Live Report: Metro Boomin pulls up with bass-boosted beats to Longitude's main stage

Many of the artists that have played this year's Longitude Festival have grown a following due to their specific genre, but no other artist featured in the lineup has incorporated such a variety of blended music in one performance as Metro Boomin.

Metro Boomin’s Heroes and Villians album has sold over 1,000,000 units in 2023, and the appeal is clear to see. In the American DJ and producer's all-too-short performance, Metro took the risk of incorporating a range of musical flavours and all-star features, resulting in a thoroughly entertaining show.

Emerging on stage with the Irish tricolour draped around his shoulders, Metro instantly won over the eager crowd. Airhorns and explosions denoted his entrance, regular staples of a Metro performance, followed shortly by the DJ's iconic tagline scream of "METRO!".

Metro Boomin at Longitude 2023's Mainstage - copyright: Miguel Ruiz / hotpress.com

Once the DJ launched into a rip-roaring version of Migos' ever-iconic 'Bad and Boujee', featuring fellow Longitude star Lil Uzi Vert, there was no stopping the the crowd or Metro from letting all their collective energy out, the latter jumping around the stage. With one song, Metro has easily garnered an army.

Encouraging the crowd to open up and start moshing, Metro launched into Drake's 'Jumpman', an electric track that did indeed have everyone in attendance jumping. The DJ quickly moved to ILoveMakonnen's 'Tuesday', which instantly the whole crowd "going up".

It was clear to all by this point that Metro is a far too seasoned DJ to deliver anything but a stellar performance, as he regularly grabbed the mic to emerge from his decks and bounce along with the eager audience. Coupled with the speed at which the show’s tracks are dispatched – they are truncated and segue into each other, which enables Metro to cram a staggering amount of songs into a short 45 minute slot – it’s a lot to take in.

Metro Boomin at Longitude 2023's Mainstage - copyright: Miguel Ruiz / hotpress.com

Electric versions of modern rap classics 'Mask off', 'Heartless' and 'I Don't Wanna Know' kept the crowd entertained throughout, all the while accompanied by hallucinogenic scenes on the screens, explosion and gunshot sounds, and a performer clearly in love with his job. A passionate cry of "we're gonna tell it how it is, the Irish way" from Metro once again had the crowd fully charged.

An unfortunately short set ended with the DJ being cut off shortly after his own 2022 track 'Superhero', and thunderous cheers from the crowd quickly took over. Headliners Lil Uzi Vert and Travis Scott will truly have to bring the heat to match the intensity of Metro Boomin...