“I just have to say that I love and appreciate each and every one of you,” exclaimed Missy Elliot as the roar of applause from the audience at the Toyota Center began to quiet down. “I want to say thank y’all for being here because y’all have been going through a lot. Y’all are survivors. It inspires me seeing all your faces coming out to support us because you didn’t have to be here.”
A few days ago, NASA announced their collaboration with Grammy-award winning rapper/singer/songwriter Elliot to send her song “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) to Venus because it is one of the MC’s favorite planets. Elliot’s is the second song to be transmitted into deep space by NASA using a radio dish antenna with the first being the Beatles’ “Across the Universe”, giving testament to the impact the Virginia native has had on the industry since her 1997 debut.
Since then, her six albums, production, songwriting, and musical arrangements have garnered her four Grammys, six BET awards, two American Music awards, eight MTV video music awards, the first female rapper inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a Michael Jackson Video Vanguard award, and countless other honors.
Her influence on the music industry is immeasurable, whether looking at the audio side or the visual side, which is why its surprising that now, after over two decades of a genre-defining career, she is just now headlining a tour. She has opened and accompanied artists like Janet Jackson, Eminem, 50 Cent, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, and Beyonce.
But the Out of This World Tour: The Missy Elliott Experience Tour is her first headlining showcase. The announcement sent fans scrambling for tickets especially after the news that Elliot would be accompanied by Ciara, Busta Rhymes, and Timbaland. All four artists are known for the music as well as their innovative visuals, a point that Elliot wanted to emphasize with the tour. Earlier this month she told ET about the importance of adding her guest stars to the tour and what fans could expect.
“I wanted to make sure I didn’t just do a concert. They’ve heard these records for years. I wanted to give them the visual and make them feel like they were a part of those videos. That’s the biggest thing, to feel like you’re immersed, you’re right there. Really out of this world. That’s what I want them to feel.”
Making fans feel a part of the visuals is exactly what the tour accomplishes. Elaborate costume changes, huge set pieces, and massive video displays transport fans directly into the creative mind that created videos for songs like “Hot Boys” and “Get Ur Freak On.” June Ambrose, the costume designer for iconic videos like “Mo Money Mo Problems” and “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly) handled more than 250 costumes for Elliott and her backup dancers as they moved from spaceships hurdling through the abyss to city streets adorned with colorful graffiti.
The two have worked closely together since Elliot’s debut music video in a black, puffy body suit and Ambrose’s touch can be felt throughout the show. Ambrose is also responsible for the futuristic look of Elliot in the 1999 video She’s a Bitch with Elliot recently telling Vanity Fair it is still one of her favorite projects. The guests and contributors to the show highlight that Elliot is not trying to just to a run of the mill concert. Just like her videos, she succeeds at doing something different in the concert space with her innovative looks and visuals.
The resulting show is one composed of veterans in the game that feels equally nostalgic and fresh. Guests are greeted in the beginning of the show by four talking heads representing different eras of Elliot’scareer. As the four heads of Missy debate on what the audience should hear the projection zooms in and out making the images appear to almost be three dimensional. Whether it is Elliot flying through space on a gigantic screen or her being dwarfed by a version of herself from the “Sock It 2 Me” video, Elliot has mastered bringing the old into the new, highlighting key moments from her videos while updating those memories with elaborate costumes and set pieces. It’s a fact that Elliot embraces.
“Y’all some of the kids weren’t even born when these songs came out,” exclaimed a breathless Elliot as she pointed back to her performers. “And they are up here dancing their asses off! Y’all give it up for them and show them some love!”
And as if Elliot wasn’t enough there is the addition of Busta Rhymes and Ciara who could headline a tour in their own right. Ciara dazzled alongside her dancers as she moved up and down a tilted, elevated stage. Busta Rhyme and Spliff Star continued to cement their reputation as two of the best live performers out and even brough out Bun B to perform “Get Throwed” and “Big Pimpin” for the cheering crowd.
Missy Elliott’s Out of This World Tour is more than just a concert—it’s a celebration of a visionary artist who has continually pushed the boundaries of music and visual creativity. By bringing together a stellar lineup of guest performers and incorporating immersive, high-concept visuals, Elliot has crafted an experience that honors her past while showcasing her present and future. As fans, old and new, come together to witness, it’s clear that Missy Elliott’s influence on the industry remains as powerful as ever.
Setlist
1. Throw It Back
2. Cool Off
3. We Run This
4. 4 My People
5. Sock It 2 Me
6. I’m Really Hot
7. The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
8. I’m Better
9. She’s A Bitch
10. Gossip Folks
11. All In My Grill
12. Get Ur Freak On
13. Lick Shots
14. One Minute Man
15. Hot Boyz
16. Beep Me 911
17. DripDemeanor
18. Pussycat
19. Bad Man
20. Ching-A-Ling
21. WTF (Where They From)
22. Work It
23. Pass That Dutch
24. Up Jumps Da Boogie
25. Touch It
26. Lose Control
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2024.
