21 Savage is a young rapper from Atlanta, Georgia who gained prominence in 2016 through two mixtapes; The Slaughter Tape and Savage Mode. He is reputed for his dark, musical traps and uncompromising lyrical themes that depict violence and gangsterism. In 2017 21 Savage began his first headlining tour across North America, which was named the “Issa Tour” of his debut studio album. In early 2018, he revealed a much bigger show titled the “American Dream Tour. ” This tour involved him giving live performances in large halls in the United States and Canada to support his second studio record, I Am Greater Than I Was.
American Dream Tour was held for 34 shows from late 2018 to early 2019. The tour began in Dallas and passed through key cities such as Houston, Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Atlanta, Vancouver, and many others before concluding in Los Angeles. Growing fame of 21 Savage, the fans were very eager to see him and listen to his popular hits as well as songs from the new album American Dream Tour.
List of songs performed by 21 Savage in the American Dream Tour Gathering from the multiple reviewed setlists from different venues of 21 Savage’s extensive American Dream tour as the headliner, it was observed that 21 Savage’s setlist did not change drastically on the multi-month tour across North America. The concert usually began with a short backing track while 21 Savage prepared for an energetic 17-track setlist of hits.
He started off strong with his lead single though ‘X’ featuring Future and increasing the tempo right from the first song. Other early favorites that were usually performed included ‘No Heart’ by Metro Boomin and ‘No Advance’ by Savage, who energized the crowd.
Pausing halfway through, Savage incorporated other tracks from the album such as ‘Armed and Dangerous’ which features YoungBoy Never Broke Again. He also ensured he sang his breakthrough song ‘Bank Account’ which gave him the breakthrough into the mainstream industry.
Other consistent tracks were the Auto-biographical one, “A Lot”, the deep emotional track, “Asmr” and the Billboard chartbuster, “Rockstar” featuring Malone. 21 performed other tracks off I Am Greater Than I Was such as “1. 5” and “Monster” to introduce the audience to his latest repertoire.
Before the final moments of his set, 21 Savage took time out to show love to the Day One fans by performing some of his underground hits such as “Red Opps”, “Nothin New” and Metro Boomin’s “X Bitch”.
He maintained the enthusiasm to the very end, which was evident as he concluded his set with “Bank Account” and “A Lot,” two booming trap bangers. Before intermissions, 21 Savage took to the stage for approximately 60-75 minutes and the songs he sang ranged between 20-25. He may not have a grand backdrop or a troupe of dancers to back up, but he had this strong-headed confidence and the way he rapped his verses. The American Dream Tour production was not very elaborate and lacked many aspects that are commonly seen in rap concerts.
But 21 Savage understood that his fans wanted to see him rap and not some luxurious lifestyle. He spent most of his time in the middle of the stage or walking from one side to the other while his DJ sometimes incited the audience in between the performances. Savage stayed basic, plowing through his list of threatening trap bangers and impactful album songs for his loyal, angry audience.
Analysis of Public Perception of the Performances by 21 Savage Despite not having the best rap voice or the most charismatic and energetic performances on stage, fans appreciated the energy 21 Savage infused into his live shows. The audience attends to dance, sing along word by word, and vibe off Savage’s dark, precise lyricism and enunciation.
Compared to the highly elaborate stage shows of some of his contemporaries like Drake or JCole, a 21 Savage concert is on the more basic side but the focus remains on the music. He received a lot of applause for performing his songs in the heavy trap style and not having to lip-sync or distract the audience with unnecessary acting.
It drew criticism due to the aggression displayed and the audience reaction being more reminiscent of punk rock gigs than rap concerts. Audiences were amazed at how 21 handled threatening tracks that other artists do not usually perform their songs live. Most importantly, Savage received consistent acclaim for delivering core fans exactly what they wanted: a reliably visceral, out-of-control moshpit-demanding live concert wholly devoted to the music.