Lorde and a host of other extraordinary women restored my faith in modern music
Lorde and a host of other extraordinary women restored my faith in modern music
Poppie PlattSun, August 23, 2026 at 11:30 AM UTC
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Lorde performing at All Points East festival in Victoria Park - Khali Ackford
Ignore the naysayers. Judging from the Saturday edition of this year’s All Points East festival, pop music is in rude health. Fans who survived the hacking coughs, brought on by swirling dust clouds, enjoyed multiple fantastic sets: from the witty, confessional songwriter Audrey Hobert to Swedish powerhouse Zara Larsson, who is experiencing a fairytale resurgence; Londoner Sienna Spiro and Lorde, the millennial generation’s very own Madonna.
Held in Hackney’s Victoria Park, the day properly kicked off with Audrey Hobert, a 27-year-old Californian nicknamed the “Steve Martin of pop” on account of her propensity to satirise herself in her lyrics. (Not to mention her father’s career: Tim Hobert was a writer on US sitcoms Scrubs and The Middle, as the online “nepo baby” brigade constantly points out.) She raced through entertainingly off-kilter songs from her 2025 debut, Who’s the Clown?, the highlight being the self-deprecating Sue Me, about returning to a toxic ex-boyfriend in a desperate quest for validation.
Sienna Spiro, meanwhile, is a 20-year-old Londoner who has been hailed as the “next Adele”, the “next Olivia Dean” and the “next Amy Winehouse”. But Spiro should be judged on her own considerable merits – her debut album Visitor, released in July, reached number two in the UK charts and cracked the top 10 of the Billboard 200 in the US. Soaring songs of heartbreak and longing, such as Great Expectation and Die on This Hill, rang out around Victoria Park, backed by the voices of tens of thousands of weeping fans.
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Londoner Sienna Spiro has been dubbed the ‘next Adele’ - Joseph Okpako/WireImage
The in-demand West Country producer and singer PinkPantheress provided the day’s most exciting moment, when she appeared on stage with Swedish star Zara Larsson for the first live rendition of their 2025 hit, Stateside. Larsson has been dominating the charts in Europe for more than a decade with anthems like Lush Life (2015) and Symphony (2017), but never managed to break through in the US. Until now. She is currently the hottest pop star in the world – and thank heavens. Here in Hackney, she sang like Ariana Grande, danced like Beyoncé and demonstrated every ounce of Britney’s effortless charisma; she is proof that hard work pays off.
Which brings us, finally, to Lorde. When she was 16, the New Zealander released the chart-topping, generation-defining single Royals (2013). Every other pop musician who has come since has tried to emulate the magic of her first two records: Pure Heroine (2013) and Melodrama (2017). Few have managed to.
Now touring her divisive yet intriguing 2025 record Virgin, Lorde reminded us why she remains a singular talent. Songs ranged from big-hitting pop anthems (Green Light, Perfect Places) to heartfelt reflections on the inevitable march of time (Ribs) and insecurity (Man of the Year and Girl, so Confusing, sadly performed without its co-artist, Charli XCX). Lorde’s shows are famed for being special celebrations of human connection, and her performance on this sweaty, dusty night in east London was no exception.
All Points East Festival continues at London’s Victoria Park until Sunday August 30. Tickets here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
