The Canadian rapper/singer NAV (real name Navraj Singh Goraya) took over Denver on his sold-out stop of the Never Sleep Tour on March 9th. Co-signed by fellow Toronto artists Drake and The Weeknd, he has been rising to his own level of superstardom. With opening sets from RealestK and SoFaygo, the night provided a showcase of energetic R&B and rap that ensured the Never Sleep Tour lived up to its name.
RealestK and SoFaygo Start the Show
First off was up-and-coming Toronto singer Rony Kordab, known as RealestK, who serenaded the crowd with his fresh take on R&B. The 18-year-old singer first rose to fame on TikTok in 2021 and has been on the rise ever since. Early in his set, Kordab told the audience that he had been in the hospital with bronchitis the previous night. That didn’t stop the singer from putting on a lively show as he performed songs like “Toxic” and his breakout hit “WFM.”
Up next, was Atlanta rapper SoFaygo (real name Andre Dontrel Burt Jr.) keeping the hype going. He also came to prominence through TikTok and recently released his debut album, Pink Heartz. His upbeat set began and the energy levels remained elevated throughout the whole set. The crowd got rowdier as the performance went on with songs like “Hell Yeah” and his viral hit “Knock Knock.”
No Sleep as NAV Takes the Stage
“After this, I’ma need therapy,” the crowd chanted along as NAV appeared on stage and the screen flashed “NEVER SLEEP.” After an electrifying performance of the tour’s namesake track, the dynamic rapper/singer dove into the rest of his discography.
The diverse set included songs from his newest album, Demons Protected by Angels, and all of his other studio efforts and mixtapes. The XO artist showed off his superstar roster of friends as he performed his collaborations with Metro Boomin, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, and other prominent names in rap.
The energy remained high even as NAV performed some of his slower, melodic, R&B-influenced tracks. The audience engagement never slowed down as the whole venue sang along to these songs as well. After about an hour of nonstop hype, the show ended on a high note with an encore performance of “Turks.”
As NAV’s path to superstardom continues, he brings along with him fresh voices of RealestK and SoFaygo. The sold-out show proved that the future of rap and R&B is in good hands.
Photos by Michael Diaz
