Four years on from his DAMN. world tour, Kendrick Lamar is back to shake things up once again, this time holding a mirror up to himself and reflecting it back onto the gazing eyes surrounding him. His most recent album, Mr. Morale & Big Steppers, represents reflection-of-self, presenting Kendrick in his most human form yet; I could have only predicted the tour would amplify this message, and I wasn’t wrong.
It was only two years ago that most of the world was confined in self-isolation, faced with rigorous travel restrictions, as we sat in our homes watching the unfolding of a “new normal”. Fast forward to the present, and I am standing in Amsterdam’s prestigious Ziggo Dome venue—roughly 222 miles from home—packed with 17,000 fans eager to see a great performance from Kendrick as he embarks on the first leg of his European tour.
As the lights dimmed low, the thousands of phone flashes appeared in unison and the curtains rolled up, the rapper-turned-ventriloquist begins with his opening verse to “United In Grief” alongside a puppet mimicking the lyrics alongside him. A theatrical introduction, Kendrick opens the first half of the show in a similar fashion to how we hear him on the album: rapid-paced bars over a sequence of stripped-back piano chords. Supported by a cast of dancers making use of the vast stage area, Kendrick takes us through the album tracklist, one song at a time, weaving in fan favourites cherry-picked from past projects.
Through the impact of the studio tracks and live instrumentation, to the use of stage lighting, fireworks, dancers and props, Kendrick set out to create an immersive experience which you simply can’t get from just streaming the album in the confinement of your own home. I felt the excitement from the crowd during tracks like “N95” and “Alright”, bouncing off of their energy as audience members closest to the stage formed mosh pits below us and jumped up and down in unison. “Take off them fabricated streams and them microwave memes, it’s a real world outside,” he raps, subsequently followed by a series of fireworks onstage coinciding with the drop heard in the song itself.
I felt a shift in the atmosphere through the help of blue lighting during “Swimming Pools (Drank)”, and a reddish beam of light imitating a sun rising across the muted backdrop during “B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe”. The first half of the show draws to a close, signified by the curtains rolling back down as dancers create shapes using their augmented shadows projected against the slightly translucent stage curtain. Many hip-hop heads can agree that Kendrick’s discography is one that speaks for itself, a jam-packed playlist of songs that can take you on an emotional rollercoaster from feelings of elation to the recollection of trauma. Despite their endless replay value and everlasting cultural relevance, Kendrick breathed new life into old classics such as “HUMBLE.”, starting the song with the help of piano keys. Initially clueless, it took only a few moments before fans recognised the distinctive melody from “DAMN.”, further increasing collective excitement and awe.
Enlisting the help of British actress Helen Mirren, voiceovers connected one song to another, adding a whole new meaning to older joints. “Mr. Morale, it’s time to take a Covid test,” the airy, robotic-like voice states while Kendrick stands in a clear plastic isolation box guarded by bodies in hazmat suits. “Don’t worry, we’ll be gentle. This is for your own good.” Soon after, he smoothly transports us back to 2015 with the smash-hit “Alright”, set against a context of current times: a global pandemic, political unrest, and mass grief and loss. “We gon’ be alright,” Kendrick chants, installing a feeling of optimism and hope throughout the crowd as they repeated it back.
I hope so, too.
