Dijon’s Tour Is a Reminder of How Alive Music Can Feel
On November 23, I closed out my 2025 concert calendar with Dijon’s tour stop at The Met Philadelphia, a show that proved exactly why he’s become one of the most distinctive voices in modern R&B and experimental pop. Known for bending genres, breaking structures and making vulnerability feel almost confrontational, Dijon has spent the last few years building a reputation as an incredible live performer. His latest album, Baby, is his most daring release yet, and this tour brings that boldness to life in a way that’s impossible to capture on record.
PHOTO BY MADDIE MOSLEY
Fans filtered into the venue wearing Japanese denim, fisherman vests and loafers – everyone dressed like a moodboard curated by Dijon himself. With no opener, the anticipation had a unique intimacy, like we were all waiting to enter the same shared emotional universe.
At 8:45 p.m., Dijon appeared on stage in a black puffer with an orange bandana tied around his hat. The stage setup looked less like a traditional concert and more like a cozy, slightly chaotic living-room session. His band encircled him, creating a space that felt communal and close despite the nearly 4,000 bodies packed inside the venue.
He opened with “HIGHER!,” track three from Baby, and instantly set the tone. The setlist flowed naturally through his catalog in a way that felt deeply intentional, touching every corner of what fans love about him. When he played his crown jewel, “The Dress,” from his debut album Absolutely, the venue became a choir with everyone singing along in this soft, emotional wave that felt almost devotional. “Many Times” came with a fresh live twist, sped up just enough to give it new movement. And “Talk Down” was one of those songs the whole room sang with their whole chest, cathartic, loud and completely shared.
Some of my personal favorite moments were during “alley-oop” and “Annie,” which were both absolutely gorgeous live. The soft white lights glowed around him, filling the room with a suspended, magical stillness. “Yamaha” and “Baby!” carried that same glowing intensity, each one hitting with a warmth that felt bigger than the recordings.
Throughout the show Dijon’s voice stayed painfully clear and human, cutting through the fuzz, distortion and ambient swirl of the instruments without ever being drowned out. He preserves the negative space of his recordings in a way that feels almost fragile, giving every guitar line and subtle sonic quirk its own moment to shine. Hearing him live was hypnotic. The songs didn’t rush, they unraveled, letting the audience sink fully into each moment and reminding everyone why he’s truly one of the best live vocalists performing today.
The energy between songs was just as memorable. Even with the usual crowd noise of people whispering, shuffling, reacting, there were these pockets of intentional quiet that settled over the room. Stark white lights cut through the stage, outlining him and his band in soft silhouettes while live mixing happened right in front of us. Instead of feeling like dead air, those pauses felt purposeful, almost like extensions of the songs themselves.
After wrapping up “Kindalove,” he left the stage, only to return for an encore that was a gut punch in the best way. He opened with “Skin,” his 2018 single, a total shock to many in the room, and closed with “Rodeo Clown,” a song that truly brings you to your knees. Hearing it live was nothing short of magical and it was one of those rare moments where a roomful of strangers collectively loses their breath.
Dijon performs with a kind of emotional transparency that’s almost disarming. His music is human, imperfect, tender and quietly dramatic, and the live show reflects that completely. Even surrounded by thousands of people, the night felt deeply private, like we were at a listening party rather than a large-scale concert. Above all, it was a vivid reminder of how alive music can feel.
