Gunna
May 21, 2024 - Phoenix, AZ
by Elijah Clower
Gunna's Bittersweet Tour stop at the Arizona Financial Theatre was One of Wun! Opening with "Bittersweet," as he walked down through the crowd set the tone for the night. The crowd was hyped as he transitioned onto the stage into "whatsapp (wassam)" and "one of wun," with fans singing along to every word.
The energy in the venue was 15/10 during "DOLLAZ ON MY HEAD" and "MET GALA," where Gunna’s stage presence started to shine; this is also when he went into act 2 and his main stage was revealed from behind a curtain. His cover of Travis Scott's "YOSEMITE" came next and was a nice insert to the setlist. Another highlight was "Drip Too Hard," which had everyone in the audience jumping and rapping along.
Throughout the night, Gunna kept the crowd engaged with hits like "Baby Birkin" and "Banking on Me," showcasing his genre/mood versatility. I’d like to point out that Gunna’s performances should be given much credit as he isn’t using a back track for a majority of his songs (Back tracking: A common practice of artists playing the studio version in the background while performing live at the same time.) For a setlist with 43 songs that’s very impressive. His performance of "Hot," a Young Thug cover, was memorable, demonstrating his connection with the audience and his mentor's influence. Closing the show with "THIS YEAR (Blessings)," Gunna left the fans in a state of euphoria, reflecting on a night filled with unforgettable moments and high-energy performances.
It was an amazing show and just an example of why he remains a dominant force in the rap game despite recent struggles with his reputation. If you get the chance to catch him live, don't miss it.
