Future Hndrxx Tour: an enjoyable, if not all that memorable, performance
Following on from the surprise release of two albums within a week, Future heads to the O2 Arena, for a greatest hits set, whose energy levels sometimes slip.
In February, Atlanta rapper Future surprised fans by releasing his eponymous fifth studio album with little advance warning. FUTURE is a seventeen-track trap offering that went straight to number one in its first week. However, although Future’s fans were satisfied, Future was not. A mere seven days later, Future went on to do the unheard of and dropped his sixth album, HNDRXX. Future shows his more sensitive side on HNDRXX and the album also debuted atop the Billboard charts. In having two different albums debut at number one in consecutive weeks, Future accomplished a feat that no other artist in music history has. He swiftly followed up this success by announcing the Future Hndrxx Tour, which concluded in London’s O2 Arena last Monday.
Future had Zoey Dollaz, Rich The Kid, and Stefflon Don in support but all three acts failed to sufficiently raise the crowd’s energy levels. The crowd was subsequently restless by the time Future took to the stage (20 minutes late, I might add). However, Future turned things around with his strong opening performance of FUTURE album cut, ‘Draco’. Future has built a reputation as an artist with a seemingly tireless work ethic, dropping mixtapes and albums at an alarmingly rapid rate over the last 5 years. There was also a period when Future was hip-hop’s go-to guy for a hook or feature and, as a result, the man simply has an insurmountable mass of music to perform. He had the whole arena rocking with fan favourites ‘Thought It was a Drought’, ‘Stick Talk’, and ‘Sh!t’.
“There were times when Future appeared to be lacking energy, but he performed with dancers who hyped the crowd”
Although this show was supposedly in support of his two 2017 albums, Future effectively turned it into a showcase of his greatest hits, stretching all the way back to the start of his career. It was disappointing that he didn’t perform any of HNDRXX as this would have been a welcome switch of vibe in the arena but, instead, Future bombarded us with high energy bangers all night. There were times when Future appeared to be lacking energy but he performed with four dancers who hyped the crowd during those periods when he was struggling to keep up. He also brought Rich The Kid, Stefflon Don, and Wizkid out during his set, with Wizkid in particular receiving a rapturous reception. Future returned to perform ‘Mask Off’, his viral smash hit off of FUTURE and ended his set with ‘March Madness’ (arguably the best song of all time). Overall, the show was fun but there were times when the energy felt a bit lifeless and it raises the question of whether it’s worth seeing artists like Future, who have countless high energy bangers but whose music arguably lacks substance, in concert. In this case, I would have to say no – save your £55.
