BABY QUEEN PLAYS SELL-OUT MANCHESTER ACADEMY SHOW AHEAD OF HER DEBUT ALBUM RELEASE ‘QUARTER LIFE CRISIS’

★★★★★ (5/5)

BABY QUEEN PERFORMING AT MANCHESTER’S ACADEMY
PHOTOCREDIT: SABRINA RAMDOYAL

It was only a few hours before second album Quarter Life Crisis was due. Usually with an album delay, the level of energy would be not up to speed with fans. However, at the packed-out Manchester Academy 2, it didn't deter Arabella Latham, known to some as Baby Queen, and her dedicated fanbase from spitting every word at a show. Roses clutching at the front row while in awe to a backdrop of a messy teenage bedroom, the evening was set out to be an intimate, personal and special experience from all angles of the night.

Bursting onto the stage to the assembly of excited fans, she dove in with the title track from the new album along with Kid Genius where roses were thrown on stage to Baby Queen’s surprise and Dream Girl ensured that fresh hits and fan favourites were brought to the table. Eliciting thrilled ovations when the infectious pop anthem You Shaped Hole and newest single 23 immersed viewers into Baby Queen’s iridescent domain. The high-energy crowd responded enthusiastically to enticing hooks and distinctive vocals while Every Time I Get High and Love Killer, proudly followed through the Mancunian audience. Die Alone reveals a platform to the singer’s dynamic set and the overall stage presence was enthralling to watch. The audience erupted when the perfectly sharp-edged gloomy hit Buzzkill, singing every word back and proved to be the fan favourite.

Old school favourites Internet Religion and Raw Thoughts saw Latham jumping around the stage and the pace was slowed by the heart-wrenching Obvious as fans lit their phone torches making the moment heart-warming. Their newest offering, I Can’t Get My Sh*t Together was a full-throttle performance with its effortlessly frenzied chorus and Dover Beach kicked the air with its vibrant liveliness. As the encore of Want Me and the We Can Be Anything ended the show on a high, one cannot underestimate the powerful message the night held. It sent Baby Queen’s fans home with a fresh onset of bright optimism. Throughout the set, Baby Queen’s band was applauded for their faultless musicality and as the beating heart of a glitzy grunge-pop spectacle. It was amazing to see a young artist like Baby Queen handle a live show so well, making her one of the best in the UK anti-pop scene and the album release all worthwhile.