Mary J. Blige with NE-YO & Mario 3/24 @ Scotiabank Arena - Toronto
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary J. Blige, treated Toronto fans to quite the show while on her star-studded lineup “The For My Fans Tour”. Featuring R&B legends, NE-YO and Mario, this tour brought a night of energy and reminiscence to fans, highlighting the successful discography of the music industry triple-threat.
Photo gallery captured by Malique Stone | Write-up by Kianna Sumitani
Opening up the night was American R&B singer Mario, setting expectations high for what was to come for the remainder of the night. Playing through many of his hits including, “Let Me Love You”, “How Do I Breathe” and “I Choose You” from his older discography as well as playing new tracks off of his latest album Glad You Came, listeners were lucky to hear such a range throughout the well-balanced set. With 11 Million monthly listeners on Spotify, Mario’s fan clearly continue to resonate with his music, highlighting the quality of his artistry.
Next up was R&B singer NE-YO, recognized as a pioneer of the 2000s, with smash-hits such as “Give Me Everything”, “So Sick” and “Miss Independent”, still racking up 41 M+ monthly streams across his releases on Spotify. Utilizing a creative spotlight to make an appearance on the main stage, NE-YO, born Shaffer Chimere Smith, was dressed in a suave black suit, paired with a signature hat and a singular black glove to complete the look. With multiple backup dancers, this tour is high-budget, dynamic and an overall engaging experience to attend. With two incredible performances down, the bar was set high, and fans were eager for Mary J. Blige to close the night out.
Headlining the stage, last but not least, was Mary J. Blige herself, paired with a fittingly extravagant stage design—two hands holding a crowd. It was evident that concertgoers were in for a treat. Starting the set on a set of couches surrounded by her friends and family, fans were treated as such, with a generous number of crowd interactions throughout the set. It was clear that a lot of thought went into the production and sound of this tour to add to the overall concert experience, giving thanks to fans for their support throughout Blige’s impressive career. From “Family Affair” to “Mary Jane” and “I Can Love You”, the R&B and Soul icon made sure to incorporate her greatest hits, leaving fans dancing as she flew to the main stage partway through her set.
Toronto was a special stop on this tour, with Wu-Tang Clan’s very own Method Man making a special appearance during Mary J. Blige’s set (pictured below). This tour was one for the books, showing appreciation for fans through an impressive form of expression during this live set.
All photographs were shot by Malique Stone on behalf of The Hip-Hop Guru.
Video courtesty of Much Music Canada.
