Rock in Rio concludes 40th anniversary edition with nostalgic catharsis and Shawn Mendes’ sympathy

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Between 2001 and 2011, the Rock in Rio took a break from the Brazilian editions while the organization dedicated itself to creating roots in Portugal. The lack of presence of the festival on Brazilian soil during this period was remedied on Sunday 22nd, the last day of its 40th anniversary edition. With Ne-Yo, Akon and Mariah Carey, the lineup, which could have been that of any year in the 2000s, made up for the lack of the event during these artists’ peak period. However, the meeting of these artists in 2024 caused a nostalgic catharsis on the lawns of City of Rockfollowed by the audience’s enchantment in front of the Canadian “peace and love” Shawn Mendes.

Heat and queues for gifts

The same heat that marked the beginning of the Rock in Rio 2024 was present on the last day of the festival. Under a 30°C sun in Rio de Janeiro, the gates of the Cidade do Rock opened for the last time this year at 2 p.m. When the theme tune played to announce the entrance of the general public, many people could be seen running across the lawns. On a day with a pop diva on the line-up and a teenage artist headlining, a rush to grab the best space on the main stages was to be expected.

However, a part of the public really rushed to try to earn a good place in the activation queues of the sponsor brands that gave away pouches, mouthwashes and lipsticks to passers-by, while some were already “camping” on the railing of the World Phase and Sunset in the early afternoon, most preferred to try their luck at the brand stands. After about 20 minutes from the opening of the gates, the queues in front of the sponsored spaces were already enormous. In this edition, the impression is that the gifts were appreciated as much as the famous toys of the Rock in Rio amusement park.

Back to the 2000s

The feeling of dispersion and “holes” in the field during the first of Brazil Day, Saturday 21, was overcome this Sunday by an engaged audience and crowded spaces. Among t-shirts printed with the faces of the artists in the line-up, there are those who also invested in looks with references to the 2000s, such as caps, miniskirts and low waists. Some even recorded the shows with their cyber-shots, a model of camera popular in the decade. Despite the audience’s engagement with what seemed to be the theme of the last day of the festival, the first show on the world stage was not as exciting.

The singer Luisa Sonza they represented national artists in another presentation of their most recent album, Intimate Scandalfor which she was nominated to Latin Grammys 2024 as best contemporary pop album in Portuguese. Although it was full of hits that have had success on the internet, such as Chico, Sagrado Profano and Sentadona, the performance did not seem to have thrilled the fans so much at the end of the afternoon. The one that really won over the audience from the start was North America Ne-Yo. An absolute star of the early 2000s, the singer has re-proposed the charismatic and rhythmic show that conquered the audience of The city in 2023. When he sang hits like So sick2006 and Thank youSince 2007, the large audience that has gathered near the Mundo stage has sung and jumped to the rhythm of the songs.

Overall, it seemed that Ne-Yo was satisfied with his performance and the reaction of the audience, which was even more contagious for the fans who sang his hits with nostalgia. The presentation followed the script of a great festival show, with the participation of the women in the audience in a dance “dispute”. Immediately after the American one, a show in honor of the singer Alcione, with her presence, also mobilized the Rock in Rio audience with the indisputable hits of “Loba” on the Sunset stage. First Ney Matogrosso had thrilled the audience with his hits and his unmistakable voice and Olodum also shook the audience accompanied by the group Baiana System. The nostalgic atmosphere would return at 9:20 p.m., an hour after the end of Ne-Yo’s show, when Akon stepped onto the world stage. Expected with great expectations, the singer was well received by the fans and included hits from the 2000s in his set list, such as Solitary, I wanna Love You AND Hit it.

The feeling of strangeness with his show began when he got confused and, interacting, asked how the people of São Paulo felt. The audience, in chorus, corrected: “Rio!” At some point, Akon left the stage and a DJ began to unleash the audience with national songs such as Only love, Bullet shell AND Only Faith.

The impression, for those watching, was that the moment had dragged on too long, generating impatience in those who would have liked to continue seeing the artist on stage. But when he reappeared. Akon He appeared inside a plastic ball. The idea was to “roll” through the audience, but it went awry when the bubble burst as he stepped off the stage. Shy, he apologized for the mishap, but the show did not seem to have returned to its initial ecstasy. He ended the show improvising, after exceeding his time on stage.

The pop stars closed out the evening

Still in farewell Akon From the stage, the audience was already running to get to Sunset, where Mariah Carey would perform at 10:45 pm.

With the largest crowd seen on this stage, the pop diva began her performance in a dress featuring the Brazilian flag and elicited excited screams from the crowd when she performed the song Obsessed. Nothing seemed to stand in the way of the holder of countless 2000s hits, except one complaint from the crowd: the low sound. Near the Sunset stage, a chant could be seen demanding: “Turn it up, turn it up!”.

The audience’s wish was not granted and the audio would remain the same until the end of the presentation. However, despite the audience’s discomfort, Mariah dominated the stage, a place she already knows well, with her hits and her powerful voice. With each falsetto, the audience was impressed: “she’s really singing!”, in reference to the criticisms that she used playback in her performances.

When the pop diva’s show ended, many people chose not to wait for the headliner and left. At 00:00, Canadian Shawn Mendes entered the Mundo stage to perform in front of a slightly smaller audience than those present at his shows. Ne-Yo AND Mariah Carey.

The pop artist seemed out of place in a nostalgic lineup, but won over the audience by putting on a show of warmth and talent on stage. With bracelets lighting up at the production’s command, fans enjoyed hits like Missrecorded with ex-girlfriend Camila Cabello, and Points. To connect with the audience, Mendes repeated, for several moments, “I love you”. The classic “thank you” of foreigners in Brazil was also pronounced several times by the teenage star.

Highlights of the show Shawn Mendes he remained for the moment he sang Miss and when he reinterpreted Mas que nada, a national song made popular by Sergio Mendes. Another nice moment with the audience was when he shyly took off his shirt and laughed, obeying the request of the audience, who reacted very well. The impression is that even those who had turned up their noses at a teenage headliner on the day of nostalgia had surrendered to the Canadian’s sympathy.

Source: Terra

Amanda

I am Amanda Gans, a motivated and ambitious professional in the news writing industry. With over five years of experience in this field, I have developed an eye for detail and an ability to craft stories that captivate readers. I currently write for Gossipify, where I specialize in beauty & celebrities news. My passion lies with exploring the world of beauty through writing, interviewing experts and developing articles that are both informative and entertaining.