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Review: Jessie J - Hammersmith Apollo, London




Stomp, stomp... Jessie J has arrived! I’ve never seen the Hammersmith Apollo so alive.

10 minutes before JJ came on stage, something was going down with the crowd. After a closer look, I spotted The Risk from the X Factor. They certainly caused a stir with the girls after we were treated, or not so treated, with support act Devlin. I guess if you enjoy that genre you’ll love him. However, I did witness a few people get up and leave... maybe a good time to grab a drink. Nevertheless Devlin held the crowd and nailed his last performance, and I’m certain everyone is still astonished at the speed of his “64 Bars” track that eventually won the audience over.

Jessie started her show with “Big White Room” and, as the curtains came up, she silenced the crowd in a split second as she sat in the middle of her circular revolving stage. The purity of her voice echoed throughout the arena and her outfit was extraordinary. A stripy all in one UV number that glowed, the rest a natural colour that didn’t leave much to the imagination!

She went straight into “Who’s Laughing Now”, and the Apollo came alive. Her passion shone through, and the words say it for themselves - what goes around really does come around, and Jessie clearly sung this to those people in her past that were bullies & cowards. This song has a massive message and it was great to see fans screaming the words.

Jessie went on to sing “Rainbow” and “Stand up” – a very popular track with the crowd. Despite her recent injury, she was hopping around the stage making light of her bad leg, but her energy was huge; same outfit, no gimmicks or backing dancers. Just her and her voice.


“One Love,” by the legendary Bob Marley, went down a treat and was a great cover to bring people together.
“Casualty of Love” saw JJ throwing herself up and down the stairs on her stage (no wonder she tweeted that she was limping!) She has no fear, and the passion is so clear in her performance.
“Nobody’s Perfect” had everyone back up on their feet followed by a new song from her latest platinum-selling album, “Shadow”. For me, the song is a hit – catchy but also beautiful. The lyrics had me in tears and the song is about losing a loved one.

Jessie showed great personality and interaction with her fans, who she thanked more than her friends and family. After having a laugh with the props thrown onto the stage, Jessie dedicated Luther Vandross’ “Never Too much” to her parents and said her Nan & Grandad were also there.

Jessie did a beautiful acoustic version of “Lovesong” followed by “Who You Are,” which gripped the entire venue and had a lot of fans in tears. Mind blowing stuff!

Jessie finally took a break and came back out with one change – a glittery hooded jacket – which went down a treat for her “Do It Like A Dude” performance. Spinning on one leg with her flat boots, she actually admitted to getting a wedgy!

She invited The Risk on stage and the crowd went mental as they started singing “Price Tag” together. She also invited Little Mix on stage along with Devlin. It looked like one mass party on stage and the audience loved it.

Jessie made you believe no dream is unachievable; she is a realist and the honest “girl next door”.

The show was amazing, you certainly get your money’s worth, and she ended the evening with her latest track “Domino”. 10 out of 10 and pure class.

Jessie J has now completed her UK tour, but details of further performances can be found at www.jessiejofficial.com

Review by Rebecca Payne

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