No one needs reminding that Erykah Badu is one of a kind. What was billed as a gig to mark the 25th anniversary of ‘Baduizm’ at London’s Southbank Centre was anything but a lazy trip down memory lane. Instead, the artist who has been cultivating her own kaleidoscopic sonic and aesthetic world ever since the release of this Grammy award-winning debut album, proved that she can still surprise and delight without so much as breaking a sweat.

The audience is suitably warmed up by young London talent Muva of Earth, whose psychedelic sound is finely tuned a higher consciousness much inspired by tonight’s headliner. And then, it’s time to enter Badubotron as the godmother of neo soul and a whole heap more besides sashays into view in all of her fearless glory. On her head, a towering mountain hat; on her back a huge faux fur coat over an army jacket; on her fingers many jewels of wonder; on her legs, couture ‘sea anemone’ leg warmers by Central St Martins student Myah Hasbany. The look is equal parts teddy bear, gaucho and queen.

What follows is a masterclass in off-this planet funk told through glistening hit after glistening hit. Sure, some of the set list hails from ‘Baduizm’, such as the glorious ‘On and On’, but the rest is cherry picked from across her timeless back catalogue, from ‘Out of My Mind, Just In Time’ and ‘Time’s a Wastin’ to ‘Window Seat’, ‘Phone Down’ ‘Green Eyes’ - all expertly reimagined by her band who follow her every move, gesture and drum machine outburst. She may not have officially released any new solo material since the 2015 mixtape, ‘But You Caint Use My Phone’ but each song tonight sounds as fresh as the day it was conceived, banishing nostalgia in favour of the very sweetest astral-afro vibrations.

Badu raises smiles with her take on Faith Hope & Charity’s ‘To Each His Own’, turning the disco-laden line ‘Leave other people's business alone’ into ‘Leave other people’s bitches alone’ – a sentiment redoubled by huge, wobbly graphics behind the stage. Then come the laser beams that create a force field that Badu plays with and conquers as the show gets progressively more squelchy, jazzy and mesmerising. The hat and coat come off. Some hypnotic dancing shows what those sensual lower leg appendages are capable of. And she takes time out for some chanting that banishes toxic masculinity from the room and invites one-ness in. At the end, some deep breathing brings us back to centre. Before leaving the stage this inimitable legend leaves us with one hella-beautiful affirmation: ‘Believe in the magic inside your heart… Believe in yourself as I believe In you.’ Yes ma’am and Amen.

Words Helen Jennings

Photography Arnaud Mbaki

Published on 08/11/2022