“I love my job very much,” Lianne La Havas announces charmingly into her microphone. Standing before her are three floors full of concert-goers who pack New York City’s Terminal 5 with delight and awe. La Havas, needless to say, is good at her job. Paying equal attention to songs both new and old, the U.K. songstress brought the house down with an immaculate performance on Saturday night.
Love is the mantra of the evening, which La Havas made apparent through both word and song. “I love you very much,” she says, grinning to the crowd, “all over here, all across here, I love you, thank you.” With a flourish, she addresses the audience, pointing from one side to its opposite. The love is nearly tangible, exuding from La Havas, who glows on stage.
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The audience, clearly dazzled, sings song after song. Holding their full attention, La Havas alternates between songs from her debut album Is Your Love Big Enough? and those of her most recent album, Blood. “I like a bit of variety,” she admits. Variety is good choice for Lianne, whose catalog covers a wide array of emotions. From tear-jerking tracks like “Tease Me” to empowering jams like “Unstoppable,” La Havas was no less evocative than her short but powerful catalog.
It’s hard to not love La Havas. She exudes humility in thoughtful comments: “I feel I’ve made some friends this evening.” She smiles incessantly. Garbed in a purple suede blazer and flowing white skirt, she embodies elegance. Like her performing abilities, her personality captures an unparalleled presence.
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Not letting us leave without hearing “Forget,” a favorite track amongst listeners, La Havas says goodbye with gusto on the stripped-back, sass-lined track. Saturday night was a treat for true La Havas fans and newcomers alike, a spectacle with incomparable energy.