Flo Milli Commands the Audience at Brighton Music Hall
The energy at Brighton Music Hall right before Flo Milli came onstage was unlike anything I’d ever seen. The younger crowd was eager to see the Alabama born rapper, and after opener Monaleo performed her hits, tension was high. When the lights dimmed and the intro to Flo Milli’s hit “Come Outside” started playing, the vibe shifted. The crowd went from anxiously waiting to singing every bar in a matter of seconds. The dedication of this crowd was unmatched. Even for Monaleo, the crowd knew every line of every song; even the deepest cuts Flo Milli brought out, the crowd responded with the lyrics, surprising even the artist herself.
Flo Milli’s setlist interchanged her new songs with her hits fairly evenly; the second song “Roaring 20s” uses a sample from the Broadway musical Fiddler on the Roof, using the lyric “If I were a rich man” to introduce the song that uses a variety of expectations to illustrate her wealth. This is then explained by Milli, saying “They never should’ve fucked up and gave me money / Came straight out of ‘Bama, now ain’t shit funny.”
This tour came in the wake of Flo Milli’s latest album You Still Here, Ho? although the setlist also heavily drew from her first album Ho, Why Is You Here? which was greatly boosted on TikTok. Flo Milli’s music is almost impossible to miss on the internet today; from trending YouTube videos of her performances on the VMA’s to TikTok audios with millions of views. This trendiness came to appearance when the intro to Flo Milli’s breakout song “Beef FloMix” began playing. This song, published to Flo Milli’s SoundCloud in late 2018 and viral on TikTok by early 2019, showcases Milli’s creative lyricism and clever word play. The song starts with the line “I like cash and my hair to my ass / Do the dash can you make it go fast” as well as the later line “Bitch, I’m guarded like an Obama / If they hit you, you gon’ need your mama.”
In the back half of the setlist is where Milli really began to shine. She sang the hit “We Not Humping” with opener Monaleo, as well as her hit song “Concieted” her new album. As the setlist began to wind down, Flo Milli played the track “19.” This song, telling the story of Flo Milli’s rise to stardom at the age of 19, really shows her drive to the art of rap. This is seen with the bars “I got rich at the age of nineteen / They chasin’ dick while I’m chasin’ my dreams.” If anything, this performance proved to me Flo Milli is dedicated, and willing to put in the drive to become a household name in rap, and expand beyond her younger audience, which was mostly accrued online.
With her final track of the night, Flo Milli sang her smash hit “In the Party” which also became a massive trend on TikTok in late 2019. This song shows how self-aware Milli is with the bar “I just woke up and I broke the internet (Oh my God)” in reference to her social media fame. To put it lightly, the crowd went wild for this song. It showcases everything Flo Milli is known for, trendy and dynamic beats, creative lyricism, and fast delivery. The crowd peaked at the perfect time for this closing song, screaming every lyric and adlib as if they were the ones on stage. Leaving this concert was emotional; Flo Milli’s stage presence was unmatched, and her thankfulness for the crowd’s dedication felt extremely genuine. Brighton Music Hall is an intimate venue, so to see such a great talent in a small room was a very special experience. Leaving that room, I knew I would never see this artist again in such a small venue; Flo Milli is meant to be on a big stage, and she will do so with ease. The way she commanded the crowd was awe inspiring, and her dedication to rap was tangible. Flo Milli is only on the up; there is no telling how high she will rise.
