Following in the footsteps of legendary Meltdown curators like Nile Rodgers and Chaka Khan, Little Simz—aka Simbi Ajikawo—faced a daunting legacy. But with a lineup that balanced heavyweight names like The Streets and rising stars including Lola Young, Simz proved more than equal to the task. Her final challenge? To deliver a headline performance worthy of the festival’s 30th edition—and she did so with thunderous style.
Taking the stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall, Simz was backed not only by her band but by the powerful 42-piece Chineke! Orchestra, conducted by Chris Cameron. Their presence was more than symbolic, amplifying the festival’s theme of championing diversity in classical music and giving the evening a cinematic weight.
Opening with the rousing “Introvert,” Simz set the tone with infectious guitar riffs and blazing trumpets that had the seated audience raising their hands in praise. The mood turned darker and more electrifying with “Thief,” a standout from her sixth album Lotus, as pounding drums and swirling orchestration added depth to her live sound.
Simz performed ten tracks from Lotus, but it was “Free”—originally a poem—that delivered the night’s most poignant moment. Rapping lines like “If I don’t love what I’m doing then I’m hardly engaged” and “We fear the answers so we don’t ask the questions,” she held the audience in a spellbound silence that broke into rapturous applause when she revealed a white “Hardcore” vest beneath her jacket. The energy rose again with the arrival of long-time friend and collaborator Miraa May, who joined her for the silky, electro-acoustic “Peace,” their connection palpable and joyous.
Simz, who recently revealed her love of Bossa Nova while cleaning her flat, brought those breezy rhythms to life with “Only”—a welcome, groove-laden breather that had the crowd swaying in their seats. Then came “Lion,” a track steeped in vulnerability, born from the writer’s block and doubt that plagued Lotus. Yet when Simz delivered the defiant lyric, “I bet you’ve never seen a young Black woman so fly,” there was no doubt those doubts had been left far behind.
A surprise highlight came with the arrival of Obongjayar, whose emotionally charged duet on “Flood” brought themes of estrangement, longing, and reconciliation to the surface. The chemistry between the two was magnetic.
Simz also dipped into her back catalogue, with a brass-heavy version of “Point and Kill” (from Sometimes I Might Be Introvert) erupting into a standout moment. And in a move that proved her curatorial instincts extend beyond festival programming, she closed the show with the explosive “Gorilla,” its Mike Skinner nods and 3310 references landing perfectly. “I don’t do limits,” she rapped—an apt final note for a show that broke boundaries, elevated voices, and left no doubt about her artistic authority. With this performance, Little Simz didn’t just rise to the occasion—she redefined it.
Be the first to comment