Even a lightning warning earlier in the day could not stop an exhilarating day of pop stars, country hitmakers and nostalgia known the world over.
As always, the crowd were treated to some fantastic acts on the two smaller stages on the day. The Birdcage saw Cate, Nell Mescal and Dea Matrona command many a full crowd in their little corner of the park, with cheers to be heard at their performances even from the main stage. On The Rainbow Stage, Hannah Gray, Natalie Shay, and Germein were perfect interludes to the well known stars to take the main stage. All three acts showed off impressive live vocals and added their own unique soundscapes to a day filled with brilliant female singers and songwriters.
In 1997, Australian popstar Natalie Imbruglia captured listeners worldwide with her huge global hit ‘Torn’. Though almost twenty years have passed since that career-defining moment, she was the first artist to take to The Great Oak Stage, performing a selection of songs such as “Wrong Impresson”, “Shiver” and “Habit” before rousing the crowd with none other than that 1997 classic. She cut a passionate figure on stage, and was a fantastic way to kick off the biggest of the Hyde Park stages.
Country star Elle King brought fantastic vocals and a dazzling energy to London. Clad in a eye-catching stylish red get up, she put on a non-stop show featuring some of her best work including her collaboration with fellow country star Miranda Lambert “Drunk (And I Don’t Want To Go Home)”, and her well-known hit “Ex’s and Oh’s” was predictably a crowd favourite.
British popstar Anne Marie is known far beyond her native England: featuring on songs with K-Pop stars such as Seventeen and Minnie from (G)I-DLE, as well as working with global artists like Becky G, Doja Cat, Shania Twain and Snakehips, she has cultivated a firm following in Asia and other markets outside the UK and US. The youngest of the artists to headline on Sunday, she brought an infectious energy to the stage and her classic club medley near the end of her set had the audiences dancing before it slid seamlessly into her David Guetta and Coi Leray collab “Baby Don’t Hurt Me”. It was a fantastic introduction to her for older listeners that may not have come across her records before, and she surely went home with new fans.
In the late nineties and early noughties The Corrs seemed everywhere, with their songs played even in the most obscure roadside cafe in the middle of nowhere. The siblings barely seemed to have aged a day and it was truly joyful to see a packed audience sing along to nostalgic hits like “Dreams”, “Breathless”, “Radio” and more. They still have all the charm that made them so popular when they first burst onto the scene in with “Runaway” in 1995, and with albums sold everywhere, from Australia to Japan and of course, their native Ireland, it was fantastic to see such nineties pop stalwarts take to the stage.
Yet ultimately, there was a reason that cowboy hats could be seen far and wide across the park that Sunday: Shania Twain. The American country-pop star showed that a cold still wouldn’t stop either her charism or her ability to put on a spectacular show. Audiences sang throughout her set, often whooping with joy at every new song that she introduced. But one of the many special moments came by way of the crowd singing “You’re Still The One” as she gently strummed a guitar. Some of the biggest cheers of the night were arguably reserved for two of her best known hits “That Don’t Impress Me Much” and “From This Moment On” before she wrapped up a purely joyful day seven of the festival with her classic “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”
The day was one full of joy, with hit after hit and hitmaker after hitmaker for all ages to enjoy. During Shania Twain’s set, she reflected on her music transcending generations and across the day, the festival seemed to truly capture that energy.
BST Hyde Park runs until the 14th of July 2024. Get tickets here.
