A free concert, beautiful weather, and the support of a worthy cause, what gets better than that? On Saturday, September 24th, the annual Global Citizen Festival made it’s way back in Central Park this year. Established in 2012, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin currently holds the position as creative director of the event. The mission of the festival is to end extreme poverty by 2030. This year included performances by Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding, Demi Lovato, Usher, Cat Stevens, Metallica, Kendrick Lamar, Eddie Vedder, Chris Martin (of course), and Rihanna.
The eight-hour concert kicked off with Major Lazer, a newly popular electronic group that’s been on every radio station for the past few months. Demi Lovato was “Confident” when she covered Aretha Franklin’s “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” Her powerful vocals blew the audience away, and she successfully filled the shoes of Selena Gomez who couldn’t attend due to mental health reasons. Ellie Goulding’s acoustic performance was a surprise due to her usual bubblegum pop style, but unplugged sounds sweet with her voice nonetheless. Usher followed shortly after, sporting a sweatshirt stating “Silence Is Consent” and performed alongside Ruben Blades and the Kenyan Boys Choir. The teens with a taste for rock music and the mature moms and dads went ballistic over Metallica and Yusuf, formally known as Cat Stevens. People were up and singing with James Hetfield and swayed with their loved ones to Yusuf’s guitar.
In my opinion, the most memorable (and danceable) act was Kendrick Lamar. The sun finally set and the lights illuminated the stage as Kendrick hyped up the crowd. “Bitch, Don’t Kill My Vibe,” “Alright,” and “King Kunta,” set the unforgettable mood. The rapper is no stranger to incorporating activism into his shows, and he did just that when the screen behind him exhibited pictures of black idols such as Don King, Muhammad Ali, and James Brow. Kendrick continuously thanked the fans who have supported him since the beginning. The audience calmed down a bit when Chris Martin and Pearl Jam guitarist Eddie Vedder covered “Don’t Dream It’s Over.” As beautiful as it was, I think everyone (including myself) was very anxious to see Rihanna downright own the stage, and boy, she did. The R&B/pop singer opened up serenely with “Stay” and blew everyone away with her transition to “Birthday Cake.” She performed classics such as “Umbrella” and “Diamonds,” while closing the show with her newest hit, “Love On the Brain.”
In between each act, celebrities and activists would talk about a social justice issue such as gender equality, education in third world countries and environmental matters. If you believe in causes like these and love an incredible show, I highly recommend visiting the Global Citizen website and becoming a member. Be on the lookout for next year’s show, you and your friends have a good chance of winning tickets by signing petitions, sharing links, and watching videos. Who knows what the festival will bring in 2017!
