I went to see Remi Wolf & saw why she is a star in the making

After opening for Olivia Rodrigo during the UK and European legs of the Guts World Tour and performing on the Woodsies stage at Glastonbury earlier this year, Wolf returned to the UK for the latest leg of her ‘Big Ideas’ tour and she delivered a performance that showcased her signature humour, energy and innovation with an improvised song consisting of the lyrics ‘Eggs, Baked Beans & Toast’ serving as a prime example of that.

Wolf’s latest album ‘Big Ideas’ was released in July, and is one that allows Wolf’s genre-agnostic and versatile approach to shine. For me, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the singer becoming a household name in the not too distant future.

Citing the likes of SZA, Tool, John Mayer, Weezer and Still Woozy among her musical influences, Wolf is not your stereotypical pop star. Describing her genre as a “funky-soul pop”, Wolf’s sound draws on influences from soul, funk, electro-pop, psychedelia, grunge and R&B, and that approach has certainly helped Wolf make her mark with the aforementioned ‘Big Ideas’.

Tracks such as ‘Cherries & Cream’ are influenced by legendary British bands Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin and are laced with psychedelia, ‘Cinderella’ is a colourful and hypnotising dance track that contains elements of jazz, ‘Pitiful’ is catchy, lyrically-sound, beautifully arranged and underlines how well Wolf has mastered the art of experimental pop.

Then there was the festival-ready party track ‘Kangaroo’, which has an energetic and punchy melody and sent the audience into a frenzy as they belted out the chorus in unison. ‘Toro’ combines groovy drum patterns and exquisite basslines from tonight’s opener Maddie Jay to make a hedonistic party anthem, and ‘Alone in Miami’ is a grunge-fused hit that gives me vibes of the Alice in Chains song ‘Got Me Wrong’.

The setlist is heavily focused on ‘Big Ideas’, with the aforementioned tracks all featuring on the new album. However, older songs such as the ominous-sounding rock-fused ‘Michael’ serve as an opportunity to showcase Wolf’s range as an artist as do the infectious contemporary R&B and soul-fused hits ‘Liz’ and ‘Disco Man’.

With major festival appearances at Glastonbury, Coachella and Austin City Limits under her belt, Wolf’s stock is fast-rising and with an impressive voice, great stage presence and a thirst for experimentalism - it’s safe to say that the sky is the limit for Wolf as an artist and a performer.