Mimi Webb is proof that social media really can make a career. After her heartbreak ballads blew up on TikTok during the pandemic, she has risen through the ranks to become something of a breakout star, landing on the BBC Sound of 2022 shortlist. When she makes mention of TikTok tonight, the whole room erupts: it is the reason why so many teens have fallen for her internet-era takes on love and loss.
Webb is a self-confessed fan of Emeli Sandé and Sam Smith, and her blueprint is clear: big radio-friendly ballads peppered with Gen-Z references. Good Without, the weepy viral sensation that she saves until the show’s close, is executed flawlessly, while new song House on Fire ups the tempo with a healthy measure of spice, as she sweetly threatens arson in a fit of lovelorn revenge. It’s the kind of hyperbolic good humour that turns her fans wild: the song has only just been released but they’ve all heard the previews on TikTok and scream the words back into each other’s phones with glee.
