NEVE has a certain stardust, and it’s not just from the dazzling glitterballs of The Grace at her landmark headline show.
A string of bubbling pop releases and support slots for Betty Who and Henry Moodie have seen the Northern Irish singer’s stock rise in 2023 and fans have flocked to Highbury from Romania, Amsterdam and Paris to see the rising star perform an hour of her hits.
NEVE may be a relatively new kid on the block but as she struts out to unreleased track ‘dizzynumb’, the sold out 150-capacity venue might as well be an arena in her eyes. With a smirk, she dons a pair of trademark sunglasses and delivers a punchy rendition of single ‘To the Moon’ with vocals straight out the Ariana Grande songbook.
NEVE has an ear for big pop hooks and a talent for big vocals, which are showcased in full force during the brilliant ‘Brutally Honest’ and over the rich production of unreleased ‘Valentino’.
Tracks from the vault feature heavily through the set, a nod at what is still to come. ‘Behind the Curtain’, an empowering ditty to a down-and-out friend sees audience members embrace, but ‘Blood on the Walls’ is the pick of the unheard bunch. A sinister best-friend break up, the star jokes, ‘I’m a nice person I promise,’ as she finishes the last cutting chorus.
There’s time for a couple nods to pop inspirations during the night. A cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’ is dedicated to the singer’s mum and a cover of ‘Stay’ by The Kid Laroi is so good it might as well be her own track.
The night ends with a bang on TikTok favourite ‘Want U Back’ as NEVE thanks her first headline crowd for a night she’ll never forget – and as fans flock to splurge on the star’s merch, it’s clear it only gets bigger from here.
Are you a NEVE fan? Let us know @CelebMix on Twitter.