The Student Association Programming Board held its annual fall concert on Thursday, headlined by Flo Milli, an American rapper best known for viral songs like “Conceited” and “Never Lose Me.” The concert opened with show-stopping performances from the Black Dance Repertoire, a student dance team, and DJ AFRANK.

DJ AFRANK provided a lively energy, pumping his fist along with the music. He played mashups of many popular songs, including “SexyBack” by Justin Timberlake and “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna. He also gave a subtle nod to last year’s headliner by playing a remix of “SLUT ME OUT 2” by NLE Choppa.

Next, BDR emerged on stage in coordinated pink outfits and decked out in glow sticks. The dance group performed snippets of hip hop, jazz, modern, Latin, African and reggae styles to showcase a diverse range of genres. Their performance was met with cheerful shouts and a lively applause from the crowd, a testament to their passionate, high-effort routines.

Dior Wright, president of BDR and a senior double-majoring in psychology and art and design, described the effort behind crafting the team’s performance. She said that members practiced consistently to fine-tune their routine, creating “the best energy and precision possible” while encompassing the “fun, carefree BDR vibe.”

“I hope people walk away feeling the joy, unity, and passion that dance brings,” Wright wrote. “As a multicultural team, we want the audience to see how dance connects people from all backgrounds. We want them to have fun with us, feel inspired, and leave with a memory that sticks.”

Members of BDR selected three volunteers from the audience to participate in an immersive experience where they showcased their own moves. The performance also utilized audience call-and-response throughout, raising the crowd’s energy and setting the tone for the headlining set.

Kaedin Wolff, a junior majoring in political science, shared his expectations before Milli took the stage.

“I’m most excited to see Flo Milli sing ‘Never Lose Me,’” Wolff said. “That is my favorite song by Flo Milli, and I’m so excited to see what I look like at the end of the night.”

Milli came out to a flow of applause wearing a black leather skirt, with bubblegum pink hair and a broken foot. Despite the injury, Milli brought out the energy from the crowd with her performance of “Understand.” She blended each performance with witty and flirty introductions between songs, building excitement with a call-and-response with the crowd to “Bundles 2” and “We Not Humping – Remix.”

With their coordinated, energetic dances, her two backup performers helped create a dynamic stage presence.

Madison Perdue, SAPB’s concerts chair and a senior majoring in business administration, shared insight into how Milli was picked as the first-ever female headliner for an SAPB event.

“The Student Association Programming Board always prioritizes student feedback,” Perdue wrote in an email. “That being said, we use the student survey form sent out during the summer to understand what artists they would like to see in the upcoming school year. Our marketing team sent out additional polls on our Instagram story to help us close the gap for some of the artists we were in between. Given the results of the survey and artist’s availability, choosing Flo Milli as our headliner was a no brainer!”

“During my interview for this position, I mentioned bringing her as a headliner, not knowing if it was a realistic possibility,” Perdue continued. “Over a year later, it feels like a full circle moment having her perform for everyone. I hope everyone has an amazing time and can enjoy the show as they wind down or prepare for midterms.”

Throughout the performance, Milli strutted across the stage, flipping her hair and dancing as she made her way through each song. She even incorporated fictional stories about how she broke her foot into the show, building rapport with the audience, who cheered uproariously at each song and joke.

Though the fan favorites were definitely “Conceited” and “Never Lose Me,” as those performances garnered the most crowd response, the audience seemed to know and enjoy most of her discography. “Beef FloMix” and “Rodeo – Remix” had the crowd dancing and singing along. Along with Milli’s own songs, the crowd roared with excitement when she rapped over “SLUT ME OUT 2.”

Audience morale remained high throughout Milli’s performance. Nearly all attendees stayed and danced until the last song, maintaining applause and exciting sing-alongs for the show’s entirety. Overall, DJ AFRANK, BDR — and, of course, Milli — provided an energetic, fun and satisfying fall concert experience.