Less than a week remains until pop legend Flo Rida lands in Chilliwack to ignite a party unlike any other.
It’ll be the hip-hop star’s only Lower Mainland appearance on the tour, and the Prospera Centre is gearing up to host him and an excited mob of fans on July 19.
After putting in years of hard work as an amateur in the rap game, making guest appearances with big names, Flo Rida catapulted onto the music scene in 2008 when he dropped his first single ‘Low,’ featuring T-Pain, off his debut album Mail on Sunday (2008).
Quickly reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, Flo Rida had pop fans around the world singing about ‘Apple Bottom jeans’ and ‘boots with the fur,’ as they eagerly awaited what he’d come out with next.
This collaborative artist continued to take the pop industry by storm with R.O.O.T.S. (2009), a record which rapidly gained popularity for it’s top track ‘Right Round’ (feat. Ke$ha).
Proving that he was here to stay, he dropped Only One Flo, Part 1 (2010) and reached new heights with ‘Club Can’t Handle Me’ (feat. David Guetta) and ‘Who Dat Girl’ (feat. Akon). Wild Ones (2012) kept this hit-making machine at the top of the charts with ‘Whistle,’ ‘Good Feeling’ and the title track feat. Sia, the video for which has racked up more than 344 million views on YouTube.
Just enough time passed since Wild Ones that the general radio-listening public may have thought Flo Rida was stepping back from the spotlight. But his recent work is proof that he’s not done building his reputation yet.
Like he never left, Flo Rida emerged back on the scene in a major way in 2015 with his first new single ‘GDFR’ (Goin’ Down For Real), to be quickly followed up with ‘I Don’t Like It, I Love It,’ which set the stage for ‘My House.’
‘My House’ reached No. 5 on the charts – making it his seventh Top 5 single – and on Tuesday, the Prospera Centre will be his house as well. He’ll be in Lethbridge, Alberta the night before the ‘wack, and off to Prince George after he wraps up with us.
With a stellar catalogue like Flo Rida’s, there’s got to be a secret to the perfect hit song.
“It definitely has to be catchy, and have a lot of pop to it,” he told The Progress on his way to a Los Angeles movie premiere performance last week. But there’s one sure way he can tell when he’s onto something good. “I know that if I love it, my fans are gonna love it. So I make sure that I love it first,” he explained.
When he’s coming up with these killer tracks, the essence and life behind them unfolds behind the mic.
“I like it to be organic, I like to be in the studio feeling the vibe. I’ll have an idea that I’ll put down, and it builds when we lay production on it.”
The motivation behind the themes of his addictive dance singles come from his real-world nights as a star.
“I’m inspired by the parties that I go to and, well – I’m the life of the party,” he said. His collection of music videos show him singing as he pops bottles of champagne in the club, goes skydiving in Dubai, parties on a speedboat and dances in the street.
“I always like to be creative and try something new,” he said of his video endeavours. The ‘My House’ music video, which was filmed in Flo’s hometown of Miami, Florida, looks like the ultimate house party, complete with fire dancers, bartender tricks, and women wearing a platter of sushi.
As he tours his latest work, he’s wrapping up production on his next album The Perfect 10, expected to be released later this year. The first single ‘Hello Friday’ (feat. Jason Derulo) is the perfect soundtrack to kick off a summer weekend.
Fans will be hearing a party-packed mix of Flo’s new and older material in Chilliwack, and he’ll be joined by surprise guests which he says will “overwhelm” the fans and have them craving an encore.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Flo Rida admitted. But with the music he has in store, backed by his band and Wild Ones dancers, he says “it’s the perfect combination” that will blow people away.
DJ Chrome and Drum N’Dirty will be opening the evening with their live DJ and drum show, decked out with a 10-foot robot and electro bot dancers.
“I love you guys, thanks for all the support,” Flo Rida said to his fans as the show fast approaches. “I can’t wait to see you guys, it’s going to be amazing.”
Flo Rida performs with guests at the Prospera Centre (45323 Hodgins Ave.) on Tuesday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the all-ages show start at $75 each, and are available at prosperacentre.com.
