Holly Humberstone graced the DMV with a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club on Wednesday. The indie-pop artist recently released her sophomore album, Cruel World and kicked off the accompanying tour earlier this year. Humberstone launched the North American leg of the Cruel World tour in Boston earlier this month and will spend the remainder of June criss-crossing the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the tour, Holly Humberstone will participate in a variety of festival shows, including Bonnaroo and Coachella.
Singer-songwriter Diva Smith opened the D.C. show with a soft acoustic set. The New York City-based artist was joined solely by her guitar but delivered a beautifully intimate performance. She connected with the audience throughout her set, at one point revealing that she is a pre-school teacher when she’s not on the road. Her latest EP, Sunny Surrender, released this week, highlights her struggles and successes with navigating early adulthood. Her set was the perfect warmup ahead of Holly Humberstone’s performance.
Holly Humberstone is a British singer-songwriter who grew up in rural England. An early performance on a BBC Radio show helped propel her career and subsequent opening slots on an Olivia Rodrigo tour and a Girl in Red tour introduced her to an American fanbase. Her 2020 single “Falling Asleep at the Wheel” was an instant hit and has nearly 80 million streams on Spotify. In 2024, she was an opener on Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. Her latest album Cruel World was released earlier this year and received moderate charting success, peaking at number 4 on the UK Albums chart. Holly Humberstone’s unique sound blends ethereal-sounding synth elements with powerful vocals, and her music spans across pop, synth-pop, and alternative genres. Humberstone opted for a more alternative sound on Cruel World, with scream-along songs like “Red Chevy” and “White Noise” marking a shift in her musical style.
Holly Humberstone and Diva Smith transformed the 9:30 Club into an intimate space where the audience could explore their fears of growing up, struggles with heartbreak, and challenges with adulthood. Humberstone’s vocal prowess and elevated stage presence made for a phenomenal performance. Holly Humberstone will continue the Cruel World tour across North America through the end of June. She’ll return to the U.S. for a handful of shows on Gracie Abrams’ upcoming tour at the end of the year. Diva Smith will remain as the Cruel World tour opener through the Minneapolis date next week.
Final grade: A
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