WHO: Erykah Badu and the Roots
WHAT: A performance of a medley of Baduâs âOn & Onâ and Fela Kutiâs âSorrow, Tears, and Bloodâ on The Tonight Show
WHY ITâS SO GREAT: Badu is one of popâs most singular talents: a true-blue musical weirdo whoâs got artistry with a capital A (evident in her Tonight Show hairstyle alone). Thatâs true almost anywhere you see her, whether sheâs showing up in Texas to DJ at a club as her alter ego, Lo Down Loretta Brown, headlining a theater tour, or popping up on Fallon with her old pals The Roots to promote her curation of the last installment in a box set of the work of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti. Thereâs a command to her as a performer thatâs thrilling to watch, and itâs on full display in this performance.
At this point, Badu is two decades into her career. Sheâs got a legacy as an artist that extends well beyond her salesâthe trail she blazed has been followed closely by stars like BeyoncĂ©, Solange, Drake, and Janelle Monaeâand that kind of legacy can overshadow an artistâs own greatness. Is she a vital, breathing artist whose work is independently valuable, or does she exist primarily to serve as a wing on the grand estate that is BeyoncĂ©âs career, one that appears on the directory under âinfluencesâ? In five minutes on Fallon, Badu, teaming up with The Rootsâa group that may never have broken through to mainstream success had she not lent her voice to âYou Got Meââmakes clear how ridiculous it is to even ask that question. Erykah Badu is a titanic performerâitâs impossible to take your eyes off of her when sheâs on stage.
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