Rapidly gaining popularity and fans over the past few years, Filipino-English singer-songwriter Beabadoobee has received much love and attention for her alt-indie pop tunes. She first became popular with the song “Coffee,” with people loving the comforting, warm feelings it exuded. Since then, she has been rapidly gaining even more attention, with some of her fan-loved albums being “Fake It Flowers,” “Beatopia,” and her newest from August 2024, “This Is How Tomorrow Moves.”
Just recently launching her North American leg of the “This Is How Tomorrow Moves” tour, Beabadoobee debuted her opening night, September 8th, right here in Philadelphia! Held at the Metropolitan Opera House, more commonly known as the Met, the singer went on stage shortly after her two opening acts had performed: Keni Titus and Hovvdy. The small indie artist Titus embodied an indie-pop sound in her songs, paired harmoniously with her soft voice: her voice and lyrics comparable to Gracie Abrams but with a unique rock touch. Hovvdy, a country-pop duo from Texas, followed her act with lively country music. Both Titus and Hovvy brought a unique mix of songs that are in nice contrast to Beabadoobee’s.
At 9 p.m. Beabadoobee finally went onstage! Waiting in anticipation to see her, the crowd was buzzing even before she came on. The night’s first song was “California,” an energetic, rock tune, a strong start to the night. The crowd responded energetically to the song, singing every word and dancing all the while. After a couple of songs, “Take a Bite” began playing, a highly loved single from Beabadoobee’s new album. The unique grunge sound and catchy lyrics had fans singing and swaying along. Some more fan-favorite songs were played, such as “the perfect pair,” “Glue Song,” and “the way things go,” with the singer switching to an acoustic guitar from her hot pink electric one for these quieter, plucky songs. These songs were softer compared to the previous more rock and pop-based ones. The crowd was screaming along with every lyric even more during these songs, however. The songs “the perfect pair,” and “Glue Song” added a romantic, soft touch to the atmosphere while “the way things go,” made fans tear up due to its emotional lyrics despite being more upbeat and fast.
However, Beabadooee did not fail to acknowledge her “roots,” or as she described it, “the song that started it all”: “Coffee.” This song brought her to notice in 2017, earning her much-deserved recognition and fans. Being pretty much Beabadoobee’s jumpstart into fame, the song earned a very nostalgic and emotional feeling from the audience, and even a couple of tears. Shortly following this song was “Beaches,” a catchy, rock-like song, a strong contrast to the comforting song, “Coffee.” This song also being well-loved among fans, the crowd screamed every word and jumped along when the singer said to. However, what made this portion of the concert stand out even more was the curtain drop, dramatically revealing vines and fairy lights aesthetically decorating the wall behind the singer. With this reveal being right as the beat of the song dropped, it earned collective gasps and screams from the audience. Finally, the night ended with the soft tune “See You Soon.” This song was the perfect choice for a closing- obviously with the title- but also with the quieter, gentle melody to follow the more upbeat rock songs, being a genius choice by the singer to end the night.
Overall, I thought the concert was incredible. Her setlist consisted of a perfect combination of upbeat, rock to gentle, softer songs, all of which fans knew every word to. Beabadoobee received deafening cheers from the crowd with each song with fans jumping and dancing with energy. Her stage presence was prominent and obvious as she captivated the audience with her talent. Ultimately, Beabadoobee’s “This Is How Tomorrow Moves” tour was an amazing experience and off to a great start!
