Some people just have it: that thrilling mix of excitement, hype and personality that draws others in like a moth to the flame. It’s not something that can be created by design, like some grand master plan. It’s a ‘jump on board or get the hell out of the way’ destiny that means they’re going to become a pretty big deal to a lot of people. If there’s anyone in modern pop flipping that dial, it’s Baby Queen.
A marker was set from the moment ‘Internet Religion’ landed on Planet Pop just over 15 months ago. Born into an internet era (quite literally, we couldn’t bloody leave the house for ages, remember?!), it feels inclusive, celebratory, loving and euphoric. Turning festival crowds into diehard fans within seconds of arriving on-stage, the very first Baby Queen headline shows are a moment that we could be talking about for years to come. So let’s talk.
By talk, of course, we mean scream and dance. It’s no mean feat to capture that enthusiasm so early, and from the opening notes, everyone is front and centre – desperate to get a peek at a future superstar who, by playing by her own rules, has made the rest of the world come to her. ‘Raw Thoughts’ sees lights flood the stage in the first of many goosebump-inducing moments, for a tour de force of every reason why there’s nobody quite like Baby Queen right now.
‘You Shaped Hole’ sees her taking life’s blows and sending them out with positivity and a communal middle finger that leaves you coming out of the show better than when you walked in. It feels like a rarity in the sea of thriving new artists looking to make their mark, and for Baby Queen, it’s at the core of every move she makes. While raw to the bone, ‘These Drugs’ and ‘Medicine’ are all the more vital when you look around the room and see everyone singing them as one.
The Baby Kingdom isn’t just another name for a group of fans; it feels like a family. As Bella notes through the night: “The first place in this world where I felt I belong was with you guys.” In turn, the first show of a three-night residency is treated as a grand coronation. ‘Pretty Girl Lie’, ‘Narcicisst’ and ‘American Dream’ see Baby Queen pulling at the very walls of Omeara as if to say, this is just the beginning.
Further proof of that comes with new track ‘Wannabe’. Released mere hours before, its rapid-fire flow and crunching licks are met with an unstoppable reaction that sees fans screaming the words and bursting towards the ceiling. Rapid and hungry, it furthers a set of tracks that continue to evolve with each and every listen.
Baby Queen at London’s Omeara is a unifying moment, one of a new order being written across new music in bold letters that can go from drinks flooding the stage to emphatic pit-inducing pandemonium within 30 seconds. By the time ‘Dover Beach’ and closer ‘Want Me’ wipe any lingering doubts off the floor for good, you’re left with the feeling that something special is a-coming. With every person in the room in the palm of her hand, this Kingdom is expanding by the day. Why? Because Baby Queen has it.
