{"id":45799,"date":"2025-07-07T11:04:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/45799\/"},"modified":"2025-07-07T11:04:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-07T11:04:09","slug":"lauryn-hill-plays-to-half-empty-stadium-over-late-festival-start-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/45799\/","title":{"rendered":"Lauryn Hill Plays to Half-Empty Stadium Over Late Festival Start Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tLauryn Hill<\/a> played to a largely empty stadium on Friday night as part of the 2025 Essence Festival of Culture, after taking the stage hours after scheduled.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile Hill has a bit of a reputation for late shows, this time it appeared out of her hands as Essence\u2019s first day as a whole started late on Friday. Hill had been added to the lineup days prior \u2014 with the rest of Friday\u2019s lineup including GloRilla, the Isley Brothers, Babyface and Maxwell. Coco Jones, who also stars on the Peacock show Bel-Air, was an unannounced performer. Singer Lucky Daye and Kandi Burruss\u2019 girl group, Psiryn, were also early performers.<\/p>\n

\n\tGloRilla ended her set when The Isley Brothers had been scheduled to end theirs, forcing the group to start at Babyface\u2019s original time. After the Isleys\u2019 hour, Babyface didn\u2019t start until after midnight, with the the 19-time Grammy winner digging into his substantial songwriting catalogue delivering renditions of hits that included Bobby Brown (\u201cDon\u2019t Be Cruel,\u201d \u201cEvery Little Step I Take\u201d), Boys II Men (\u201cI\u2019ll Make Love to You,\u201d \u201cEnd of the Road\u201d), TLC (\u201cBaby-Baby-Baby,\u201d \u201cRed Light Special\u201d), The Whispers (\u201cRock Steady\u201d) and Toni Braxton (\u201cAnother Sad Love Song,\u201d \u201cLove Shoulda Brought You Home\u201d from the film Boomerang).<\/p>\n

\n\tMaxwell began performing mere minutes before 1 a.m. After delivering several of his hits from his debut album, Maxwell\u2019s Urban Hang Suite, the \u201cFortunate\u201d singer cut his set short. Not long after Maxwell\u2019s exit, Kenny Burns, an Essence Festival emcee, announced that Hill was in the building. As multiple workers took the stage to change the setup for the beloved star\u2019s performance, time kept ticking away. Even as the stage appeared equipped for a performance, the delay continued. Technical difficulties were only announced about five to 10 minutes before Hill was announced to be finally coming to the stage.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFamily is family and around here we protect our own no matter what the PEOPLE have to say,\u201d Essence Festival wrote in a statement on Instagram Sunday. \u201cShe arrived on schedule,\u201d the fest continued, taking responsibility for the delay and defending Hill. \u201cLet\u2019s be very clear\u2014 WE don\u2019t play about Ms. Lauryn Hill. She stepped on that stage, and delivered the kind of performance only a legend can. The delay? Not hers. We will take that. The moment? One for the books. The legacy? Still unmatched.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile some fans were giving her grief online over the late start, several others came to her defense. <\/p>\n

\n

Or, let\u2019s post what actually happened. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s very easy to get Lauryn Hill trending with false narratives.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s provide the facts. The entire festival was pushed back. <\/p>\n

This was literally not her fault.<\/p>\n

Me on the other hand, I would have gone home. Contract or not. Bye. https:\/\/t.co\/F5JUeXUbQv<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ERIC LAMONT (@EricUnedited) July 5, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n\tFans who stuck around for Hill\u2019s performance got a treat. A robust band of more than 10 members played as Black history montages filled the background screens. Hill emerged in a blue polka dot full-length dress wearing a gele atop her head and a low-hanging statement necklace showcasing what appeared to be fertility figurines.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile Hill rarely performs songs as arranged on her critically acclaimed The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, the sped-up versions she typically opts for live landed exceptionally well. Her rendition of \u201cEx-Factor\u201d packed an emotional punch. So did \u201cTo Zion.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHill\u2019s voice was fierce and clear as she subtly recounted the pressures she faced within the music<\/a> industry not to carry her first child. \u201cEssence Festival \u2014 27, 28 years ago, I sang that song about this young man right here. I need you to make some noise for Zion Marley. Come on!\u201d she commanded.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter Zion performed a couple of songs, Hill resumed in extremely personable fashion. She later brought out another of her sons, YG Marley, and demanded the audience give him a proper greeting. He rewarded them with a robust but brief performance of reggae songs like his hit \u201cMarching to Freedom,\u201d reminiscent in tone of those of his iconic grandfather Bob Marley. Hill returned after his performance with even more force, delivering an impassioned rendition of \u201cKilling Me Softly With His Song\u201d in tribute to Roberta Flack, as photographs of the iconic singer who died in February flashed behind her.<\/p>\n

\n\tAsking for permission to do one more song, Hill issued a request to the crowd, declaring that \u201cI need y\u2019all to get low, come on,\u201d before asking for the Fugees fans in the venue and performing their hit \u201cFu-Gee-La,\u201d amazingly high-spirited as she rhymed furiously and only making the song truly recognizable with the \u201cFu-la-la\u201d chorus.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThank you. Good night y\u2019all. God bless you,\u201d Hill said as she ended the show in the early morning. It was arguably one of her best performances in recent memory, and she delivered it as if the house was packed, even as only the very faithful few remained.<\/p>\n