Rolling Loud Portugal: the mask of the past does not hide the present of Future (or how the festival deserved another ending)
Futuro had accounts to render to the Portuguese public. In 2017, it disappointed Super Bock Super Rock with a poor and disinterested performance. Five years later, he returns to Portugal as the last headliner of the first European edition of Rolling Loud. This adds to the responsibility of closing the festival with the best. For an artist of your size, is that too much to ask?
TJ Banks asks, in turn, that the public express their desire to receive the American rapper. It’s the DJ who’s in charge of anticipating on the Loud Stage — and serving the purpose with the forecast, as he quickly passes from Rae Sremmur to Pop Smoke. A few minutes after the night, Future steps into the midfield with his white Nike Air Force 1s (“so fresh and so clean”…), the checkered stage, the oversized velvet shirt and the characteristic sun through the eyes, an audience composed of “real fans”.
As for the “day one fans”, Future dedicates “Bugatti”, before going through the famous songs like “Thought It Was a Drought”, “For Everyone Now”, or “New Level”. Early appealana and Young Thug — arrested following the so-called “RICO Charges”, involvement that all affiliates of YSL, the group of these two artists — and asks for strength for the comrades with “pushin P”. There’s no ref that the audience doesn’t dominate and despite the Atlanta rapper’s delivery, the crowd gathered for this final lap is on his side looking like it.
But the spectacle that had been on the rise is suddenly. Apparently, and regardless of the warnings reinforced by Tariq Cherif (co-founder of Rolling Loud) throughout the third day of the festival, the safety of the festival is, once again, at public risk. Again, you are asked to take a massive step back. The Portuguese flags do not retreat and remain hovering on the surface of the human surface. Palmas and olés drive the new start of the show; but Future’s return comes with rust in probability, the artist loses his pulse on the audience and the pace of the performance drops to low-intensity levels.
Lil Uzi Vert resurfaces on the main stage, right after his unusual performance, and joins Future for “Drankin N Smokin”. And there it is for a few more. His entry on the stage promised a new peak, but not even the festive spirit of this unpredictable artist can change the thing: after Uzi Vert “throws himself” to the front row, they both gather in the center, dancing — and not singing — along “Top Shotta” sound.
“Fuck Up Some Commas” enters Future’s time to recover from the lost glow in the meantime. “I wasn’t going to do this tonight but”… Portugal deserves it. “Mask Off” is the one that stands out as the best moment of the concert. It could have come this way, that everything had just been. However, Future still bets on Drake with “Wait For U” and “Way 2 Sexy” to win over the audience. He misses the last opportunities of a dignified exit and lets himself stay for a few more songs in quick jumps. He says goodbye with “LOVE YOU BETTER”, out of tune and already with a large crowd dispersed by step. We are not in love with this concert. Yes, we died on the beach.