SZA hasn’t had the easiest time when it comes to UK live performances. Who could forget her Glastonbury headliner slot two years ago? But her London gig with Kendrick Lamar has been a redemption.
Having seen the Kill Bill hitmaker fail to make an impact on the Pyramid Stage, the Grand National Tour announcement admittedly left me a little apprehensive.
How could she match up to the Humble legend, whose own Glastonbury headliner slot was met with rapturous applause? But SZA held her own, for the most part.
Splitting their sets back and forth was the perfect way to make sure the energy kept flowing in Tottenham Stadium.
First up was Kendrick, opening the show with a string of energy boosting tracks like Squabble Up and TV On (cut teasingly just before the crowd could scream ‘Mustard’).
SZA’s introduction prompted huge applause from the crowd but this adoration couldn’t quite last her entire performance. While the Kiss Me More singer has some stunning vocals and catchy tunes, being K Dot’s counterpart didn’t serve her well.
Kendrick is simply an absolute juggernaut on stage. It’s hard to imagine anyone being able to match him in sheer presence — the stadium came alive every time he walked out.
It didn’t help that SZA seemed to take a minute (or 30) to warm to the gig, choosing not to interact with fans until much later and only really letting her playful personality shine in moments when they were both on stage.
Her early sections opted for set pieces over movement around the walkway, and this was unfortunately to her detriment, putting up barriers between herself and the audience.
This mirrors her choices at Glastonbury and we all remember how that went. As the London night two gig went on, the clunky sets cleared and SZA appeared to relax into it.
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For many fans, her input has sadly been overlooked. The might of Kendrick, especially after his explosive fame after his viral Drake beef, cannot be ignored.
And it’s not just in his lyrics that he’s slamming his rival; according to Viagogo, 47% more global fans searched for tickets to Kendrick than Drake, who headlined Wireless.
The difference in numbers could have reportedly filled the O2 Arena 10 times over. Ouch.
The weight of this feud could be felt as the entire stadium shouted ‘a minor’ during Not Like Us, a volume only reached when we finally got to shout ‘mustard’ later in the gig.
It’s no surprise then that SZA couldn’t quite match Kendrick’s presence, although her popularity is rising with her page views tripling on the day the UK tour was announced compared to the day before.
Despite her own sections falling short of Kendrick’s, their few duets were really where the collaborative tour concept shone.
All The Stars was a visual highlight of the show, with the duo elevated on platforms singing to a room lit with tiny stars (also known as phone torches).
SZA and Kendrick have an undeniable musical chemistry, as well as an onstage ease with each other that only adds to the harmony. Once you’ve seen them on stage together, you’re left wondering why they ever perform apart.
Aside from the sheer dominance of Dot, the show was surprisingly let down by the staging, which remained simple other than the occasional car and a ride-on giant ant (named Anthony).
My main gripe is that several songs were sung at the very back of the stage, between the screens. This meant large chunks of songs were blocked from view if you were on either side of the stage.
Considering how much money fans have coughed up, to be left watching some songs mainly on a screen is a little disappointing, especially when they could have easily been brought forward into view.
This aside, the dancers were some of the best I’ve seen. Throughout the show they were completely in sync — a truly precision performance, which was never thrown off by the copious amounts of pyrotechnics.
Overall, the tour delivers on what it promises: a solid selection of Kendrick and SZA’s biggest tracks with some incredible duets.
It almost feels as if the timing is wrong as the Peekaboo rapper is too big post-Super Bowl, while his duet partner has not yet come into her own.
There’s an undeniable chemistry here, and they put out incredible performances but it’s impossible to ignore the gulf in energy between the two artists.
Ultimately, this was the Kendrick Tour, and SZA was sadly left playing second fiddle. Still, it was leaps and bounds ahead of her Glastonbury set, so don’t count her out of this race.
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