Live Review: Ashanti Is Still the Queen of R&B
By Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
Ashanti – 9 November 2026 – at Perth Riverside Theatre Western Australia
It’s worth remembering that in 2002-03, Ashanti was absolutely MASSIVE.
Her self-titled album, ASHANTI, earned a Guinness World Record for the best-selling debut album by a female artist in the US in a single week. 25 years on, Ashanti’s reign as R&B queen continues.
On a Monday night at Perth’s Riverside Theatre, Ashanti musically personified the quintessential sounds and swagger of early-2000s R&B, the very qualities that earned her the title of Queen of R&B. She had brought her world tour to Australia after a Las Vegas show four nights earlier.
First stop: the world’s most isolated city, Perth, Western Australia. Distance-wise, we’re pretty much between the moon and New York City, where Ashanti is from.
The last time we saw the Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actress in Perth was at an R&B festival in 2022. This time, fans had a full concert to take them back to their university or high school years, when Margaux reigned on Wednesday nights and R&B ruled Perth’s chic clubs.
The foyer of Perth Riverside Theatre was filled with the young and restless, at heart, at least. Those once-teenagers, now in their 30s and 40s, still looked dazzling in their quintessential R&B get-ups: glittery dresses and strappy tops. Among them were younger fans, with some parents bringing their children along for the R&B ride.
Opening the show was Sydney breakout artist RIAH, fresh out of high school and the winner of the 2024 triple j Unearthed High Indigenous Initiative. Songs including “Mother’s Love” and “Voice of Resistance” drew enthusiastic screams, suggesting she already had plenty of supporters in the room.
School night or not, DJ City got things moving with bangers from the 2000s. “Everybody in the house, say ‘yeah!’ … Are you ready for Ashanti?” You get the drift. Several medleys and seven or so minutes later, the crowd was well and truly warmed up.
The stage screen then rolled through Ashanti’s achievements: the Grammys, the albums, the magazine covers. More than two decades of success, laid out before us. There was something surreal about seeing all that history on screen, then realising the R&B queen was about to perform right here in a Perth theatre.
Then three silhouettes appeared against the white screen on the raised section at the back of the stage: Ashanti and two female dancers.
She opened with “Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)” / “Rock With You”, wearing a bold black corset bodysuit trimmed with silver accents, paired with fishnets, thigh-high boots and dramatic black-and-silver feathered sleeves.
She occasionally gyrated alongside her dancers, and just like that, the quintessential Ashanti had arrived. Those smooth, flirtatious R&B vocals, the chemistry, the summery groove: it was all there. Her soft, melodic delivery carried the warmth and laid-back feel of the early 2000s. We had officially entered the zone of sexy vibes.
An image of Michael Jackson appeared on the big screen, a tribute to the legend and perhaps a nod to his “Rock With You” from the 1979 album Off the Wall. Ashanti was also once invited to perform at Neverland, but that’s another story.
There was plenty of flaunting, all in good taste. She would turn around, deliberately teasing the crowd, and every time she did, the screams came right back. She knew exactly what she was doing.
DJ City handled the music from his corner of the stage, keeping a low profile while all eyes stayed on Ashanti and her dancers. It was a leaner setup than her husband’s (Nelly) show last year, which featured a full band, backing vocalists and several dancers. The onstage lighting was no fancier than a high school concert. It is not a criticism. Here, the focus was firmly on her.
Riverside Theatre is a seated venue – but tell that to a crowd of groovers. The audience stood as hundreds of spotlights shone across them, turning the theatre into a dance floor, with seating as an option. Tiered seating might seem an odd fit for a dance party, but personally, I thought the venue worked beautifully. Everyone had a clear view of the stage.
“Perth, it takes so long to get to you. As you know, I’m from New York … we just had a show in Las Vegas … then we flew to Los Angeles and to Melbourne … then to Perth … but you know what … I wouldn’t miss you for the world.”
By the time she sang “Mesmerize”, her track with Ja Rule, we were well and truly rapt.
The crowd was clearly happy to have Ashanti, which made “Happy” a fitting next stop. There was plenty of swagger in this performance, delivered with the smooth, sexy feel the track deserved. Velvety, soulful and airy, her voice made it easy to stay in the groove.
The big screen also showed Ashanti exploring Perth and taking photos with local fans. It was a personal touch, and one we appreciated.
From Perth snapshots to Hollywood milestones, the screen offered another glimpse of her life, this time beside her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. After all, she is not only a singer, but also an actress and producer.
“They said I’m a one-hit wonder … but I am still in the Guinness Book of Records after 24 years.”
But it was her voice that brought us back to the performance. Her vocals remained as assured as they were in her early years, and the staccato phrasing during the a cappella section of “Break Up 2 Make Up” was astounding. With the accompaniment stripped away, her voice did the talking.
We also heard songs being performed for the first time on this tour, including “Pac’s Life”, accompanied by an image of Tupac on screen. The set moved through collaborations such as “Into You” with Fabolous, “Down 4 U” with Ja Rule and Vita, “Body on Me” with Nelly and Akon, and “What’s Luv?” with Fat Joe and Ja Rule. A cover of Jennifer Lopez’s “Ain’t It Funny” and the Ja Rule collaboration “Always on Time” kept the nostalgia flowing, before “Foolish” / “Unfoolish” brought the night to a close.
Her impact on early-2000s R&B went beyond memorable hooks. Her debut sold 503,000 copies in its first week in the US in April 2002. That same month, she became the first female performer to hold the top two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously, through “Foolish” and her Fat Joe collaboration “What’s Luv?”. Not bad for a supposed one-hit wonder.
A Monday school night, a seated theatre and a crowd with plenty of fans long past their teenage years. None of it stopped the groove. For a night, those early-2000s memories were back within reach, and Ashanti was right there with us.
Ashanti is touring across Australia and Auckland. Tickets are available from Destroy All Lines.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Beehive PR, Destroy All Lines and Ashanti for the Media Accreditation.
Rock Wit U (Awww Baby) – The Declaration (2008)
Wonderful – Unfinished Business (Ja Rule, 2004)
Mesmerize – The Last Temptation (Ja Rule, 2002)
Happy – Chapter II (2003)
Only U – Concrete Rose (2004)
The Way That I Love You – The Declaration (2008)
The Woman You Love – Braveheart (2014)
Rain on Me – The Declaration (2008)
Never Should Have – The Declaration (2008)
Baby – Ashanti (2002)
Movies – Chapter II (2003)
Break Up 2 Make Up – Chapter II (2003)
Into You – Street Dreams (Fabolous, 2003)
Southside – Ashanti (2002)
Down 4 U – Irv Gotti Presents: The Inc. (2002)
Pac’s Life – Pac’s Life (2Pac, 2006)
Body on Me – The Declaration (2008)
What’s Luv? – Jealous Ones Still Envy (J.O.S.E.) (Fat Joe, 2001)
Ain’t It Funny (Murder Remix) – J.Lo (Jennifer Lopez, 2001)
Always on Time – Pain Is Love (Ja Rule, 2001)
Foolish / Unfoolish – Ashanti (2002)
About Sheldon Ang Media: Sheldon Ang, photojournalist, writer and the founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to over 250 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AC/DC, KISS, Metallica, Iron Maiden, RHCP and P!NK with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Roxette. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), Suzi Quatro, John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
