North Carolina artist Toosii stopped in Toronto for a sold out show at History. Here’s SHIFTER’s Kevin Bourne with his Toosii concert review.
Tonight, Syracuse/North Carolina artist Toosii stopped in Toronto as he performed in front of a sold out crowd at HISTORY. It was a full circle moment for the rapper who recalled being booed off the stage his first time in Canada.
He treated to fans to some from across his catalogue including his 2020 tracks “Back From The Dead”, “Inside Out”, “Reminiscing”, “Love Cycle” and “Euphoria” with its rock elements, to newer singles like “Sinking”, his unreleased track “Pretender”, which is gaining steam on TikTok, and of course his hit record “Favorite Song”. that’s playing on radio stations everywhere.
Seeing him on stage, there are a few things that make Toosii special. First, his ability to crossover into other genres. From his production to his sometimes raspy vocals, he’s able to appeal to a wide audience as he explores rock and pop sounds. He’s also a gifted and thoughtful songwriter who clearly has something to say.
But what gives Toosii an edge over his peers is his crowd engagement. He’s built an intimate relationship with his fans and that was on display on Thursday night. From bringing them on stage to acknowledging long-time, day one Toosii fans, he knows how to include his audience in his show when other young artists struggle with building that connection. He even mentioned earlier he wanted a “shorty for the night” to come back stage and mentioned someone told him he needed a “battery ting”, ingratiating himself even more with the Toronto crowd.
Where the show fell a bit flat is that it’s still similar to those of other artists. Yes, there are things Toosii does better than others, but in the end, melodic rap and genre bending production has so oversaturated the market that it’s starting to sound the same. In other words, after attending a number of shows, it’s getting a little boring and artists are struggling to really stand out creatively. And while Toosii does have some bangers, he could’ve done a better job of mixing up the tempos of his songs to create an even more engaging show.
Still, Toosi is the kind of artist you can’t help but root for. He delivered a solid show and is a good live performer who resonates with audiences and at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
SHIFTER editor, Kevin Bourne, is a Toronto-based entertainment journalist focusing on music and film & TV. He was recently named one of 310 international voters for the 81st Golden Globe Awards by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and a Tomatometer-Approved Critic by Rotten Tomatoes.
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