R&B singer and songwriter R. Kelly shined at his concert Thursday night at the Baton Rouge River Center.
Women of all ages glowed as they waited anxiously to hear Robert Kelly take the stage. This was Kelly’s second time coming to Baton Rouge for Valentine’s Day, and the crowd chanted “R. Kelly!, R Kelly!” anxiously for his arrival.
Kelly took stage at around 10:15 p,m, with a debonair demeanor that had all women shouting his praises. He said to the crowd, “Are you happy to be here?” and kicked it off with the some of his older songs.
He asked the crowd if he could “get real with them for a bit” and said that they needed to make some noise for if they were real R. Kelly fans. During R. Kelly performances, it is not odd for panties to be flung onto the stage to get Kelly’s attention, and this concert was no exception.
Kelly broke into his song “Bump N’ Grind” after interacting with some ladies in the audience, shouting to the crowd, “My mind is telling me no but my body is telling me yes!”
Engaging with the crowd, Kelly grabbed a towel to wipe his face, and then gave it to a woman he allowed to wipe his face. Then Kelly joked that she couldn’t wipe well.
Kelly’s energy was felt floor to the nosebleeds. He acknowledged everyone in the building and gave a shout out to the people at the top. He said that being in the business for 25 years has been a blessing, and that his fans are his blessing.
Kelly created a romantic atmosphere that added to the Valentine’s theme of the concert by flirting with the women in the audience and making them feel special with his use of vivid diction.
He then began to get things hyped up with his song with Young Jeezy, “Go Getta.” Kelly made sure to not only appeal to his majority female audience but the males in the room as well.
Kelly discussed his recent album “Black Panties,” and he asked the crowd what their favorite song on the album was called. One woman had Oreos in her hand in reference to “Cookies,” a song on the album.
Kelly also sang a capella and shared a poem with the audience about how he wanted his lyrics to “wind up a woman.”
Kelly then begin to get emotional before singing his song, “ I Believe I Can Fly.” He speaks in the song about staying motivated and the meaning of true love.
Kelly then concluded with one of his most famous hits “Step In The Name of the Love.” He encouraged the audience to sway their hands to get into the song.
Kelly created a love paradise for many couples, and even women who wanted to have a ladies night out. He even also showed a sincere and motivational side of himself to the audience. Kelly’s concert was filled with much excitement and flair that had the whole audience filled with Kelly’s words.