Live Review: Halsey, Kehlani

Kehlani has been down to Australia three times in the last six months so there's no doubt she's already got a huge fanbase and probably could've sold-out this venue all on her own. She confidently works the stage in a long white shirtdress and powers through her smooth, seductive R&B performance with plenty of booty-drop dance moves. Her unapologetic attitude is infectious and Kehlani is not afraid to speak her mind. "I commend you, Australia, for making a change for marriage equality," she announces, before dedicating her song Honey to the LGBTQ community.

A silhouette of Halsey (aka Ashley Frangipane) appears behind a large curtain draped across the stage as we listen to a reading of the prologue from Romeo & Juliet, followed by Kanye West's Hold My Liquor on loop. The curtain then falls to reveal the American star at the top a large staircase wearing a glittering outfit that covers most of her face, but not much else. "I'm gonna tell you exactly why you came here tonight," she says, before launching into Heaven In Hiding, during which she sings, "I can put on a show!" There's no doubt about it, as we soon find out that this is not just any ordinary gig. There's a tonne of epic production elements on display - including pyro and visual projections - but Frangipane owns the stage without going over the top with flashy props or a hoard of dancers. Only one dancer (TeeTee) joins her, demonstrating some impressive choreography and an undeniable chemistry while her band is placed off to the side so there's extra room to move around the stage.

After a quick costume change, Frangipane returns with her mask removed to reveal a new, short black hairdo (she later comments that her boyfriend G-Eazy doesn't even know she dyed it yet). "I don't want a well-behaved crowd, I don't want to see you be polite," she shouts as she riles up the crowd with her fierce brand of potent pop. "You are a fucking warrior and wherever you were when you first heard these songs you are in a much better place now. I like to think that I am, too," she confesses before Roman Holiday. 

Like most arena shows, there's a smaller platform stage for Frangipane to appear on, but tonight she does something unlike anything we've ever seen before. TeeTee joins her on a water-soaked square platform as they present a creative synchronised dance routine for Lie and Don't Play as they splash the audience in the moshpit. It is the Hopeless Fountain Kingdom tour, after all, so perhaps that should've been a hint to bring along our own raincoats. Of course, the show wouldn't be complete without her cover of The Chainsmokers' song on which she features, Closer, which gave Frangipane's career a huge boost the world over. Tonight she performs a stripped-back acoustic rendition of this song to really showcase her distinct, pristine, wispy vocals that are simply immaculate. 

"Are you tired? I can stop now," Frangipane teases. "The thing is, Melbourne, you decide when you want to go home," she continues, after playing more than 20 songs in 90 minutes. The crowd can't get enough and so she continues with some of her biggest hits including Colors, Gasoline and Hurricane. "It has been an absolute privilege to be the soundtrack to your lives," Frangipane says, as she thanks her fans for their continued support over the last few years.

Halsey's live show is further proof of her unconventional star-quality and creative performance that continues to push the boundaries. Frangipane reminds us that we don't belong to anyone but ourselves. She leads by example as the visionary ruler of her own kingdom.