East London singer-songwriter NAO ended her European tour at the O2 Academy Brixton.
NAO is a neo-soul singer who also mixes in other genres such as R&B. She began singing at the age of fourteen while studying vocal jazz at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in central London. NAO progressed on to being a backing singer for artists such as Jarvis Cocker and Kwabs. During her performance NAO let the audience know that she decided to be a solo artist four years ago and never anticipated the success she has right now.
Every single second of NAO’s performance was enjoyable. Surprisingly, she began by appearing above most of the audience in a gallery by some of the upstairs seats – close to me – from where she sang ‘Another Lifetime’, the first track on her sophomore album ‘Saturn’. Throughout this opening number she sang with grace and power, and continued to do so for the rest of the show. The fact that she sounds the same live as she does on her records left me in awe.
As expected, NAO had impressive presence. Even though the stage was huge she managed to fill the space as she moved to the rhythm of her songs. Given her West Indian background I expected there to be some Caribbean and African dance moves in there, and there were! During her more upbeat songs she was joined by other dancers. It was impressive to see such a talented women showcasing so many talents. At one point she even played the piano.
NAO closed her awe-inspiring show with a beautiful vocal performance of her song ‘Bad Blood’ from her debut album ‘For All We Know’. NAO is definitely one of the biggest female artists from East London right now, and her success appears to be paving the way for other female artists from London who perform Jazz, R&B and Soul.
It has been a joy to watch her career grow over the years, and I’m exited to see what the future has in store for her. Here is some raw footage of her singing ‘Complicated’: