Mariah Carey review: Fridayz Live brings the throwback tunes to Perth music fans

The rain didn’t deter R&B fans from turning out to see superstars Mariah Carey and Pitbull in Perth on Friday but some were left disappointed Carey didn’t sing her ultimate Christmas banger.

Fridayz Live transformed Langley Park into a rap and hip hop dance party that celebrated some of the most iconic throwback tunes from the 90s and 2000s.

Fans of global diva Carey waited until 10pm for their idol to take the stage when she appeared in a chic, all-black outfit and boots with her voluminous curly hair flowing around her.

Bursting into song, Carey’s vocals didn’t disappoint and proved that at 56 she can still deliver a stunning performance, albeit looking tired and moving slowly across the stage.

Her Perth show comes after social media criticism for appearing dazed and forgetful at other Australian shows, but after witnessing almost one hour of Carey’s greatness, those moments of low energy are almost insignificant when the performance is assessed in its entirety. (Some fans defend the low energy by pointing out Carey has fibromyalgia — a chronic illness that can cause pain, fatigue and muscle stiffness — which the star reportedly addressed at her October 4 show in Indonesia.)

Her sky-high vocals and whistle notes were on point and her true fans lapped up every single minute of hot songs including Hero and Always Be My Baby.

Crowds were left wanting, with festive staple All I Want For Christmas not on the setlist despite Carey the number in Brisbane.

Also adding quality to her set were the incredible visuals playing behind her on a giant LED screen.

Music lovers searching for a wave of nostalgia certainly got what they were looking for with stellar performances from fellow mega star Pitbull.

The US rapper brought the high energy with a mix of famous songs from Don’t Stop The Party and Fireball to Timber featuring Kesha.

Dancing around on stage accompanied by his lady dancers in red, it was clear most of the crowd came for him with hundreds dressed up in bald caps and blazers.

It has been 12 years since he last performed here and his super fans are already counting down for his return.

One hiccup of the night happened during Wiz Khalifa’s set when the music suddenly cut out for at least six minutes.

Festival goers were left confused as the screens went black, Khalifa left the stage and crews were seen trying to fix an issue with the sound and DJ decks.

He returned strong though and finished with his well known Young, Wild and Free.

Also bringing the throwback vibes earlier in the night were artists Jordin Sparks, Eve, Tinie Tempah and Lil Jon.

Fridayz Live is set to stop in Melbourne on Saturday night.