will.i.am made his name as the frontman of R&B supergroup Black Eyed Peas, but now, following the release of his second solo album #willpower, he's embarked on a world tour. Could will.i.am still keep the crowd at London's O2 happy without his fellow Peas?
Bizarrely deciding to cram in a large chunk of his solo hits at the beginning of the concert, will.i.am leaves the audience wondering quite what he'll fill the rest of the set with. Huge projections of guest vocalists are used throughout the show including during Justin Bieber collaboration '#ThatPower', which serves as the perfect opener to pump up the crowd.
The hits come thick 'n' fast as he brings out The Voice UK's runaway star Leah McFall to duet on his number one smash 'This is Love'. Little-known Californian singer Shelby joins him for the vintage-tinged 'Bang Bang', but the energy of The Great Gatsby-inspired track doesn't quite translate to the arena setting.
The space-age staging includes a moment where Will rises out of a giant version of his head to perform an extended DJ set that quickly kills the mood for those who aren't in the standing section. The set consists of tracks that will.i.am has produced or featured on, as well as Icona Pop's hit 'I Love It' - which, whilst an undeniable anthem, doesn't quite fit amongst the slew of robotics.
will.i.am then reminds everyone how we first got to know him with a medley of some of the biggest hits in the Black Eyed Peas back catalogue. Whilst it's undoubtedly a highlight of the night, the absence of the rest of the energetic collective has us longing for their hopeful return in 2014.
Cheryl Cole makes a surprise appearance to rapturous applause to perform 'Heartbreaker', while McFall returned to the stage to sing Black Eyed Peas hit 'Just Can't Get Enough'. Cheryl then rejoins the pair for a performance of modern classic 'Where is the Love?', a song that should have whipped the crowd into a frenzy, but doesn't quite achieve that tonight.
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What will.i.am lacks in the vocal department, he more than makes up for as a performer and all-round party starter thanks to his love affair with big beats, though he regularly killed the momentum with disjointed monologues about his love of technology and the British public. But as he returns for an encore of his Britney Spears collaboration 'Scream & Shout', he proves that when he gets it right, he can throw one heck of a party.
will.i.am performed:
'#That Power'
'This Is Love (with Leah McFall)'
'Bang Bang' (with Shelby)
'Crazy Kids'
'Something Really Bad'
'OMG'
'DJ Set'
'Geekin'
BEP Medley – 'Boom Boom Pow', 'Pump It', 'The Time', 'I Gotta Feeling'
'Heartbreaker' (with Cheryl Cole)
'Just Can't Get Enough' (with Leah McFall)
'Where Is The Love?' (with Leah McFall & Cheryl Cole)
'Scream and Shout'
