French electro-pop sensation Jain sang, danced and jumped about on the steps of the Bacchus Temple Thursday night.
Though she brought energy and charisma to her genre-spanning set list, her performance struggled to enthrall the entirety of the crowd and fill the imposing space provided by the Baalbeck International Festival.
Jain’s dance-inducing tunes were guaranteed crowd pleasers to many of the up-close audience.
The crowd was split between a larger seated section and a standing area next to the stage.
The Toulouse-native 27-year-old has risen to stardom in France since her 2015 debut album “Zanaka,” which blended funk-infused pop with Afrobeat influences. Singing only in English, the singer has found a niche in breaking away from her Francophone homeland.
Her second album, “Souldier,” released last year, reached No. 1 in the French charts, while catchy singles such as “Come” and “Makeba” have each gathered close to 100 million views online.
Jain’s Baalbeck show proved why she’s being booked at prestigious events around the world, from Coachella last April to playing “Gloria,” “Makeba,” and “Heads Up” at the opening ceremony of the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Paris in June.
Wearing her trademark blue jumpsuit, she entered the stage bursting with energy, shouting to the crowd to jump, dance and clap along with her. Above her, a huge video screen displayed trippy, colorful visuals that made a fun contrast to the more classical setting.
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Though Jain was completely alone onstage, the videos acted as a support in grabbing the large crowd’s attention.
The visual performance included a kitsch ’80s aesthetic, most prominent alongside the flashy electro-funk song “Dynabeat.”
Between tunes, Jain tried to entertain the crowd to fill silences. She switched between small jokes and comments in French, declaring: “I’m really happy to be here because I love hummus and since I arrived yesterday I’ve eaten a lot.”
Calls of “Are you ready?!” and “Sing with me if you know the lyrics,” were also used to hype up the crowd.
These were marked by half-cheers from those in front and reluctant involvement of people up the back who, because of the high stalls and distance to the stage, felt a little disconnected from the performance, despite Jain’s many attempts to raise everyone from their seats to come down and dance along.
Jain was not the sole contributor to the night’s mixed energies. The opening act, featuring a collaboration between Lebanese singer Aziza and DJ Loopstache, also struggled to provide a memorable performance.
They were dwarfed by the extensive stage at the bottom of the Bacchus Temple, making it feel empty and awkward.
Add to that the flashy strobe lights, inconsistent sound between Aziza’s microphone and Loopstache’s beats, and the switched-off video screen above them (which was used for Jain’s act), the young pop artists’ beats might have held up better at a smaller, more intimate stage.
Like a dancing DJ, Jain moved across the stage, using a digital mix pad placed on a podium and a smaller, remote mixer strapped to her forearm.
For one section, she switched to acoustic songs with only a guitar and voice, her self-confidence and melodic vocals making these original tunes some of the most touching moments of the evening.
“Souldier,” her penultimate song, was inspired by the 2016 shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 people and wounded 53 others.
Before starting to sing, Jain told the crowd: “This song is about a murder that happened because some people were mad that some people were loving each other.”
The sentiment intended to spread tolerance - an issue still being voiced regarding the recent events surrounding Mashrou’ Leila’s canceled concert.
After Jain left the stage at the end of her performance, a dozen people began chanting about solidarity with Mashrou’ Leila.
One of them raised a speaker from his bag and started blasting the band’s songs, as several young people chanted the lyrics.
Overall, Jain’s catchy music was a crowd pleaser that made an entertaining evening.
Taking on the Heliopolis’ grand stage is no small feat and she may have benefited from some backup dancers or singers.
Alternatively, the performance may have worked better in a more intimate setting.
Still, Jain’s charismatic energy and compassion spread all round, leaving an uplifting message for the audience with her final numbers.
It was a fun night with an artist who still has time to develop and grow - Jain is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the years to come.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
