Masego took to London’s Alexandra Palace stage on the 20th February in a whirlwind of genre-defying musical innovation. His self proclaimed ‘Traphouse Jazz’ was magnificent in all its unfiltered live glory, pulling inspiration from all walks of the music scene with blends of r&b, funk, lo-fi, soul and hip-hop. Dripping in a natural authenticity he knew exactly how to work the crowd, drawing energy from them and vice versa. It was a show with unmatched levels of talent on display as the musician took us on an intimate journey through his discography.
Initially we were teased into the seductive, playful music scene that lay ahead of us with his opening act Tanerélle. She seems to have descended straight from the clouds, this divine feminine figure, legs and curves on show as she glitters in a bodysuit reminiscent of carnival season. Masego’s work is clearly defined by his female muses, in his 2024 Glamcult magazine interview he confirms that “A lot of the success I got was from the social conversation and the elevation of black women.” She embodies this notion, a goddess amongst us, enveloped in clouds of blue and purple smoke which bloom around as her vocals cut through the space, clear and sweet like nectar. Tanerélle is able to build a carnal excitement within the cool nonchalance of the crowd, completely necessary for Masego’s grand entrance.
Eventually the man himself made an appearance with roars from the crowd, hands scrambling for phones as the iconic ‘I love you’ backing vocals drift through the speakers. The 30-year- old singer exudes an unmatched confidence sporting big black shades and a glittering chain which swings proudly from his neck. Everything about him from his braids to his jewellery is smooth and suave, in line with his cheeky playboy aesthetic. I am giddy with excitement to finally hear this in person, with over 180,000,000 streams Navajo is the hit song that got me first hooked. Masego teases us, playing the opening nights on the saxophone, the instrument that never quite seems to leave his side. Sweet and rich, the saxophone melts perfectly into the indulgent, seductive qualities of the song. The instrumental then takes a sharp turn as he begins to sing, jolting us into the action as this live rendition features a much faster paced drums and guitar. His voice is rich and full, easily filling the vast space and impressively working in harmony with the instrumental rather than competing with it.
Masego uses a pitched sample of The Beatles ‘Michelle’, which arguably makes the song so distinctive and catchy, a soulful blast from the past. The pitched element provides it with its haunting-gospel like intro reminiscent of Masego’s religious upbringing as it roots the song in an almost prayer-like chant, The “I need you’s” are re-hashed and blended seamlessly into a bass heavy track made rich and full with his husky, raw vocals. The perfect opening song as it in many ways encapsulates his creative process, his unique ability to fuse contrasting genres of rock or indie from decades ago with fresh, contemporary beats. He starts as he means to go on, the tune rolling intoxicatingly over the crowd as he flirtily shouts “Where my ladies at?” before launching into ‘Queen Tings’.
His charisma shines, no doubt at its peak when he performs. The crowd is mesmerised, moving with every expressive twist and turn as Masego makes the space between us interactive, bringing the music to life with a vivacious ferocity. He tosses roses and dollar bills into hands comically competing to turn them into prized souvenirs. The musician indulges in this infectious energy, a smile plastered across his face as he begins a heady, smooth performance of ‘‘Afraid of water’. We are plunged into a deep azure blue graphic, laughing and swaying in the direction of the colourful beach balls which are thrown into the crowd and we are transported to a pool party or Caribbean island. This live rendition features a keyboard sound so surreal it feels dreamlike, like a sprinkle of fairy dust or magic being injected into the room. Nothing short of a summery dreamscape is created, we are encased in a paradisiacal bubble of love, lust and vulnerability which charges much of his music. Masego places us directly at the centre of the action, we are not merely being performed to but instead part of the performance.
This bodily movement through which his set comes alive seems to shed an important spotlight on dance-heavy cultures and its role in steering much of Masego’s musical direction as a Jamaican-American artist himself. The graphics behind him tease us with close up of eyes, lips and legs surrounded by palm trees. He calls for ‘Any Africans in the crowd?’ and is greeted with a loud cheer. Many of his albums, specifically Studying Abroad, are rooted in this tropical theme with songs such as ‘Sides of Me’, ‘Mystery Lady’ and ‘Silver Tongue Devil’ holding a slippery, exotic aura to them, the women in them appearing dreamlike and almost unreachable. His cultural influence allows for this musical blend to happen, as explains his background to Glamcult magazine “my father is Jamaican and my mother is a couple different ethnicities from the african diaspora and tribes”. His music feels like an interwoven patchwork of these past and present cultural influences allowing for a unique discography indicative of his mixed identity.
Masego is not a first-timer to travelling in his personal life and now on tour telling Rolling Stone magazine “It’s cool, you collect perspectives and incorporate it into the music later on”. He seems to have an ever growing yearning for more knowledge, for taking elements of different cultural music scenes and fusing them to carve out his niche. He pairs more Americanised lingo with Caribbean and Afro-beat style instrumentals creating an ingenious melting pot of culture and sound. The graphic of a vibrant Jamaican flag waves proudly behind the musician as he shouts “make some noise for Jamaica right now” and the audience whoop their approval before the fluid, seductive rhythm of ‘silver tongued devil’ begins to play. The evening feels exciting and intimate, like the sun has just dipped down beneath the horizon and the mischief of the night has been given the green light to ensue.
As a musician capable of playing the saxophone, cello, piano and cello he securely follows through with this promise of instrumental excellence. It feels impossible to mention Maego’s name without focusing on the saxophone which makes many appearances throughout the show, but perhaps one of the most standout is during his ‘Sides of Me’ performance. He takes equal breaks between soulfully belting his lyrics before allowing the undulating flow of the saxophone to take the spotlight. Masego told Rolling Stone magazine in 2022 “When I need a certain sound, I bring that sax out. It challenges me to make the instrument sound like me”. It is this unfiltered passion that makes the rich flow of the saxophone feel as though it’s pouring straight from his soul into the crowd. This love affair with his sax feels reminiscent of iconic musical figures such as Louis Armstrong who was similarly devoted to his trumpet. This ability to combine powerful vocals with instrumental talent heightens the emotional complexity of their musical artistry beyond belief. Maego’s work feels ultimately timeless, reminiscent of scatting and doo-wop combined with heavy doses of rap and r&b syncing together and propelling forward into futuristic territory.
As the evening winds to a close, he dazzles in a final performance of his most successful and saxophone heavy song – Tadow. The audience practically boils over with excitement for this much anticipated finale which does not disappoint.
Masego showcases his ability to make music malleable under his creative command, his samples of older tracks, his emotionally charged declarations of love or pleas of honesty on the luxe life he leads. The entirety of the concert is coated in a sugary haze of summer evenings and heavy beats that allow your senses to melt down into a woozy, dreamlike state. Every song feels auto-bioraphically, intimate and carefully curated through catchy musical arrangements and breathy vocals. He is able to transport the listener, both visually and audibly into a tropical paradise and is nothing short of a timeless talent.
