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Shaggy In Toronto: Charisma, Humour, and Infectious Grooves
Jamaican-American musician Orville Richard Burrell, more commonly known as Shaggy, made his stop at Toronto’s HISTORY on July 2, 2025. The night celebrated his roots, coinciding with the city’s long-standing love for the Caribbean culture. He shared a night full of charisma, humour, and infectious grooves. But before all that, the night began with a surprising and stylistically unconventional opener.
Sophie Grey
Emerging onto the stage with her keytar strapped across her body while bearing a red flag, electro-pop artist Sophie Grey caught everyone’s attention. Her performance leaned heavily into retro techno aesthetics with a futuristic twist, which was a stylistic curveball. Spacing the songs was accompanied by a robotic voice-over, reinforcing the act’s theme. In contrast to the headliner’s style, Sophie owned her lane, which intrigued the audience and kept them curious. Her commitment to her visual identity left an impression.
Shaggy
With his crew, which included a DJ, drummer, bassist, and hype man, Shaggy hit the stage and immediately ramped up the energy. Fresh off his European tour, he expressed that Toronto holds a special place in his heart, a sentiment that resonated with the crowd throughout the night.
From the jump, Shaggy tested the crowd’s reggae knowledge to see if they vibe along. Strictly laying out rules stating that “Ladies to the front, guys in the back.” It is a #1 rule at a Shaggy show. He kept the atmosphere playful and lively with hip thrusts and charismatic banter, cleverly inserting “It Wasn’t Me” at just the right moments.
As he switched between reggae and dancehall, crowd favourites like “Boombastic,” “Angel,” and “It Wasn’t Me” were strategically placed throughout his setlist.
At one point, Shaggy demonstrated how to “whine”-the bad boy Jamaican way, which sparked roars from the audience and kept bodies moving while hands were in the air—leading to the build-up of his “Mr. Lover” persona, transitioning into his sensual tracks that showcased versatility as a humorous hitmaker and charismatic veteran.
In Closing
For decades, Shaggy has remained a beloved figure in the music scene. His Toronto performance highlighted his enduring appeal, proving once again that he still has it, and he is always genuinely ready to give his fans the full-on, unforgettable experience they deserve.
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