Clothed in a black sheet, a towering figure crept onto the stage as eerie music flowed. Atop the massive body sat Genesis Owusu in pitch-black shades, making his DC debut opening for headliner Paramore at Capitol One Arena on June 2nd, 2023. Passion, spunk, and ferocity immediately slammed the stage, turning a once-tame venue into a chaotic whirlwind of exhilaration.

Hailing from Canberra, Australia, the thunder from down under rose up during Paramore’s 2023 North American tour to shake fans to their core. Formerly known as Kofi Owusu-Ansah, the Ghanaian-Australian singer took to the stage as Genesis Owusu, paving the way for his launch to stardom. Now, after releasing Smiling With No Teeth, he is gearing up for his global Struggler tour beginning in October.

Although the first act of the night, Genesis unleashed a colossal wave of fervor the minute his feet graced the stage. After coating the venue in red, Genesis unveiled himself, giving rise to his three backup dancers and singers slinking around like zombies. In his sleek matching jacket and pants, he slid effortlessly from stage right and left, taunting the audience with infectious single Leaving the Light.

Between his deeply mystifying aura, eye-grasping stage presence, and bracing lyrics, fans soaked up each and every ounce of electricity. The crowd moved in a storm-like motion, with rapturous sways and palms to the sky. With a plethora of songs in his musical arsenal, Genesis impressively managed to cram the majority of his hits into a 30-minute set.

Genesis took fans on a discography merry-go-round, playing one of his first hits, Void, to his chart-topper, WUTD. Revving up the audience, Waiting on Ya soon rang out, provoking a further uproar of screams and shrills. Spellbound by his captivating motions, fans mimicked the same energy, darting their eyes from side to side with each of his leaps.

In between songs, Genesis checked the audience’s excitement meter, repeatedly yelling, “DC, are you alive?”, to which fans would mirror equal elation. During GTFO fans hurled lyrics back at him, as the microphone pointed at the audience. Iconicly, at the end of the song, Genesis’s body rose to the sky under the muscles of his stage men, emphasizing his king-like essence.

Following a dazzling performance of Get Inspired and Don’t Need You, Genesis commanded the crowd with two smooth gestures. When his arm shot into the air, fans exhaled their breath in screams and when his arm fell, they tied their lips together. Fans followed his lead as he adjured stage left and then right, teetering between pressing play and mute. 

Wrapping up, Genesis closed with groovy, elevating, and funky tune, Good Times. Disappearing briefly, the dancers exited the stage just to waltz back in with soaring blood-red flag that read “don’t forget to smile” in all capitalized black letters. As they danced with the flag to the rhythm of Genesis’ voice, the crowd collectively let loose one last time.

Though Genesis was not Friday night’s headliner, he seamlessly amped up listeners, preparing them for the bliss of Bloc Party and Paramore. With his eccentric, authentic, and compelling presence in the music realm, Genesis proves himself an artist to watch. If you missed his opening set at Capitol One, be sure to catch his headlining set at Union Stage on October 25!