Daria Paterek
Currently embarking on a worldwide tour to celebrate the release of her debut album ‘Amelia’, Mimi Webb is taking the world by storm with her powerhouse vocals and catchy pop sound. Daria reviews her sold-out performance at Rock City.
After telling numerous people I was seeing Mimi Webb, I faced the collective question: “Who’s that?”. The case with Mimi Webb is that while most people have heard her songs, they wouldn’t know they were hers. When I decided to review Webb, I was in a similar situation- I have previously heard a handful of her songs, but I wanted to see the person behind her songs, and what better way than to see her live?
Webb released her debut single Before I Go in April 2020, which blew up after Charli D’Amelio featured it on her TikTok account. It was only uphill after this, with her next singles peaking in the charts, and the release of her debut EP, ‘Seven Shades of Heartbreak’. For Webb, the last two years were filled with live performances, tour openings, and worldwide gigs before the release of her debut album Amelia on 3 March 2023.
The crowd was enamoured as Webb paraded around a red flag given to her by members of the audience- a sparse moment of audience interaction in the show.
The concert started with Webb performing Ghost of You in a flashy leotard, reminiscent of Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia tour outfit. One undeniable thing about Webb that she demonstrated throughout the concert is her terrific vocal range, which she showed through catchy pop songs such as See You Soon, as well as ballads like Dumb Love.
Performing all the songs off of her debut album Amelia, Webb also sang a handful of tracks from her ‘Seven Shades of Heartbreak’ EP such as 24/5 and Halfway, which were all loved and sung along to by the audience, creating a great atmosphere that allowed me to forget that it was indeed a Monday evening.
The night continued with Webb singing her classic pop songs, which were fun dance tracks, perfect for a venue like Rock City. While I enjoyed Webb’s performances, the songs slowly started merging after I realised that they essentially followed the same formula: a typical pop song with a catchy chorus that described a failed relationship.
A highlight of Webb’s set was her performance of Amelia, which was a stripped-back performance with an acoustic guitar and Webb sitting down. The song changes pace by being a message to Webb’s “younger self, that everything does get better in the end, and I think it’s a message that young fans can really relate to”. Yet what the performance of Amelia highlighted to me is that the set lacked some intimacy and depth. Don’t get me wrong, while I had a great time listening to Webb’s captivating choruses and hypnotising high notes, I wondered whether Before I Go, Is It Possible for Amelia to be Good Without a strict setlist and overly rehearsed performances? Webb’s Amelia act really put into perspective how stiff and repetitive some moments of the set felt.
Yet the set ended on a great note, with some of Webb’s best songs- Red Flags and House on Fire. The crowd was enamoured as Webb paraded around a red flag given to her by members of the audience- a sparse moment of audience interaction in the show. The show ended with the audience shouting and jumping to House on Fire, which was a great way to end the gig.
While I had a fun night, I had a strong feeling that something was missing. Webb strictly followed the setlist that I found on Spotify a few days before the gig- which isn’t a problem in itself, but I feel like it made her performance feel rigged, as she strictly stuck to it, not putting on any variations or changes to the tracks to make them feel more engaging. There was also very little audience interaction, which would have made the setlist seem less rigid and overly rehearsed.
All in all, I believe that Webb has incredible potential. She’s got great vocals, and with more varied song writing and creative production, she has the chance to become the next big pop star.
Daria Paterek
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article images courtesy of @mimiiiwebb via @instagram.com. No changes were made to these images.
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