Shayla:
I have never seen Lorde perform live before, partly because I have been skeptical about whether or not I would be impressed. When Lorde first came into the music scene and started performing live, she was known for her signature dance moves. It was like an interpretive dance that if I am being honest, weirded me out a bit. I feared that if she ever came to concert near me, it would be comprised mainly of this interpretive dance and not too much of her singing.
I got the opportunity to see Lorde live for her Melodrama tour on Wednesday and boy was I wrong about her. She is amazing live!! Like she sounds just how she does in the studio and I was SHOOK. Lorde hit every note as she graced the stage, dancing along to the routine of her backup dancers, completely wowing the crowd. The production was amazing, with a glass box that lifted in the air as her crew danced inside, there were videos playing on panels behind her, color changing lights for every song, and of course great outfit changes. Not to mention, Lorde is so freaking adorable! She smiled ear to ear as the crowd continuously cheered louder, and shared some funny personal stories about her time in Tampa and how much she wants to live near a swamp. You could tell how in love she is with what she does on the stage and the crowd, including myself, loved her just as much.
Lorde played all the bops off her album, including a couple oldies that everyone still knew the words to. As a huge Hunger Games fan, I freaked out when she played Yellow Flicker Beat. This was the first song I ever listened to on a pair of Beats headphones and it was such a great experience. Her vocals in the song are out of this world and she did not disappoint when performing this live. Overall, this concert was such a fun time and I was thoroughly impressed with Lorde’s performance.
Danielle:
Walking into Amalie Arena on Wednesday night, I didn’t realize that my life was going to be changed.
My friend Jayde and I got there right as Run The Jewels was starting. I had heard a few of their songs before, but I wasn’t too familiar before the show. Their music is not really something that I would normally listen to, but I thought they were a good opening act. They really pumped up the crowd and had an overall good rapport with the audience.
Lorde’s stage setup was very minimalist in the beginning. I didn’t really know what to expect when we were waiting for her set to start.
But the lights went out and the opening to Sober came through the speakers, and I knew instantly that it was going to be a great show.
I didn’t think Lorde would have a lot of theatrics, but she really brought it. Lots of interpretive dancing and lights.
As a fan of Lorde’s early Pure Heroine-era, I was hoping she would play some songs off the album that weren’t the hits. She did not disappoint, and played the first half of the album.
I don’t really cry often, but if I do, it’s usually at a concert. This show was no exception. Before the show, I had been playing Melodrama over and over again. The one song I really gravitated towards was “Writer in the Dark.” When Lorde started singing it live, I totally lost it. I even texted my other friends who were there and was like “just ugly crying in Section 106. It’s fine.” Turns out they were crying too.
If you get the chance to, definitely see Lorde in concert. It’s something that I really enjoyed and I feel like even if you aren’t a huge fan like I am, you will enjoy the hits and the show itself.
HCXOXO,
Shayla & Danni