UK rapper and Top Boy actress Little Simz kicked off her UK tour in style last night.
Simz, 29, is set to play six shows across the UK, with two dates at O2 Victoria Warehouse.
Taking to the stage in her iconic oversized shirt, black tie and blackout sunglasses, she opened the tour with captivating visuals, suspenseful black and white lighting and a humble hello, before rapping ‘Silhouette.’
The setlist included her most popular songs from albums GREY Area (2019), Sometimes I Might Be Introvert (2021) and No Thank You (2022), as well as an unreleased song.
She said: “You’re witnessing greatness. And that’s not through arrogance, but confidence.”
The independent artist was forced to cancel her tour in April 2022 due to financial difficulties.
She Tweeted: “Being an independent artist, I pay for everything encompassing my live performances out of my own pocket and touring the US for a month would leave me in a huge deficit. As much as this pains me to not see you at this time, I’m just not able to put myself through that mental stress.”
Fans were delighted by her comeback, with Simz performing two shows in Australia and 11 US dates earlier this year.
The Brit and Mercury Prize-winner spoke between songs to inspire her audience to follow their passions, sharing the story of how only 10 people had come to a previous show at Victoria Warehouse.
This year both of her Manchester shows have sold out.
In the first 45-minutes Simz was alone on stage – illustrating her talent as a rapper and performer – but she was later joined by her bassist and guitarist.
Her conviction dominated the evening with the dynamic ‘Introvert’ and ‘Gorilla’, before concluding with her empowering and uplifting hit ‘Woman.’
She asked for a minute silence for the situation in Palestine, opened up about her own struggles with mental health throughout her career and even took Polaroids of the audience, signing the pictures for fans.
Simz will play Glasgow, Birmingham and London, finishing her tour on Saturday 11th November at Alexandra Palace.
