Trey Songz 
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sobe Live, Miami Beach
Better Than: Anything I could have expected, given the hectic nature of Memorial Day Weekend.
The Review:
On Memorial Day Weekend the streets of South Beach were full of culture, excitement, and overall craziness, and the same could be said for the venues on the strip. Sobe Live, on the lower part of Washington Avenue, has increasingly hosted high-profile events, and Sunday night was no exception. The club featured a performance by R&B sensation Trey Songz, who played to a packed house and delivered a night that nobody in attendance will soon forget.
Just after 11 p.m., the buzz in the club was already building. South Florida natives were hand in hand with out of towners from Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, and elsewhere, and the vibe was great. Songz' performance was still hours away, so the raucous clubgoers were left to entertain themselves, dancing boisterously to the DJ's tracks and creating a contagious energy.
Those lucky enough to be in V.I.P. were surrounded by bottles of Corona and Grey Goose, with lavish furniture and resting spots at every corner. Those who were on the dance floor were equally as pleased, however, as they got to soak up every ounce of freedom from not having to work the following day.
As the night moved forward, the DJ repeatedly asked the crowd if they were ready for Songz' arrival, to which he received an overwhelming response: "Yes!" Finally, a little after 2 a.m., word spread that Songz was indeed in the building and people in the club -- mostly the women to be honest -- began getting extremely hyped.
Songz finally took the stage around 2:45. And he did so in style, passing out free bottles of Patron and Grey Goose. Luckily for him, the crowd was already in a great mood, so there wasn't much pressure on him -- he was able to just live in the moment and let his words speak for themselves. Surrounded in close range by females, the young artist seemed to be right at home with everything.
Songz started off by singing over Ace Hood's "Ride," on which he was featured last year, and followed that up by prompting the DJ to spin his track "Successful." Popular songs "This is the Life" and "In Ya Phone," followed and you could clearly see the connection that Songz had with the audience. Finally came biggest hit to date, "Can't Help But Wait," and it was this song that sparked the biggest response. All in all, Songz would end up busting out about eight tracks, with much of his time in between songs spent catering to his adoring female fans.
Every artist has his or her niche, and there is no question that Songz is a ladies' man at heart. Still fresh into his career at only 24 years of age, Songz hasn't
reached international stardom, and is still working on building his roll call of hit songs. Still, he's blessed with good looks, undeniable talent, and enough charisma to pull everything together, and was able to command the stage with an effortless flow. When the dust had settled, Songz walked away with a solid performance that was based on the strength of his vocals and his ability to read an audience. Songz still has plenty of time on his side, and he is surely putting in the proper work towards becoming one of the finer lyrical talents in the game.
Critic's Notebook
Personal Bias: I was hooked on Songz' 2007 ballad "Can't Help But Wait," and perhaps already had my praise ready beforehand.
Random Detail: Sobe Live had an electric energy, and the club was spacious enough so that people weren't tripping on top of one another.
By the Way: Songz' forthcoming album, Ready, is expected to drop on August 4. Rumored guest stars include Ne-Yo, Drake, Fabolous, Chris Brown, and the Game.
-- Chris Robinson
