British soul/funk/fusion/pop star Joss Stone delivered an unforgettable, emotion-filled performance at a packed Ložionica in Belgrade, in a concert organized by Long Play.
The globally acclaimed artist brought together devoted fans of all generations in a venue perfectly suited to her performance, and, accompanied by her outstanding band, once again proved why she remains one of the most important musical voices of her generation.
The connection with the audience was immediate. From the opening medley, 20 Years Of Soul, it was clear that something special was happening. The excitement only grew with Super Duper Love, as the audience enthusiastically demonstrated just how familiar they were with Joss Stone’s music from the very beginning of her career.
Despite her delicate appearance, Stone effortlessly moved from tender vocal passages to powerful, soulful expressions, seamlessly weaving together the defining moments of her career with timeless classics. Warm, genuine, and smiling throughout the evening, she shared personal stories with the audience as if speaking to old friends. Backed by a phenomenal band and focused entirely on the music and emotion, with a simple stage design refreshingly free of unnecessary glamour, she treated the audience to gems such as Fell In Love, Jet Leg, and 4&20. Her rendition of the Womack & Womack classic Teardrops brought the crowd to its feet, earning thunderous applause.
Before performing Wankerman, the endlessly charming Joss asked the audience to teach her the appropriate Serbian expression for a man who lies and cheats. She then dedicated No Thank You to everyone currently going through a breakup.
Stone also revealed a dream she has yet to fulfill—to record a disco album—before launching into another medley of her favorite dance music classics. She then shifted back to the present by introducing This Too Shall Pass, an unreleased song she is performing during her current summer tour. The audience’s response at Ložionica left no doubt: a new hit has arrived.
Speaking about Tell Me About It from 2007, Stone said it was a song she fell in love with the moment she wrote it. The 75-minute set flew by before she briefly left the stage following another medley featuring Put Your Hands. She returned for an encore with a moving, audience-wide singalong of Right To Be Wrong, while also thanking several fans who had traveled from North Macedonia after her concert in Skopje had been canceled the previous day due to severe weather. The closing song, Some Kind Of Wonderful, accompanied by a bouquet of sunflowers tossed into the audience, provided the perfect ending to this magical 100-minute evening. Joss Stone proved in Belgrade what a true star really is—in the finest sense of the word. A global icon, yet completely down to earth, she felt like one of us. At long last, she opened the doors to Belgrade in the most beautiful way possible.