Even though Kanye might have rolled through Texas and stole everyone’s thunder, Little Boots was probably the most buzzed about artist in Austin last week. The petite UK singer, already a star in her native land, has a lot to prove to make it in America, with a Fader cover and a slot on the coveted Perez Hilton bill set before she touched down in Austin. So is she worth the hype?
In short, yes.
Boots rolled out in a slinky purple dress with ruffled feathers and went through her most recent catalog (“Stuck on Repeat,” “Meddle,” for starters), to a more than appreciative audience. The 21 year old makes energetic, danceable, electronic-based pop. But unlike some pop artists that need a fancy stage show to make up for a lack of stage presence (cough Brittney, cough), she held her own in front of a minimalist setup, excitedly playing with the Tenori-on (a Japanese musical instrument) and fiddling with the knobs on her synthesizer like an excited kid at a recital.
Boot’s set marked a notable theme in SXSW performances: Women. The ladies are going to be a force to be reckoned with this year. The top three performances last week were female: Boots, Janelle Monae, and Solange. And like her female compatriots, Little Boots is steadily on her way to pop stardom. Remember her name.
Little Boots – Stuck on Repeat (Live at the Levis/Fader Fort)