Megan Thee Stallion received an outpouring amount of love in Houston as fans adored her during the first night of the Hot Girl Summer Tour stops in her hometown.
Since her initial rise, the three-time Grammy winner has become one of the new leading women in hip-hop and has accomplished a plethora of things: dropped multiple hit singles, released four projects, offered music heads a one-of-kind flow and cadence, coined the term “Hot Girl Summer,” appeared in films, collaborated with household brands and musicians, launched a philanthropic charity– and has undoubtedly taken over the summer.
Given that the trendsetter has become a global sensation in the last several years, it wasn’t a surprise that her supporters quickly purchased tickets when they went on sale in March, especially after she overcame a traumatizing private-turned-public situation with her former friend and rapper, Tory Lanez, who shot her.
Fans were so ready that some cities immediately sold out and additional dates had to be added, one of those places being Houston.
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On June 14, the H-Town Hottie hit the grand stage in the city that raised her to kick off the 18th show out of 34 for her first headlining world tour at the Toyota Center. Megan called on fellow rapper GloRilla, who has been on a nonstop winning streak since the success of her 2022 hit single “FNF,” to join her on the road. The Memphis native was the perfect opener to what was an amped-up night. She warmed up the crowd by beginning her set with “Opp S**t,” a song from her latest album, Ehhthang Ehhthang. Before rapping her third major hit single “Blessed,” she sang along to a remix of gospel singer Tamela Mann’s song “Take Me To The King.”
She went on to rap more songs from her new and previous projects, ending with her most-known hits “Tomorrow,” “Yeah Glo!” and “FNF.” Something noticeable about the entertainer’s performance was how evident it was that she’s been working on perfecting her showmanship skills. The 24-year-old’s personality shined through as she kept everyone’s attention with the choreographed moves she and her dancers did. And of course, her hometown dances were included in the mix.
“Houston, I love y’all. Thank y’all so much,” GloRilla told the crowd before leaving the stage after she pretended to play the guitar to end her set
As the attendees anxiously awaited Megan, the indoor arena was filled with men and women from diverse backgrounds. In true Texas fashion, fans sported Cowboy hats, boots and chaps as an ode to the “Hot Girl Coach.” They also wore custom-made outfits, and the ones that couldn’t be missed were the ladies and gentlemen who displayed their love for anime by replicating outfits of characters from TV shows and movies.
Concertgoer Glennda Bivens told Blavity that she enjoyed the concert bringing out the Black anime girls and more.
“It’s so cool because it basically reflects who she is as an artist, someone who’s accepting and fun and allows you just to be yourself without judgment,” she said. “Like, I’ve seen more ass here today than I think I’ve seen in all of Houston. The cheeks are out, the booties are out, but flavorful you know? It’s purposeful.”
When the lights went down during the brief intermission, the audience hopped out of their seats and screams ignited in the venue as the Megan hit the stage.
She came out with high energy to “Hiss” in a bedazzled white and black snakeskin print-inspired body suit, one of three outfits for the night. Flames fired off on stage and the color red, which was a recurring hue during her entire set, took over the huge backdrop that flashed visuals of the emcee. From the moment Megan hit the stage, and for the rest of the night, she received her flowers, literally. The admirers who bought pit tickets showered the rapper with gifts like roses, daisies, homemade posters and Funko POPs .They also got birthday shout-outs, as well as merchandise, signs, clothes and shoes signed by her. She even took time to take selfies and record videos on their phones, something she continued to do throughout the night.
It was obvious that she felt the love because she took a moment to acknowledge her fanbase.
“Welcome to the motherf**king Hot Girl Summer Tour,” she yelled. “I’m so happy to be home!”
“Only the motherf**king Houston hotties are my family. We are definitely in the best city,” she added.
The rapper oozed with confidence all night and still advocates for body positivity, which is why she raised and held up her fist for a moment to show solidarity to all when she rapped “My motherfuckin’ body, my choice,” the lyrics from a “Gift & A Curse.” And the “Hotties” weren’t the only women in the building organically connecting and partying the night away together.
Megan welcomed GloRilla, who changed into an all-white country Western outfit, back on stage so they could perform their second joint record “Wanna Be.” Both women exuded girl power and their genuine dynamic could be felt. After doing her viral twerk ending, the CMG artist expressed her gratitude to her hip-hop sister.
“I just want to let you know in your home city you’re such a real ass b**ch and I love you so much,” she told the iHeartRadio Music Award winner before they hugged. “I’m so glad I got to do this f**king tour with you. You’re like the best b**ch ever. B**ch, I love you so much, no lie, with your fine ass.”
As many know, Houston is a Southern metropolis that’s curated a unique rap culture and style of its own that has not only made a heavy impact in hip hop, but also influenced the essence of the Texas Southern University alumna.
In addition, it breeds entertainers as it’s the birthplace of Beyoncè, Kelly Rowland, DJ Screw, Pimp C, Paul Wall, Trae Tha Truth, Lizzo, LaToya Luckett, Chamillionaire, Lecrae, rising artist Monaleo and many more.
As another phenomenon from the area, Megan decided to surprise the audience and pay homage to some of her hometown’s music heroes. Lil’ KeKe popped out to perform “Southside,” and was followed by Slim Thug, who rapped “Still Tippin’,” before trying to shoot his shot at Megan Thee Stallion. She ended the tribute with UGK member Bun B, who rapped his verse to the group’s beloved song, “International Players Anthem.”
“I really appreciated that she brought out all the Houston legends one time. The true H-Town hotties showed out and I appreciated it,” Bridgette Adiukwu shared about seeing the city’s legends.
There were a lot of day-one Megan fans who came out and erupted each time she performed older songs from her catalog like “Freak Nasty,” “Sex Talk,” “Big Ole Freak,” “What’s New,” “Realer,” “Cash S**t” and “Captain Hook.” The powerful energy in the atmosphere constantly surged to new levels as the crowd stayed on their feet all night bopping as they rapped her lyrics word for word. Her engaging stage presence and choreography had the “Hot Girls” and “Hot Boys” in awe of her. It also proved she’s in total shape from her gym workouts and dance practices, because the former HBCU majorette dancer never stopped using her knees throughout the night. Furthermore, she showed off her Prairie View A&M Panther Doll skills when she did a solo routine for “Cognac Queen.” She and her background dancers effortlessly danced during most of the songs she performed.
Megan ended the night performing “Savage” and it was obvious that many people were hoping Beyoncé would surface on the stage to sing the remixed version, but she didn’t.
“We did [it], Houston hotties,” the rapper said to the audience before leaving the stage as confetti dispersed from the ceiling.
After the concert, fans couldn’t stop raving, giving it five-star reviews.
“The concert was great…I lost my voice,” attendee Quinton Bolling said laughing. “Megan Thee Stallion did her biggest one, her big thing, and I’m so proud of her. I can’t wait for the next tour because she showed out and Houston showed out as well, so I’m just so proud and can’t wait for the next one.”
“We were shaking ass. The hot girl coach came and shut this b**ch down,” Christine Smith told Blavity in agreeance. “We love Megan! She’s that girl, she’s mother, and we are so happy for her. We’re proud. F**k everybody that don’t f**k with her!”
One thing is for certain, Megan has made her mark in the music industry with the help of the Hot Girl Summer Tour and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. The next big thing on the rap star’s docket is her new self-titled album, Megan, which will be released later this month on Friday, June 28.
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