Megan Thee Stallion performing at ONE Musicfest. Image: @a_ciggs/ The Parallel Agency.
Last weekend, ONE Musicfest (OMF) returned to Atlanta, and it seemed as if the entire city was in attendance! The festival took place at Piedmont Park and the atmosphere was electric. With perfect weather, an abundance of food trucks, and numerous activations to enjoy between artist sets, there was never a dull moment.
Martell Cognac set up a ‘vibe check’ station that created a custom drink based on the color of your ‘mood’ band. Jack Daniels surprised festival-goers with a pop-up appearance from Bryson Tiller at their booth. The Bevel Shop even hosted a meet-and-greet with Smino! Of course, the main attraction was the performances. Every artist brought their A-game this year at the 2023 ONE Musicfest, but in our eyes, there are certain artists stood out above the rest.
Counting down from the best to the greatest of the weekend, here are top five performances from the 2023 ONE Musicfest.
5. Megan Thee Stallion
Kicking off the list is Megan Thee Stallion, who was a headliner on Day 1. It’s always an event when Megan hits the stage, and you can tell that she is without a doubt a fan favorite in Atlanta. Megan went through a medley of her hits including “Savage” and “Big Ole Freak.” The energy was infectious, everybody was on their feet for her entire set, with some in the crowd even dancing harder than Meg! You can tell the audience missed her, and she rewarded them with the most energetic set of the weekend.
4.Tems
In a short amount of time, Tems has turned herself into one of the biggest names in the world. It could be her heavenly voice, or her mysterious look, or even her demanding stage presence, and all three were masterfully on display during her set at OMF. She opened the set with one of her biggest songs to date, ‘Higher,’ and as soon as the beat dropped, people started rushing to get as close to the stage as possible. She performed a ton of her current hits, but also took it back for her day one fans. When Tems performed “Free Mind” and “Damages,” the crowd sang both songs word for word, trying their best to mimic her gorgeous accent. Even though Tems was the only Afrobeas act of the weekend, she more than held it down for Africa.
3. Brent Faiyaz
It’s not an exaggeration to say Brent Faiyaz was the most anticipated performance of the weekend. He was headliner for Day 2, and everybody was eager to see him perform his new album that released on Friday. Brent has a way of turning haters into fans, and after his OMF performance even the staunchest hater had to give him his kudos. His stage presence is something to behold, because he knows exactly who he is to his fans. As his set began and the first beat dropped, the crowd waited. And waited. and waited. For Brent to come out, and it leaned perfectly into his toxic image, and when he finally came out, the crowd erupted! The crowd was hooked to his every word, singing quite literally every word of his performance.
2. Bryson Tiller
If you didn’t listen to Bryson Tiller when he first came out, the cult following behind him might not make total sense. But Tiller quickly reminded everyone why he is one of the biggest names in R&B. He opened up his set with ‘Sorry Not Sorry’ and it was obvious that Tiller planned to put on a show! He took us back to where it all started performing hit after hit from TrapSoul. Whether it was “For However Long” or “Exchange,” Tiller had the crowd in a trance as if were back in 2015. He reminded everybody why he is a go-to feature artist with his rendition of “Wild Thoughts” and “Drove U Crazy,” and he ended his set perfectly with his biggest songs to date in “Sorrows,” “Don’t,” and “Right My Wrongs.” What stood out the most about Tiller’s performance was he performed each song in its entirety, something other artists rarely do. Please Bryson, don’t ever stop doing that.
1. T-Pain
The best performance of the weekend was without a doubt T-Pain. T-Pain’s performance had it all. His iconic auto-tuned vocals were pitched perfectly. He talked to the crowd the whole time, keeping everyone engaged. He even broke out his infamous robotic dance moves. There wasn’t a second of relaxation during T-Pain’s set. You also saw why T-Pain is considered a Hip-Hop legend. He has made hits with everybody! From “Buy You A Drank” with Yung Joc, to “Got Money” with Lil Wayne, to even DJ Khaled’s first hit with “I’m So Hood,” Pain’s longevity is something to truly appreciate. T-Pain’s set was the definition of nostalgia; he took you back to exactly where you were when the song he performed dropped. And he performed damn near every single one! “I’m Sprung,” “I’m In Love With A Stripper,” “Cyclone,” “Blame It,” and so many more you honestly lose count. T-Pain didn’t cheat us. That’s all you are hoping for when you see a classic artist.