By Jasmine Wallis | @JasSkyee
The Corner Hotel is a Melbournian staple we all know and love, a loyal host to all our local favourites and a medley of international acts. On Wednesday night it was host to Sigrid: the Norwegian pop star who has embarked on a world tour before even releasing her first studio album. Only weeks after being named the BBC’s ‘Sound of 2018’ — a title previously won by some low-key acts (ahem: Adele, Ellie Goulding, HAIM) — the 21-year-old sung and danced for her Australian fans with a warmth only possible in the cosy Richmond venue.
Releasing her first EP, Don’t Kill My Vibe, in May 2017, and with only a handful of extra singles under her belt, Sigrid’s set was scattered with “new ones” every second track — but there were no awkward silences from the audience here. Her infectious tunes remain so catchy that the crowd began singing along to lyrics they’d never heard before by the songs’ second halves. Wearing a red cotton t-shirt and denim jeans cut off at the knees, the fresh-faced songstress never let her energy nor her voice drop over the hour-long performance.
At the halfway point, Sigrid slowed down the upbeat pace to serenade the audience with ‘Dynamite’, a love ballad that she deemed “the sad one”, before launching straight back into dancing and jumping across the stage with her band; limbs reaching high and low, her high pony-tail twirling along with the crescendos in her songs.
Speaking to Billboard in September last year, Sigrid said, “Making vocal hooks is my favourite thing to do,” she says. “That’s what I love about songwriting — making catchy stuff.” While her music is full of electronic beats and bubblegum pop hooks to rival even Ariana Grande, it’s her lyrics that stay with you long after the tune has ended.
“You love to tear me down, you pick me apart
Then build me up like I depend on you
But I throw myself from heights that used to scare me
Guess you’re surprised I’m the puzzle you can’t figure out.”– ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’
As the curtains closed after her final song (hit single, ‘Don’t Kill My Vibe’), it was clear that the audience wanted more. The cheers continued long after she’d run off stage thanking us, and I felt lucky to have seen such an intimate gig at the good old Corner Hotel because, if she’s anything like her BBC ‘Sound Of…’ predecessors, she’ll be selling out arenas in no time.