OPINION: A Gen Z girl at a Boyz II Men Concert, unexpected lessons on love
I don’t know whether to blame my mother’s heartbreak or my habit of listening in on grown people’s music, but whichever one is responsible, I’m grateful for it. It meant I grew up knowing the lyrics to Boyz II Men songs as if I had personally lived through that kind of love and heartbreak myself.
I was a little sceptical about attending the concert at first because, honestly, it felt like a grown folk's event. I was seated next to couples around my mother’s age, and I even spotted a colleague old enough to be my father. But as a proud Gen Z girl who loves a good side quest, I decided to embrace the experience, and it was absolutely worth it.
Am I in a relationship? No. And wow, did I feel that on the night. Watching couples sing to each other with so much love and emotion made me feel a little lonely at times. But then I remembered something important: sometimes love songs are meant for you too. After all, the first person you should love deeply is yourself.
Going into the concert, I expected Boyz II Men to perform only their classic hits, but I was pleasantly surprised by how they blended their own music with songs from other artists. Their rendition of New Edition’s Can You Stand the Rain was pure magic. For a moment, I almost forgot it wasn’t originally their song. They had me emotional over heartbreak I’ve never even experienced.
And speaking of emotions, their performance of On My Knees was breathtaking. Can we please applaud those men for the commitment? The way they poured emotion into that song and literally got down on their knees while performing was incredible. Meanwhile, I was sitting there ashamed because my knees could never survive that, and I’m still in my early twenties.
What I loved most was how balanced the setlist felt. It wasn’t just slow ballads and heartbreak anthems. Songs like Bruno Mars’ Locked Out of Heaven brought so much energy into the arena and reminded us that love can also be exciting, joyful, and fun.
Of course, the moment they performed songs like I’ll Make Love to You and End of the Road, I was once again reminded that I was young and single. But more than that, I got to witness how beautiful love looks when shared with others. The hand-holding, the hugs, the eye contact, everything I witnessed that Saturday night felt deeply special.
Growing up, I always associated Boyz II Men songs with heartbreak because of my parents. But at this concert, I finally saw another side of their music. I saw love in all its forms between husbands and wives, partners, friends, and even within oneself.
Thank you to Boyz II Men for allowing me to experience love through your music and through the people around me.
