Live Review: Willow Kayne - XOYO, London 29/09/2022
After making waves at Glastonbury and All Points East festivals this year, Willow Kayne headlines a multi-sensory show at XOYO London.
A young artist presented her show at XOYO London, one of London's well-respected clubs on the 29th of September, making it a memorable day for her fans. Selecting an appropriate venue to accommodate Willow's audio-visual experience was crucial. Happy to admit that XOYO London did the job perfectly. Apparently, it was no surprise for her listeners as the tickets were sold out way before the date of the show.
Several minutes after nine, the room was already packed with people dancing to the DJ's tunes and waiting to see the trailblazing artist. Hard to say who was more excited when Willow entered the stage, the crowd or the young star herself. After a couple of moments, the sound system was blasting ‘Two Seater’ accompanied by the voices of the audience and unrivaled background visuals. The energy in the room continued to build up as other well-known tracks such as 'Opinions' and 'Jealous' followed.
When the initial shyness and subtle surprise of meeting the crowd faded away, the atmosphere reminded a party with a good friend. "I love you, Willow!" you could hear the fans shouting from the back. After some time of exciting celebration of Willow’s renowned pieces, she would expose some of her unreleased tracks for the first time. Although the songs were new to the public, nobody stopped yelling out the lyrics that people would lively pick up on. Sometimes the phrases she would throw in between the tracks got lost in the screams of the crowd. The audience was definitely in love with the young artist.
The truly special moment occurred when Willow showcased one of the unreleased tracks in which she opened up about her emotional experiences. The ray of light falling on her in the half darkness of the stage made her seem extremely vulnerable while sharing this breathtaking music revelation with the crowd. The atmosphere made the audience hold their breath. A second later, the sounds of silky high-pitched vocals got supported by energetic drum patterns, which instantly made everybody burst with movement. In light of how well received the songs were, Willow's unveiling of the new materials definitely made her fans excited about the upcoming projects.
The show continued with long-awaited pop bops such as ‘White city’, ’Final Notice’, and ‘I don’t wanna know'. Soon everybody got taken to the energetic pinnacle of the evening when General Levy joined Willow for their newly released track ‘Mr. Universe'. Filling the space with its carnival sound and a boast of spontaneity, the song brings the show to its finale with a sense of anarchic excitement.
Throughout the entire evening, the background illustrations were forming a complete and harmonious whole with the music. By making great use of XOYO’s lights and background screens, Willow definitely succeeded in taking the audience on a journey into her visionary world. Each graphic element expressed the unique features of the songs. One could have noticed that some sketches echoed the influence of the notable visual style of Gorillaz, inspiring young artists’ creative vision.
Being extremely sincere and genuine on stage, Willow allowed her fan to tap into the word of her visual and audible sensations. There is no doubt that she made it to be an emotional experience shared by everybody in the room, which promises a big future for her upcoming projects and appearances.
Words by Nastya Vinokur
