Little Simz live review: The phenomenal stage presence of a ‘sometimes introvert’

Venue: St David’s Hall, Cardiff

Words: Eliot Raman Jones

With every performance Little Simz gives her burgeoning reputation in British rap continues to grow.

The 2022 Brit Award winner for Best New Artist delivered a transformative experience to her fans in Cardiff as part of the BBC 6 Music Festival on Friday night.

When she opened with the booming regal horns of Introvert, the first track on Simz’ 2021 album Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, all chatter from the audience immediately ceased.

The packed tiers of St David’s Hall, where the audience was still recovering from the high energy performances of Mykki Blanco, Curtis Harding and Deyah, knew that what lay ahead was altogether different.

All the 6 Music Festival reviews:

Bloc Party: A banquet of brilliance
Ibeyi, Porij and Obongjayar: Pure rhythm
‘The joy of being there’: It’s been emotional
Panic Shack : The girl gang you’ve been waiting for

Simz’ effortless delivery extended beyond the crisp tones of her latest release, including some of her earlier, more industrial cuts like might bang, might not.

In the middle of her set, Simz thanked all the fans for their support — “Thank you for making me feel comfortable enough to try something new, and receiving it with love.” — before pledging to take the Cardiff audience back to her North London roots and launching into the anthemic 101 FM.

In Simz’ masterful switching between genres, albums and cultures it’s is clearer than ever is that this is an artist who is well on their way to a place at the top of the British rap pantheon. There’s her Dave-eque honesty in her conscious rap but she can still produce a “club banger” to rival Stormzy or Skepta.

Her latest album received great acclaim outside of the UK too and having worked with acclaimed American bassist Thundercat and received praise from rap megastar Kendrick Lamar, Simz could yet become another successful British export to the world stage.

One thing is for sure, Little Simz is an incredible talent. Her lyrical skill and storytelling ability showed a venue that has already seen so much talent something new and exciting.

Go see Little Simz. You won’t regret it