If you’ve never heard of The Kid LAROI, then you probably don’t have anyone under the age of 30 living in your house, or you live in the remote bush completely off-grid with no contact with the outside world.
Hailing from Sydney, this 21-year-old global megastar has been taking the world by storm one killer single at a time, since he first came onto the scene in 2018. Releasing his debut album, The First Time in November last year, The Kid LAROI has embarked on an Australian tour to promote the album, with the 2-night stint in Melbourne being his last stop before he heads back to the US.
The Kid LAROI
- When: Friday 29 November
- Where: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
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Heading in to check out the hype around The Kid LAROI for myself, the setting sun was still scorching as I entered Rod Laver Arena, and I couldn’t help but think that it was perfect ‘Aperol Spritz’ weather and found myself humming this track as I waltzed on in. Once inside the arena, there was a thick and palpable energy oozing off the young fans, awaiting the arrival of their idol. The two support acts had thoroughly warmed up this eager bunch who were well and truly amped once The Kid LAROI hit the stage.
Entering the catwalk stage to a thunderous reception, LAROI kicked off his high-energy set with ‘Baby I’m Back’, which samples the 1977 Player hit, ‘Baby Come Back’ – no doubt a familiar riff for the chaperoning parents in the crowd. An impressive light show and some pyrotechnics thrown in for good measure kicked off early and were an epic accompaniment for this energetic show. ‘Diva’, with its deep bass line, completely raised the roof and the crowd was hungrily lapping it up and couldn’t get enough of this melodic drug that was hitting their ears and taking over their bodies. Looking around the arena I thought it was sweet the large number of dedicated parents who were there chaperoning their kids, but it would soon become clear who the real fans were. The younger audience members were hyped to their eyeballs on euphoria as they screamed along to LAROI’s lyrics, however there were certainly some, if not more, equally as enthusiastic parents who were heavily getting into the action with their singing, dancing, and camera phone action. The perfect example of the magical power music carries where it can touch any age or gender.
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Through the sea of iPhones (hello, era Gen Z), these starry-eyed fans were completely hypnotised as LAROI worked the entire stage blowing everyone away. In contrast with upbeat tracks, there were also some tender moments during the set including ‘Go’, which his late beloved mentor Juice WRLD originally featured on. The slow feel and emotive lyrics of ‘Bleed’ and ‘Where Does Your Spirit Go’ brought the arena down to a sombre mood, showing a more raw and vulnerable side to the young singer and rapper. LAROI continued to pump out the songs including ‘Without You’, ‘1000 Miles’ & ‘Always Do’, whilst also thanking the crowd for their love and dedication and also mentioning how much he loved being back in Melbourne. The support act Onefour, came back to the stage for their collab song with LAROI, ‘My City’, which featured on the Aussie hip hop group’s 2020 debut album, Against All Odds. Wrapping up this wild set was the chart-topping Justin Bieber collab song that put him on the mainstream map, ‘Stay’. This was met with a raucous reception and had the place filled with confetti as the crowd passionately screamed along to every word. These crazed kids and their parents were still hungry for more so as a final farewell, ‘Nights Like This’ was LAROI’s departure song to satiate the appetite of these starving fans.
Having ticked over his 21st birthday in recent months, it’s truly quite mind blowing to think how much this kid has achieved already in his career so far- I mean, the guy had his own McDonalds meal named after him. If that isn’t peak success, then I don’t know what is! Despite his global success, chart-topping hits and iconic collaborations, he still appears humble, grounded, and truly grateful to his fans for riding this crazy journey with him. His talent is up there with the best, and the fact that he has cracked the US market, which is something not a lot of Aussie artists ever manage to do, indicates that he is doing something right with his magic touch. After watching the crowd interactions around me at this show, his ability to write music that parents and their children can bond over is no mean feat and honestly, so endearing to see. The Kid LAROI has cemented his place in the industry proving his longevity and commitment to his art already, so it’s fair to say he’s going to remain a household name for decades to come.
Find out more about The Kid LAROI’s touring here.
