The 2000s have been a turbulent time to be both Lauryn Hill and a fan of her music. She’s dealt with everything from an aborted Fugees reunion tour, erratic and inconsistent performances and a prison sentence for tax evasion. Underlying all of this drama is the sense that she struggles with a deep seeded instability caused by reaching a level of stardom that few people living could relate to. As she embarks on her upcoming acoustic tour, our hope is that the apparent inner turmoil that’s plagued her over the past 15 years has subsided, and we'll witness a Lauryn who more consistently delivers on stage and rediscovers her love for connecting with the audience. With this new live video recording of her MTV Unplugged single “Mr. Intentional,” Lauryn Hill gives us a glimmer that that hope might be realized in 2015.
The video shows Ms. Hill on a dimly lit stage, draped in a blue spotlight, wearing closely cropped hair and playing “Mr. Intentional” on guitar. For some of you, that may seem like nothing new, but unlike a lot of the times we’ve seen her live over the years, she’s smiling, she’s engaged with the audience and she’s present in the moment. Her vocals showed no depreciation, her tone still intensely soul stirring. And for those of you who haven’t kept up much over the years, she has significantly improved on guitar.
For someone whose creativity has no ceiling, with a little more peace and the will to get back into the spotlight on her own terms, could we be witnessing the re-emergence of Lauryn Hill? Check out this stunning performance for yourself below. And if you happen to be in the NYC or DMV areas, Lauryn's mini-tour starts on Valentine's Day weekend.
