Blood Orange @ The Anthem [3/3/26]

Photos by Lauren Kim

I was eighteen years old when I first learned about Blood Orange. I stood in the kitchen of a girl I was quite enamored by, waiting for water to boil. She played “Charcoal Baby” as we cooked dinner together. 

I slowly learned more about Blood Orange. Offstage, he’s known as Devonte Hynes. Born in East London and based in New York, he has been making music since 2011. He’s worked with Solange, FKA Twigs, and Lorde – all artists I’ve loved in my college years.

Blood Orange’s music is full of soul, its presence imbuing itself into memory. His discography steadily leaked into my playlists, in every year and season. 

On Tuesday, Blood Orange kicked off the second leg of the Essex Honey tour in Washington, D.C. I had been buzzing with excitement the entire day, counting down the minutes until I’d finish work.

On the bus to the venue, I checked his Instagram story. A plain photo of him and his guitar. Playing some old songs today, the text read. Nothing could’ve prepared me for what was to come. 

Concertgoers flooded the pit at the Anthem, eager to shelter from the steady pattering of rain outside. The stage was simple: instruments scattered across the stage, the spotlights casting a subtle glow against a black background. 

The subtle melody of “I Wanna C U” caused the crowd to erupt in cheers. Hynes’ voices swam through the venue, captivating the crowd as we swung to the beat. I felt myself smiling.

As the song went on, I was transported back to a hazy memory. “I Wanna C U” reminds me of a quiet optimism, of slow mornings and aimless days. It reminds me of the heat of the afternoon sun in early summer, of lying in the Sculpture Garden alongside fallen Jacaranda blossoms. 

The song ended, and we were promptly escorted out of the photo pit. Without taking a beat, Blood Orange went straight into “Thinking Clean,” cueing dreamlike visuals. The black backdrop illuminated a projection of the band, immersing everyone into what was unfolding onstage. No need to crane your neck anymore. The lighting switched between midnight blues and warm pinks, with twinkling spotlights that felt like dappled sunlight.

In previous interviews, Hynes has opened up about his synesthesia. The concert felt like his vision come to life, translated into a language we could all understand. In his performance, Blood Orange lets the music speak for itself. He isn’t dressed ostentatiously, and spends most of the concert fenced behind his keys, his mic, his guitar. He hardly speaks between songs. His supporting vocalists, Ian Isaiah and Eva Tolkin, were often projected onstage, emphasizing that music is a collective experience. As a unit, the band is entirely devoted to telling the story behind Hynes’ discography. The crowd enjoys it as one.

The saxophonic intro of “Chosen” graced the stage for the first time since 2016. I heard quiet gasps around me and saw concertgoers whip out their phones at lightning speed. Polachek’s faux French accent drifted through the room: 

“Chosen” is about a universal feeling: longing. As lovers enter and exit my life, I’ve leaned on the song more times than I’d like to admit. The crowd soaked in the performance with unwavering attention, and I felt truly lucky to be a part of its redebut. I let my feelings run their course throughout the song, because, to me, that’s what music’s all about… 

In October, my roommate returned from the Essex Honey Tour in Los Angeles. She told me, teary-eyed, about what she insisted was a religious experience that night. “Save me, Dev Hynes,” she wailed. 

“Sutphin Boulevard” always makes me think of her. She streamed the song just under 500 times last year, and I would often hear it leaking through the shared wall between our living room and my bedroom. 

The song tells the story of a young boy in drag sneaking out to a party. As I looked around, watching people dance to the music, waving their hands to the beat, I saw a testament to what Hynes has built for others. The audience sees themselves in the boy Blood Orange sings about, finding sanctuary in “Sutphin Boulevard”.

“Countryside,” the seventh track off Essex Honey, was my Blood Orange song of choice in October. The project, arriving six years after the release of Negro Swan, was written in the wake of the sudden loss of Hynes’ mother in 2023. 

In a moment of sensitivity, “Countryside” expresses a visceral need to escape chaos. In a GQ interview, Hynes shares, “I’ve been craving this warmth that isn’t necessarily provided by big cities.” 

Backed by the steady heartbeat of a bass drum, “Countryside” speaks about surrendering to melancholy: 

In a larger sense, Essex Honey resonates in our political moment, marked by a constant heartache for the violence unfolding across the world. Hynes continues for GQ, “I think we’re suffering collective burnout. I feel like I see that around me. I’m sure that it’s kind of oozing in, kind of a tiredness.” Watching the performance of Essex Honey invites vulnerability from the audience– to surrender to this tiredness, to allow yourself to grieve.

The mood at the Anthem completely shifted after a sudden transition to “Uncle Ace.” Since the song’s last performance in 2016, “Uncle Ace” has seen a resurgence in popularity. Featured in the infamous hotel room scene in Challengers (2024), “Uncle Ace” has a sensuality baked into the song. I eyed a pair of girls who had been carrying a cardboard sign reading PLEASE PLAY UNCLE ACE jumping for joy.

The penultimate song of the night was “The Field,” which stands out among other tracks in Essex Honey. The crescendo of guitar and breathy vocals evokes a hopeful anticipation. The song feels like coming home, that relief of putting your guard down in the embrace of familiarity. 

I’ve spent my college years teetering on the boundary between adolescence and adulthood, and, even though it’s over a year away, I’ve been reckoning with what it will mean to cross that line when I graduate. “The Field” brings me comfort in the face of uncertainty, a quiet assurance that no matter how tenuous the journey, everything will fall into place.

In a night of dancing, reminiscing, and tears welling without even realizing it, Blood Orange captured the whole range of the human experience. 

Hynes’ closing words were, “I just want you to appreciate this life that you have.” The Essex Honey tour is a reminder that every day is a gift, and to cherish every path you cross and moment that strikes. Through every peak and valley, all you can do is revel in every emotion that comes your way. 

Listen to Essex Honey!