Advertisement

Anne-Marie: an empathetic artist in search of a ‘voice’

Anne-Marie at Wembley Arena - Jim Dyson/Getty
Anne-Marie at Wembley Arena - Jim Dyson/Getty

Relatability is Anne-Marie’s raison d’être. The 31-year-old pop artist – born Anne-Marie Rose Nicholson, in Essex – has released an array of hit tunes over the past few years (including collaborations with the likes of Little Mix, Niall Horan, Clean Bandit, Marshmello and Rudimental), and earned prime-time status (appearing as a coach/mentor on TV series The Voice UK), yet she has never seemed overly glitzy or out of reach.

This approachable energy infused the London date of Anne-Marie’s Dysfunctional tour. Her audience rapport was evident from the instant she bounced on stage (familiar pink locks now switched to blonde braids), and each track was greeted with delighted whoops and word-perfect singalongs from the predominantly young crowd. Even the headline slot at Wembley Arena had a certain down-home charm; the venue lacks the slickness and scale of more modern arenas such as the O2 Arena, though it’s undeniably steeped in pop-culture history – back in pre-digital times, this was the setting for the annual Smash Hits Poll Winners Party, and if that iconic pop magazine still existed today, Anne-Marie would fit right into its playful world.

Her songs tend to deal with timeless, universal issues (notably, dumping no-good boyfriends and overcoming heartbreak), while her style is a colourful pick’n’mix of old-school influences. This made for some fun highlights on Wednesday – when she introduced her breakthrough single Alarm (“Anyone who’s been cheated on here, this one’s for you”), the track was accompanied by 1990s-era mobile text visuals (including a take on retro phone game Snake). Later in the show, the nostalgic romance of 2002 neatly segued into Kiss My (Uh-Oh), which samples a catchy vocal hook from US singer Lumidee’s 2003 hit, Never Leave You.

The set-list’s multi-genre mash-up of R&B, Europop and street-dance rhythms did, however, suggest that Anne-Marie doesn’t really own a definitive sound. Even so, her delivery was sweet, the themes clearly struck a chord, and she seemed most obviously in her element with emotionally direct expressions, such as the title number from her second album, Therapy (2021). The tense, hyperactive pace of the concert’s opening routines gradually eased into something resembling a surreally wholesome pyjama party (with super-sized inflatable teddybears, and backing dancers in pastel loungewear).

The songs’ themes of self-care and acceptance, empowerment and inclusivity did sound positively modern (when she sang Perfect, most of its lines raised mighty cheers: “I’m not a supermodel from a magazine… And I’ll love who I want to love/ ’cos this love is gender-free”). It’s this kind of lyrical openness that sets Anne- Marie apart from earlier generations of “girl power” pop – it underpins her mainstream appeal, and hopefully expounds a healthy empathy for both artist and audience. She presided over the show, not as an aloof diva (when she did perform a number perched on a high-rising platform, she confided that the sensation made her feel “a little sick”), but as a kind-hearted, strong-minded, occasionally sweary ally or bestie who “gets” what you’re going through.

The mood was celebratory throughout, peppered with upbeat bangers such as Don’t Play (featuring a buoyant guest appearance from Brit rapper and YouTuber KSI, much to the crowd’s excitement), and wrapped up with a candy-pink confetti-canon finale. This was a genuinely joyous blend of star quality and suburban realness.


UK tour continues in July; iamannemarie.com