Natanya shows strong versatility in the Melkweg

In recent years, soul music from England has grown tremendously thanks to artists like Ella Mai and Mahalia. On the eve of Destin Conrad’s concert at the Melkweg, we met Natanya Popoola, a young London singer who made a strong impression with her debut EP 'Sorrow At Sunrise'.

A cheerful lady dressed in a striking black dress appeared on stage. Natanya opened her show quite vulnerably with her song 'Parasites', a noticeably slower version than appears on her EP. After just one verse, it's clear that her vocals were the star of the evening, earning immediate applause from the audience.

The singer felt no fear in addressing her newfound audience. Cheerfully, she spoke about her Caribbean background when she discovered there were quite a few Caribbean people in her Amsterdam audience. "So I guess I’m at home today!", Natanya exclaimed with a smile.

“Did you feel like an angel? Don’t leave!” Those lines described a love Natanya lost last year. Coincidentally, she ran into this person the day before this concert, surfacing all corresponding emotions, she confessed. It explains the passion with which she sang her songs 'Angel' and 'Precious Joy'. The UK singer holds an immense amount of talent and got the crowd singing along to her chorus a cappella.

There was, of course, also room for playful fun. During her song '23', the singer took a moment to dance seductively across the stage. The audience enjoyed her sensual energy and rewarded her with huge cheers. Natanya seemed surprised by the strong reaction, and when she later performed a longer dance solo, the audience cheered her on as she commanded the stage as her own.

During her entrance performance, the singer brought a portable cassette player from the 1980s onto the stage. It sat unsuspectingly on stage, but when she sang her new song 'Boombox', its purpose became clear. Kneeling, she asked the crowd to sing a chorus a cappella once more, and the Melkweg joined in with full enthusiasm.

Natanya’s versatility is revealed by the faster tempo of this final track. Effortlessly, she sang over a Caribbean drumbeat before bursting into another dance solo for the final time. As the audience sang and clapped along to her chorus, the singer fluttered over her music, visibly feeling at home in Amsterdam.

The UK singer humbly thanked the audience for their attention and love. Destin Conrad saw Natanya’s talent and took her along for his tour, which could mean an international breakthrough for the London soul artist. As Natanya left the stage, the audience chanted her name, giving her the ultimate proof that she has a place in future soul music.

Written for publication in Maxazine:

Natanya start ijzersterk in de Melkweg (Dutch)