Virginia Beach native Alana Springsteen first picked up a guitar aged seven and began writing songs when she was just nine years old. Since then she's grown into an artist who's beloved by fans in the US and UK for her heartfelt, powerful songs and energetic stage performances. She released her debut album, ‘TWENTY SOMETHING', last year and has been a frequent visitor to these shores, most recently joining Bob Harris as co-host for this year's C2C festival. Yesterday she was back on this side of the pond to play her biggest show here yet, headlining the Rainbow Stage at BST Hyde Park in London.
Springsteen opened her set with the title track from her album, ‘twenty something'. It's a touching, slightly plaintive number that sees her contemplating the contradictions of early adulthood, and her vocal delivery is full of emotion in a way that makes the song incredibly touching and will have you reflecting on your own experiences, regardless of how old you are. Several members of the crowd could be spotted singing along with her and it was certainly a powerful way to kick things off.
For me some of the highlights of the set were when Springsteen was in a more subdued mood. Her rendition of ‘ghost in my guitar', with a fantastic solo from guitar player Josh, packed a serious emotional punch as she tries to exorcise an old love through songwriting, whilst ‘cowboys and tequila' had a slinky, sultry quality that paired well with her punchy lyrical delivery before picking up into a driving chorus. I particularly loved her solo keyboard performance of album closer ‘amen', which she introduced by urging the audience to ‘always have the courage to live the way you're meant to', and which had a lovely quiet confidence about it. She asked the crowd to put their hands up and sway along as she sang, and it lifted the track to become an incredibly moving moment and a big statement about the need to stay true to your own path regardless of others' views.
That said, there was plenty of room for more uptempo tracks, whether that was the summery pop-influenced ‘if you love me now' (which sees Springsteen warning off a new romantic interest) or ‘you don't deserve a country song', a kiss-off to an ex that practically demands you to put your first in the air and stick your tongue out in defiance. She also showcased some new tracks, including the 80s-meets-grunge vibe of ‘Just Another Cowboy' and ‘Hold My Beer', a cheeky, playful number full of her trademark swagger as she stalked about the stage, whilst paying tribute to her influences on a lively mashup of the carefree ‘thinkin' straight' with Whitney Houston's classic ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody'.
After performing ‘look i like' – during which she donned an audience member's baseball cap backwards – and blending it with ‘Style' by Taylor Swift, Springsteen wrapped up her set with the spiky twang of ‘goodbye looks good on you', her collaboration with Mitchell Tenpenny. I thought it worked really well as a solo number and showcased the smooth quality of her vocals alongside the song's positive message. It was a great note to end the show on and she finished the song by taking off her Jordans, signing them and tossing them into the crowd (something which has become a trademark move for her).
Overall Alana Springsteen delivered a set that perfectly mirrored the Hyde Park sunshine, with great energy throughout and an upbeat feel, but without being afraid to delve into more emotional depths as well. As she closed the show she told the crowd “You have my heart [and I'm] absolutely mad about you” – and judging from the audience response that feeling was definitely mutual. I have a feeling it won't be too long before we see her back over here, but in the meantime: bring on that new music!
Set list: 1. twenty something 2. if you love me now 3. you don't deserve a country song 4. Just Another Cowboy 5. ghost in my guitar 6. amen 7. thinkin' straight / I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Whitney Houston cover) 8. cowboys and tequila 9. Hold My Beer 10. look i like / Style (Taylor Swift cover) 11. goodbye looks good on you Performance date: 4th July 2024
