Following the release of her fifth studio album CRASH earlier this year, pop star Charli XCX brought the final night of her tour of the same name to Rock City on 23rd May 2022, with support from the glitchy synth-pop of yeule. Even though The Mic’s Gemma Cockrell was midway through a 24-hour exam, nothing could stop her from ticking a Charli XCX gig off her bucket-list. But did it live up to her expectations? Here are her thoughts.
The night began with support act yeule, who played an eight-song set made up mostly of tracks from her recent album Glitch Princess. Starting with one of her most well-known songs Pixel Affection, Rock City was already beginning to fill up rapidly, but the queue trailing down Talbot Street indicated that it was only going to get even busier. The lucky fans who had managed to beat the queue were evidently fans of yeule, forming supportive hearts with their hands whilst she sang the track I <3 You.
Throughout her set, yeule utilised atmospheric smoke effects, sudden flashes of light, and thumping bass to transform the cosy club venue, generating what felt, sounded, and looked like a storm erupting from behind the stage. This was complimented by her sharp dance movements across the stage as she performed, giving her a captivating and mesmerising stage presence.
Bringing out her guitar for a quieter moment in the form of Don’t Be So Hard on Your Own Beauty, before elevating the energy once more for her final song Bites On My Neck, yeule was the perfect support act for Charli XCX. She captured Charli’s more hyperpop leaning tendencies, leaving the crowd jumping up and down with their arms in the air, bursting with adrenaline, and ready to see their favourite pop artist grace the stage later that evening.
In the break before Charli came on stage, she took the moment to play songs from her unreleased album XCX World on the speakers. Since these songs will never officially see the light of day due to them being leaked back in 2017, this is the closest anyone will ever come to hearing them live. It felt like Charli was sharing a secret with the portion her fans in the crowd who were familiar with this story, and it was heart-warming to see her taking ownership of the devastating situation of the past.
''She thought out every element to bring production to Rock City that is often reserved for arena shows''
The biggest takeaway from her twenty-song set was that Charli knows exactly how to bring the party. From the topless backing dancers who were on stage whilst she performed songs from her recent fifth studio album CRASH, to the multiple outfit changes throughout the set, she thought out every element to bring production to Rock City that is often reserved for arena shows.
Despite the set being made up mostly of songs from CRASH, with a few tracks from how i’m feeling now and Charli scattered between, Charli also treated us to some of her early career classics as well, shouting “You know I’m still a mainstream pop girl!” before enthusiastically launching into Boom Clap and Boys, two of her most well-known songs, back-to-back. It was a shame not to see more how i'm feeling now tracks on the setlist, since Charli never got to tour this album due to the pandemic, but I might be biased due to my particular fondness for that record.
The crowd were treated to a four-song encore at the end of her set, made up of fan-favourite VROOM VROOM, as well as visions, Unlock it (Lock It) and Good Ones. What started as a pop show turned into something more comparable to a rave, as Charli danced around the stage to the instrumental sections of these songs.
The fact that she began her career performing at parties and raves in London when she was as young as 14-years-old was apparent, instantly answering the question as to why she chose club venues for this tour rather than arenas. I went into the night with high expectations, but Charli never disappoints, and my anticipation was met by anything but disappointment, resulting in one of the best gigs I’ve ever been to.
Gemma Cockrell
Edited by: Amrit Virdi
Featured image and in-article image of Charli XCX courtesy of Gemma Cockrell. In-article image of yeule courtesy of Max Harries. No changes made these images. Permission to use granted to The Mic.
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