Stevie Wonder returns to London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the most important and influential albums of all time.
The European tour, which kicked off in Birmingham in mid-October, has been sold out since tickets were first announced. The O2 hosts the first of two London dates before the tour heads to Glasgow next week, ahead of its North American leg, which runs until December.
Prior to the show, the audience was already expecting to embark on a memorable musical journey. But no one can prepare you for just how unique the experience really is. After all, it's Stevie Wonder, accompanied by some of the best musicians in the world, performing one of the greatest albums of all time.
The show opened with a monologue in Stevie's voice, asking the crowd to close their eyes and experience the world as he does. Out of the pitch black, an all-star band featuring strings, brass, percussion, keyboards and backing singers erupted into the opening track of Songs in the Key of Life, ‘Love's in Need of Love Today’. ‘Good morn’ or evening friends, here’s your friendly announcer’, Stevie greeted the audience, seated at his keyboard and taking centre stage in a diamond-studded suit. Suddenly, the whole O2 lit up in the presence of a legend.
For much of the first act, the setlist stayed remarkably faithful to the album's tracklist, with the musical arrangements remaining true to the original recordings.
From the quirky ‘Have a Talk with God’, featuring his son Mandla Morris, to the baroque ‘Village Ghetto Land’ and the jazz-fusion of ‘Contusion’, not a single note was out of place. The same could be said of Stevie's voice, which seemed as powerful and effortless as ever.
The crowd couldn't help but get swept up by the uplifting brass of ‘Sir Duke’ and the groovy basslines and rhythms of ‘I Wish’, finally getting out of their seats to sing and dance along.
It was interesting to see which songs resonated most with the audience. From ‘Pastime Paradise’, one of the most famously sampled songs ever, to ‘Knocks Me Off My Feet’, a touching ballad, there was something for everyone, even those with less familiar or broader musical tastes.
The band went on an extended jam, showcasing their individual skills, with Stevie freestyling on the harmonica and reminding everyone that he's not just a gifted pianist and singer. He then asked the solo violinist to play specifically in G-flat, before nodding towards a brief rendition of ‘Billie Jean’.
‘Summer Soft’ was one of the highlights of the night. Stevie starts singing softly, but as the song progresses and shifts to a higher key, his vocal range follows effortlessly, never missing a note. It then evolves into a free-flowing, frantic organ solo, with the keyboard player hitting the notes like an office intern filing a last-minute report.
Playful and always in good spirits, Stevie joked with his bandmates and imitated a British accent, getting the whole venue laughing. He then ended the first part of the show with ‘Ebony Eyes’ before heading into the interval.
The first act alone was enough to prove his legendary status, but plenty more was saved for the second half.
When he returned, he delivered a message of love and togetherness, dedicating ‘Isn't She Lovely’ to all the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters. Once again, the O2 rose to its feet, tapping along, singing passionately and waving their arms in the air. It was a moment of pure joy and one of the most warmly received performances of the night.
For much of the second half, the show continued with some of the longer tracks from the second part of Songs in the Key of Life, including the gospel-infused ‘Joy Inside My Tears’, featuring another of Stevie's finest vocal performances, the political ‘Black Man’, and the moving ‘If It's Magic’, accompanied by beautiful harp playing that left the crowd mesmerised and listening attentively throughout.
Suddenly, Stevie seemed to become aware of the time. ‘How much time we got? 30 minutes?’ he jokingly asked. However, he didn't rush through ‘As’, another crowd favourite. The audience stood singing along, and from that moment onwards, no one sat down again.
He then brought one of his younger daughters, Zaiah Morris, onstage to sing a cover of ‘Imagine’, and took the opportunity to wish a happy birthday to everyone celebrating, leading the crowd into a rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’.
‘12 minutes,’ Stevie reminded us, just as it felt like the show was only getting started. The solution was a medley of hits, featuring ‘My Cherie Amour’, ‘I Just Called to Say I Love You’ and ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)’, before ending triumphantly with ‘Superstition’.
Time seemed to fly by during the roughly three hours the show lasted. The night was about celebrating Songs in the Key of Life, and despite having performed the entire album, there was a feeling in the air that the show could have gone on for at least another two hours, and everyone would have been more than happy with that.
With a career spanning more than six decades, one might wonder whether a farewell tour could be on the horizon. However, judging by this performance, I'd say that moment might still be some way off.
There aren’t many artists nowadays who could deliver a show of this magnitude and reach the hearts of so many people. In the end, there was a shared feeling that it had been more than a gig; it was a celebration of friendship, family, love and life through music.