For the last stop of his European leg of the The Shows That Saved Us tour, Odeal is visiting Berlin. He saved the best for last — this stop must feel like coming home for the German-born singer. We are excited for an evening packed with his Nigerian-inspired music with that South London touch to it. He has been paving the way for himself, creating his own lane with his perfectly genre-bending sound. The night promises to be sun-soaked, soulful and packed with R&B perfection.
A simple stage setting with some neon light stands, a drummer and a piano player shares the stage with the star of the night, Odeal. Simplicity is key to make sure his music shines to its fullest. We open the night with ‘Free Me’ and the Juls collaboration ‘Hold You Down’. Two perfect tracks to set the tone for the next hour and a half awaiting us. Nigerian-inspired beats paired with soulful, smooth vocals. Odeal reminds us he was born in Germany and therefore expects us to be at our most energetic throughout the night to welcome him back home. In return, we get a tour exclusive as he sings ‘Modern Day Suicide’ just for his Berlin stop.
The energy in the room quickly shifts when we’re treated to ‘SHOWBIZ’. The neon lights decorating the stage start flickering to match the energetic production. Unfortunately, the song is cut short — a shame, as it’s hands down our favorite song by Odeal. Luckily, we have no time to dwell on it, as the moment is followed by two more favorites — ‘Blur’ and ‘Molotov’. Both tracks seem to put a spell on the crowd; we are locked in and ready to dance with the singer.
A chair is brought to the stage and real fans know exactly what time it is. It can be no other than ‘In The Chair’ awaiting us next. Odeal takes a seat to make sure his actions align with his lyrics. The moment easily becomes one of the sexiest of the night. Near the end of the song, the band slows down, allowing the singer to invite two women from the crowd onto the stage for a dance battle. We can’t help but feel a bit awkward — is it really needed for a famous guy to sit on a chair while two women dance for his attention in front of the whole crowd? We are definitely not fans of this moment, but hey, we don’t judge — let’s move on.
The absolute highlight of the evening has to be ‘Soh-Soh’. Everyone in the audience is moving their hips and singing along to the catchy lyrics. Odeal shows off some moves while smoothly making his way across the stage with minimal, but charming choreography. After all that movement, it’s time to slow things down. The duet with Summer Walker, ‘You’re Stuck’, and ‘Temptress’ are up next. Both songs beautifully showcase the vocal range of the singer. We love how his silky smooth voice serenades the entire room.
We have no time to waste as the show is nearing its end. Time to bring some energy back — ‘Be Easy’ takes on that responsibility and doesn’t disappoint. We feel the crowd light up and it’s clear we are not ready for the show to end just yet. With ‘London Summers’, the singer quite literally brings us a piece of South London. He sings about summers back home and we sing along, as if for a moment we are right there with him in the UK.
For the final track, the singer has his biggest hit to date lined up — ‘Miami’. We tapped out after the high of ‘London Summers’ and, honestly, couldn’t care less about the Leon Thomas-assisted, more ballad-like ending of the show (sorry!).