Maisie Peters IS Girlhood: A Concert Review
- Shebang
- Oct 25, 2024
- 4 min read
Written By: Marbella Bolognese
A question of this generation of women is: what defines girlhood? The answer is subjective to one's experiences, but the universal answers can be found in Maisie Peters's cleverly impactful song lyrics. If girlhood is defined by finding yourself as a woman through your experiences of mistakes, laughter, heartbreak, messiness, wonder, love, and many more emotions, then it is safe to gander that Maisie Peters IS girlhood.
Her girlhood lyricism is far too relatable, to the point where I find that screaming her songs in the car is very therapeutic. What is even more therapeutic is singing them with Maisie live, and that is exactly what I did this Friday night at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA.
Before there was Conan Gray, there was Maisie Peters opening for him on Found Heaven on Tour. As Maisie entered the arena’s stage, the crowd erupted into cheers, her presence already commanding the stadium. She wore a black and white polka dot dress with cute glasses and her hair done to perfection. With her talents, charm, and wittiness, she might just be your dream girl.
“You’re Just A Boy (And I’m Kinda The Man)” begins to play. Maisie is in her element dancing and grooving with the audience as if she’s on a one-way trip to take over L.A., and it’s going swimmingly, as the crowd sings with her on the chorus. Next, Maisie brings out her guitar and plays “Body Better,” afterward, she gives her introductions.
She talks about her longtime friendship with Conan. She shares that the both of them used to be subscribed to each other’s YouTube channels back in 2016. This shows the YouTuber-to-pop star pipeline is nothing to scoff at as they are both now playing a sold-out Kia Forum. It wouldn’t be a Maisie Peters show without her witty sense of humor, so of course she has to tell the audience that because she is from England, “Ed Sheeran is my brother, and R.I.P. the queen, was my grandmother,” said with prayer hands.
Resuming the show with her guitar, she plays her heartfelt song “Love Him I Don’t. " Even with the limited mobility the guitar gives her, her vocals still capture the audience. As she takes a water break to chat with the audience, she jokes that the drink is not water but straight vodka. “I am just joking, or am I?” she chuckles.
Her next song she plays is a fan favorite “John Hughes Movie,” telling the crowd if they know the lyrics, they are legally obligated to sing along. Like a true pop star, Maisie flips her hair around while singing and dancing with the mic stand. I cannot take my eyes off of her as this song showcases not only her incredible vocal range, but her range as a performer as well.
Continuing with the trend of fan favorites, her song “Not Another Rockstar,” begins to play. Shortly after, she performs a cover of Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out for a Hero”, which is astonishing. By the end of the song, Maisie has thrown herself on the ground kicking her legs and banging her fists. Her theatrics and vocals throughout this whole performance were truly show-stopping.
Maisie takes a break and talks to the audience about her one-month L.A. situationship that inspired her to write her next song. In fact, it inspired her whole album The Good Witch too. But of course, this song is about much more than just a man. She writes this about her experiences of finding joy and closure by yourself. Again, if that is not a universal girlhood experience then I don’t know what is. She reveals it is with “There It Goes”, her famous TikTok song. It has the whole audience singing along, especially on the lyrics “I wake up and it’s October,” as it is currently October. At this, Maisie smiles even more, putting her hands in the air and swaying her hips.
After another wonderful performance, my anticipation is building for her next song. It happens to be one of my favorites “History of Man”. The emotion she conveyed in this performance was so beautiful and real. I know I am not the only one who felt this. The whole stadium felt it as everyone held up their phone flashlights in solidarity with Maisie, binding this beautiful moment within our memories. As I look out, I notice the crowd is a sea of women, and I smile to myself because this is girlhood at its finest.
In the blink of an eye, Maisie was on the last song of her set. They say to save the most screamable songs for last. Don’t they? Fittingly, Maisie plays “Lost the Breakup.” I, along with the crowd, am screaming the chorus at the top of my lungs. Maisie is clearly giving it her all for her last performance of the night. She is meeting the crowd’s energy tenfold. As she finishes her set Maisie takes her final bow. She says her last thank yous and goodbyes and disappears like a fairy into the night.
Now, the stage was empty. I could not help but sense this lingering feeling in the air. It was almost as if she had tethered herself to us that night. She had created an unforgettable bond as she shared pieces of herself with every single one of us through her music. We, in turn, are left with the undeniable truth that Maisie Peters is the soundtrack of girlhood, in all its raw, ever-evolving, and brilliant form. Her lyricism, humor, and vulnerability are reminders that in the mess of emotions and experiences, we find ourselves—and maybe, that’s exactly what girlhood means.
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