Ana Sky supported Westlife last night at The Brighton Centre, and we met an emerging artist with a strong sense of personal style and evident talent.
The Los Angeles singer-songwriter brought a contemporary dark-pop sound to the stage, blending atmospheric production with an expressive vocal style. She made a strong entrance in a wedding veil, exuding poise as she joined a small band and launched into a series of deeply personal original songs.
The set showed a varied style, including numbers from her latest EP, Prologue. Her clear voice cut through the sometimes highly cinematic tracks, while her stage presence let her tell a story in each one. A particular favourite was ‘Yesterday’s Flowers’, an as-yet unreleased track, which had a more acoustic feel, with her dueting directly with the guitarist. The lyrics hinted at her own life, showing a vulnerability which we appreciated.
Ana has previously scored a UK number one with ‘King of Hearts’, and the crowd warmly responded to this number. The song uses a retro musical palette which mixed well with her contemporary vocals, again showing her control of the song and the show’s narrative.
The staging was perfect for highlighting her as an artist to watch in the future. We particularly enjoyed the cellist on stage, who added a different twist to the show’s musical tone, and she has surrounded herself with very competent musicians. Ana also played her own keyboards on some tracks. The final track, ‘Bad Guys’, showed yet another side of her, with a strong rock vibe and heavy guitar, while her pure voice still dominated the performance.
Ana Sky showed why she earned such a high-profile warm-up role last night, delivering a distinctive sound and style that marked her as an artist forging her own path.
Ana Sky continues to support Westlife on their UK and European tour legs. Future dates can be found here.
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