On Mother's Day weekend 2025, Kelly Clarkson returned to the stage with a full concert at the Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena in Atlantic City - and she was absolutely on fire.
This was her first full-length show in quite a while outside of the quick covers on her talk show, and you could tell she was genuinely thrilled to be back. She powered through a hit-filled 90-minute set with her signature mix of powerhouse vocals, heartfelt storytelling, and hilarious off-the-cuff banter.
There were some genuinely funny moments too - she forgot the additional guitar solo in "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and almost came in early, laughing it off with her guitarists. And during "Already Gone," she was singing with her eyes closed, got a little lost in the lyrics, and cracked a grin as she peeked at the teleprompter to catch up.
The setlist was similar to her "chemistry" shows from the last few years, but leaned even more into the hits - dropping some of the deeper album cuts in favor of singles like "Heat" (which she hilariously claimed had never been a single—it was, just without a music video!).
One standout moment of the night was the concert debut of her brand new song "Where Have You Been" - her first release as an independent artist. With a dramatic guitar solo from Jaco and a soulful performance, it felt like the start of an exciting new era.
Her vocals, as always, were unreal. Somehow, Kelly keeps getting better with age - tackling massive notes and emotional runs with a power and precision that still takes your breath away.
The casino crowd was a mix, as you'd expect, with plenty of casual attendees just looking for a night out - but I lucked out and was seated next to some fellow Kelly Clarkstans, which made singing along that much more fun.
As someone who’s seen Kelly live more than any other artist, it really doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen a similar setlist - she commits so fully to every performance, it always feels new. She’s the kind of artist who could sing the phone book and still make it emotionally devastating.
With her band now going by the High Roads, and a new Vegas residency on the way, this show was a reminder that Kelly Clarkson remains one of the best vocalists of her generation - and that her next chapter is just getting started.
Setlist:
favorite kind of high
Behind These Hazel Eyes
My Life Would Suck Without You
lighthouse
Catch My Breath
Dark Side
Because of You
me
Breakaway
Heat
Walk Away
Whole Lotta Woman
Already Gone
mine
Heartbeat Song
Miss Independent
---Where Have You Been
Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)
Since U Been Gone
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On April 19th, Webster Hall was filled with “FLO Lifers” eagerly awaiting the UK girl group FLO who are currently embarking on their “FLO Live” tour. Formed 2019, FLO consists of Jorja Douglas, Renee Downer, & Stella Quaresma. The group’s style distinctly derives from R&B and Hip-Hop from the 1990’s and early 2000s. For a more in-depth analysis FLO’s sound and trajectory watch here (https://youtu.be/i18hpBoW4EU)/ <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/i18hpBoW4EU" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Before FLO took the stage, Samaria, an Oakland R&B singer, opened the show. Samaria started with a simple backdrop featuring her name, keys, and drums. The audience seemed familiar with her music and if they were not, they were supportive and living in the moment. Samaria interacted with the audience well and related to them on the basis of terrible ex's and a journey through a toxic relationship. Samaria’s songs had interesting cadences, but what was missing for us was backing vocals on the track to delineate verses from choruses. After doing some research we found that the “Out of the Way” singer has a sound also inspired by 00s R&B, with a some tracks tracks full of fun guitar licks and drum patterns reminiscent of Timbaland, but none of those instruments were present in her performance. Her backline consisted of a keyboardist and a drummer. Although Samaria sounded good, at times the keyboard’s volume was overpowering. She worked the stage, nonetheless and good job. 7.5 out of 10 ! ()SCORE
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https://www.instagram.com/samaria/?hl=en
Next up was the much-anticipated FLO, and the girls opened with "Not My Job." They were all dressed in black with cute cutouts, and their outfits were shimmery (I love sparkle!) which was a welcome change from their wardrobe at the MOBO awards. Their faces were beat (we love a “natural glam”),
their vocals were tight, and their choreography was utilized well to highlight grooves. The chemistry between the girls was undeniable, and their vocal blend was seamless— absolutely chill-inducing. Jorja's thick vocal tone took the songs to a soulful place, and Stella's airy delivery allowed her to float at the top of the group's harmonies. Renee's smooth, warm alto voice added a coolness to their sound and gained a lot more stability in live singing. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention FLO’s band! The band consisted of some past schoolmates, which added another layer of charm to the whole set!
The absolute highlight of the show was "Losing You” In this live arrangement, the girls emoted and connected with the audience on a deeper level. Chris loved harmonized adlibs, brand new bridge and extra outdo including a guitar solo. As a special treat, FLO performed a cover of Jamelia's version of "Superstar" by Christine Militon. Even though a majority of the NYC crowd had no clue who Jamelia was and didn't know the song, the girls did teach the chorus before singing the song, so some fans were able to follow along. Chris and I certainly knew the song and even received compliments on synchronized impromptu choreography.
Speaking of choreo…
The girls' choreography was something we were curious to see, and they did not disappoint. They danced well, and they were given grooves as opposed to sharp movements that really complemented each member's personal style. In terms of technique, they aren’t K-pop idols so we weren’t expecting crazy formations and “point dances,” but you can tell they put in the work to provide another layer of entrainment to the experience. There was even some chair-ography for their performance of "Change," a new track about a lover's inability to "do the work" necessary to improve the condition of the relationship.
The girls did perform their latest single, "Fly Girl" ft Missy Elliot, and although Missy Elliot was present in the audience, she did not join the performance.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">.<a href="https://twitter.com/flolikethis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@flolikethis</a> big up to Flo out here in the states on the road working hard! Keep doing yall thizzzzle!!!🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Flygirl?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Flygirl</a>💇🏾♀️💃🏾💅🏾 <a href="https://t.co/Qtgr2f2KBl">pic.twitter.com/Qtgr2f2KBl</a></p>— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) <a href="https://twitter.com/MissyElliott/status/1649101483621728272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Fans (the FLO Lifers) were absolutely living their best lives! They knew all the words to FLO’s songs—the BGV's and the ad-libs. It was a room full of genuine love and screams! FLO closed the night with their debut single, "Cardboard Box," and this performance featured a heavenly bridge section.
Overall, the show was good, and for this to be the group's first headlining tour, we were impressed with the girls’ improvement from performances like the MOBO Awards, where nerves played a noticeable factor. FLO is worth the hype for sure, and we cannot wait to see the new era of girl groups being led by FLO. For their NYC debut, we rate them a 9 out of 10! FLO Lifers left Webster Hall with unforgettable memories and high expectations for FLO's future performances.