Posted by Post Malone delivers an electrifying performance for the first of his 3 shows at the O2 Arena, marking his first UK tour since 2019.
There’s a Post Malone song for every mood, whether you want to catch a vibe, feel melancholic or anything in between. The US artist brings his Twelve Carat Tour to London as his die-hard fans get to experience all these emotions in one night.
Having seen Post Malone perform in front of huge crowds before at some of the biggest festivals in the UK there was no doubt in my mind that the US rapper was a true showman. However, leading up to the first of his three shows at London’s the O2 Arena, I was admittedly unsure how well it would translate to a big Arena show.
—
—
My fears were instantly dismissed the moment he stepped onto the stage to a euphoric roar from the crowd to perform ‘Reputation.’ He has such a raw and powerful voice that makes you feel the emotion that he poured into his lyrics and gives everything in his performances.
In-between songs the crowd were chanting “Posty! Posty! Posty!”, having the feel of a football crowd at times. The fans played their part and Post Malone reciprocated as he performed some of his biggest hits.
As the artist launched into ‘Wow’, ‘Better Now’, ‘Psycho’ and ‘Candy Paint’ there were fireworks, special effects, pyro and even a dance sequence from Posty as he was catching the vibe from the crowd.
The evening so far had been mainly filled with high-octane hip-hop and pop but Posty slowed down the vibe as he performed ‘I Fall Apart’, a song about getting his heart broken. The crowd lit up the arena with their torches as he stood at his mic stand and delivered a flawless and moving rendition.
Posty further showcased his versatility as he sat down with his acoustic guitar to perform ‘Stay’ and ‘Lemon Tree.’
Post Malone started with humble beginnings in the early 2010s on YouTube by uploading covers of classic songs like Bob Dylan’s ‘Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright’ with an acoustic guitar in his parent’s garage. To see him perform with an acoustic guitar in front of 20,000 people singing and clapping along 10 years later is both heartwarming and surreal in equal measure.
—
—
Post Malone is predominantly a rapper that blends into other genres like Pop and R&B, but he’s a rockstar at heart.
He performed ‘Take What You Want’, his collaboration with the ‘Prince of Darkness’ Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott. This song had the feel of a Black Sabbath concert with heavy electric guitar riffs, drums solos and flames and fireworks coming from the stage.
He then launched into ‘Rockstar’, his huge collaboration with 21 Savage, with the same high octane energy as he was living his dream of being a rockstar. In true rock and roll fashion he went over to the acoustic guitar that he had used so beautifully earlier in the night and went full The Who-mode and smashed it up on stage. It was this type of unpredictability and fun that made the set such a spectacle.
Rae Sremmurd kicked off the evening in style as the support act and Post Malone brought Swae Lee back out to perform their hit ‘Sunflower’, as the pair handed out sunflowers to members of the crowd.
The show finished with the two hits that catapulted Posty to global fame ‘Congratulations’ and ‘White Iverson.’ The atmosphere in the crowd was incredible and full of good vibes as the artist thanked the crowd for showing him a beautiful world that he isn’t afraid to raise his daughter in.
For an artist that only had his big breakthrough in 2016, Post Malone’s set was a stark reminder of how many hits he has made in this crazy whirlwind seven-year spell. He is undeniably one of the most versatile and consistent artists at the moment and shows no sign of slowing down.
—
Words: Adam Davidson
Photo Credit: Luke Dyson