Stevie Wonder at the O2 Arena

London’s O2 Arena hosts a triumphant celebration to mark 50 years of Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life. The album resounds as one of the most culturally impactful in the last half-century, and it’s the jewel in his musical collection. Earning four GRAMMY awards and preserved in the Library of Congress, it has inspired a host of artists across pop, R’n’B and soul, including Prince and Michael Jackson among many others. Selling out in minutes, his two arena dates in the capital prove there’s an enduring love for the project.

Love’s in Need of Love Today sets out the album’s themes as its opening salvo. Drawing from 50s gospel, Wonder mixes socially conscious lyrics with catchy pop harmonies, referencing the sermons he heard over the radio as a child. This theme carries over into Have a Talk with God as woozy synthesised bells chime over the laid-back drum beat.

Having helped pioneer the use of electronic synths in contemporary music, Wonder’s innovative streak runs wild in Contusion. His 25-piece band cuts loose with howling guitar lines and frenetic percussion while lasers pierce the vast void above the stage. Sir Duke comes next, and the stark difference captures the phenomenal range of the album – switching in seconds from an off-kilter jazz instrumental to a crowd-raising pop arrangement. It’s the first of many times that 20,000 people will be brought to their feet at once.

The band soon flexes their abilities again with an extended jam featuring a tantalising snippet of Overjoyed. Wonder directs his band with infectious playfulness, calling out chords for them to follow, all the while improvising with his signature harmonica. They gleefully match this energy while trading riffs from James Bond and Billie Jean.

Among Wonder’s many talents is a knack for heart-pinching ballads that subvert the usual songwriting tricks. Joy Inside My Tears captures a message of hope nested in sadness, the uncharacteristically upbeat instrumental paired with an immense, swooping string section. Energy builds again with Black Man and All Day Sucker offering an irresistible funky punch before the multilingual soul number Ngiculela – Es Una Historia – I Am Singing.

For a three-hour concert, time moves eerily fast, but Wonder doesn’t mess around with encores. He’s hell-bent on getting out as much music as the curfew allows, counting down the minutes left between songs as if to test what else he can get away with. As brings the crowd to its feet once again, the refrain hitting especially hard when Wonder announces that it was his late mother’s favourite tune: “’Cause I’ll be loving you always.” Rounding the night off with his crowning gem Superstition, it’s a jubilant conclusion.

Ben Browning
Photo: Bethan Miller/BST Hyde Park

For further information and future events, visit Stevie Wonder’s website here.

Watch the video for My Life Story of Love here: