Jully Black is a Toronto-born R&B and soul singer who blends church-trained vocals with pop hooks and dancehall edges. In recent years, her widely discussed 2023 O Canada performance put her back in the center of national conversation, and you can feel that pride and intent in her set.

Roots, resolve, and a hook-heavy book

Expect a set that swings from retro-soul stompers like Seven Day Fool to bass-forward grooves like Sweat of Your Brow, with Queen and Rally'n saved for a late-set lift. The room tends to mix longtime R&B heads, younger pop fans, and families, with people moving more than filming and plenty of call-and-response moments.

Deep cuts and backstory details

Early in her career she sang the hook on Money Jane with Kardinal Offishall and Sean Paul, a connection that still peeks through when the band slides into a reggae pocket. She also came up through community choirs, which is why her background vocal blend lands tight and bright. Note that these setlist thoughts and production cues come from pattern-spotting, so the actual night could play out differently.

T.O. Roots, Open-Arms Crowd: Jully Black's Scene

The crowd skews mixed in age and background, with Toronto streetwear sitting next to Sunday-best jackets and bright island colors.

How it looks and feels in the room

You see leather sneakers, hoop earrings, headwraps, and a few vintage varsity jackets, plus plenty of fans in comfortable clothes ready to dance. During Queen, voices rise on the chorus, and people gesture upward on the word "queen" as a simple, shared cue. Merch leans into bold fonts and affirmations, with tour tees often paired with denim or a blazer rather than concert-only outfits.

Community in the choruses

Between songs, Jully Black talks plainly about purpose and gratitude, which steers the room toward a welcoming, no-judgment energy. It feels like a local community show with pro polish, where strangers trade knowing nods on old favorites and still lean in for newer work.

Groove First, Glitter Second: Jully Black's Live Build

Onstage, Jully Black leads with a smoky alto that can flip from punchy talk-singing into a sustained belt without strain.

Arrangements that move, not just impress

The band tends to be drums, bass, guitar, keys, and two or three vocalists, locking a pocket that lets the choruses hit hard. She often rephrases lines to sit behind the beat, turning radio-tight verses into something looser and more conversational. A common live tweak is stretching Seven Day Fool a touch slower at the top, then nudging the final chorus faster so the release feels bigger. On Sweat of Your Brow, the music director likes to call a half-time breakdown before a final, shouted tag, which opens space for the backing voices to shine.

Sound over spectacle

Visuals tend to be warm washes and crisp spotlights that frame solos but keep attention on musicianship. The result is groove-first R&B where small choices in tempo and harmony make the room move.

Kinship and Compass: Jully Black's Extended Family

Fans of Deborah Cox will recognize the sleek, big-voice balladry and polished Canadian R&B lineage that Jully Black carries on.

Soul cousins and tour-mates you might already love

Melanie Fiona brings Toronto soul with island color and band-first arrangements, which mirrors how this show balances groove and message. If you lean toward clean melodies and grown-up romance, Tamia lives in that lane and often attracts a similar multigenerational crowd. For powerhouse technique and church-to-stage uplift, Ledisi is a close neighbor, and her followers tend to prize the same vocal agility and crisp rhythm sections.

Why this overlap works

All of these artists center songs you can actually sing, keep tempos human, and let live bands breathe without losing the hook. That shared focus makes this concert feel familiar in the best way while still leaving room for surprises.