Maisie Peters - Cate

To call Maisie Peters' set at the LCR electric just doesn'tquite cut it - the energy and atmosphere in the room was most definitely enough to power the entire National Grid. On arrival, I found my spot at the back and got settled to watch Cate’s supporting set - usually I would aim to be up front and centre, but swarms of adoring fans beat me to it! Cate’s energy was perfect for starting off the night - her melodies were tight and pitch perfect as she flew through her 30-minute set. Tracks like her latest single Get Better really got the crowd going and ready for the main event, and there was even a cover of Hannah Montana's Rockstar, which was completely unexpected but super fun to hear.

Not long after, Peters arrived on stage with her embroidered lyric shirt and cheetah print trousers, adorned with her now iconic platinum blonde hair like a halo around her head. She opened her set with the lead single Body Better from her upcoming second album, The Good Witch. The screams that erupted after her spoken word introduction seemed to break the sound barrier, and they never dulled throughout the 90-minute set (mine included; I am a self-confessed Maisie super fan). She described this tour as a farewell to her debut album, You Signed Up ForThis: tracks like I'mTrying (Not Friends), Love Him I Don’tand Villain were definite highlights of what she performed from it. We also heard a new song that was being debuted on this tour: You're Just a Boy (And I'mKinda the Man), which was a gorgeous little snippet to what'scoming next from this starletof singer-songwriter pop. The heavy influences of Taylor Swift, Lily Allenand ABBA (especially their album The Visitors) shines through Peters' back catalogue, but it'sconsistently obvious that she'snot ripping any of these artists off - she is completely making this genre her own.

Other highlights include Cate making a guest appearance to perform Cate's Brother (yes, it is a song Peters penned about her friend’s brother), and a medley of arguably some of Peters' saddest songs, just to 'get the traumatic stuff out of the way', as she stated, which also included a brief snippet of Swift's Dear John, and other classic Peters tracks such as Glowing Review and Favourite Ex. Closing the set, we heard Maisie's latest single Lost The Breakup, which was swiftly followed with the encore of Blonde - both rambunctious, triumphant songs; battle cries against the men that wronged her, and the people who wronged the crowd.

I left the LCR feeling lifted and so empowered. I am so glad that Maisie Peters exists for those of us navigating life and love in our twenties, but also anyone else that could be impactedby her artistry. Her music is affirming and comforting and infectious, and I highly encourage our Outline readers to check her out if they don’tknow of her already. She is phenomenal.

Maisie’s second album, The Good Witch, is out June 16thon Gingerbread Man/Asylum Records, and is touring Europe this May.