coming Soon...

After These Messages

DX Newsletter

Latest news.

• Diddy's Alleged Drug Mule Accepts Plea Deal With No Jail Time
• NLE Choppa Says He Makes His 'Freakiest' Songs When He's Celibate: 'I Just F The Beat'
• Monica Awkwardly Mistaken For Sexyy Red By A Fan: 'She Was So Disappointed'
• Missy Elliott's New Selfie Has Fans Saying She's 'Aging Backwards'
• Drake, Nicki Minaj, & Beyoncé Lead 2024 BET Award Nominations
• A$AP Rocky Performs Cam'ron Karaoke During Rihanna Date Night

Subscribe To DX Newsletter

Drake appears to respond to Kendrick Lamar diss during J Cole tour

Drake seemingly responded to fellow rapper Kendrick Lamar’s swipe in a recent track, during a live performance while on his It’s All a Blur co-headline tour with J Cole.

Rumours of a feud between Drake and Lamar have simmered for years, with the To Pimp a Butterfly star adding fuel to the fire last week with his guest verse on “Like That” with Future and Metro Boomin.

Lamar’s lyrics seemed to directly respond to Drake’s 2023 track “First Person Shooter", on which Cole raps: “Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K-Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three like we started a league, but right now, I feel like Muhammad Ali.”

K-Dot is a nickname given to Lamar, while Drake’s birth name is Aubrey Drake Graham.

On “Like That”, Lamar appeared to dismiss Cole’s suggestion that they were on the same level as artists: “Motherf*** the big three, n***a, it’s just big me,” he rapped. “N***a, bum, what? I’m really like that / And your best work is a light pack.”

Meanwhile, as Drake compared his commercial success to that of Michael Jackson, Lamar referenced the historic beef between the King of Pop and Prince during the Eighties: “N***a, Prince outlived Mike Jack.”

“A lot of people asking me how I’m feeling… listen, the way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out of here feeling tonight about your f***ing self,” Drake told his audience, footage shared to social media on 25 March shows.

“Because you know how I’m feeling? I got my head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 f***ing toes down… and feeling like anywhere else I go… and I know no matter what, there’s not a n**** on this Earth that can ever f*** with me in my life,” he shouted. “And that’s how I want y’all to walk out of here tonight…”

“But,” he continued, “you know, you can get yourselves gassed up, riled up and move towards the future… Sometimes you’ve got to acknowledge the mistakes you’ve made in the past… right? So that’s what I want you all to do. Everybody in here.”

While fans could be heard cheering as Drake made his speech, other hip-hop fans felt that the “One Dance” artist would be better served responding to Lamar with another track.

“He needs to lock in and get his ass to the studio,” one fan wrote on X/Twitter.

“I’m sorry Drake but you going to have to say something to this man Kendrick because speeches is not going to cut it,” another said.

In a two-star review of Drake’s 2023 album For All The Dogs , critic Nadine Smith wrote for The Independent : “Instead of chilling out and settling down as he approaches his forties, Drake’s new album For All the Dogs sees him acting up more than ever, in ways that frequently reek not just of insecurity, but outright misogyny.”

The Independent is the world’s most free-thinking news brand, providing global news, commentary and analysis for the independently-minded. We have grown a huge, global readership of independently minded individuals, who value our trusted voice and commitment to positive change. Our mission, making change happen, has never been as important as it is today.

• Manage Account

50 Cent’s Final Lap Tour Makes History, Becoming Only Third Rap Trek Ever to Cross $100M

The G-Unit boss joins Drake as the only hip-hop artist to surpass the nine-figure milestone.

By Michael Saponara

Michael Saponara

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Tumblr

Over two decades since 50 Cent strapped on his bullet-proof vest and dropped his iconic Get Rich or Die Tryin’ debut, the G-Unit boss is still making history.

According to Billboard Boxscore, 50’s The Final Lap Tour has eclipsed $100 million in earnings, making him only the second rapper to ever surpass that mark. The “In Da Club” rapper’s 2023 global trek grossed $103.6 million, with 1.05 million tickets sold across 83 shows in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia.

Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday 2 World Tour Is Already the Highest Grossing Rap Tour for a Woman — and…

Trending on billboard.

In his decorated touring career to date, 50 Cent has grossed $150.3 million and sold 2.5 million tickets, placing him at No. 8 on the list of highest-grossing rap acts in Billboard Boxscore history. The most lucrative stop on 50’s Final Lap trek brought in a combined $4.4 million gross from a pair of dates (Nov. 11 and Nov. 23, 2023) at The O2 Arena in London.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

There are a couple of rappers who could possibly be joining 50 and Drizzy in the $100 million club. Kendrick Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour grossed $85.4 million, though that sum doesn’t account for 16 shows in Europe and Australia that haven’t been reported to Boxscore.

Jay-Z has been part of two $100 million-grossing tours, but he’s excluded since both (On The Run I and II) were co-headlined by his wife Beyoncé .

Elsewhere, Travis Scott is set to score his $100 million membership card this summer when his Circus Maximus Tour heads to Europe for a slew of sold-out dates. Currently, he’s on the doorstep with $95 million accounted for on the North American leg.

50 isn’t the only rapper making touring history these days. Nicki Minaj ‘s reunion with the Barbz in “Gag City” on her Pink Friday 2 World Tour has been lucrative, grossing $67 million and selling 439,000 tickets. It’s now the highest-grossing and best-selling rap tour by a woman in Boxscore history — and it’s not even over yet.

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Videos Expand videos menu

Culture expand culture menu, media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Get Up Anthems by Tres Expand get-up-anthems-by-tres menu

Honda music expand honda-music menu.