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Live Review: J Balvin and SOFI TUKKER at Rod Laver Arena
4 September 2024
SOFI TUKKER waste no time in getting the party started with their infectious energy as they bring their feel-goodLatin-inspired electronic dance music to the stage.
They’ve got a brand-new album BREAD (Be Really Energetic And Dance) and they’re ready with Throw Some Ass to warm up our asses as we shake it along with them and their choreographed dancers from Bob’s Dance Shop (Kameron with a K and Lucas Hive).
“I had such a bad back for so long and I didn’t know what to do. I went to all sorts of doctors and physiotherapists, and nothing was helping and then I had Lucas Hive (dancer) teach me how to throw my ass and all of a sudden, my back pain went away – so we wrote this song about it,” explains female vocals Sophie Hawley-Weld. She continues a choreographed routine with plenty of ass-shaking on display.
The stage is framed with columns decorated with loaves of bread goods to keep with the theme and the bright coloured visual displays change to the beat of the music.
Their next song Goddess In Disguise, is a test to see how many Brazilians are in the crowd and in no time at all the dancefloor ignites as the sounds of Brazilian brass fills the room and it’s impossible not to be swept up in the groove-inducing tune.
Tucker Halpern cues up the sirens as they unleash their dancefloor classic Emergency and Hawley-Weld plays a game of ‘Sophie Says’ with us for a bit of fun through the bridge.We follow along with all the actions in response.
SOFI TUKKER’s set feels like they’re the headliner of the night and certainly get the crowd pumped up and excited. They round out with a few more new songs including Woofand Jacaré before they push things a bit harder for a big finale with Purple Hat and old favourite Drinkee.
Dramatic visuals introduce the ‘Que Bueno Volver a VerteTour’ concept of an alien invasion contacting Earth before J Balvin arrives on stage. A voiceover says, “Their message, translated, is clear and concise…VAMOS A FUCKING ROMPERLA! (Let’s Fucking Party!)” The words flash up on the screen before the stage transforms into a futuristic tower with J Balvin standing between two vertical pillars.
Balvin is a Colombian singer and one of the biggest-selling Latin artists of all time. Even if we don’t entirely understand what he’s saying, it doesn’t matter because he is an incredible showman, and his music is a universal language that can be enjoyed by anyone around the world.
Starting off with his huge hit Mi Gente, his set is non-stop with more than 30 tracks combining Latin-pop, reggaeton, hip-hop and EDM, he powers through one after another, never losing pace and continuing to build momentum. He includespopular covers, samples, features and some new tracks from his latest release Rayo.
Balvin’s impressive live show with a sci-fi lens features an entourage of backup dancers dressed as otherworldly creatures who follow him around the stage whilst performing a fast-paced choreography routine.
The electrifying show is a huge dance party with audience moving along until the very end and captivated by a vibrant stage presence, stunning visuals and an infectious energy to celebrate Latin music and culture.
Words by Michael Prebeg
