Perth turned up the heat on Friday night as Fridayz Live rolled into town, transforming Langley Park into a time capsule of pure 2000s nostalgia and chart-topping R&B glory.
From Mariah Carey's glittering vocals to Pitbull's infectious party anthems, and Wiz Khalifa's smooth swagger, the night (24 October) was a seamless blend of eras, energy and attitude.
Even the rainy weather couldn't dampen the mood, a sea of ponchos and Pitbull look-alikes, bald caps gleaming beneath the drizzle as we relived the soundtrack of our youth. As thousands of fans entered Langley Park, the storm clouds didn't scare anyone off (if anything they added to the charge).
Image © Mushroom Creative House
The park, turned into a one-night-only festival, was thick with anticipation as the air felt alive with humidity, nostalgia and chaos. When the first bassline hit, the distance between past and present dissolved and Perth's heartbeat synced to the rhythm of a decade it never quite let go of.
With the crowd buzzing and ready to dive into the night, Jordin Sparks was first up. Gracing the crowd with her powerhouse vocals, as her voice cut through the drizzling rain and sent a wave of warmth through our hearts. Hearing those familiar lyrics from 'One Step At A Time' reminded us 'there's no need to rush'.
Jordin Sparks - image © Mushroom Creative House
Her effortless presence anchored the crowd as we travelled back to the golden era of 2000s pop-R&B with every note she sang. Singing fan favourites like 'Tattoo' and 'Art Of Love' felt like opening a time capsule for us to belt along the lyrics with her.
Ending with the vocal dynamo song 'No Air', everyone echoing back 'how am I supposed to breathe with no air', the crowd exhaled as one, hearts filled by this soulful source. Jordin's presence was magnetic; commanding the crowd with effortless grace and reminding everyone why her voice once defined a generation of airwaves.
When Tinie Tempah grabbed the mic, the atmosphere shifted; suddenly the drizzle felt distant and the energy inside the stadium shifted into gear. With the opening beats of his anthem 'Earthquake' echoing across the crowd, he summoned legions of voices to chant back the chorus in unison, turning the masses into one pulsating organism.
Tracks like 'Miami 2 Ibiza' and 'Written In The Stars' followed, each bringing a storm of strobes and smiles, the kind of chart-dusty hits that had the night feeling equal parts throwback and fresh.
Tempah's swagger and London-bred charm filled every corner of the venue; he was the catalyst for a full-on celebration. In true celebratory style, 'Drinking From The Bottle' hit the crowd like a time capsule cracking open. Suddenly it was 2012 again; a throwback to house parties, sticky floors and nights blurred into sunrise.
Tinie Tempah - image © Mushroom Creative House
Once 'Girls Like' hit, the ponchos had come off and the party hit its stride to a flirtatious burst of rhythm and swagger that had everyone grooving. Tinie left the stage with that signature grin, his set a reminder that confidence, charisma and a catalogue of hits never go out of style.
Eve stormed the stage with the confidence of a legend reclaiming her throne. The now even larger crowd roared with a rush of raw power when she launched into 'Who's That Girl?', the audience erupted, voices rising in unison like a tidal wave of 2000s memories.
If anyone in the crowd was asking 'who is this girl?', Eve was here to show them; with ease, each lyric landing with that unmistakable bold, playful and unapologetic edge. She blew our minds with another one of her well-known hits 'Let Me Blow Ya Mind', her presence spellbinding, commanding the stage while connecting directly with every person in the park.
When the opening notes of 'Rich Girl' dropped, the crowd lost it to a collective flashback to low-rise jeans, flip phones and 'Rage' on repeat. Every 'na-na-na' echoed like muscle memory, a reminder of when pop and hip hop ruled side by side.
When the DMX medley 'Slippin/ Get It On the Floor/ Where The Hood At/ Party Up' hit, the mood shifted from smooth pop-girly to pure grit. The crowd erupted, fists in the air, every beat a thunderclap of tribute and adrenaline. By the time she exited, the roar that followed was a celebration of her legacy and the fact it still felt so damn fresh.
Lil Jon - image © Mushroom Creative House
Lil Jon stormed the stage like a human exclamation mark; one shout and the entire stadium went off. The familiar opening beat of 'Get Crunk' sent the sea of bald caps and ponchos into a frenzy. Fans felt out of their minds as they exploded with energy when 'Outta Your Mind' blasted through the speakers.
As the downpour thickened, so did the energy as the crowd lost themselves to the beat and sound of Lil Jon's iconic 'Yeah!'. The heavier rain, not seeming to deter anyone in the grounds, fuelled the fire even more as 'Shots' detonated like a party grenade. Echoes of cheers and salutes bound through the crowd as we all sang along to the club hit classic.
