Music > Live Reviews

Ashanti

The Nick Rayns LCR, UEA

07/03/17

It’s been 15 years since the release of Ashanti’s first album, she tells us. Stood on the LCR stage in a sparkly red leotard, flanked by two backing singers relieves my doubts: she will forever be the princess of RnB.

Ashanti ruled the 2000’s with silky, solo RnB bangers and Ja Rule/Fat Joe collaborations. However, it’s not the noughties anymore. Ashanti still managed to sell out the LCR, though. Tipsy women in their late-twenties piled into the LCR, ready to ride a massive nostalgia wave. Unfortunately, all they got was a disappointing ripple.

Certain aspects of the gig were on point: Ashanti’s steely soprano voice, her kick-ass outfit, the amazing choreography. There were also several let downs - Ashanti only had a DJ, there were no live instrumentalists or backing singers. This set up only works if you’re a rapper. If you’re not, you wind up sounding like an X-Factor auditionee. Even if you’re Ashanti. 

Ashanti twerked, wined and hip rolled, lest we forget that she’s an incredible trained dancer. The dancing was infectious, but it overshadowed what most of us were there for. Several hit songs were performed in part - Ashanti only sang the chorus to Always on Time. A few newer, less popular songs were sang in full. For Girlfriend, she picked three men from the audience, blindfolded them, and handcuffed them to chairs. Ashanti and her dancers performed erotic dance moves on them; it strangely ended up being the most entertaining part of the show. As soon as the song finished Ashanti cackled loudly into the microphone: it was pleasant to see that she doesn’t take herself too seriously, a trait that shone through the gig.

It was a shame that for someone so likeable and talented, Ashanti’s comeback seemed, quite frankly, cheap. Her team scrimped on backing artists, the visuals looked like a high school IT project, and the show was rushed. Somehow, Ashanti was fab, but the performance was not. Silver lining: that’s one member of RnB royalty off my bucket list.