“You all look really good wet!” said Charlize Theron as she took to the stage at the New York City leg of the Global Citizen festival and gazed out on to a drenched crowd flaunting an array of colorful ponchos. “Thanks for coming out in the rain, I know it’s hard but we love seeing your beautiful faces out there.”
For a concert meant to raise awareness of climate change (among the litany of other ills facing Mother Earth and its people), the unforgiving torrential rain that took hold of Central Park throughout the length of the five-hour concert, which featured the likes of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lauryn Hill and BTS member Jungkook, almost seemed appropriate, if it weren’t so uncomfortable.
Combining rousing speeches by foreign dignitaries and local activists paired with global celebrities (Katie Holmes, Connie Britton, Bill Nye) and a potpourri of musical performances, the Global Citizen festival has become an annual staple of the cultural calendar since its debut in 2012. Tickets to the event are free and revelers must complete a series of actions meant to better the planet in order to obtain them.
But in addition to its altruism, the lead-up to the show did embody some drama. Headliner Megan Thee Stallion dropped out days before the show, announcing in a nonchalant tweet that there was an “unforeseen scheduling conflict”. That conflict was apparently an invitation from Beyoncé to perform a single song at the Houston leg of the Renaissance tour the same night. Elsewhere, the popular K-pop group Stray Kids were also scheduled to hit the stage, but had to bail due to a recent car crash. Their ancillary group 3RACHA filled their slot.
As thousands of fans made their way towards Central Park’s green and muddy Great Lawn while the sky poured buckets, many were chagrined to find that umbrellas were not permitted (you don’t want your audience to be too comfortable, after all). Once festivities kicked off at 4pm, an array of speakers took the stage for an hour-long Ted Talks-like portion of the event, during which they advocated for everything from sustainability and preservation to anti-poverty initiatives and equality.
“We have seen floods, fires and hurricanes unlike ever before,” said the British entertainer and activist Eddie Izzard. “People look to the United States as a powerful country and ask if they are doing enough. Well, as someone from Europe, I get to say that these people with me on stage and everyone here at Central Park and everyone watching from home around the world are all doing unbelievable work.”
The Brazilian pop star Anitta held the honor of being the event’s opening performer, shouting out advocacy for the Amazon in her native country. “It’s home to so many species, and it’s critical to take care of it,” she breathlessly said in between fervent, danceable hits, including early breakout Envolver and Funk Rave, at certain points lying prostrate on the stage and shaking her rear end. “We must support and invest in the Indigenous communities ready to protect the Amazon,” she proclaimed. She also delivered a passionate version of Girl from Rio, on which she interpolates the classic Girl from Ipanema into a song of her own story.
The pop singer Conan Gray – with a stage presence that suggests 80s-era Michael Jackson (down to his hair and wardrobe) and a recent Max Martin-produced cut, the earworm Never Ending Song, that sounds almost exactly like Depeche Mode – ran through his own cache of singles. “Hope you guys are staying dry,” he said at one point as the audience audibly shot down that sentiment. Also holding the pop mantle was Sofia Carson, who covered John Lennon’s Imagine. While managing to avoid the cringe of Gal Gadot’s infamous cover, she did open the song with a bit of saccharin. “Global citizens, let’s close our eyes for a moment,” she said, “and together imagine a world where the dream of equality is a beautiful reality.”
As the rain morphed from intense downpours to a steady spritz, it was Jungkook of BTS who commanded the stage with charisma and a spirited solo set during which he earned his right to stray from the global group he’ll always be associated with. Delivering sharp choreography and smooth vocals, he was joined by the rapper Latto to perform their single Seven. Knowing his agog audience, he also offered a medley of BTS hits, among them Butter and Dynamite.
And from the whiplash of K-pop juxtaposed with a medley honoring the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, a parade of surprise performers came out during D-Nice’s set, including Busta Rhymes, Big Daddy Kane and Common, the latest all-star tribute to the genre, including a gargantuan bacchanal at the Grammys earlier this year, as well as the recent Video Music Awards.
Global Citizen celebrated another anniversary this year with Ms Lauryn Hill marking the 25th anniversary of her landmark album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. Hill came out on stage underneath a massive umbrella held for her. For a moment, the length of her set and cacophony of musicians on stage (including Red Hot Chili Pepper bassist Flea on trumpet) turned Hill’s appearance into a mini concert, with the crowd swaying along to songs like Doo Wop (That Thing). As if that weren’t enough, it also evolved into a surprise Fugees concert with members Pras and Wyclef Jean joining Hill as they performed the group’s classics, including Killing Me Softly.
As the show neared a close and D-Nice inexplicably began playing a DJ set of pop hits fit for a high school dance (presumably filling a time void left by Megan Thee Stallion’s Beyoncé-induced absence), surprise guest Chris Rock announced the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the band ripped through their own discography of hits (Can’t Stop, Scar Tissue) with lengthy pauses in between (tuning up, perhaps?). Of course Rock also threw in a joke, telling the crowd that because of their efforts, they even ended the writer’s strike.
By around 10pm, the Peppers concluded their set while the rain was still coming down, with many spectators soaked down to their socks. But after all, it wasn’t the music that was the biggest highlight of the night. Aside from a reported 3.3m charitable actions taken by festival attendees and viewers, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, used the event to announce a $150m commitment to the International Fund for Agricultural Development, while Norway’s minister of international development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, pledged $90m.
Saving the planet, one song – and one raindrop – at a time.
