Caity Baser brings playful, sugar-soaked pop to London's Eventim Apollo

Tonight's show fully leans into the idea of doing things simply because they're fun. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Frances Beach.

"My problem is that I write songs that are very honest," grins Caity Baser, onstage at London's Eventim Apollo for the biggest headline show of her career. Over the course of a chaotic 80-minute set, she tackles everything from snotty revenge and swaggering self-empowerment to the difficulties of figuring out the world as a 20-something via playful, sugar-soaked pop. Based on the reaction from the sold-out crowd, it seems like a good problem to have.

As opener Talia Mar puts it, it's a wild ride. Her own set is just as thrilling, though, with sleek pop vocals dancing about 90s-inspired bubblegum garage. The pulsating 'Sweet Lies' couldn't be more self-assured, while 'Better' is the glistening hunk of optimism. "If anyone here has recently broken up with someone, know that it gets better," she promises beforehand. A soaring cover of TLC's 'No Scrubs' goes down a treat, but recent singles 'Self-Portrait' and 'Stay The Night' turn warm nostalgia into something far more daring.

Caity Baser is the sort of artist who always wants more. Two years ago, she played her very first gig at an open-mic night somewhere in Shoreditch; tonight, it's the 5300-capacity Eventim Apollo. "This is batshit crazy. I know I'm meant to be cool, calm and collected, but how," she asks, taking in the scale of the venue.

The gig is bigger, though. Starting with a fake news bulletin about the "overdramatic, talentless pop star", Caity responds with a baseball bat and doesn't stop swinging for the duration of her set. The wonderfully bratty 'I'm A Problem' is a giddy burst of smirking defiance, a heart-shaped pinata gets torn apart at the end of the bruised 'Everything Everywhere All At Once' while the feel-good, theatrical revenge of 'Showgirl' starts with a scene-setting phonecall to really amp up the drama of the jazz-infused track. At one point, she even does the splits. Why? Because she can.

That freedom can be found throughout her music. 'The Plot' is a celebration of making mistakes, 'Choose Me' is all about self-love, while it's pretty obvious what the rowdy 'DILF' is about. "Here's the best song ever made," she says before the sunny 'Oh Well', with a snippet of Queen's 'Another One Bites The Dust' thrown in for good measure. A guitarist and a drummer give everything an extra helping of attitude.

Caity Baser's recently released 'Still Learning' mixtape champions coming-of-age and figuring things out as you go. Tonight's show fully leans into that idea of doing things simply because they're fun. It's impossible not to get caught up in her boisterous, genre-baiting pop or her high-kicking stage presence.

She's at her very best when she's got something to kick back against, though. '2020s' is a smart, playful exploration of how claustrophobic the world can feel, while the closing 'I'll Be Here For You' is a heartfelt promise of community. Yes, smirking, poptastic tracks like 'Friendly Sex', 'X&Y' and 'Pretty Boys' are absolute bops, but it's the understanding that Caity offers that makes her such a star.