The crowd was filled with eager fans and coupled lovers. The all-black band, matching in pink-fitted caps, held it down as Trevor Jackson stormed on stage. The crowd exploded as he began his set. Jackson was draped in indigo and magenta light, as almost a nod to his ‘Rough Drafts, Pt. 2’ album cover. This was the last show of his tour; sold out at the Rough Trade venue in Brooklyn.
Jackson was a bonafide performer, and most definitely a student of R&B. It was a pleasant fusion of traditional and new wave aestheticism – trap influence and soul. The energy was high, and Jackson’s vibrant, boyish sexuality seduced everyone in the room. He took all the space on stage and danced until he had to briefly change his shoes. After his third song, a fan handed him a painting, with a lengthy note at the back of it. He thanked her warmly, then told the crowd it’s time to “get nasty.”
He sang many of his singles, including his hits “Right Now” and “In My Crocs.” His fans knew all the words to them, and to all his deep cuts. He brought out Fosters actress, Cierra Ramirez and they performed their duet “Broke Us.” Towards the middle of his set, Jackson performed a medley of covers including “Jealous” by Labrinth and his own rendition of “Girls Needs Love Too.” “Boys can never show weakness,” he sang, recontextualizing the song to address limitations of masculinity.
For fans ready for new music, he said the next album is done. “It’s [a] different side of me,” Jackson told Singersroom backstage. “The next album is all breakup songs. A lot of people who go through break ups, it’s detrimental. It’s like trauma almost. I just wanna show people they are not alone.”
By Emeka Ochiagha
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