With everyone feeling amped all the way up, Lil Jon with another honorary 'Yeah!' launched into 'All The Way Up' for his final track of his set. The vibe was unhinged electric chaos in the best way, no one in the crowd was holding back now as we all half-yelled, half-sang along to a song that soundtracked many grimey party nights.
What a powerful presence Lil Jon held onstage, he radiated pure command with every moment as every shout felt instinctive: a man utterly absorbed in the madness he'd created for the thousands of fans dripping on his every word.
Wiz Khalifa strode onstage with his laid-back swagger that belied the impact of what was about to unfold. Rolling into the opening seconds of 'Roll Up' he wove between mellow rap grooves and blasting anthems.
'Black And Yellow' turned the soaked stadium into one giant sing-along as we sang back the lyrics that held many a party memory. His flow felt effortless, the mic his partner in crime, as strobe lights flashed, speakers crackled slightly and the rain-swept crowd answered every shoutout.
Quieting the beat to let the fans carry his chorus of 'Young, Wild & Free' with a rare pause in a set built on momentum. By the time he closed, Wiz had woven his confidence into a collective experience, the kind of set that made you feel both relaxed and electrified at once.
Wiz Khalifa - image © Mushroom Creative House
It was time for Perth to turn Pitbull as Mr. Worldwide took to the stage. Screams echoed across the crowd and it was clear who the masses had come to see. A sea of bald-head caps, white shirts and aviators shimmered under the rain like disco-ball domes, everyone was ready to party with Pitbull.
Kicking off with 'Don't Stop The Party' it was clear throughout the crowd that no one had any intentions of doing so. 'Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)' ignited the soggy crowd into a five-star fiesta. As 'Hotel Room Service' lit up the sea of Pitbulls, we all barked in unison along with Mr. Worldwide.
When 'I Like It' dropped, the energy shifted from party mode to full-blown flirtation as Pitbull prowled the stage with slick Miami precision, all charm and hips.
Pitbull - image © Mushroom Creative House
As he took us through the club hit tracks of the 2000s, every lyric highlighted another memory. 'Gasolina' poured straight onto the fire Pitbull had already lit as a combustible mix of hips and heat that had Perth running on fumes of euphoria.
We were having the time of our lives as Pitbull graced us with 'Time Of Our Lives' after speaking to the power of being believed in and how it can change anyone's life. With the fire of the crowd fully stoked, Mr. Worldwide jumped into 'Fireball' as everyone jumped with excitement, hanging off every move, groove and lyric that came from the stage.
It was clear once again that nobody throws a paw-ty quite like Pitbull. Ending his immense set with 'Give Me Everything', we were in awe of this icon, screams coming his way from every part of the crowd. Beaming smiles and cheers were everywhere in the crowd, rain be damned, this dog's day out was legendary.
Pitbull - image © Mushroom Creative House
With a notable tempo change, the queen of high notes Mariah Carey took the stage. At this stage a lot of the crowd (mostly those dressed as Pitbull) decided to end their night after the party legend's set, suddenly the park felt a little more sparse.
It didn't seem to phase the pop deity's true fans though as those around us sung at the top of their voice to 'Emotions' and 'Touch My Body'. Mariah was standing strong and her voice was even stronger, hitting every note with ease.
With equal parts soft-touch and power she gracefully moved into 'Always Be My Baby' with the fans not missing a lyric as they hung on her every word. Her vocals soared effortlessly above the storm, every run, riff, and pause perfectly placed like 'Sugar Sweet'.
She knew what we wanted when she stepped into 'I Know What You Want', flirting with the crowd as we swayed along to her beautiful ballads. Turning it up a notch, next we heard a personal favourite of mine, 'Shake It Off', helping us all to shake off the last of drizzling rain.
Time seemed to stand still as she ended her set with 'We Belong Together', cracking open the hearts of her adoring fans. As the final notes rang out, Mariah didn't so much leave the stage as ascend from it in a vision of mist and stunning diva energy.
The Fridayz Live crowd stood in awe, emotional and entertained from a pop pilgrimage. A very different vibe to end on compared to the amped up party tracks we had heard earlier in the night, it seemed like the crowd had really come for the man of the hour and the man of the world, Pitbull, and enjoyed the journey through throwbacks to the early 2000s era of R&B.
With Mariah ending the night of nostalgia, we were nicely wound down to make our way home. From slick party anthems to soaring vocals, Fridayz Live gave us all a moment to relive it, loud and proud. Soaked by not just the rain but the drip of dope tunes we'd had the pleasure of witnessing – definitely one for the memory books. More photos from the concert.
