Last Saturday marked the 44th BRIT Awards ceremony and as with every year, thousands packed into the O2 Arena to celebrate a night of British and International artistry. Unsurprisingly, the ceremony was brimming with familiar faces – Joe Keery, Coraline Polachek, Charli XCX and Aitch to name a few.
If we are being completely honest, as much as we love to see our favourite artists winning awards, the best part of the evening is undoubtedly the performances. There is an unprecedented excitement in a musician donning the stage – the anticipation of what creativity they will bring that differs from their predecessors mystifies.
I was lucky enough to attend the BRITs this year and witnessed firsthand the electrifying performances that so often I’d gawked at from a television screen. From Dua Lipa’s acrobatic spectacular to Rema’s jungle infusion, each musical display uniquely told its own story. What better way to reflect on my experience, than to share my favourite performances of the night?
Dua Lipa
For the opening number, Dua gave us a taste of what is in store for her newest era. Performing ‘Training Season’, the second single from her upcoming album, Dua and her leather-clad dancers flung themselves through the air to the uptempo disco-pop track. One thing I love about Miss Dula Peep is her flawless stage presence: her ability to command the stage, and the attention of the audience is masterful and should be studied. This was a perfect opener and set the bar high for the rest of the performers to follow! 10/10!
RAYE
In general, RAYE’s performances never miss a beat, but this one in particular, stole the show. On a high from four out of six wins already that night, RAYE had no intention of slowing down. Starting her medley with the powerful piano ballad, ‘Ice Cream Man.’ was a bold choice but in my opinion, the right one. From that, she blended effortlessly into ‘Prada’ and was joined by a live band and choir. Those who were quick enough might have noticed the snippet of her unreleased song ‘Let There Be Light’ she edged in just before going into her 2023 hit, ‘Escapism.’ If you haven’t yet watched RAYE jump two octaves while holding a 15-second belter note, I suggest you watch the video. Trust me – lives will be changed.
Jungle
I admit that before the BRITs, I was unfamiliar with Jungle and their saucy number ‘Back on 74’. As they stepped on stage, I was immediately entranced with the old-hollywood glamour set they had brought, and the effortless, funk sound. The song blew up on TikTok thanks to the music video, which consisted of a one-shot choreographed routine. The dancers from the video joined the British dance group on stage, sharing the spotlight. In my opinion, it was a great performance, and a testimony to diverse, creative talent.
Rema
Rema’s performance of ‘Calm Down’ was like stepping into a different world: the drums, the dancers, the leaves – needless to say, it was a spectacular sight. The melodic tune was almost calming to listen to, despite the elaborate set-up. Rema did an excellent job at singing and was a natural on the stage. It was fun to see something different to the high-energy dance-pop songs we’d have for most of the night. He was another one with an excellent stage presence, and it was clear that the audience loved what he was giving.
Although all performances were great, those four stood out the most to me for their energy, artistry and all-around good vibes. I’ve got butterflies from the suspense of who we will get to see next year!