Music News

Like the first crack of a beer at 9 p.m., Troye eased fans into the concert with a smooth, energetic show-opening trio of songs that included “Got Me Started,” “What’s the Time Where You Are?” and “My My My!” But the moment Charli arrived on stage could be compared to downing your first shot. Indeed, her entrance was a true showstopper: Materializing from behind a massive Brat-branded curtain, the star truly got the party started with a thrilling, hair-flailing performance of her “365” remix alongside tour opener Shygirl. From that point on, we were all drunk.

Given the free-wheeling party-girl vibe she employed early in her career, Kesha in some ways feels like the progenitor to Charli, making their duet on the recently released remix of the latter’s “Spring Breakers” feel like a foregone conclusion. Entering the stage dressed in a pink (faux?) fur coat, Kesha joined Charli for a sizzling performance of “Spring Breakers” before launching into a crowd-pleasing rendition of her 2009 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “TiK ToK,” with Charli and Troye providing support in what amounted to a dirty-pop dream team.

The Forum crowd was no doubt hoping for a Billie Eilish cameo at Tuesday night’s show, but the star (who’s set to play Madison Square Garden on Oct. 16 and Saturday Night Live this weekend) did not materialize for “Guess,” her duet with Charli that peaked at No. 12 on the Hot 100 in August. Not to worry: Charli is a magnetic performer who can hold a crowd rapt with a Madonna level of cool, and she turned the song into a riveting one-woman performance, booty-popping and -dropping, and at one point even running her tongue along the stage. And by design, we did not have to guess the color of her underwear (it was red).

After Kesha, the second special guest of the night was rising star Tate McRae, who made an appearance alongside Sivan to perform the pair’s 2021 duet “You.” Though her time on stage was brief, McRae’s cameo served to underscore just how far she’s come since the song’s release more than three years ago: Last year, “Greedy” marked her highest charting Hot 100 entry to date, peaking at No. 3.

“I can smell the poppers from here,” shouted Sivan at the top of “Rush,” his summer 2023 anthem about the joys of casual sex. Fittingly, the performance kicked off with the singer performing a theatrical keg stand with assistance from two of his dancers, a visual reference to the song’s deliriously horny (and unapologetically gay) music video. The single, which has arguably become Sivan’s signature song, served as the culmination (or climax, if you will) of his solo outings on stage, with deft homoerotic choreography and Sivan’s brief but passionate onstage lip lock with one of his male backup dancers delivering on the song’s carnal promise.

Though Charli’s night was certainly Brat-heavy, one of the most memorable moments on Tuesday came during her encore rendition of Pop 2’s “Track 10.” While playing to the camera, her dancing reached an almost primal level as she flailed, thrashed and writhed in a kind of unhinged performance art that perhaps best encapsulated the Sweat tour’s ecstatic message: Leave your inhibitions at the door.

“Got Me Started” (Troye)

“What’s the Time Where You Are?” (Troye)

“My My My!” (Troye)

“365” (Charli & Shygirl)

“360” (Charli)

“Von Dutch” (Charli)

“In My Room” (Troye)

“Dance to This” (Troye)

“Rager Teenager!” (Troye)

“Club Classics” (Charli)

“Unlock It” (Charli)

“Sympathy Is a Knife” (Charli)

“Guess” (Charli)

“Bloom” (Troye)

“Spring Breakers” Remix (Charli & Kesha)

“TiK ToK” (Kesha, Charli & Troye)

“Girl, So Confusing” (Charli)

“One of Your Girls” (Troye)

“Everything Is Romantic” (Charli)

“Speed Drive” (Charli)

“Apple” (Charli)

“You” (Troye & Tate McRae)

“STUD” (Troye)

“365” (Charli)

“Vroom Vroom” (Charli)

“1999” (Charli & Troye)

Encore:

“Track 10” (Charli)

“I Love It” (Charli)

“Honey” (Troye)

“Rush” (Troye)

“Talk Talk” (Charli & Troye)