A sea of brightly dressed fans wrapped around Trinity Centre tightly like a hug waiting for South African born Bella Latham (more widely known as Baby Queen) to take to the stage. After the summit of her critically acclaimed debut “Quarter life crisis” to the top ten on UK charts it is no surprise that this gig was well and truly sold out to the point of the crowd being squashed up against the iconic venue walls; ravenous to get a good look at Latham as she hit the stage to perform a staggering sixteen song set.
Bathed in a beautiful technicolor light, the set began with titular track “Quarter life crisis” an incredibly relatable tune depicting the anxiety and doubts that twenty somethings face once their teenage years fly away from them. One thing I noticed about Latham as a performer is that she maintains the same level of excitable energy throughout her nearly two-hour long set, an impressive feat with her consistent explosive dances and interaction with her band and fanbase. Judging from the roar from crowd after “Quarter life Crisis’ ended I knew that tonight was going to be something to behold, the atmosphere was wild with electricity and the crowd was eager for more.
“Dream girl” a particular favorite of mine from the album certainly follows the synthy sounds reminiscent of Charli XCX’s older work and caters happily to fans of hyper pop and to members of the LGBTQ+ community who started waving flags of every color towards the stage as Latham relays her experiences of a love triangle with another girl. I noticed whilst many of her lyrics are hard hitting and constantly relatable, Latham and her band massively play into the satire of growing up and experiencing issues globally dealt with, there is an inconceivable sense of belonging that she creates from her happy demeanor and intoxicating stage presence.
Latham’s’ set was expertly curated to supplement fans new and old playing fan favorites “you shaped hole” a heartbreakingly relatable track highlighting the pain after a recent break up, and despite the somber lyrics, the entire crowd was dancing to its funky melodies and screaming word for word mirroring Latham’s pain as she painted its picture on stage. “Buzzkill” was played later in the set, its heavy drums and guitar riffs filling the room to the brim highlighting heaviness you feel when you are depressed and feeling alone.
“Love killer” another highlight of mine from the debut features spoken word-esque bridges stamping out Lathams’ laments of failed relationships; the snappy snares hitting you hard in the chest as the cheery beat juxtaposes from the depressingly accurate lyricism. Social media and the internet generation is a poignant piece of imagery which resides throughout the whole of Lathams set with “internet religion” ringing repeatedly through the venue, highlighting the true effect of technology on our generation.
The end of the night rolled around quickly, the high-strung exuberance of Latham and the band never diminishing as they jumped around the stage like wildfire, “I can’t get my shit together’ appearing to be a brand-new fan favorite, its simple chorus resonating with the young crowd before them. ‘Want me and” the iconic “we can be everything” finalized a fantastical display of live vocals, “We can be everything” having been the statement track of Netflix’s “Heartstopper” and an important piece of music for the young queer fans chanting the words back to Latham like a mantra; Latham lifting it up the LGBTQ2+ flag proudly in the air waving it around her joyful fandoms heads. I absolutely adored seeing an artist so beloved in such a welcoming and friendly environment and I will certainly be looking forward to future projects made by Baby Queen and her incredible band.
Words and photos by Rosie Risdale. No use without permission.
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