On Sunday, April 13th, the Millennium Tour returned to South Florida, where fans (namely millennials) packed out the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise to see some of the hottest acts from the early 2000s. The lineup included marquee headliners and newcomers, such as Bow Wow, Omarion, Trey Songz, Plies, Boosie, Ying Yang Twins, R&B supergroup RSVP (Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V and Pleasure P) and special guest Rick Ross. Notably missing from this stop was R&B songstress Nivea, who’s best known for her 2003 Grammy-nominated hit, “Don’t Mess With My Man.”
As fans clad in early 2000s fashion filled the dome, the concert opened with the Atlanta Hip-Hop duo Ying Yang Twins setting the energy with throwback club anthems like “Wait (The Whisper Song),” “Whistle While Yuh Twerk,” and “Get Low.” Their short set transported fans back to 2000s heydays, a time defined by club photo shoots, Motorola Razr flip phones, and velour track suits.
The tone slowed down for R&B supergroup RSVP. The newly minted group, consisting of Ray J, Sammie, Bobby V, and Pleasure P, performed their most popular solo hits alongside one another for an experience that felt disjointed at times. Sammie and Pleasure P (formerly 1/4 of Miami-based group Pretty Ricky) paid homage to their South Florida roots, performing nostalgic tracks like “I Like It,” “Come with Me,” “Did You Wrong,” and “Under,” respectively.
Ray J surprised the crowd by opting to emerge from the stands instead of the stage. He sang his career-defining single, “One Wish,” among a sea of fans who belted word for word alongside his vocals. Shortly after, Bobby V wrapped up their set with the chorus from Lil Wayne’s “Mrs. Officer.”
Boosie took the torch from RSVP as he ignited the stage with back-to-back bangers like “Wipe Me Down,” “Independent,” and “Set it Off.” Right after him, surprise guest Rick Ross proved he’s the biggest boss in his hometown, breezing through a sparkly set of “Ashton Martin Music,” “Diced Pineapples,” and “B.M.F.” He brought out the newest signee to his Maybach Music Group outfit, Nino Breeze, to perform his recent single, “New Era 8.”
Rick Ross’ set was trailed by another homegrown titan, Plies. His diamond encrusted jewelry and pants glistened as bright as his performance. He bounced from hit-to-hit, coalescing the crowd’s energy with throwbacks like “Shawty,” “Bust It Baby,” “Wasted,” and “Hypnotized.” His performance was one of the more memorable sets of the night as he revitalized his biggest anthems from the 2000s to 2010s.
Former boy band heartthrob and co-headliner, Omarion, brought a full production to the stage. Flanked by a band, dancers, and his brother O’Ryan as his DJ, he recaptured his early 2000s appeal with succinct choreography and smooth vocals. He pop locked and pleaded his case throughout a set, featuring his smashes “O,” “Touch,” and “Ice Box.” His brother O’Ryan held the energy with a riddim-tinged R&B set before he returned to the stage with a yellow and black matching set. He closed his set with a mashup of remixes and B2K’s number one hit, “Bump, Bump, Bump.”
The child-star to adult rockstar performances continued as Bow Wow took to the stage to blaze through his iconic discography. He took fans back to teenage crushes and love letters with “Shawty Like Mine” and reminded the crowd of his young prodigy days with “Bow Wow (That’s My Name)” and “Bounce with Me.” He Harlem shaked through “Take Ya Home” and stole the spotlight on “Let Me Hold You” and “Like You.” His buoyant performance reminded fans why he was the undefeated Mr. 106 & Park back in the day. His talent and hits remain undeniable.
Closing out the night on a sensual note, Trey Songz sang through a sexy setlist of his most notable R&B hits. He appeared on stage with a black striped matching outfit, but it wouldn’t be long before he teased the crowd by taking off his jacket and eventually his black tank top, revealing that his vocals aren’t the only thing that hasn’t changed much. Mr. Panty Dropper AKA Mr. Steal Your Girl defended his reigning titles with flirty tracks like the intro to his acclaimed “Ready” album, “Panty Droppa,” “I Invented Sex,” and “Can’t Help But Wait.” After he seduced the crowd to “Jupiter Love,” he brought out Pompano Beach rapper Loe Shimmy for a surprise performance of his recent single “For Me” featuring Brent Faiyaz. Songz switched tones to close out his headlining performance with his club smash “Bottoms Up.”
The finale was a fitting end to a mostly exciting show that revived an iconic era for some of the most popular Hip Hop and R&B acts of the millennium.
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