Astrid S at Melkweg, Photo by Michiel Vos, A Bit of Pop Music.
Astrid S and the power of the teenage internet fanbase
In this day and age, where the internet and streaming numbers dictate what is hot in the music industry, all an artist needs, is a solid online fanbase that is dedicated enough to stream, download and buy concert tickets. Astrid S was the ultimate proof of that tonight in Amsterdam with a sold out concert in de Melkweg, Amsterdam, as part of her Party’s Over world tour. The Norwegian pop star did not have a single radio hit in The Netherlands yet, but still her fans, mostly teenage girls, had been lining up in front of the venue from the morning on. With only a few EPs to her name, Astrid S became a proper pop star with a bright future.
The supporting act of the night was Tayá, an upcoming pop and R&B singer. She could be described as the British answer to Ariana Grande, with smooth and sensual tunes and an angelic high pitched voice. In between the tracks she thanks the audience for their enthusiasm in a thick Liverpool accent, which seems to make her even more likable. Her singles ‘Deeper’ and ‘When Ur Sober’ sound like potential hits and the latest, still unreleased ‘Skin’, will gain her a few new fans tonight.
Astrid S starts her gig with a spot on rendition of the more experimental electro pop track ‘Bloodstream’ while being cheered on by an ecstatic crowd. A considerable amount of the young people in de Melkweg know every single word to every single track and they are not afraid to let it show. Even the song ‘Mexico’, a cute ballad that only appeared on an acoustic EP, is sung along by numerous fans. When you think about it, it’s not even that surprising that this Norwegian young lady gathered such a loyal following. She is blessed with a great pop vocal and a dreamy tone, a very likeable and down to earth presence on stage which must be relatable to the countless teenage girls in the room, but most importantly, she has got a good amount of great pop songs to her name!
Astrid S does hardly spend an hour on stage because of a lack of more material (so far she released two EPs and some singles), but the tracks she performs are all quality pop compositions. Before she sings the playful ‘Such A Boy’, she talks about how being ‘such a girl’ always has a negative connotation, while boys can be just as dramatic. A message that goes down well, even more when she picks up a rainbow flag that is handed to her by a fan on the first row. The incredibly catchy chorus is one of the highlights of the night. The fans continue to dance the night away while singing their hearts out to the cheeky ‘Breathe’, the very radiofriendly latest single ‘Think Before I Talk’ and the explosive ‘Atic’ which closes the show.
Of course Astrid comes back once more, this time proving how strong her voice actually is. For most of the songs, she uses a subtle vocal backing track (she only brought a keyboardist and drummer with her) to support her voice, but the stripped down version of ‘Paper Thin’ shows how beautiful she still sounds when all of that is taken away. She closes with the big belting chorus of ‘When It Hurts’, her biggest hits so far, and every audience member gives it their all once more, making sure they will have lost their voice by tomorrow. I’m sure they won’t mind. Their idol Astrid S, a true pop star of the internet age, just gave them a performance to remember.
