Naming your latest gigs the Dysfunctional Tour is something of a gamble for an artist, leaving an open goal for jokes if the show falls flat. For Anne-Marie though, the UK arena shows behind her 2021 album Therapy are all about vulnerability and achieving catharsis through naked honesty, no matter the potential consequences. At Wembley Arena on Wednesday night, the singer delivered her drivetime radio hits with precision, but also forged a deeper connection than many of her commercial peers.
Therapy, an album of high-profile collaborations and personal growth, recounts Anne-Marie’s journey from self-hatred and doubt to acceptance, and the live show followed the same narrative. In the first of its three sections, she and her excellent troupe of dancers were dressed in black as she sang of regret, heartbreak and infidelity. “This song makes me really angry,” she said before Tell Your Girlfriend, proceeding to mock-kick a dancer posing as an unfaithful ex around the stage.
