Heavy is the head that wears the crown. For all intents and purposes, Top Dawg Entertainment has sneakily slid its way into a primed position in R&B music. Between SZA’s dominance on the charts and SiR’s inarguable impact, the label has the top-seed draft picks on the women and men side. With a healthy handful of culturally acclaimed bodies of work, the latter rests comfortably in his spot. Sadly, this same ease didn’t translate over into his personal life.
On his latest album, Heavy, SiR revealed the years-long strain he quietly fought in his mental, physical, and romantic life. Nearly five years after his headlining debut in the borough, on July 28 as part of the Life Is Good Tour, SiR returned to Brooklyn a different man but with the same undertaking – family first. With his brother, Davion Farris (notable singer and songwriter in his own) and labelmate as well as collaborator Zacari as his official opening acts, he was surrounded by them. But it doesn’t stop there, the sold-out Brooklyn Paramount crowd served as a surrogate family to zealously celebrate SiR’s intensive transformative period.
SiR’s family first motto can’t be downplayed. His loyalty to those who hold him up is evident, which was coupled with the utter appreciation SiR displayed on the venue’s legendary stage. However, after deeper inspection, SiR’s Life Is Good Tour isn’t about anyone other than himself, and rightfully so. Although SiR was sure to stack his setlist with fan favorites, his decorum, simplistic set design, and sentimental delivery exhibited that he was doing it all to make his way back to himself.
Prior to SiR’s performance pilgrimage toward self-discovery, Zacari had a transformative moment of his own. Known for his brilliant songwriting for others, Zacari is craving a path to superstardom for himself. While he shines bright in the booth, early in his set, Zacari seemed intimidated by his admirers. As a gentler vocalist, Zacari found himself lost to the thunderous crowd. Still, he managed to hold his own both as a singer and an instrumentalist. By the time he closed with “Love.,” his collaboration with Kendrick Lamar, concertgoers were eating from his hands. Zacari has a performer’s fire in him that is ready to burn bright, it just requires a bit more tending to.
Surrounded by burning red stage lights, SiR kicked off his set with his cult classic, “John Redcorn.” Initially, you find yourself taken back by the decision. But, in the same breath, you couldn’t help but grow intrigued by the bold move, as this tour is all about his latest album, Heavy, not 2019’s Chasing Summer. However, when SiR began to breeze through other favorites from that body of work, as well as tracks from 2017’s Her Too and 2018’s November, what he was doing became obvious. SiR wanted to fast-track his hypnotized audience to the current-day version of himself. So, as he exploded the stage with Heavy’s “Six Whole Days,” “No Evil” and “You,” the records’ messages were much more potent. Doubters of the album are forced to comfort their biases. As a result, the online discourse surrounding what is SiR’s best album to date was tossed out the window.
Heavy is a project that confidently stands on its own, because you can not justifiably compare apples to oranges. The same can be said for the Summer Forever Tour and Life Is Good Tour. From its stage decor to the lighting and online marketing, Summer Forever Tour was a conceptual experience. Many fans have found themselves lost in the branding of that era, and are attempting to force SiR’s return to the time. Whereas the Life Is Good Tour isn’t about flashy gimmicks, but rather an emphasis on the art. The bare stage, hidden band, and simple electronic display that flashed song lyrics purposely drew the attention back to the human responsible for everyone’s gathering – SiR. Although there were a few insists where production missteps could have thrown off (house sound issues, mic feedback, and in-ear problems), SiR couldn’t be stopped.
Similar to the album it supports, this tour requires your full attention, otherwise you’ll miss the message. SiR’s Life Is Good Tour is about embracing the newly healed version of himself without that he is no good for his fans but above all his family, which is important across the board. Now, that the foundation has been repaired, fans are eagerly waiting for that family album to be announced.
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SiR’s latest album, Heavy, is available for purchase here or streaming on your favorite music platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Tidal.
Setlist:
- “John Redcorn”
- “You Can’t Save Me”
- “Dreaming of Me”
- “The Canvas”
- “Mood”
- “Six Whole Days”
- “No Evil”
- “You”
- “Something Foreign” acapella (fan-requested)
- “That’s Why I Love You” (fan-requested)
- “Ricky’s Song”
- “Tryin’ My Hardest”
- “Only Human” (Part I)
- “Ooh Nah Nah”
- “Fire”
- “Only Human” (Part II)
- “Satisfaction”
- “The Recipe”
- “Poetry In Motion”
- “Nothing Even Matters”
- “Hair Down”
- “D’Evils”
Encore
- “Something New”
- “Life Is Good”