Reed Wojick
Staff Writer
Swathed in 90′s prom memorabilia, tons of white and pink balloons spelling out “It’s Prom Suckers!”, and high school cheerleading outfits, Los Angeles’ Mayan Theatre was transformed into a 90s prom-like dream as Charli XCX, complete with tiara, took the stage for her current, national “Sucker” tour. Outside, the downtown LA theatre was surrounded by hordes of anxious teens who were eager for what appeared to be a memorable night to come.
Having amassed quite the buzz after appearing on not only Iggy Azalea’s hit singles, “Fancy” and “Boom Clap”, she wrote and produced Icona Pop’s summer hit, “I Love It”, which made the 22-year-old practically a pop veteran.
As Charli hip-swayed and hair-flipped her way from one side of the brightly lit pink stage to the other, the London native exuded confidence and swagger that glorified the overwhelming hype among the audience. Charli, alongside her three backing women, who donned “Sucker” cheerleading outfits, rolled through hit after hit, each seriously displaying the young songwriter’s passion for writing poppy hooks that satisfy while never actually falling into expectations.
The concert never lacked any dull moments as balloons and confetti fell from the ceiling continuously as though it was senior prom. Charli’s spunky dancing and lively lyrics kept the audience at a constant gyrate with their hands in the air, and feet moving, the entire show creating an ultimately dreamlike atmosphere.
The performance was backed by Charli’s usual all girl band, who electrified the audience through their quirky, girl power atmosphere. What turned out to be the most thrilling and dreamy performance was Charli XCX and company’s high-energy rendition of “Break the Rules,” as Charli began jumping repeatedly atop the drum set perch, yelling out every word with conviction, then ending the song with blue and pink balloons falling from the Mayan’s ceiling.
Songs off the pop-singer’s new album scream rebellion that teens can relate to as Charli belts out, “I don’t wanna go to school, I just wanna break the rules!” The audience bounced, clapped and sang every lyric as if they were their own. Charli and her girl gang ended the set as they united as one cluster on stage, shouting the last bit of the final tune together.
Though her singing was nearly perfect and her dancing was energetic, Charli XCX lacked the proper amount of interaction with the audience as she repeatedly only focused her eyes at the upper deck of the theater. Charli’s incessant running to the front of the stage, and then suddenly scampering away quickly made for an awkward sight throughout the show.
Other than a lack of interaction with the crowd, Charli XCX never seized to amaze while she danced with a smile that never faded throughout the whole show. Ending Prom Night with “Boom Clap”, a magical amount of confetti fell from the sky leaving the audience wanting more. People will most likely be noting XCX’s Los Angeles appearance as one of her best shows to date.
Charli XCX will continue to tour her new album “Sucker” throughout the United States and all over Europe.
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