Review: Jess Glynne, SSE Hydro, Glasgow
Verdict: Three stars.
Stacey Mullen
Next year she will help bring the girl power movement to a new generation by supporting the Spice Girls on their four piece comeback tour. But 2018 is all about the Jess Glynne show as she commanded an arena crowd in her own right by performing at the SSE Hydro.
Her distinct voice has ruled the radio for the last few years with hit after hit making her one of the UK’s favourite artists. But can she have that same effect on a live stage? Opening up with Hold My Hand, it was a rather razzmatazz start as hunky dancers bust moves to the beat while confetti poured from the stage to mark Jess’ arrival.
Glasgow was the first date chosen for the Always in Between tour which will take Jess around Europe and the USA until next May. And it’s a decision she seemed pleased with as she beamed, “I am blown away by how many faces I am seeing right now,” before launching into the funky All I Am.
The atmosphere was initially a bit flat as Jess belted through her lesser known tracks but things quickly changed as her backing singers harmonised the Rudimental smash These Days. As Jess stepped in with her distinctive vocals, the crowd went wild.
Next a performance of Thursday was simply beautiful as Jess poured her heart out to the audience about her own struggles. It stuck a chord as she belted out each lyric perfectly.
In her own right, Jess is a talented songwriter having produced hits for the likes of Little Mix and Sigala and Paloma Faith. But tracks for her second studio album Always In Between didn’t impress her audience in the same way as the much more radio-friendly hits. And for that reason the atmosphere in the Hydro dipped a few times.
You can’t, however, fault her too much, for on the big tracks she did deliver with the arena coming to life on Don’t Be So Hard on Yourself, Right Here, I’ll Be There and My Love. A stripped back performance of Take Me Home on a second stage in the middle of the arena was also a highlight.
Jess has her own vibe and sound, and it makes her likeable. If she keeps doing what she’s done the last five years, her success is bound to continue. And in 2019, there is no doubt she will spice up her life with her biggest shows do date at stadiums across the UK.
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