Nothing Can Keep Megan Thee Stallion Down

On Tuesday, hundreds of followers in cowboy hats, brief skirts, booty shorts, and mesh streamed into Madison Square Backyard to celebrate the arrival of Megan Thee Stallion, in town for her inaugural headlining tour. Burning embers emblazoned across a triptych of screens as the rapper emerged to the opening notes of her latest chart-topping hit, “Hiss,” her statuesque silhouette illuminated by a crimson background. “Y’all, this is my 1st tour ever!” she squealed before graciously accepting a bouquet of flowers from a admirer. It would be the initial of numerous to come through the show, with each minute of appreciation practically bringing her to tears.

Extra than an arena general performance, the Hot Lady Summer Tour was a celebration of an artist’s return after yrs of mind-boggling, destabilizing modify. Throughout her rise to stardom, which incorporated three Grammy wins and an erotically charged megahit in “WAP,” Megan was plagued with tragedy and misfortune: She shed her mom and wonderful-grandmother in March 2019, had a protracted combat to depart her former label following she accused it of signing her to an exploitative recording agreement, and was subjected to racist, misogynist criticism from the tunes sector throughout her a few-yr-very long authorized fight with Tory Lanez. These activities would overpower most stars, let by itself a rising talent. But in the Backyard garden, Megan stood tall, defying the limited anticipations of the detractors who had publicly claimed that the rapper was “not an arena artist.”

As a performer, Megan commanded the stage with an intoxicating combine of charm, excitement, and precision. For 90 minutes, she was Beyoncé, Tina Turner, and Pam Grier wrapped up in a southern emcee deal. Her established listing ran the comprehensive breadth of her catalogue, from early freestyles like the 2017 “Stalli Freestyle” that designed her a viral feeling to group-satisfying hits like “Savage Remix.” “Thot Shit” showcased the starlet at her most effective, with Megan using her signature double-time rhyming schemes and finding pockets to pause and join her dancers in sultry majorette-styled choreography. “Body” transitioned into an motivated dance break combined with the instrumentals to Bey’s “Get Me Bodied.” “Cognac Queen” turned into a crowdwide sing-along, the viewers chanting, “I’m on that ’Gac, I wanna dance / Come get yo’ person / Just before I put him in a trance.” She transformed her new cheeky pop single “BOA” into a phone-and-response exercise, the total Garden screaming “womp womp womp womp womp whomp” when she labored by way of the refrain. Meg then flipped the camera on to the supporters as they unleashed their possess inner scorching girls. A younger gentleman eagerly lifted his shirt up to show off his undulating waistline, a woman showcased her possess Megan’s knees even though holding on to a railing, and fellow sizzling ladies danced in anime cosplay and posed for photographs. In the waning times of “Cobra,” an individual in my area proclaimed, “She’s a star! A star!”

Picture: Kevin Mazur/Getty Photos

Later on, Meg questioned, “Y’all completely ready to lower the fuck up?” prior to revealing her large surprise for the evening: New York indigenous Cardi B, who emerged to a deafening reception, waving and grinning from ear to ear. The crowd was so loud that the Bronx rapper struggled to appropriately listen to their 2023 collab “Bongos,” but she was able to participate in off her all-natural chemistry with Megan just before transitioning into a live efficiency of “WAP,” the audience reciting every verse term for term. Opening act GloRilla quickly joined them, as Cardi rapped her standout verse on “Tomorrow 2.” “We’re acquiring a motherfucking hot girl summertime,” Megan screamed. “Turn this bitch up!” The trio of women of all ages, celebrating each individual other onstage, was a short flash into what contemporary “fandom” should really be: not breathlessly supporting a single act though forsaking all other entertainers, but reveling in the accomplishment of all gals in hip-hop and locating joy in continuing to collaborate with and guidance a single a further.

As the arena lights came up, the Backyard filled with affirmative chatter: “She did that!” one supporter stated. The Texas-born rapper had put all lingering critiques about her means to produce a top rated-notch arena present to rest. But a lot more than that, it felt as though she was actively choosing happiness in her operate even with the numerous people today who experienced appeared intent to rob her of it. At one particular stage all through the present, she appeared in a stained-glass cocoon, defiantly rapping the lyrics to her scornful single “Plan B” in lockstep with the viewers. By the 2nd verse, she experienced taken her mark at the heart of the stage, forsaking the cocoon for newfound butterfly wings that experienced been projected behind her. For Megan, the assertion was distinct: She was rising from the ashes, shedding the pores and skin of the trauma that had encased her, and declaring an period of dominance for the relaxation of this Incredibly hot Girl Summertime, just one stage at a time.