Since being predicted as 2020’s breakout act by music critics in the BBC’s Sound of 2020, Beabadoobee, the stage name of British-Filipino singer songwriter Beatrice Laus, has taken the alternative music scene by storm. This is evidenced by her critically acclaimed debut album Fake it Flowers, her spot as a support act on the UK leg of the 1975’s Music for Cars tour and more recently her own sold out Beatopia UK tour.
Beabadoobee’s success was further illustrated by the lengthy queue of excited fans which twisted its way around Glasgow’s Barrowland Ballroom for her gig on the evening of Saturday the fifthteenth.
The gig, which came towards the end of the second week of her UK tour, was a captivating showcase of the young artist’s talent and her successful experimentation within different genres. Opening with 10.36 from her latest album Beatopia, Laus proved that her current sound has moved far from the dreamy bedroom pop she was once known for. The track, filled with loud synths and grungy chords, immediately created an electrifying atmosphere among the crowd in the Barrowlands.
Laus then took a trip down memory lane, paying homage to the tracks that kickstarted her career: Coffee, the viral TikTok song she wrote at just seventeen and She Plays Bass her homage to friend and bandmate Eliana.
The crowd were then treated to a beautiful acoustic rendition of the Taylor Swift approved See you Soon, a song that truly showcased the dreamy melodic sound of Laus’ voice, and her encore of Cologne was greeted with outpours of love and delight from the crowd who remained applauding long after she had left the stage.
From the opening song, there had been an infectious smile on Laus’ face, which remained throughout the gig: it is evident that she truly enjoys playing music live for her fans. Her vibrant, gleeful performance certainly asserts that Beabadoobee is no longer simply a rising star but an acclaimed and polished artist in her own right. One can’t help but wonder what is in store next in the young singer’s exciting career.
By Ailbhe Murphy [she/her]
qmunicatemagazine.com 