SWEAT Tour – Charli XCX & Troye Sivan
★★★★★
It’s no secret that the founder of brat summer Charli XCX and gay pop icon Troye Sivan are party lovers. Drugs, sex, and partying dominate the subject matter of their songs, and that sweaty, sexy club aesthetic is inherent to both of their brands. They have made their name in the queer club scene, and their albums BRAT and Something To Give Eachother have dominated this space for the past year. The two stars announced their tour following the release of Sivan’s third album, and, following the whirlwind release of BRAT months later, the SWEAT Tour became a phenomenon before it had even begun. A nearly sold-out tour before the opening night, SWEAT was destined to make history.
The tour opened in Detroit on Saturday, September 14th. The anticipation for this show was continuously building on social media. Posts suggesting what to wear, arguments about potential setlists, and speculation about the format of this dual headline show ran rampant. Fans were certainly engaged, and everyone was excited. Mesh, sunglasses, and mini skirts dominated the masses at Little Caesar’s Arena, and that iconic “brat green” was unmistakable. Even the cocktails had green, light-up ice cubes.
Eventually, the lights in the arena dimmed, and opener Shygirl took to the stage with a burst of energy. Her DJ mixed tracks in real-time, a pair of dancers floated around the stage, and Shygirl herself was bringing each song to life. With flashing lights, hypnotic visuals, and an electronic set, she solidified the atmosphere for the tour early in the night. From the very first track, she had the crowd enraptured and moving. By the end of her set, waves of jumping fans were rolling through the stadium. She left the stage to an uproar of applause, and chatter was unstoppable.
The aftermath of Shygirl’s performance was the first moment that it was clear SWEAT would be a different kind of tour. Unexpectedly, the lights stayed dim for the transition period between sets. Rather than differentiating between opener and headliners, this made the sets feel like one continuous performance. It was clear SWEAT was a show to experience, not just watch.
Troye Sivan took to the stage with a wave of fog, spotlights, and a screaming crowd. He performed “Got Me Started,” “What’s The Time Where You Are,” and “My My My” accompanied by six talented, charismatic, and attention-grabbing dancers. The choreography—clearly done by the same team who choreographed Sivan’s latest music videos—was unique and captivating. This was not a group of dancers intended to be exclusively for entertainment. Rather, these were professional dancers performing art. They were telling a story. Purpose, emotion, and often vulnerability were embedded in each step of choreography. While there were undeniable moments meant to shock and excite the crowd, including suggestive microphone placements and steamy makeout sessions, these moments still felt poignant. They were an expression of queer joy and freedom not often seen in live performances like this. Every movement was intentional, and every dancer was captivating.
After three songs, Sivan left the stage, presumably for a costume change. The crowd was ignited, however, when four large pieces of fabric—adorned with the iconic BRAT cover art—dropped onto the end of the catwalk. Unlike any dual headline show I’ve encountered, Charli XCX traded the stage with Sivan. During a barrage of strobe lights (sunglasses are necessary for more than just the aesthetic) and a spliced opening of “365,” the curtain dropped and Charli began her first performance of the night: a rendition of the unreleased “365” boiler room remix with Shygirl, before jumping into “360” and “Von Dutch.”
During an interview with late-night host Seth Meyers, the duo noted that they wanted the show to “feel like a rave,” and they succeeded. While known for their small audiences and boiler room-style sets, the duo flawlessly scaled their aesthetic to fit an arena stage and audience. With a cage under the catwalk to get up close and personal with fans, scaffolding to climb, strobe lights blinding the crowd, and enough sexuality to fill a stadium, this show certainly felt like a rave. There were nearly twenty thousand people in the room, but it felt like you were dancing at a bar with your best friends. It was magical.
The two artists handed the stage back and forth for the rest of the show, often introducing each other and metaphorically passing the mic as they traded spots. Charli could be seen looming above Sivan and his dancers as “Stud” mixed into “365“. Sivan waved to the camera as Charli passed by during her entrance for “Von Dutch.” There were also many moments where the two shared the spotlight. Sivan and his dancers partied with the crowd under the stage as Charli performed “Club Classics,” and the duo performed their joint tracks “1999” and the remixed “Talk Talk” together.
In these moments, it was obvious how much blood, sweat, and sheer love went into this tour. When onstage together, Sivan and Charli were having so much fun. They were all smiles, laughs, and love for each other and the crowd. It was impossible to witness this show and not feel that outpouring of love, acceptance, and support. The SWEAT tour seems to have been a passion project of the duo meant exclusively for their fans. They are so in tune with their communities that they know exactly what the fans want. Pleas on social media for a back-and-forth style headliner set were met and exceeded. Fans’ requests for revisions to setlists following shows abroad were acknowledged. The goal of this tour was clearly to have fun with fans, and every aspect of that was reached in such a unique, exceptional way. Troye Sivan and Charli XCX know their audience, and they want to give them what they want in a way that few artists do. It’s admirable and so refreshing.
Full of costume changes, unique set designs, and breathless dancing, the SWEAT Tour is a phenomenon. It is the perfect exchange between fan and artist. I have been to more live shows than I can count, but I’ve never experienced anything close to the community, entertainment, and sheer art that came out of the SWEAT tour. Chari XCX and Troye Sivan know, intimately, how to put together a live show. They know how to have fun with their fans. With so many notable moments, a fantastic set design, and so much care put into its creation, I imagine SWEAT will go down as one of the most iconic tours of modern times, and I feel so lucky to have experienced it from its very start.
Get tickets for the SWEAT Tour here.
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