Recently dumped and struggling to move on? There is a comfort to be found in sound! Not all music is about love (thank goodness), and Sam, Amy and Connie have got some solid recommendations for the heartbroken, or just plain independent people out there.
Olivia Rodrigo
Forget for a moment that Olivia Rodrigo may not be the best performer (from what we’ve heard). While there are plenty of clips of her butchering ‘good 4 you’ live on stage, there are plenty of her killing it with ‘drivers license’ (2021 BRIT awards ceremony) and ‘de ja vu’ (exclusive MTV Push performance). In fact, Rodrigo’s voice is very much comfortable and amazing as long as she isn’t headbanging or running around on stage as the energy of ‘good 4 you’ demands. So, if you’ve recently become single and you have pent up rage that’s begging to come out in either a litany of tears or screams then surely there’s no one better than Olivia Rodrigo!? One moment you can be singing to your heart’s content about how your partner moved on and left you feeling awful, to then wishing them all the best in a cynic-filled romp of anger and screams. The energy at Rodrigo concerts are often unmatched, and the crowd goes wild when iconic lines happen in songs. In fact, I’m sure most of the crowd know all the lyrics to SOUR by now, so it’s less of a Rodrigo concert and more of a crowd concert. The only time an Olivia Rodrigo concert wouldn’t make for a good time? If you happened to be the heartbreaker rather than the one with the heartbreak…
Sam Pegg
Adele
This year’s iconic release of ‘30’ left fans (appropriately) breaking up with their partners to enjoy Adele’s powerful lyrics in their full force- after all, it’s about divorce babes! No other artist’s discography is better suited to cry to than Adele’s. Just imagine wailing out ‘Someone Like You’ in front of the queen of heartbreak herself! Her Brits performance of this masterpiece is iconic, and I can’t begin to imagine the trance this song would put me in live. It’s a testament to the singer’s power that she can simply stand next to a piano and sing, bringing us all to tears!
But it’s not all doom and gloom! Adele concerts are not only an incredible display of singing, but she does comedy too! She’s been sharing some of her hilarious material during her recent press tour, like the fact she’s been banned from her own Instagram or the rumoured collab with Peppa Pig! This is what gives Adele her charm. Her humour and down-to-earth personality make her feel like our best friend giving us advice after a break-up. I’d say the perfect point in singledom to see her is that stage where it’s still hurting, and your bestie Adele can take you under her wing and give you a big ol’ vocal hug whilst providing some major lols.
Amy Scott-Munden
Aurora
While it may be fantastic to scream your lungs out with Olivia Rodrigo when alone on Valentine’s Day, the celestial voice of Aurora is one that brings a welcome calming respite from the anger and emotion of being single in a crowd of couples.
Aurora at the Concorde 2 in 2016. Credit: Connie Seamer.
I first saw Aurora in 2016 at 15 years old, and it was the first (and only) gig that I have ever cried at. The singer’s unique personality, distinctive voice, and lyrics that centre around being close to nature and coming to terms with yourself all allow for an incredibly cathartic experience.
Tracks like ‘Warrior’ speak of letting love “conquer” your mind, while others like ‘Through The Eyes Of A Child’ look at the horrors of the world through the innocence of youth. The best track to witness for this occasion, though, is ‘Conqueror’; in this track Aurora teaches you “find the conqueror in yourself first, and be your own hero”, rather than looking for a saviour in someone else. So if you’re feeling lonely on Valentine’s Day, get yourself down to an Aurora concert and let her remind you of the strength that you hold within yourself.
Aurora at the Concorde 2 in 2016. Credit: Connie Seamer.
