Wireless Fest 20th Anniversary: OVO's Ode to R&B

It made it all worth it. Being squeezed like a freshly cut lime in a bartender's hand. The long-dragging waits between setups. I watched over five people pass out before Drake even graced the stage. I arrived at Finsbury park at 1 p.m. I made it back to my hotel at 1 a.m. There is only one thing I can say: “it was worth every second!”

Day one was a show for the day one’s. Not just from Drake’s discography, but from R&B as a whole! The Wireless 2025 tour featured 13 stellar artists and dozens of songs performed for the first time ever. This included the first ever live performance of songs from “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.” Now before we dive headfirst into what became a true “OVO Fest,” let’s go through the start of the show.

In the words of Drake, “allow me to take you on a journey through R&B and our inspirations. You ready?”

“Hype”

Odeal opened the stage with vibes that would, as the title of the song suggests, “Free Me.” His first appearance was a mixture of sweet afrobeats, soothing vocals and, of course, his beaming smile. He rocked a thin striped long sleeve, baggy black shorts with a long white towel and topped the fit off with a baby blue Bass Pro Shop hat. It was a tight contest between Odeal and the crowd to see who was more happy just to be present in the moment. I think Odeal won by a hair of his dreads.

Next came Kwn rocking a light blue button-down, plump oversided shorts and a glistening JP belt. His smile exuded a devious confidence with a slight touch of shyness. The crowd, already warm, felt the temperature rise another degree as he performed a few songs from his new project “with all due respect.” These included sensual sensation songs. 

One song was a shoutout to his ex with Kwn saying “this song is for the ones who are ready for you, but you’re not ready for them.” 

The temperature then burst through the metaphorical roof of this outdoor stadium as Kehlani graced the stage. Her matching brown tube top and flowing pants were accentuated by her silky long black curls. Despite a few microphone issues, her performance was moving nonetheless; in part due to her gorgeous smile and steamy dancing. 

The hit show “Victorious” star, Leon Thomas, proved once again that he can do more than act as a musician. Words can not do justice to his music. It is a sound. It is a feeling. His melodic runs transcended speech itself and serenaded the crowd. His set was punctuated with an extensive dive into his musical repertoire as he hashed out gnarly guitar rifts and dazzling drum solos. He strolled the stage in his bright green 22 jersey, loose beige pants and red tipped dreads bursting from a matching beige durag. Thomas fed every listener’s addiction as he closed his set with his first platinum song “Mutt.”

“Headlines”

We were four hours into the show and the crowd jostled for a view at the stage. It was time for the headliners. A mountain of extraterrestrial pink rock was assembled. The stage was primed for the first of the many heavy hitters.

Summer Walker validated every praise thrown to her. There was a reason J. Cole crowned her alongside SZA and Ariana Grande in his song “To Summer from Cole.” Her set featured a star trek-esque intro. Walker piloted a futuristic starship alongside two women as they scoured the galaxy in search of the “perfect man” between songs. Hearts raced as the bass thumped and Walker sang her hit song “Heart of a Woman.” Even the heart of a woman could not save the crowd from this enrapturing performance. They all fell prey to her beautiful voice. 

There was a fire that seemed to seep from her as her bright red hair fell over her shining silver outfit. The tassels and tight cut lower frame accentuated and hugged every curve of her voluptuous perfection. Her sweet voice was candy to the ears. Walker joked with the crowd as fans recited her lyrics. “They scary out here,” she said laughing as a fan was too shy to continue on the mic. The overpowering presence of such a queen was too much for her. 

Walker invited Bakar to the stage to perform “Hell N Back” midway into her set. He skipped along the runway in ripped cutoff jeans and a loose white button down. 

Walker’s set concluded in fiery fashion (not an exaggeration). Her outfit change featured exaggerated cone cups. These spouted fire as she concluded her final song of her set. 

PartyNextDoor (PND) was next to dominate. The gleam of the sunset adorned the stage. The big screen flashed yellow to match. PND arrived with a flashy yellow jacket overtop of an all-black outfit with a backwards black snapback. He was accompanied by a fishnet and lace-clad army of women as he sang to the crowd. A sea of phones emerged. The lights blared. PND sauntered the stage to his hits. He was in his element. This was what the people wanted. Eyes watered and screams resounded as PND performed “Come and See Me.”

“Papi’s Home”

Then it happened. The star we all came for. The savior of summers (you could ask anyone what summer his music carried and easily get five different answers; all of which would be valid and still more would be missed). The other half to the duo of “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.” 

“Why you gotta start, girl, why you gotta start,” he began. No, Drake, why did you have to start so suave and calm. The crowd could not take it any longer. They erupted. It was Drizzy. Champagne Papi. The 6 god. The Boy himself. The author of so many summer anthems, party soundtrack regulars and late night heartbreak soothers. 

He claimed that he would transform this Wireless Fest into his own three-day long OVO Fest. This was an ode to R&B. He was on a mission to spotlight every Day One fan and every inspiration. He began with the song that saved so many souls that felt no other could understand their pain. The crowd lost it as the beat to “Marvin’s Room” began to play.

Drake continued deep into his discography. He performed R&B songs from his early albums such as “Teenage Fever” and  “Feel no Ways” as well newer releases like “Virginia Beach.” Gratitude was a staple of Drake’s various monologues throughout the show. 

“I’ve gotten a lot of love across the world, but I think me and you both know that even though I'm born in Toronto Canada, when it comes to these performances, these shows and this music and this love there is no place like home, London, England,” he said to the crowd. 

“Somebody Loves Me”

This was only the first of many thanks. Drake proceeded to bring out many of his friends that were pillars of the R&B industry to thank them one by one. This began with Bobby Valentino who performed his hit song “Slow Down.” 

Valentino closed out his performance laughing and saying “I’m signing to OVO.”

Following after came Mario performing “Let Me Love You," Giveon performing “Heartbreak Anniversary“  and Bryson tiller performing “Whatever She Wants.”

This slew of stars was followed by a never before seen performance. PND rejoined the stage to perform songs from his new joint album with Drake. This was the first ever live performance of these songs featuring performances of "Die Trying," "Nokia," "Spider-Man Superman," "Something About You" and more.

Drake returned to his roots of R&B with new album “$ome $exy $ongs 4 U.” The progression from his older R&B songs, to the many inspirations of his youth and finally to his current R&B productions were symbolic of this. 

The stage crew proceeded to strap Drake into a harness. The platform below him raised him into the sky.

“This right here is something that my brother Lil Wayne taught me,” he said. “When we used to pull our shows together, we would play this song and the whole crowd sings along because we all love each other.”

Whitney Houston’s “I will always love you” played as a further testament to his roots. Drake encouraged the entire crowd to hold each other, spread love and sing along with him in this tradition. A crane ferried his platform around the back of the crowd and safely to the other side of the stage.

He closed out his set with one final friend. One of the most historic females in R&B history: Lauryn Hill. She performed her hit song “Ex Factor.” The crowd was elated to see the legendary icon in the flesh.

Drake pleaded with the managers of Finsbury park time and time again in attempts to prolong the show. Some were successful as the show ran past the allotted time. They only caved so many times. It was truly a show for the fans.

This performance was a statement. One saying: though the world of Rap may have turned their backs, R&B will always be a true home to Drizzy.