The last time Mahalia was inside Hammersmith’s Eventim Apollo she was 13-years-old, supporting Ed Sheeran on his first UK tour. Twelve years on, she returned to the venue – last night headlining her own, sold-out show.
As one of the biggest nights of her career so far, Mahalia gave London her all, pulling out all the stops and a few friends too: Stormzy, Kojey Radical and Jojo, who all joined her at various moments to perform songs from her latest album, IRL (In Real Life).
"I’m very fucking nervous," she confessed, her first words to the crowd after opening with Ready, followed by hype-track Simmer. After her two openers, every song was punctuated with a flustered-but-charming personal anecdote. As someone known and loved for being unafraid to speak her mind, she took the time to talk, at one point, even pausing for a cup of tea.
"There is nothing worse than going to see your favourite artist and they play only their new album", she said, promising to play her older hits – which she did with Do Not Disturb, Letter To Your Ex, and Sober.
The magic of Mahalia is in her relatability. Whether it’s through her self-love R&B anthems, the casual chats about "munter exes", or watching her earring fly off due to exaggerated hair-ography, the singer really is just one of the girls.
Midway through the set, Mahalia brought out one of her girls, Noughties pop icon, Jojo. The two performed Cheat together, enthusiastically cheered on by a familiar face in the crowd, Lioness Captain Leah Willamson, who leapt from her seat.
The crowd continued their wild screaming for London boyband No Guidnce, then for Kojey Radical, but blew the roof off for Stormzy, who came on to join Mahalia for their emotional duet, November. Although Stormzy’s vocals don’t come close to Mahalia’s, no one could tell due to the noise level of mind-blown fans.
Beyond surprise appearances, one of the best moments of the show came without any bells or whistles: just an incomparable voice and a keyboard, as she sang her 2019 ballad, Grateful. Mahalia has spent the past two years using her platform to support London’s rising talent. Her bi-monthly showcase, Mahalia Presents, exists to give emerging R&B artists their moment. Last night, regardless of the friends she brought with her, it was no one’s moment but her own – as she well deserved.
