Ava Max proved she puts the “star” in “pop star” with her energetic return to the capital on the first of her On Tour (Finally) London dates.
The Million Dollar Baby songstress set off on her European tour earlier in the month with dates in Manchester, Glasgow and Birmingham, before heading to the capital for two dates.
Known for her viral hits such as Kings & Queens and Sweet But Psycho – and her trademark half-long, half-short hairstyle – the 29-year-old made it clear her talent as a performer translated from social media into real life.
But it seems the US star has had to deal with plenty of criticism, as spoken word interludes gave an insight into the backlash she has received during her career.
Phrases like “one hit wonder”, “industry plant” and “Ava Max can’t sing” were thrown around – but from the adoring crowd it was obvious nobody in the room shared those opinions.
Kicking things off, Ava was supported by singer Emlyn, who performed a four-song set including ear worm You Problem and her new single Dot Dot Dot.
A short while later, Ava took to the stage herself with a huge diamond as her backdrop and the intro to Diamonds & Dancefloors – also the name of her second album – started.
And with her glittering red and black stage outfit and her pumping sound, that’s exactly what she gave.
The concert started with high energy, next moving into one of her biggest hits My Head & My Heart, before throwing it back to her debut album with the ever-catchy song Who’s Laughing Now.
She rounded the first set off with Hold Up (Wait A Minute) and fan-favourite Kings & Queens, slipping on a regal cape and working a sceptre into the choreography.
Despite being a solo artist, Ava was never alone on stage, with music provided by a guitarist and drummer, and non-stop choreography from four dancers.
After empowering song Weapons, Ava brought a fan up on stage for Maybe You’re The Problem, singing and dancing around them after searching in the crowd for the night’s “problem”.
Her next track Ghost was a real crowd pleaser, unsurprisingly, before Ava took the energy down every so slightly for Cold As Ice.
The performer, who headlined London Pride in 2022, then treated fans to a medley of some of her older songs including Belladonna, Not Your Barbie Girl and Salt.
But it was her next song which proved to be one of the highlights, taking to the stage with just her guitarist for an acoustic performance of One Of Us.
Ava Max proved she can do it all – bring the energy with dance tracks like Ghost, and show off her solid vocals with just a guitar to back her up.
She wound her set down with Alone Pt II, Last Night On Earth, Dancing’s Done and Sleepwalker, before her “final” song of Million Dollar Baby.
Of course she returned for her encore, playing Sweet But Psycho and getting the biggest reaction of the night.
And then it was time for the party to end with The Motto, Ava’s collaboration with Tiesto.
With her set lasting around an hour, the only downer was that it felt like it flew by.
The setlist was full of her most popular songs and the majority of the tracks from her January 2023 album Diamonds & Dancefloors.
Hopefully her next time in the UK isn’t far away, as her fans are surely in the mood for more after she started the party.
Ava Max continues her On Tour (Finally) tour in mainland Europe, for more information head here.