Becky Hill brought her highly anticipated new album Believe Me Now to life at the AO Arena this past Sunday, performing to a sold-out crowd. The atmosphere was electric, with fans donning Becky’s signature merchandise, including her glowing heart logo and pink cowboy hats. The night kicked off with opener Charlie Boon, who got the audience moving with a tech-house set packed with singalong pop-house hits. The energy dipped slightly during Catching Cairo’s performance, which featured an ethereal liquid drum and bass set. While her vocals were captivating and her stage presence strong, the transition from the upbeat house tunes to a more mellow sound felt somewhat jarring.
As the lights dimmed, the excitement in the arena reached a fever pitch. Becky Hill emerged from the back of the stage to thunderous applause, starting her set with the lead track from the album, True Colours featuring Self Esteem, followed by the iconic Gecko (Overdrive)—the song that catapulted her to fame in 2014. Her setlist was a well-balanced mix of crowd-pleasing classics and fresh tracks from the new album. Becky’s vocal performance was nothing short of extraordinary; her powerful voice soared effortlessly, delivering pitch-perfect melodies throughout the show.
The stage design, however, left something to be desired. Dressed in a Spartan warrior outfit, Becky performed on a fairly minimal stage setup, which felt disconnected from the overall theme of the show. There was a memorable moment when she vanished from the main stage and reappeared on a slowly rotating circular platform in the middle of the arena, accompanied by a pianist. She sang a heartfelt ballad from the new album, offering a brief, emotional respite in an otherwise high-energy dance set.
Unfortunately, the sound quality did not match the grandeur of the venue. The mix was often muddled, making it difficult to distinguish individual instruments and voices. Despite the addition of a live drummer, three backup singers, and a small string and brass section, their contributions were often lost due to poor acoustics and mixing. While Becky has delivered outstanding performances at festivals and more intimate venues, this show struggled to fully translate to the arena scale.
Overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend a Sunday evening. Becky Hill’s vocal prowess and stage presence shone through, but fine-tuning the sound balance and enhancing the stage production would elevate the experience. Here’s hoping her team finds a way to optimize the show for large venues in the future.
Alec McKerracher for Canal St Media