"I'm gonna take you back to Karate," says Anne-Marie during this gig at London's Roundhouse, the biggest headline of her career to date. Her aim here is to span her career: Karate was her first single (and a nod to her gold medal earning martial arts prowess) and since then she's released a handful of successful singles. But do we really know the real Anne-Marie?
The stage is littered with pictures of her friends and family and between songs she exudes warmth, with banter and jokes revealing this genuine, girlish side. Vocally she soars, but she's yet to find her feet as a popstar - erupting into shy giggles, she lacks the stage presence of other contemporary singers.
Musically, though, it's all confused. Fierce outrage at ex-boyfriends is her default position, all told through conversational lyrics. Yet this leads to a string of tracks that all sound too similar, R&B tinged with calypso and reggae influences. They're generically chart-friendly and characterless - close your eyes and it could be anyone singing. Breakout single Alarm stood out only for its rave remix that picked up the pace and added a jolt of energy.
Elsewhere she tries to be honest and confessional, but it all comes off a little too sickly sweet. Bad Girlfriend is too on the nose, Perfect a saccharine nod to feminism, Trigger an underwhelming attempt to be woke. Rarely does Anne-Marie step outside of an already familiar comfort zone.
When she does, the impact is considerable. By far the best performance of the night was Peak, a stripped back ballad in which she questions the end of a relationship. She sings seated and visibly emotional, a cathartic and genuine release, but it's too quiet and subtle for an audience pent up on dance music. Later, on Then, she matches the serious heartfelt lyrics with understated, cool production.
When she does finally perform her biggest solo hit at the end, it's too little too late. Ciao Adios is a stomping banger that encapsulates the best she has to offer, yet she's best known for featuring on songs by other artists: Clean Bandit's Rockabye and current single Friends with producer Marshmello. Supported by others she excels, but alone she falls flat. Forthcoming debut album 'Speak Your Mind' is set to be a mixed bag.
3/5
Listen: 'Speak Your Mind' is released at the end of April.
