Clear skies, perfect weather, and incredible music, last night was one for the books. London’s own soulful Sam Smith, graced us with his presence accompanied by the golden-haired, country, cutie, Cam. The audience was filled with so many different types of fans: young teen couples, friends, families, all waiting to hear these talented performers. Cam started off the night with strong vocals and lots of crowd participation. The arena lit up like twinkling stars with phones swaying to the rhythm of the chords of “Burning House.” Cam was a delightful performer with a sweet and smooth, yet powerful voice, that hit your ear like honey.
This is not the first time Cam has shared the stage with Sam. She joined him on all four of his sold-out shows at the O2 in London earlier this year, to perform “Palace,” the song they co-wrote together with Tyler Johnson on Smith’s latest album (The Thrill Of It All).
After Cam made her exit, Sam entered the stage, only to be enveloped in a wave of applause and screaming fans. This was my third time seeing Sam Smith personally, and he delivered an awe-inspiring performance as per usual. From the lighting, the glowing and moving stage props, background singers, and musicians, it was an experience to be envied by fans, not in attendance.
Sam covered the classics from In the Lonely Hour, including: “Stay With Me,” “Money On My Mind,” “I’m Not The Only One,” “Like I Can,” and a slew of new songs from 2017’s The Thrill Of It All. The power, and soulfulness of Sam’s voice was able to elicit a range of emotions from his audience. At one point he even joked about how his music is a bit depressing, but encouraged the audience to stand up, dance, and let the problems of their everyday life go, if only for the night.
-E. Jones