Jay Z to Perform Special ‘B-Sides’ Tidal Concert in New York
UPDATE: Jay Z has moved his May 13th show to the weekend and added an additional concert to accommodate Tidal fans, the company said in a statement. The two shows will now take place on May 16th and 17th.
Jay Z announced an exclusive New York concert for Tidal subscribers that will find the rapper performing tracks he’s never played onstage or songs that haven’t been part of his live arsenal for over a decade. Dubbed “Tidal X: Jay Z B-Sides,” the one-off concert will come to an as-yet-unnamed “intimate New York City” venue on May 13th. The only way to get tickets for the special concert? Impress Jay Z with your playlist-making abilities on Tidal.
Starting Wednesday, Tidal users can start curating their own playlist using the hashtag #TIDALXJAYZ. Check out the Tidal site for full details. The contest runs through May 8th, and winners (ages 18+ only) will receive a pair of tickets to the special show. The concert will also be a featured livestream available only on Tidal.
Over the weekend, Jay Z defended his high-quality audio streaming service against what he viewed as a multimillion-dollar “smear campaign” by his competitors. “We are not anti-anyone, we are pro-artist & fan,” Jay Z tweeted. “We made Tidal for fans. We have more than just music. We have video, exclusive concerts, tickets for events early, live sports! Tidal is where artists can give their fans more without the middlemen.” Jay Z’s B-Sides gig is evidence of those “exclusive concerts,” as was Jack White’s acoustic North Dakota performance that streamed live on Tidal Sunday night.
“Tidal is doing just fine. We have over 770,000 [subscriptions]. We have been in business less than one month,” the rapper tweeted. “The iTunes Store wasn’t built in a day. It took Spotify nine years to be successful. We are here for the long haul. Please give us a chance to grow and get better.”