NF (a.k.a. Nathan Feuerstein) brought his sold out Perception World Tour to The Fillmore Philadelphia for an emotionally charged powerful performance in support of his chart topping album, Perception, which shot straight to No. 1 during its first week on the charts, scoring NF his first No. 1 album. We would definitley categorize Perception as one of the best albums released in 2017.

NF launched his set from inside of a jail cell, to his single “Outcast” giving the same visuals as his music video for the single which was an amazingly unique addition to his stage production. NF’s 90-minute set was full of fan favorite songs from his entire catalogue but heavily showcased his latest album, in which he dives deep into his personal experiences including his relationship with his father, battling depression, fame coming so quickly for him and the troubles that it brings with it, the struggles with his moms addiction and their relationship, and the recognition that he has received for his music which is heavily influenced by the pain he has endured throughout his life. The raw emotion behind all of NF’s lyrics really is able to be showcased within his explosive live performance and is able to be visualized even more with the graphics that flooded the video wall backdrop covering the entire length of the stage which were breathtaking and perfectly fit with his vibrant colored lights.

The twenty-six-year-old Gladwin, MI native gives his all during a live performance and that shines throughout his entire set, as he shows his fans that he appreciates their dedication to his music and is able to interact with them as he raps lyrics that have touched the lives of millions, in which his fans are able to relate with his struggles and pains of life. His very energetic performance is unlike any other, Fueled by the anger and anguish of his mother’s fatal drug overdose in 2009, the Michigan born rapper strikes a universal feeling with fans dealing with their own demons including depression, rejection, loss, pain and the residuals of existing in an imperfect world. NF is known for being transparent and honest in all of his songs and he is definitley not afraid to let it be set free to the public which is why his mantra is ‘REAL Music,’ which can be seen on all of his social media platforms or on the multiple posters fans created and shown at his concert in Philadelphia.

Ending his 18-song set with his hit single “Let You Down,” in which he speaks on his relationship with his father, which has quickly become the anthem to many of fans lives and has flooded radio stations worldwide, as well as being heard in thousands of stores worldwide. “Let You Down” has been sitting atop the Billboard Hot 100 Charts for the last 16 weeks and counting, peaking at No. 14 and was recently certified Platinum in 8 different countries. “NO NAME” ended his set in which he speaks on how tough it is to tackle your demons and adjusting to his newly earned heights of fame, while reflecting on the extraordinary amounts of success that he has seen from his latest album, Perception.

As if the sold out crowd wasn’t enough indication that NF’s message is spreading. NF’s message and music is really resonating with not only young adults but also adults, and young children including elementary school aged kids who were seen sporadically throughout the crowd including the one who was upfront on the barricade at the foot of NF’s catwalk during the performance. Not to mention it was great seeing that NF’s crowd was a wide variety of non-discriminatory fans, as the crowd included fans of every race, age, color, and ethnicity.

Hearing the roars of fans singing all the lyrics to NF’s songs was breathtaking, and amazing to see. The level of transparency that NF gives to his fans, allowing them to be fully invested into what he creates, as his audience is being directly spoken to and that is what really resonates with them as they are then able to place themselves into a verse of a song and feel like it applies to their own life. We all go through issues, some are obviously worse then others, but to each of them, they are real problems that we face on a daily basis. NF wants to be the light to those in darkness, and he writes music for that purpose because he knows what it’s like to be in that darkness.

NF was the 13th artist to notch their first No. 1 album in 2017 following behind artists like The Killers, Thomas Rhett, Lil Uzi Vert, Harry Styles, Logic, and several others. NF made his first Billboard album chart debut in 2014 with his Self-Titled EP, charting No. 15 in the Rap Albums charts, again in 2015 with his album Mansion which debuted on the Top 200 Charts at No. 62, and then again in 2016 with his album Therapy Session which peaked at No. 12 on the Top 200. NF is also just the second act in 2017 to reach the No. 1 spot without ever charting a song on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, following behind alt. rock band, Brand New.

NF currently boasts at over 20.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, not to mention his smash hit single “Let You Down” has over 320 million streams itself on Spotify. His entire catalog of music has generated over 550 million streams in the U.S. and will only continue to rapidly grow as NF continues to rise to the top. If you were one of the lucky fans who was able to score a ticket to his Sold Out ‘Perception Tour,’ get stoked for your upcoming tour date and for those of you who were not able to secure a ticket, be patient as this is only the start for NF and you are guaranteed to see him performing in arenas in no time which will give more fans the opportunity to see his great live performance. Keep up on NF’s tour dates on his website, HERE.

Check out our exclusive photos from the Sold Out ‘Perception Tour’ show in Philadelphia: