A night with John Legend and the Global Citizens

John Legend’s return to Lagos at Global Citizen’s Move Afrika concert was a dazzling display of musical brilliance and heartfelt connection, uniting fans and dignitaries alike with nostalgia, electrifying performances, and unexpected duets.

“Lagos, I am so excited to be back. It’s been too long; I missed you all,” John Legend said as he opened his set at the Global Citizen’s Move Afrika concert held at The Palms, Lagos, on Tuesday night. It had been five years since his last appearance in the city.

Donning a shiny, green two-piece silk suit crafted by Nigerian designer Ugo Mozie, John Legend wore a bright smile as he climbed the stage and kicked off his set with a stirring rendition of his 2004 classic, Used To Love U.

The night was a spectacle of brilliant stage lighting and a grand band comprising uniformed backing singers, saxists, trumpeters, and a pianist. DJ Consequence expertly mixed captivating Afrobeats and Amapiano jams during interludes, with Simi’s intimate but electrifying vocal performance kicking off the show. Draped in a black velvet blouse and ruffled skirt, Simi held the audience spellbound for half an hour, performing her signature soulful hits like Stranger, Woman, Ayo, Borrow Me Your Baby, and Duduke, before taking off her shoes on stage for a groovy experience.

“I came here to dance,” she laughed, her energy infectious as she rendered King Sunny Ade’s classic hit Tota E Mole, as well as other party-starting jams like Owambe and Joromi, before closing with her verse on Chike’s Running.

“My best part about the show was being able to have fun,” she told Guardian Music after the show. “I wasn’t seeing the crowd very well, but just by being able to lock in with my band and my dancers, I was able to forget everything and just have fun on stage. I enjoy it when that happens because it does not always happen.”

“You all look good tonight, Lagos. Dance along if the spirit moves. Who’s been with me since Get Lifted?” John Legend said as he sat behind a black grand piano. He delighted the audience with more of his earlier hits, including his 2004 classic, Ordinary People, his 2006 hit Green Light, and his 2006 fan-favourite PDA.

His performance of Nina Simone’s 1965 hit, Feeling Good, had the audience singing along and awe-struck as he held his breath on the last note of her refrain “…and I’m feeling goooooood!”

Much of his performance was done on foot, with the Grammy-winning American singer stealing every opportunity to bust some dance moves. Other times, he was seated behind the piano, where he shared touching memories about his late grandmother, Marjorie Maxine Stephens, whose influence had shaped his musical journey.

Speaking on creating one of his biggest hits, Ordinary People, Legend said, “I was in the studio back in 2004, with Black Eyed Peas. We had the same manager at the time, and I was writing hooks for them. I started mumbling melodies, and I kept on going like I always do, and we made Ordinary People. I told them they could keep all the other ideas I had written for them, but I wanted Ordinary People for myself.”

Returning after the first half hour sporting a white two-piece suit tailored by another Nigerian designer, Orange Culture, John Legend performed a medley of Used To Love U with the backing instrumentals from Fela Kuti’s 1975 hit Water No Get Enemy, tributing the iconic Afrobeat inventor and his Kuti clan on stage.

The show, attended by government dignitaries, including the Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, as well as media professionals and the general public, kept a balanced switch between sober and intriguing.

John Legend’s closing performances kept climaxing with every song, leaving the audience stunned when he boomed into the microphone again. He brought out Simi again for a surprise joint performance of his 2004 classic Refuge. They maintained a strong chemistry on stage, with John Legend melting hearts when he planted a polite kiss on her forehead at the end of their duet.

The final intrigue was when he performed his 2013 global hit, All of Me, bringing back attendees who had started exiting the concert arena to catch a glimpse of the performance. With a mask of sweat beading across his face, he took a bow as he closed his performance for the night.

Save for tense restrictions around media coverage, as is Move Afrika’s policy, the show swelled with excitement from start to finish. Also, the seating arrangement of the show, with the VIP arranged directly in front of the stage impacted upon the feel of the show leaving the energetic dance and displays by the good folk of General Admissions stapled to the back of the arena.

The show was generally neatly organised, with traffic control around the venue being seamless, and a large outdoor section used for holding the audience before general admissions began. The security presence at the venue was also heavy. Overall, a chunk of the show’s laurels hung on the music performances, while other experiences like photo booths stationed for brand experiences were also a strong attraction for the audience.

Launched in 2023, by the international advocacy organisation, Global Citizen, in conjunction with Kendrick Lamar’s pgLang outfit, the Move Afrika tour is a music touring circuit designed to address global inequalities and stimulate Africa’s creative economy through live events.

It debuted in Kigali, Rwanda, in December 2023, headlined by Kendrick Lamar, with guest performances by Jay-Z, Beyonce, Davido, Kwesi Arthur, Zuchu, and a host of other global music stars. It returned this year with its second edition headlined by John Legend in Kigali and Lagos, Nigeria.