Live Review: Jessie J – 20th May 2025 – Union Chapel, London, UK
5 min read
BRIT award-winning, multi-platinum selling pop icon Jessie J has returned to the forefront of pop recently following the release of what could be considered her latest comeback. In quick succession of new single No Secrets last month, the Domino and Price Tag hitmaker has followed up with another new hit in the making with the Ryan Tedder produced Living My Best Life over the last week. And Jessie was doing just that last night as she performed the song, along with a handful of career notables for a very small audience at North London’s highly Instagramable, Union Chapel.
Dubbed an ‘Acoustic Evening with Jessie J’, the event sold out immediately when tickets went on sale only last month. And for good reason. As we witnessed last night over the course of a 90 minute set by the vocal superstar, Jessie J is back with not just brand new songs, but a brand new energy and view of life, having spent the last decade in and out of the music industry – her last albums being R.O.S.E and the seasonal collection, This Christmas Day – both released in 2018.
Fans very quickly filled the small Union Chapel as doors opened at 7pm for an early set start time by Jessie of 8pm as lines stretched in both directions of the entry doors; the church pews quickly flooded as fans attempted to get as up-close and personal as they could. Though at a venue like Union Chapel, it’s a hard thing to avoid – it’s definitely one of the more intimate venues in the city for seeing someone perform – especially those like Jessie who are more used to performing stages of large theatres and arenas – something she will be doing when she takes the show to the Palladium and theatres around the UK in October.
Following Jessie’s 8pm arrival, the singer emerged from the back of the stage and walked through the floor seating area, blwoing kisses or waves to those in the crowd that she recognied and then diving straight into the night with I Don’t Care. We were then taken through two hours of some of her finest achievements, with the likes of hit singles Domino, an eccentric version of Do It Like A Dude and an electrifying performance of power ballad, Masterpiece – all dressed by the warmth of acoustic guitars and piano and performed on the tiny Chapel stage with the sunsetting light shining through the venues colourful stained glass windows.
“Isn’t this the most beautiful venue you’ve ever seen?”, the pop icon asked the crowd, drawing attention to the venues beautiful structure of coloured glass, stone and the fairy lights that would eventually help light the darkened space during stellar performances of Who You Are and Sunflower; the latter a tribute to her young son.
“Who’s here for new music and who’s here for price tag”, Jessie comically asked her fans. For those here for the hits, they would be rewarded handsomely as the singer touched on all of her career highlights as she dominates the stage with a 3-piece band made up of guitarist, bassist and pianist. Even Bang Bang, her famous collaboration with fellow pop idols Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj made an appearance in the set despite the song not being one of Jessie’s favourites. “I would never write a lyric like “she’s got a body like a Cadillac” but you paid to hear it so I’ll sing it” she told the crowd who roared back in laughter at this and the many other comical moments Jessie provided throughout the night.
While her family and some famous faces (we spotted Marvin from JLS and his The Saturday’s wife Rochelle with there kids a few seats down), looked on and watched from the upper level, Jessie waved and encouraged them to help sing a few lines which her father happily and very briefly lending his shaky vocals to the set. His daughter on the other hand was every bit the global superstar as she took back to the aisles of the venue and delivered a pitch perfect cover of Whitney Houston’s I Have Nothing with no instrumental support and no mic, delivering a version of the track that Houston herself would give a standing ovation to.
New songs including Believe In Magic, No Secrets and the raw, biographical Complicated helped provide more recent penning’s during the night as well as a closing performance of new single, Living My Best Life – a message promoted heavily by the singer throughout the night in her many anecdotes and interactions with fans like a mother who held a banner of her daughter that passed away and loved Flashlight, a boy who she met earlier for Make A Wish who was sat in the front row and helped sing pop earworm Price Tag with the musician or the heavily pregnant mom to be who she could maternally relate to. She was generous to her fans on a level we have never seen before at a show – a testament to her care and appreciation for her fan base.
It was a night of punchy hits, flawless power ballads, cheeky and humorous storytelling and some of the biggest and best vocals we have ever heard at a show in our lives. The way she manipulates and bends notes is quite unbelievable.
The show serves as a taster for the new album to be released later in the year and from the sound of the new songs we got to hear last night, the new chapter of Jessie J is going to be quite an incredible one!
Setlist:
I Don’t Care
Do It Like a Dude
Believe In Magic
Bang Bang
Complicated
No Secrets
Flashlight
Who You Are
Big White Room
I Have Nothing (Whitney Houston cover)
Queen
Masterpiece
Sunflower
Not My Ex
Thunder
Domino
Price Tag
The Award Goes To
Easy on Me
Living My Best Life
::: RenownedForSound.com’s Editor and Founder –
Interviewing and reviewing the best in new music and globally recognized artists is his passion.
Over the years he has been lucky enough to review thousands of music releases and concerts and interview artists ranging from top selling superstars like 27-time Grammy Award winner Alison Krauss, Boyz II Men, Roxette, Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Loeb and iconic Eagles front man/songwriter, Glenn Frey through to more recent successes including Newton Faulkner, Janelle Monae and Caro Emerald.
Brendon manages and coordinates the amazing team of writers on RenownedForSound.com who are based in the UK, the U.S and Australia.
