Despite the pandemic shutting down most live venues, one area that’s seen an interesting change is the production of late-night television performances. Since the shows aren’t filming live anymore, stars have had to come up with creative solutions to the “live performance” problem in isolation — which has led to some stunning innovation.
Big Sean‘s performance of “Harder Than My Demons” from Detroit 2 on The Tonight Show is a sterling example of this effect, taking him from a replica living room (I’m guessing grandma’s house) to a God’s presence in the space of a couple minutes with some fancy camera work. Sean starts the performance seated on a couch surrounded by his homeboys before the stage lights black out allowing his lyrics to play out in isolated spots behind him — from grandma praying to the angel and demon arguing over his shoulders. The show concludes with Sean looking up into a spotlight representing the divine blessing from which the song borrows its theme.
As noted by host Jimmy Fallon, Detroit 2 shot to the top of iTunes’ albums list upon its release and is on track for a comfortable No. 1 berth on Billboard 200 next week, propelled by singles “Body Language,” “Deep Reverence,” “Don Life,” and “Lithuania.” Check it out here.
Watch Big Sean’s Tonight Show performance of “Harder Than My Demons” above.
