Anne Marie review: There’s nothing rudimentary about this rising princess of pop

Confident: Anne-Marie takes the Roundhouse through her multi-genre setlist
Elizabeth Aubrey23 March 2018

“Alright, listen,” singer-songwriter Anne-Marie shouted to a packed Roundhouse. “I wanna know — who’s been with me on this journey from the start?”

The answer came with a chorus of cheers as fans held up signs saying Perfect, a tribute to one of the Essex-born star’s biggest hits. As the singer launched into an energetic medley of songs from her early EPs, it was evident she has amassed a loyal following — and with good reason.

Anne-Marie shone as one-third of the dance collective Rudimental, paving the way for a series of well-received solo releases and high-profile collaborations with Clean Bandit and Sean Paul. After a long wait, her debut album Speak Your Mind will be released next month.

As album titles go, it couldn’t be more appropriate for Anne-Marie, who is known for talking candidly between songs. She mirrors Adele or Jessie J in the way her singing and speaking voices are worlds apart, and part of her appeal is in her down-to-earth, relatable honesty. “It’s well bass-ey in here, innit!” she screamed, to laughter, after the bass managed to drown out even her powerful voice during the EP medley. She followed this with Perfect, describing it as “a song about being weird, because… I’m a bit weird”.

The singer has a knack for weaving seamlessly between genres, be it rave-pop, electronica or balladry, without it ever feeling forced. The Roundhouse bounced along to Ciao Adios and Alarm, as well as the fearless Bad Girlfriend. Rockabye was dedicated to her best friend and “single mothers everywhere” and received the night’s warmest response.

Her new material also fared well, especially the latest single and closing song Friends. After this infectiously fun set, it is no wonder that Anne-Marie is fast becoming one of the UK’s most endearing pop stars.

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