At around 11:00 p.m. on Sept. 25, hundreds of fans in customized “brat” green outfits spilled out of the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., still buzzing and singing songs from the 2 hour long SWEAT Tour set. When asked to sum up the show in a sentence, Haverford student Anna Berry playfully described it as “Club music with a side of strip tease.” This description encapsulates Charli xcx’s and Troye Sivan’s incredible feat: a sold-out arena show with the intense energy of an intimate night out that anyone who experienced it will never forget.
Bi-Co students made their way to the highly-anticipated collaboration between two of pop-dance music’s most-talked about presences. “It was electric,” raved Haverford sophomore Claire Reisberg while praising the incredible stage design and masterful setlist. After opening act Shygirl set the nightclub tone early with her thrilling electronic-pop set, Troye Sivan opened the show with “Got Me Started,” “What’s The Time Where You Are?” and “My My My!” In case anyone still doubted him, this show proves that Troye Sivan has what it takes to perform for arena crowds. His ownership of the stage and his smooth yet compelling vocals in performances like “Rush,” how he radiates effortless sexuality in his interactions with dancers in “One Of Your Girls” and connects with the audience, places him alongside the top of today’s class of male pop performers.
If Shygirl and Troye Sivan made the Wells Fargo Center feel like a nightclub, Charli xcx turned it into a full-on rave. As soon as she emerged from inside ceiling-high bright green drapes with the word “brat” plastered on all sides, wearing her signature chunky black sunglasses and knee-high black leather boots, it became undeniable that Charli has cemented her status as a pop icon in 2024. She performed alone on stage for the majority of the show, yet the energy with which she attacked from her opening song “365 remix,” to “Von dutch” (the most electrifying performance of the night), to finally her classic closing song “I Love It” proved her to be a commanding performer all on her own. Although she often downplays her vocal abilities, standout songs like “Sympathy is a knife” and “Everything is romantic” showcased Charli’s expert use of autotune in a way that enhances her powerful vocals in performances that pierce the senses in the best way possible.
It’s refreshing to witness artists hit new peaks in their careers without sacrificing any part of themselves to please a bigger demographic, and the SWEAT Tour perfectly captures career-defining moments for both Charli and Troye that will likely continue to influence other artists in the years to come.
