Live: MØ

19th September at Ritz

8/10

(It’s pronounced ‘mer’).

Danish singer MØ may sound unfamiliar, but a quick listen to her work and you’ll realise you have probably heard it before if not on TV ads, then in the early hours of the morning on the radio.

As someone who has been fortunate enough to see MØ a few times before, I can safely say, I was not disappointed. Having first seen her in 2013, on her first UK tour, it is amazing to see how her stage presence has grown. Her sporadic dancing and overall charisma have really found a place on the stage and this is something which frequent gig-goers will welcome with open arms.

My earliest memories of MØ are at a show in Leeds, in which she had her hair in a tight plait hanging from the top of her head which she whipped around in sync with her dance moves.  She had little in the way of stage set and very minimal lighting, but she managed to enthral fans and keep them by her side over the past few years.

Tonight we were plunged into darkness before seeing MØ emerge with an ethereal version of ‘Don’t Wanna Dance’ before erupting into ‘Waste of Time’. Compared to her earlier performances, MØ seems more comfortable on the stage and has a real skill when it comes to interacting with the crowd and making them feel as elated and carefree as she does.

Fans of MØ are unlikely to ever be disappointed with her live shows as they are pitch perfect. It can seem quite rare when you find an artist who sounds the same, if not better, live as they do on record. Not only does she pull of this stunning vocal performance but is also able to do so whilst passionately dancing all the way through her set. The energy starts high and stays high. But of course this could not be achieved without the work of her talented band and the beautiful work of her lighting techs.

Her rendition of ‘Cold Water’, before which she stated how sad she was that ‘Justin Bieber couldn’t join her’, was perfection. A stripped back, acoustic take on the song was exactly what her set needed, not only to show off her strong and soulful voice, but to take the audience by surprise before showing off yet another new song.

The promise of a follow up to the album No Mythologies to Follow has been hanging in the air since 2015 and now we are nearing 2017 with not much more to go off. All I can say, is that from the new songs she’s performed, such as ‘On & On’ and ‘True Romance’, and her featuring work earlier this year, is that it is very eagerly anticipated.

But of course, I wouldn’t have seen MØ properly without her jumping into the crowd at some point. Yet, another characteristic of her shows are the constant thanking of the crowd after every song, when really we are shouting to thank her for even thinking of visiting us on her tour.

Here MØ is, three years on, with the same songs but she’s still selling sold-out shows. This is not only due to loyal fans but, of course, her music. MØ makes you want to dance, she makes you want to use her work as the soundtrack of your life. And, in the moment, when you’re dancing in a sweaty crowd with complete strangers who’ve come from far and wide to enjoy amazing live music, what more do you want.