Lorde, Alessia Cara and Liam Payne Bring the Party to iHeartRadio Beach Ball Vancouver

Lorde at iHeartRadio Beach Ball in Vancouver on Sept. 3, 2017.

On Sept. 3, headliners Lorde, Alessia Cara and Liam Payne had fun in the sun for the iHeartRadio Beach Ball at the PNE Amphitheatre during The Fair at the PNE. Presented by Virgin Radio, the first night of the inaugural two-day summer music festival in Vancouver featured a line-up of artists making waves in the pop music scene.

Filling the void left by the cancellation of British Columbia’s two popular festivals Squamish and Pemberton, iHeartRadio’s Beach Ball sought to bring the music fest mojo back to Vancouver in the first-ever iteration of their live music concert events on the west coast of Canada featuring today’s hottest pop stars.

Lorde

Fully recovered from the flu that prompted her to deliver an interpretive dance during last week’s VMA Awards, Lorde returned to the festival circuit in full form with a magical performance at the Beach Ball. From the moment she entered the stage, the ethereal entertainer captivated and blessed the audience with her striking vocals, catchy beats, and free-spirited vibes like the music goddess and pop royalty she is. Fuelled by the energy of the crowd (and the fair food sample of a blue raspberry slushie, which she remarked she had never had before growing up in her homeland of New Zealand), Lorde performed songs from her latest album, Melodrama, kicking off her set like a dynamo with “Homemade Dynamite” and singing her new songs “Sober,” “Supercut,” and the singles “Perfect Places” and “Green Light.” She included throwbacks from her debut Pure Heroine, including “Buzzcut Season,” “Ribs,” and her signature songs “Royals” and “Team.” It was a solid preview of the amazing things to expect for her upcoming Melodrama World Tour this fall and in Spring 2018.

Alessia Cara

With Vancouver being the last full show of her Know-It-All album tour, Canada’s very own Alessia Cara gave one of her best performances of her career to date. The rising star performed songs from her debut album, including “I’m Yours,” “Four Pink Walls,” “Overdose,” “Outlaws,” “River of Tears,” “Seventeen,” “My Song,” and her singles, the upbeat “Wild Things,” the self-love empowerment anthem “Scars to Your Beautiful,” and the smash hit “Here.” In addition to her big and remarkable voice, she showcased her multitalented musical abilities by playing the guitar and the drums. Rounding out her 13-song setlist were her collaboration with Zedd “Stay,” “How Far I’ll Go” from Disney’s Moana, and her cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” (which was dedicated to the parents in the audience). Cara took several moments throughout the night to talk to the crowd, reminding them that their dreams are valid, to share their love with their loved ones, and to recognizing beauty in all and within themselves. With wisdom beyond her 21 years, the singer demonstrated her commitment to spreading positive messages, wearing her heart on her sleeve, and being open with her raw emotions. With an artist like her as the voice of the new generation of pop music, she gives a voice and inspiration to young people with big dreams like herself. Both old fans and new fans alike will await Alessia Cara’s next album cycle with great anticipation.

Liam Payne

Liam Payne may sing about being free from 1D, but the One Direction boy band member seems the most primed to be the breakout pop entertainer to emerge from the group. Payne’s pop sensibilities, from his pop-friendly voice to his ability to move and groove on the dance floor, make him well positioned to make waves as a pop artist. Accompanied by a troupe of dancers, Payne sang and danced through his two singles “Strip That Down” and “Get Low,” both of which are indicative of his new direction in his solo music career. There was a collective and resounding response of distress from the crowd as the singer exited the stage after performing his short set of two songs, with his fans begging for him to come back. It’s safe to say the audience was left wanting more from Payne, and it should be interesting to see what comes next from the singer as he prepares to release more new music in the coming months.

Providing a last hurrah for the summer of 2017, iHeartRadio’s Beach Ball music was a celebration of music that was much needed in this city of music fans, and hopefully, this festival is just the start of a new annual tradition of pop music festivals in Vancouver.

For more information on iHeartRadio’s upcoming events, visit iheartradio.ca and iheart.com.

Images and videos courtesy of the writer unless stated otherwise.