Photo credit: Ella Schwartz

Drake and 21 Savage perform at the Forum Aug. 16. Their concert was high-energy and iconic, lighting the venue up with music and fun.

Disclaimer: Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour setlist may not be appropriate for younger audiences, as it includes explicit language and references violence, drugs and sexual themes. 

The tour name, It’s All a Blur, was rather unfitting, in my opinion, because the night I saw Drake live for the first time was anything but a blur.

Drake receiving a giant pink bra and giving out a Birkin Bag were two things I sure didn’t think were going to happen at his tour because they are absolutely wild. Am I surprised they did? Absolutely not. I mean, I expected nothing but greatness and lots of surprises from Drake and 21 Savage.

I didn’t know what to expect from Drake’s openers, but I was pleasantly surprised. My friends and I laughed and teased each other at the first opener, Sexxy Red. Even though we didn’t know many songs of her songs, her stage presence was entertaining, and I had fun watching her perform. 

Next, Zack Bia, a DJ and producer, made his way to the DJ booth alongside Lil Yachty. From “Party In The USA” by Miley Cyrus to “Sprinter” by Central Cee, Bia hyped up the crowd as we prepared for Aubrey Drake Graham to appear on stage.  

Finally, escorted by security, Drake made his way through a crowd of 17,000 people to begin his long-awaited show. Meanwhile, a young Drake lookalike arose from under the stage. Sitting on an ordinary couch, the Drake lookalike proceeded to take a hit out of a bong and hand the real Drake a notebook when he finally reached his stage.

“Look What You’ve Done” began to play as Drake read the lyrics in the book to the younger version of himself. “Look What You’ve Done” was the perfect song to start the show because it is arguably one of his most detailed and meaningful songs. It explains an argument Drake had with his mother the night before he flew to Los Angeles to record his first demo. 

Drake then got up from the couch and told the audience how he knows when his “O.G. fans are in the room,” and that he expects us to know all of the words to his old songs. He then sang “Wu-Tang Forever” and “Marvin’s Room,” two classics. 

I was most excited when I heard the first chord of “Feel No Ways,” one of my personal favorites. Out of all 48 songs Drake sang. The best songs had to be “Headlines,” “Gods Plan,” “Childs Play,” “Work,” “Massive” and “Jimmy Cooks,” among many others. 

Vibrant colors and beams lit up the stadium. Drake stood upon a glowing, box-shaped stage that projected different animations throughout the show.

The energy of the crowd stayed at a constant 100% throughout the entire show. Whether Drake was performing a slower song or screaming the words into his microphone, the crowd was yelling and moshing throughout each banger. 

I may have gotten my hopes up before the show, as I wished Drake would have brought out a special guest as he did at many other of his shows. Yet, I cannot complain, as this concert was one of the best I’ve ever been to.

After Drake performed most of the setlist, 21 Savage made his way through the crowd and onto the stage for his section of the show.

With a flashy outfit and a lot less enthusiasm than Drake, 21 did not set my expectations high. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that he was a great singer, and I was excited that I knew most of the songs on his setlist. My favorites out of his set were “10 Freaky Girls,” “Rockstar,” “a lot” and “Mr. Rightnow.”

Yes, 21 Savage may have just stood in one place on stage rapping his songs, but that didn’t dull the energy of the crowd. Excitement roared from the audience as Drake joined him back on stage to perform songs from their album together, “Her Loss.” The two sang “On BS,” “Spin Bout U,” “Jimmy Cooks” and “Rich Flex.” All four songs fit the vibe of the concert well, and Drake and 21’s voices blended together just as they did on the album recordings: perfectly. 

Drake had a few surprises for this L.A. show. He played a few minutes of one of his new unreleased songs, and earlier in the show, his father sent up a massive pink bra with a note inside reading, “Dad’s wishing big things for you. I love you,” among other words of encouragement.

After a night of screaming, rapping, dancing and even a few tears, it was time to make our way back to our car. Merch in hand and voice gone, I am able to confidently say Drake’s It’s All a Blur Tour may have been one of the best nights of my life. 

Even if you are not a Drake fan or have only listened to a few of his songs, the It’s All A Blur Tour would still be absolutely worth it.