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KENNY “BABYFACE” EDMONDS, the grandfather of R&B, just got fans all worked up with the delirious trailer of his tour where he teased special guests and urged his followers to get tickets immediately. Another Grammy winner and unmistakably one of the mainstays of many a classic R&B hit, Babyface sat with his guitar in the promo, casually name-dropping some heavyweights, really setting the internet ablaze with speculation over who else might be hitting the road with him.
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The video was a mixture of Babyface casually cool doing his thing with that remarkable guitar playing while going straight to the viewers: “Hey guys as you all know I’m getting ready to head out” just commencing the dialogue with the audience. This casual atmosphere and the freeform musical interspersing keep him in the very highest echelons of the music industry decades later. These very names being thrown about with hopes stating, “hoping El is gonna do this one,” “Casey is gonna do this one,” and “Charlie you gotta do this one” started wild speculation as to who actually is going on tour with him; immediately, the fans speculated about El DeBarge, K-Ci of Jodeci, and maybe Charlie Wilson.
In just a few hours, the comment section was at a frenzy of excitement. An overwhelmed fan just summarized what everyone seemed to be thinking: “This don’t make no sense!!! This much talent in one body!!! MY FAVORITE SINGER OF ALL TIME,” clinging with several arrow emojis pointing upwards representing their zeal. The clamoring sentiment echoed back and forth in the comments, demonstrating that Babyface enchants all generations of people.
Another engaging comment came from a super fan revealing that she had been at 13 Babyface shows to this day, sometimes traveling as far as from Detroit to other cities. “My son just said to me as an avid #1fan how is he touring back to back to back just breaking u mama like wat he think his fans got money money,” she answered with laughter, elaborating on the investments the fans are willing to make as a testimony to their deep connection with the artists, so deep that they intend to celebrate their birthdays with him at a concert in Vegas come November.
The international contingent also chimed in with a call for the tour to extend beyond American territory. “Bring the cookout to London!” begged one user, while another simply said: “France My dream !!!!” accompanied with a French flag emoji, hinting at the worldwide demand for a Babyface concert. The cities left off the list also shared their bitterness, one resident from Seattle lamenting, “Just wish Seattle was being blessed with this amazing concert!!! One in a million to be able to be there!!!”
The guitar part of the video elicited some very exciting praise for Babyface’s guitar playing: “Babyface I like your practice guitar” joked one user, and another commented “I can’t just listen to this dude play all day” stressing the hypnotic effect of the guys’ musicality in a casual social media snippet.
There were the few comments that stopped short of setting the list, with people urging the artists as to what they really wanted to hear, which speaks to the immense treasure of hits fans want to enjoy live. “I want el debarge to sing love me in a special way and you and el have to sing where is my love,” stated one user, while another pleaded for, “sweet November” and “love saw it,” acknowledging that different recordings have a distinct meaning for different listeners.
As a fan exclaimed, “This Is Going To Be One Of The Most Famous and Fantastic Shows EVER!!!,” the crescendo of excitement was captured there. Another comment stated, “HIT after HIT! See y’all at the cookout” with flaming emojis, speaking about Babyface’s enormous hit catalog and the shared experience of attending his shows.
The genius of this campaign lies in its use of the great Babyface name but also in building real intrigue about the tour. By hinting at collaborations but naming none, he created a frenzy of organic discussion and speculation among fans, turning his audience into actual active participants in promoting the tour. The campaign shows that he knows his modern-day audience but never having to try for his own smoothness.
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The receptive reaction to Babyface’s viral clip shows the master still knows how to stir excitement and cherish relevance. An artist that has stood in the industry for decades can still pull Babyface into his generation through this pending tour full of surprises. This translates directly into Ticket sales as one voice exclaimed, “Babyface Is The Goat” with plenty of fire emojis that basically demonstrate Kenny Edmonds is straddling another sphere of R&B greatness.