Suki Waterhouse has been in the spotlight for the majority of her life. She started modeling at 16and quickly became an “it girl” in the fashion world, and she has since gotten much attention for her famed romantic relationships — Waterhouse has had an eventful career. The model and actress has dabbled in the world of music, releasing singles as early as 2016; however, she did not release her debut album until May 2022. In January 2023, Waterhouse began her tour, recently performing at Boston’s Paradise Rock Club on Sunday.
At her sold-out show, Waterhousetook the stage in a feathered neon green top and leather pants, instantly capturing the attention of the crowd with not only her outfit, but the energetic beat of her opening song, “Bullshit On the Internet.” The song had the crowd screaming the lyric “It’s all bullshit on the internet” alongside her as she elegantly moved across the stage to interact with fans on all sides.
Waterhouse took a very simple approach when it came to her performance. Accompanied by a band of three people, all focus was on her, and she made sure to charm the audience with each performance. Her vocals are serene and sultry, perfectly matching the spirit of her songs.
Following her opening number, Waterhouse moved into a trifecta of her more popular songs. With “The Devil I Know,” she tackled the chorus with sass and bite, energizing the crowd with her bold attitude, while “Moves” featured Waterhouse stomping her feet and pumping her fist in the air during the chorus, which many fans joined her in doing. “Neon Signs” proved to be one of the highlights of the concert thanks to the more sprightly, techno-inspired beat combined with Waterhouse dragging around the mic stand and dramatically dropping to the floor like a rock star.
Not only are Waterhouse’s vocals incredibly energetic, yet calming, but the artist is truly a charming, graceful woman. Listening to her posh British accent was like listening to the world’s best meditation instructor: enchanting and enthralling. Maybe it is the allure and appeal of the accent, but all of her comments and jokes landed with the crowd and she was constantly met with cheers and laughs, most notably during her introduction to her song“Valentine.”
Before moving into the song, Waterhouse asked the crowd “Valentine’s Day is coming up, do any of you have plans?” After being met with mostly silence, she responded “Of course you don’t, you’re at a Suki Waterhouse concert.” Illuminated by pink lights, she delivered a flawless dreamy performance of the song.
As she approached the end of her fairly short one-hour set, Waterhouse hit the crowd with many fan favorites. “Put Me Through It” paired with simple guitar strums and soft drum hits allowed Waterhouse’s vocals to shine and left the audience cheering at the conclusion before she moved into her latest song, “Nostalgia.” With the final song, Waterhouse began by telling the crowd, “Let’s have the biggest meltdown right now,” indicating the final song would be “Melrose Meltdown.” With fans screaming lyrics like “Nobody ever breaks up, we just break down” and “We really f----- it up in diamonds and drugstores,” it was clear the song was a fantastic way to end her set, that is if she did not return after a couple of minutes of violent cheers and concertgoers shouting “encore.”
For her encore, Waterhouse chose the poetic “Blessed” and “Good Looking,”which went viral on TikTok. “Blessed” was honest and intimate, while “Good Looking” resulted in Waterhouse sounding glorious and the crowd being the loudest it had been all night , likely in part due to Waterhouse walking the barricade and holding hands and taking pictures with fans.
Waterhouse is a passionate performer and exudes confidence and pride in her work. Her minimalist approach to her show, with a small band and no choreography, allows her wistful, pristine vocals to be the heart of each song. With moving lyrics and divine vocals, it comes as no surprise that Waterhouse’s music has attracted so many people, even those who previously had no idea who she was.
The tour is titled the Coolest Place in the World Tour and the title is very fitting. Waterhouse is undeniably a cool person and made sure that the tour was the coolest place in Boston to be that night. There is no doubt that Waterhouse is someone to keep an eye on as she continues to be a star on stage and soon to be a rockstar on screen as she stars in the highly anticipated television adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s “Daisy Jones and the Six,” which begins streaming on Amazon Prime in March. From runway to television to stage, Waterhouse is a talented force.
