Chris Brown performs at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Fla. on Aug. 13, 2022. Photos: Isaiah Stephens.

By Lesly Delgado

TAMPA, Fla. — Lil Baby and Chris Brown brought a plethora of hits and checked all of the boxes of a superstar performance to a sold-out MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre Saturday for their anticipated “One of Them Ones” Tour.

The performance showcased the duo over almost three hours of back and forth action, hit after hit, as they took turns performing. Leading off with songs like “Wants & Needs,” “Baby,” “We Paid” and “U-Digg,” Lil Baby emerged on top of a high-rise platform, bringing attendees to their feet with him. The diamonds he wore seemed to dance along with the audience, which chanted every word of every song as if the words were being read off a page. Ten songs in, after five-times platinum hit “Close Friends,” Lil Baby ceded the stage to Chris Brown for an elaborate, awe-striking entrance.

Lil Baby performs at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Fla. on Aug. 13, 2022.

Laced in a black bomber jacket and dazzling choker chain, Brown floated in from above the stage amid a video backdrop of multiple Browns floating in simultaneously, creating a stunning visual, the first of many for him. Alongside a dozen dancers, Brown kicked off with “Forbidden” and, with fluid choreography, dove into other songs like “Hit My Line,” “Party,” and “Liquor.” It was a  dance party as much as a concert, as Brown looked visibly excited, busting moves left and right. Continuing with songs from his new album, Breezy, such as “Pitch Black,” “Psychic” and “Warm Embrace,” Brown made it clear that he had a new album to push—at the cost of older material.

Despite the cloud of controversy that’s continued to follow Chris Brown throughout his career, his music and performance is what resonated most with the audience. When Brown performs older hits like “Pills and Automobiles” and “Privacy” to thunderous applause, it’s a reminder of how influential his music has been over the past decade.

Lil Baby’s return kicked off with blasts of pyrotechnics and smoke, set to “Sum 2 Prove,” “In a Minute,” “Whoa” and “Every Chance I Get.” His songs increased the pace and tempo, compared to Brown’s more soulful material. He showed tremendous growth as an artist and audience draw from his previous Tampa Bay area show—at the 2,000-capacity Jannus Live in St. Petersburg. He concluded with “Emotionally Scarred.”

When Brown returned again, he packed in a few more classic hits, allowing the audience to choose what he would perform next in a “Jeopardy”-style fashion that included “Heat, “Loyal,” “Ain’t No Way” and “Poppin’.” The bellows from the audience were deafening.

Chris Brown performs at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Fla. on Aug. 13, 2022.

Brown even had a separate section of the stage dedicated to Afro-beats, grooving to records like “Monalisa” and “Call Me Every Day,” giving a tasteful change in pace from his R&B records. For the finale, Brown completed a carefully choreographed dance compilation in perfect sync with a transformer-type robot behind him during “Iffy” and “Go Crazy” before walking offstage.

Social media comedian Druski opened the show, replacing originally scheduled act Yung Bleu. Druski brought two women from the audience up onstage for a sing-off and got early arrivers engaged with a laugh.