ORLANDO, Fla. – With the tour named “Out of This World,” it only makes sense for Missy Elliott to bring her concert with Busta Rhymes, Ciara, and Timbaland to Central Florida.
We’re accustomed to the routine rocket launches and this show certainly brought that futuristic intergalactic theme (by the way, did you know her song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” has been transmitted into deep space?).
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I grew up watching Missy Elliott, Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland on MTV in the mornings and I listened to them on the radio in South Florida while heading to school. Missy Elliott’s song, “Gossip Folks” was even part of my theatre camp’s production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Although I talk about events happening at the Kia Center all of the time in my Setting the Stage newsletter, this was my first time going to a concert there. It was cool to see how the Solar Bears hockey rink turned into a concert venue. The staff at the Kia Center were also really nice!
Timbaland got the show started with some of his biggest hits.
Ciara and Busta Rhymes are headlining acts themselves and really pumped up the crowd before Missy Elliott.
Ciara sang some of her most popular songs while putting on her iconic dance moves with her entourage of backup dancers. She just celebrated 20 years since the release of her “Goodies” album, which launched her career.
Busta Rhymes brought his impressive fast-rapping skills to the stage and even at one point said, “We don’t need any special effects, we are the special effects!”
It wasn’t until Missy came out that we saw the full use of a moving stage, virtual screens, and illuminations. Fans received wrist-bands, which lit up the crowd during the show.
Her 75-minute performance opened with what felt like an actual spaceship landing on the stage. She came out in a sparkling space suit with her ensemble of 25 dancers.
Her show told a story, taking fans through different themed planets that represented stages of her 30-year career.
It’s really hard to believe this is Missy Elliott’s first headlining tour. She has paved the way for so many artists, including Ciara, and has been recognized several times for her work as a musician, producer, songwriter and more.
In 2019, she became the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and received the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award at the MTV Video Music Awards. In 2021, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2022, her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia, named a boulevard after her. Last year, she became the first female hip-hop artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Like Missy says, “Is it worth it?” My answer is, yes, absolutely. Unfortunately, there’s no more Florida shows, but you can still catch the concert along the East Coast. Click here for the tour dates.