National/World Editor
Just nine days into the new year, British pop star Liam Payne held his fourth and final online concert, partnering once again with the popular streaming platform Veeps. The show was originally set to take place on Jan. 2, but was rescheduled to Jan. 9 for unconfirmed reasons.
Similar to his previous shows, Payne introduced multiple smaller artists to his fanbase. Scottish singer and songwriter Nina Nesbit began the show singing three of her songs, The Best You Had; fan favorite Last December; and The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change. Following Nesbit’s performance, Payne’s cousin Ross Harris played three of his songs: Goosebumps, Catching Fire, and Say It Back. The final opening act was 16-year-old Claire Roskiniranz. With her dad playing the guitar, the young singer performed two of her singles, Backyard Boy and Beverly Hills Boyfriend.
After a brief 10 minute pause, Payne began his set with songs from his time in One Direction, chosen by fans. He performed songs from two of the band’s most popular albums, Midnight Memories and Four. Payne started out by singing One Direction’s hit song 18. He followed the song about young love with the upbeat tracks Fireproof, Through the Dark, and Stockholm Syndrome. Payne paused his singing to say, “I just get these little flashbacks of being on stage with the boys and it always always feels good. Before I get too emotional let’s move it along.”
He went on to sing Girl Almighty, while incorporating his own dance moves into the performance. Payne hit every high note masterfully in his next song, Strong. Following this, a message was shown to the viewers thanking them for their continuous love and support, before Payne sang You and I. During the performance, videos of fans singing along to the sentimental song played in the background. To close out the nostalgic One Direction section of the show, Payne sang the group’s emotional song Night Changes.
The show then paused for another 10 minutes, giving the singer time to change from a black collared shirt and khakis to a yellow patterned collared shirt and black leather pants. Payne sang nine songs from his self-titled album LP1, two songs from his First Time EP, and one cover. He began with his fast-paced songs Remember, Midnight, and Slow, adding small twists and note changes to each one. Payne then continued with the slightly slower songs Home With You and Say It All. Opening act Nina Nesbit then rejoined Payne on stage to sing his song For You.
Nesbit and Payne had some light conversation before Nesbit returned backstage and Payne performed a cover of Stay by Post Malone. Payne picked up the tempo by dancing around while singing his songs Live Forever, Get Low, and Weekend. To close out the long and brilliantly executed show, Payne performed his hit songs Stack It Up and Heart Meet Break.
Payne tweeted many times throughout the pre-recorded show, thanking his fans and crew, as well as continuously thanking them on screen whenever he could spare a moment to pause his performance. The singer donated the money brought in by the ticket sales to Unicef and The Trussell Trust. All four of his shows have been held to benefit organizations of his choice, as well as his crew who would otherwise not be getting paid. Payne revealed at the very end of the performance that he would be taking a bit of time off, but assured fans that he will be back with new music the next time they see him.
(Sources: Veeps)
Categories: Culture, Lifestyle, Web Exclusive