Feid
Toyota
Center
May 24,
2024
To the uninitiated, the throngs of folks
decked out in green that surrounded the Toyota Center last night may have been
mistaken for holdovers from St. Patrick’s Day. But if you looked closer, say at
the sunglasses that many also wore, you’d see that on one lens was written FER.
One the other, XXO.
That would be Ferxxo (pronounced Fercho), a reference to the Colombian
star Feid (real name Salomón Villada
Hoyos). Feid went from writing songs for artists like J. Balvin and Sebastián
Yatra to, last night, bringing his Colombian-infused style of reggaeton to
Houston for a stop on his headlining FerxxoCalipsis tour, and yes, green is
kind of his signature color. If you were for some reason lacking in something green,
staff was handing out light-up wristbands as you entered the building – the dominant
color of which was green.
Also very green was the stage, which extended
almost all the way across the Toyota Center floor, with smaller round stages
jutting out in each corner, and a three-story high structure that was put to
good use over the course of the course of Feid’s perreo-heavy set. Interestingly, the word perreo, referring to the sexy
gyrations most associated with reggaeton was officially acknowledged as a
Spanish word last year by the Real Academia Española (aka the foremost arbiter
of such things.
In true Feid style, he opened the show with a
call to the chimbitas – “a ver dónde están” – in “Alakran,” a synthesizer-loving
track from last year’s Ferxxocalipsis.
The perreo is strong in this one, and the vibe stayed strong with the irresistible
beats of “50 Palos” and “Chimbita,” which followed. The next two songs, “Lady
Mi Amor” and “Castigo,” came from Feid’s 2022 album Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo Te Pirateamos El Álbum, which you may remember
as the one he dropped two months early after it was leaked online, before Feid
took a minute to address to his green-clad, shade-wearing fans for the first
time.
There were multiple moments of earnest sincerity,
but in this first break, Feid made it a point to shout out the various Latin
cultures he knew would be in the room. The Colombian star proudly and
unapologetically embraces his Colombian roots, and that ownership of his
culture is infectious and empowering to his fans, who feel encouraged to do the
same with their own Latin heritage. At a Feid concert, when someone asks you where
you’re from, the answer they’re looking for isn’t Houston (even if that is
literally where you’re from). The correct answer will be Mexico, El Salvador, Puerto
Rico, etc.
The at times futuristic Mor, No Le Temas a la Oscuridad, which Feid also released in 2023, showcased
the artist’s versatility, as he incorporated varied sounds into the albums
tracks, such as the Afrobeat-blended “Bubalu,” which Feid recorded with Nigeria’s
Rema, and the EDM-heavy, impossible-to-miss-if-you’re-on-TikTok “Ferxxo 151.” Speaking
of things that are impossible, this section of the show included “Fumeteo,”
which is impossible not to shout along to. But the highlights here were the
forays into songs Feid featured on, like Bad Bunny’s “Perro Negro,” Mora’s “La
Inocente” and “Brickell,” from Feid’s joint EP with Yandel that was released last
month. Feid is known for his work with other artists, and more such songs – Maluma’s
“Mojando Asientos,” Yandel’s “Yandel 150” and Ozuna’s “Hey Mor” – are sprinkled
through the setlist.
Feid then took to one of the smaller stages
for an acoustic set featuring “Ferxxo 30,” “Prohibidox” and “Porfa.” Sitting on
the stage cross-legged and flanked by his guitarist and back-up vocalist, the
stage rose into the sky for this lovely little jam session. It’s worth noting
that even though Feid was on this elevated but little, corner stage, thanks to
the giant screens that towered in the center of the floor, there was a sense of
Feid everywhere always. And yes, sometimes it seemed like he was literally attempting
to be everywhere at once, as he spent much of the night running across the
stage and climbing stairs to reach the audience from new places and angles.
Feid performed his Colombian-infused style of reggaeton for a packed house.
Photo by Jennifer Lake Reister
It’s not fair to try to single out the
synthesizer on any one song (because it’s often put to such good use), but “Esquirla”
definitely gets a mention. “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo” and “Normal” got two of
the biggest pops of the night, and in between were even more bangers, such as the
pulsating electronica of “Luces de Tecno,” and the charming, feel-good synth of
“Romanticos de Lunes.” Feid followed these with a number of bops to draw the show
to a close, including the catchy as hell, Young Miko-featuring “Classy 101” and
the ATL Jacob-produced “Luna.”
All in all, Feid took the stage at around 9:15
p.m. and performed for over two hours, with a total of 36 songs played. I didn’t
mention all of them, but there’s a complete setlist for you below to check out
his music on Spotify. This, by the way, is a must. Whether you like reggaeton
or Latin music in general, and whether or not you speak Spanish, don’t really
matter. It’s a party for everyone when Feid is in town, and you won’t want to
miss it when he eventually returns (and he will, as his star is still on the
rise). Well, maybe unless you have an aversion to the color green. But even
then, just wear sunglasses. You’ll fit right in with the crowd with a FER/XXO
pair.
P.S. To the lovely young woman next to me who
did not want to “perreo sola”: I
promise it wasn’t personal. I was working.
Set List
Alakran
50 Palos
Chimbita
Lady Mi Amor
Castigo
Bubalu
Ferxxo 151
Ultra Solo Remix
Fumeteo
Perro Negro
Cual Es Esa
Brickell
El Cielo
La Inocente
Ferxxo 30
Prohibidox
Porfa
Esquirla
Mojando Asientos
Remix Exclusivo
Ferxxo Edition
X19X
Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo
Monastery
Ritmo de Medallo
Luces de Tecno
Ey Chory
Le Pido a Dios
Romanticos de Lunes
Normal
Ferxxo 100
Yandel 150
Hey Mor
Classy 101
Chorrito Pa Las Animas
Luna
Natalie de la Garza
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