If you weren’t there, you wish you had been, and if you were, you wish you could relive the fun every night. Cher Lloyd embarked on her I Wish Tour at the beginning of September, and on September 13, she performed at Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre with a slew of special guests that made the night even more special and unforgettable.
The show kicked off with Swedish singer Zara Larsson, who performed a mix of her songs and some popular covers. She sang her hit single “Uncover,” which has gone 3x platinum in Sweden, and “When Worlds Collide” – both songs are off her debut EP, ‘Introducing.’ She also did covers of “Wild Ones” by Flo Rida featuring Sia and label mate Icona Pop’s “I Love It.”
The only guy performer of the night, Jackson Guthy, took to the stage to perform six songs, including his single “Everything You Do” and “Forever Tonight,” during which he jumped off stage to get closer to the screaming crowd.
Proving that girl groups still rock, THE X FACTOR USA alumni Fifth Harmony brought the energy from the start, performing a mash-up of their popular single, “Miss Movin’ On,” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” As their set progressed, they performed songs off their debut EP, ‘Better Together,’ due out October 22, and a few hot covers – “Royals” by Lorde and “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry. They ended with their fun new single, “Me & My Girls,” and announced they would be returning to the city to perform on November 5.
Coming from a different X FACTOR – the show’s UK version – was the star of the night, Cher Lloyd. She opened with her song, “Swagger Jagger,” off her debut album, ‘Sticks & Stones.’ She kept the hits coming, and then previewed five songs off her upcoming album, including the new single with T.I. entitled “I Wish.”
It’s rare that an artist can make the original song better in a cover version. Cher did just that during the acoustic section of her set, where she covered “In for the Kill” by La Roux and “OMG” by Usher. She ended this portion of her set with a new song, “Goodnight,” which is about her dad.
Between performances, Cher took the time to explain the inspiration behind her songs. “Superhero” is about falling in love with someone and realizing they aren’t the superhero you thought they were. In fact, they are the villain! Talking about “Bind Your Love,” Cher said, “This is an insight to how I feel about the person I really love.”
It’s evident that Cher really cares about her fans and is super excited for them to hear the album. She added that, “[the song] Sweet Despair exposes so much of me. It’s a subject I never talk about because it’s so personal, but it’s easier to sing about.”
After 12 songs, Cher left the crowd wanting more, so she came back out once again and closed the show with the two biggest songs she’s released to date – “With Ur Love” and “Want U Back.” In one word, Cher Lloyd’s performance was FIERCE!
Although the tour has now left Canada, there are still a few shows left in the United States before the tour wraps up in Los Angeles on September 23. We can only hope for more shows once the new album drops!