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Kendrick Lamar closes Glastonbury with powerful plea for women's rights - BBC
Jun 27, 2022 2 mins, 15 secs

Rapper Kendrick Lamar has ended his Glastonbury headline set with a powerful protest at the roll-back of abortion rights in the US.

In the second verse of the recent single N95, which tackles wealth disparity, all the stage lights went off and the dancers turned flashlights onto Lamar, highlighting his own unease with fame and fortune.

The closing lyrics, "Godspeed women's rights", were added for Sunday night's performance; which came two days after the US Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion.

British rapper AJ Tracey, who gave a thrilling Pyramid Stage performance of his own on Saturday, said Lamar was one of the most important artists of his generation.

Festivalgoers who craved something more euphoric at the end of the long weekend had the option of going to see pop royalty Pet Shop Boys play a joyous greatest hits set on The Other Stage.

The band dedicated Being Boring to the victims of the Oslo Pride shooting; and ended the night with a valedictory performance of their debut single West End Girls.

Pop star Charli XCX also gave a full-throttle performance on the John Peel stage, that illuminated her ever-expanding catalogue of pop classics, from I Love It and Boom Clap, to more recent hits like Gone and New Shapes.

The Pyramid Stage opened with West Yorkshire's Black Dyke brass band, followed by Dhaka Brakha, whose unique blend of Ukrainian folk melodies with African rhythms broke through the morning gloom.

"Most people say 'it's unusual but I like it'".

As morning turned to afternoon, jazz legend Herbie Hancock delivered a masterclass in cool, with a virtuoso set packed with classics like Cantaloupe Island and Take Five.

Drawing on an enviable 60-year catalogue, she got the crowd singing and dancing to hits like Baby Love, I'm Coming Out and Upside Down - despite occasionally wobbly vocals.

US star Kacey Musgraves brought some Nashville glamour to The Other Stage in a glittering, dragon motif mini-dress...

Back on the Pyramid Stage, Lorde declared herself the "ideal comedown shepherd" for Glastonbury's exhausted festivalgoers.

Early in the set, she played a beautifully powered-down version of Stoned At The Nail Salon, accompanied by Arlo Parks and Clairo; but ended her performance with a massive dance party to a pounding version of Green Light.

After Lamar, festival-goers will eke out their final hours in the dance tents and silent discos of the outer fields - but, by tomorrow morning, Glastonbury will be over?

Watch Kenrick Lamar's Glastonbury performance on the BBC iPlayer?

Diana Ross brings Motown glamour to Glastonbury.

Eilish protests US abortion ruling at Glastonbury

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