R&B/Soul
Akon and Ne-Yo bring a bucket-load of nostalgic bangers to Birmingham’s Utilita Arena
Ne‑Yo and Akon’s Nights Like This tour delivers more than two hours of nostalgia, showmanship and pure early‑2000s euphoria.
Nobody could ever feel shortchanged by the nostalgia-filled spectacle that is Ne-Yo and Akon’s Nights Like This tour.
Clocking in at more than two-and-half-hours, the 40-plus-song setlist is stacked with throwback bangers to a simpler, more carefree era.
A true co-headline experience, the early-2000s R'n'B and rap icons take their turn in the spotlight to delve through wildly impressive discographies.
Beyond their own countless smashes (Smack That, Mad), a double-act-meets-trivia part of the night reveals just how many megahits the chart-topping pair have penned for other household names, including Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga.
Yes, the bedroom jams, party anthems and shout-outs for their newest records come thick and fast, but there are also softer, more unexpected moments, like when Akon sits down to play an acoustic guitar during T-Pain collab Bartender, or a stirringly vulnerable rendition of 2005 UK number one Lonely.
What sets this tour apart from the wave of millennial nostalgia shows — in a year that even sparked full‑blown Pitbullmania — is the sheer level of musicality on display.
It’s not just the effortlessly charismatic leading men, with Ne‑Yo’s vocal range still in a league of its own and Akon’s razor‑sharp rapping, but also their outstanding live band, complete with an orchestra that delivers a stunning reinterpretation of So Sick.
The staging and production, meanwhile, is worthy of a Vegas residency: jaw-dropping acrobatics, budget-blowing pyros, a parade of provocative dancers and aerial acrobats who ascend to the sky in chains and free fall from silks.
In fact, the only slight misstep comes from unreleased songs being aired too late in the day: a taste of Ne-Yo’s upcoming country album at past 10pm flattens the energy somewhat, but things quickly pick up thanks to a rave-y finale.
After Akon returns with Right Now, Ne-Yo launches into a strobe-heavy Beautiful Monster, Closer, and a confetti-explosion for their joint David Guetta-collab Work Hard, Play Hard sends everyone home beaming at just before 11pm.
If you’re looking for an arena show that’s bursting with escapism and euphoria, these legends of their genres know how to deliver the goods.
Rating: 4/5
