On Saturday evening, fans of all ages entered Comerica Theatre, anxiously awaiting a performance by British pop star Ellie Goulding, who was in Phoenix for one of the many stops on her Delirium tour.
The night kicked off with two opening acts: Bebe Rexha, an American singer-songwriter, and Years & Years, a British trio from London. Both acts put on performances that brought energy to the room and got the crowd on their feet.
Then, at around 9 p.m., the lights went dark, the stage lit up and the crowd went crazy.
Music began playing, a montage of photos of Goulding appeared on the screen,and the energy of the crowd began to escalate in anticipation.
She walked on stage singing “Aftertaste,” the second track on “Delirium,” her latest album.
As the light hit the curtains draped from the ceiling, her silhouette appeared.
Then the curtains dropped, and there she was, standing center stage. All eyes were on her, and everyone was out of their seats, dancing and singing along.
Goulding’s first song was followed by some of her biggest hits, including “Lights,” “Outside” and “Something In The Way You Move.”
Her dancers and backup singers all had their own shining moments, and they helped keep the energy in the room alive.
Each song featured a different array of visual effects and a new set of dance moves. For a few songs, Goulding danced alongside her backup dancers, incorporating their moves and a few of her own into the performance.
Goulding engaged with the crowd, cracking jokes and discussing her songwriting process (she has written the majority of her songs on her own).
She also proved just how well she can play guitar, accompanying her vocals with the instrument she said she used to have with her all the time on stage.
At around 10:30 p.m., she left the stage, making fans believe the show was over. But she came back out for an encore, performing “Anything Could Happen,” a hit from her 2013 album, “Halcyon Days.”
She closed out the night with a beautiful rendition of “Love Me Like You Do,” and the crowd joined in when she belted out her high note. When the song ended, Goulding thanked everyone for coming and walked off stage with the band.
Once the lights came on, people began making their way toward the exits, and everyone was buzzing about the show, commending Goulding for her performance. Needless to say, she did not disappoint.
Contact the author at Alyssa.Hesketh@asu.edu.
Contact the columnist at Emily.Liu@asu.edu
