Live Review: Self Esteem - Leeds University Stylus 02/03/2022
Self Esteem is an artist at the peak of her powers and her recent show at the Leeds University Stylus showed that her music has the strength to transcend all notions of what pop music can be.
The NME awards will have been in full swing by the time that Rebecca Taylor, more commonly known as Self Esteem took to the stage at Leeds University Stylus. Nominated for ‘The Best Album in The World’ award for last year’s ‘Prioritise Pleasure’, it was a yet another big night for the artist following her nomination for ‘Best New Artist’ at this year’s Brit’s. In spite of the distraction of critical acclaim, Taylor treated the crowd to an awe inspiring and life affirming performance that proves that she is one the most important voices in British pop.
Received by a sold-out crowd of impassioned fans, Taylor was joined on stage by her besuited backing singers and band, subverting and undermining the image of traditional masculinity and setting the stage for a performance that would bubble with the energy of feminine empowerment.
The set kicked off with ‘I’m fine’, the opening track from the artists sophomore album. With its driving percussion and powerful lyrics, the crowd were immediately engrossed, singing (and barking) in unison with Taylor. Without pause the audience were treated to more cuts from ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ including, ‘Fucking Wizardry’, ‘Hobbies 2’ and the album’s title track which further stirred the electricity pulsing through the venue before it reached fever pitch when the artist performed her hugely infectious track ‘Moody’.
Although the set was predominately focused on Self Esteem's latest album, it was also interspersed with old favourites from the artists debut ‘Compliments Please’ such as ‘Girl Crush’ and ‘Favourite Problem’.
From the start of the night, it was clear to see that Taylor’s music connects with people in a way that most modern pop music fails to. Consistently profound and never vacuous in its content, her work acts as a conduit for some of the biggest talking points of our time. Sexuality, violence against women and mental health all feature heavily within Self Esteem’s oeuvre and experiencing these songs live, amongst an audience all unified in the shared experience of being human proved nothing short of spine tingling at times, no more so than when the artist performed the breath-taking ‘I do this all the time’ to close out the first part of the show. At a time in our lives when division within the world has never felt so in focus, the words ‘look up, lean back, be strong’ never seemed so poignant.
Following a brief interval an encore was inevitable. After a truly spectacular performance the artist returned to the stage to close the evening with the beautiful ‘Still Reigning’ and fan favourite ‘The Best’ that ended the show with the same energy and vibrancy that it all started with.
When artists make a masterpiece, it doesn’t always translate to the stage however with the ‘Prioritise Pleasure’ Tour Rebecca Taylor has choreographed and arranged a performance that elevates her music beyond its sonic elements. Experiencing a live Self Esteem show is like condensing the highs and lows of the human experience into one evening and when you are sharing that with a room full of strangers from all walks of life, it proves to be truly life affirming.
Words by Jordan Corrigan
Photography by Abbie Jennings
