Live review: Pop queen Self Esteem reigns supreme at South Yorkshire homecoming

The Steel City’s own extravagant pop royalty returned emphatically to the live scene in formidable style, with Self Esteem lining up her largest homecoming show stationed right within Sheffield’s biggest indoor music venue, the Utilita Arena.

The home of the Sheffield Steelers and the housing of her ultimate show of The Complicated tour was lodged perfectly in between the town that raised her (Rotherham) and the city that made her (Sheffield).

As Self Esteem, aka the indomitable Rebecca Lucy Taylor, prepared to descend upon the Arena for her hometown show, it certainly wasn’t just another date on the calendar, it was an unmissable Yorkshire celebration.

And was undeniable proof of Rebecca at her very best, as this show was a sweet and more important bittersweet homecoming.

A more than earnt victory lap in her innovative pop lane genre.

A dying testament to how this Rotherham lass has not only conquered the music world but has become a vital, influential force for a new generation of artists, particularly here centred within God’s own country.

Setting out the raised Sheffield stage prior to her inevitably hypnotic entrance was a circling placement of ruby red plastic chairs, the ones you’d typically find within a school classroom.

One of these chairs was laid to the side of the rest of the group with a ripe banana placed firmly on it for all to see, knowing all there is to know about the Rotherham born talent, meant that every intricate detail was a well versed stage design that would come into effect during her flawless theatrical showcase.

And as the clock reached a little past nine, the initiation of deeply relatable yet empowering pop delight was bound to take place within the crowded constructs of the Arena that Lucy Taylor performed at for a half time show for the Steelers.

As the lights above dimmed across the wide Yorkshire crowd, what can only be described as a scene taken right out of the page of The Handmaid’s Tale or maybe even The Nun took centre stage, as Self Esteem and her talented backup dancers lined up in a cult like format, dressed to the like of a period piece handmaid.

Before she broke free from the queue you could see how much this moment meant to her in front of a home crowd, as she commenced the serene evening with the sweetly spoken yet immensely powerful I Do And I Don’t Care.

The startling setlist composing of seventeen of her very best, was an unforgiving masterclass in pacing and emotional heft, as her show of strange yet eerily timed choreography, perfectly weaved between the raw and hypnotic nature of her detailed yet highly personal brand, as the unapologetic power of her new material such as the charged yet catchy Mother or the racy earworm 69 was a more than cathartic introduction to her liberating anthems that have made her a household name.

Her opening as a whole was indeed a euphoric testament to this.

The stage was a well painted canvas for her trademark dance routines and a commanding narrative of self-acceptance as the show even saw surprise guest performances from both of her supports from the tour as Nadine Shah and Moonchild Sanelly joined the articulated artist on the formidable anthem that was Lies and the aggressive yet determined In Plain Sight respectively.

The pleasantly timed inclusion of the new album's The 345 and the more than stunning collaboration with Moonchild Sanelly on In Plain Sight showcased an essential new level of ambition and a clear evolution in her empowering sound, while still holding true to the pop maximalism she's become known for.

As the dense crowd of many generations filled out every available inch of the arena, it was an undisputed sea of sequins and sheer joy, as they made sure to scream every individual lyric back to her and even spotted a few fans copying Lucy Talyor’s intricate dance routines during tracks like the gospel-genre defining Prioritise Pleasure or clear fan favourite F***ing Wizardy, moments like these elevated her performance into another plain of existence.

Freshly baked elements from her latest album effort, like the fierce Focus Is Power and the emotive The Deep Blue Okay, landed with the force of an expletive-laden sermon and fit snug as bug within the more than packed set as Focus Is Power had the unthinkable duty of closing her special performance back on home soil, yet due to the doubt of no-one positioned within the enclosed tall walls of the arena, the gifted Self Esteem, and her more than brilliant backing dancers and her skilled band saw out an incredible defining show that’ll be living on in the mind’s who made this feted evening.

As many a fond memories will certainly form on the basis of this stellar showcase of vocal talent, stage design and charged choreography, whether your favourite moment from the show was the unmistakable silliness of whacky inflatable tube men being launched up into the latter half of her set along with an army of streamers and confetti or the beautiful intimacy of just Self Esteem on an acoustic guitar or even the fact that plot essential banana that was aforementioned right at the start of this article was of course just a lay up to be used as a mobile phone and then proceeded to be eaten during one of her intimate ballads – it genuinely goes to show just how ready she is to take on the rest of the world.

But her indisputable leading influence extends far beyond a killer setlist and stellar headline tour. As Rebecca Lucy Taylor has become a cultural touchstone for a region that has always prided itself on its straight-talking, no-nonsense attitude.

From her beginnings in Sheffield's DIY scene with Slow Club, she has fearlessly carved a path for herself, demonstrating that you can be both a pop superstar and a genuinely authentic, relatable voice in a sea of nonsense.

She's proved time and time again that it's more than okay to be difficult, to be messy, to be complicated, and to demand a space for yourself within this restrictive world.

This serene message, delivered with charming wit and a wry smile, has resonated with countless young predominantly female and underrepresented musicians across Yorkshire, encouraging them to step out of the shadows and embrace their own creative vision without compromise.

She may have been snubbed from this year’s Mercury Prize competition but she is undoubtedly a distinctive role model for a young generation that's tired of being told to fit in, and her recent honorary doctorate from the University of Sheffield is just one more badge of honour that proves her impact on the local budding community which I’m sure she holds closer to her heart than the Mercury Prize.

This homecoming was an undoubted testament to a long yet explorative journey from small grassroot venues, like the lost yet not forgotten Leadmill to a major arena within the same city, as Rebecca Lucy Taylor has progressed from the likes of indie obscurity to rightly stamped pop royalty.

The night itself was a pure, unadulterated class in pop perfection, a constantly shifting masterclass in stagecraft, and a collective moment of charged catharsis that will echo across the Steel City for years to come.