John Legend can safely say he’s on to something.
He definitely knew how to get the crowd going, and get the response he no doubt wanted.
From the moment he walked on stage at Wildey Gynasium on Tuesday night and opened with Used To Love You, there were ooooohs, aaaaahs and shrieks of all kinds.
Women who are normally composed and collected, were giddy with excitement.
And as the drums began to beat, hearts began to pulse.
Love was in the air.
Chieneka Alleyne, of Club Morgan, St Michael, was under the John Legend’s magic. “It was excellent. It gave me goose bumps. I’m excited…”.
Candace Possee was also another excited fan in the audience.
Candace, who Legend brought on stage from the audience, indulgently draped her arms around the Grammy Award musician as he sang to her.
“His music was orgasmic,” said another female fan who preferred to remain nameless.
Many arms reached out to Legend, cameras in hand, as if extended they would be able to touch him.
And as Legend sang many of his hit singles such as This Time, Everybody Knows, and Good Morning, his voice reached out into the audience and touched people in various ways.
His voice was what Bianca Cooke, of Maxwell, Christ Church, said she loved most. “I’m really impressed when I go to a concert and the artist is almost as good as they are on CD. To me, he was almost the same or even better than on the CD. He delivered the goods. He was fantastic. I loved his vocal range”.
“He was a prodigy, so I think [playing the piano] comes as second nature to him,” she added.
Legend’s ability to passionately belt out romantic lyrics while, simultaneously, beautifully caressing the piano keys created a musical moment that left people feeling they just had an intimate experience.
The yells and screams and shouts of desire only got louder when Legend came back on stage for an encore baring his arms in a black vest.
And as he sang Ordinary People, even the hardest heart would have had a hard time not feeling the highs and lows of love.
“I feel great. He’s personable. He interacts with the audience,” said Lorna Jones of Heddings, St Philip as she sat basking in the after-effects of the experience.
But it wasn’t only women who appreciated the show.
With his girlfriend on his lap, Kyle Walks, of Chimborazo, St Joseph said it was perfect. “The vibe tonight was real good. Philip 7 and Masala [who opened the show] set it up nice and John just carried it through. His performance was long and he did all the hits and even some I didn’t know.”
Walks’ girlfriend Nneka Nicholas, of Wanstead Terrace, St Michael agreed. “It was overwhelming,” she said.
Legend told the crowd it was his first time in Barbados and asked if he was invited back.
He didn’t even have to ask. The feelings he evoked guaranteed that he would be welcome back anytime.
