‘Ride it, my orca’: my strange, sexy day at the Ginuwine SeaWorld concert

The R&B star's unlikely set during SeaWorld's viral' summer shows became a stylish lesson in how to age as a performer with dignity

Just before sunset on a luminous August evening, a few boats pulled up outside a waterfront stage at SeaWorld San Diego, the controversial theme park known for its dolphin and orca shows. Two people on a jetski idled next to the boats. They were waiting for the music to begin.

Everyone was here to see Ginuwine, the R&B singer famous for Pony (1996) and In Those Jeans (2003). But why was the 54-year-old master of the late-90s sex ballad headlining a show at an aquatic theme park for children?