OneRepublic at the O2 Arena
As confetti bursts across the O2 Arena just one song in, OneRepublic waste no time in setting the tone. The American natives launch into their set like seasoned pros, delivering a slick, high-energy pop spectacle.
By the second track, Kids, the nostalgia takes over. It’s a song about looking back on more youthful years, the irony not lost on a band that only seems to get better with age. Sentimentality weaves as a theme throughout the evening as frontman Ryan Tedder takes regular opportunities to reflect on the band’s journey, particularly their long-standing love affair with the United Kingdom. He promises “a whole new set for this tour, we’ve got a lot of songs to get through”, and delivers, leading the six-piece band through two decades of music.
The night draws heavily on the band’s history. Tedder speaks of their early struggles, of Apologize’s “accidental success”, and of being dropped by their label before clawing their way back. That same hit is placed mid-set, deliberately so, as the singer admits that its softer sound didn’t quite align with the band’s intended sound. It’s follow-up, Can’t Stop, is everything that Apologize wasn’t: bold, unfiltered stadium pop rock that shows a band now entirely comfortable with their expanding sound. It feels like the older sibling to Stop And Stare, an earlier highlight and a song that Tedder credits with “saving the band” from disbanding years earlier.
Partway through the show, the band shift gears and heads to a smaller B-stage set up in the centre of the arena. It’s here that some of the night’s more carefree and intimate moments unfold. Fans belt out Something I Need with passion before while Tedder slips into brief, crowd-pleasing renditions of Halo and Bleeding Love, a nod to his celebrated songwriting career without taking too much attention away from the main attraction. “I can’t sing it as good as Beyoncé,” he quips, “but I can sing it better than any other white guy in this audience.” There are jokes and slightly-too-long musings and even a signed football kicked into the crowd. Never taking themselves too seriously, this is a band that knows how to enjoy themselves.
Yet the shine isn’t without its cracks. At times, the show feels like a patchwork of songs rather than a cohesive journey – dazzling lights and faultless execution impress technically but lack substance. There’s a sense that this is more of a placeholder than a pivotal moment; a tour-filling time before the band’s next teased release. Still, just as the momentum lulls, a moving montage of fan videos ahead of I Lived holds real emotional weight, reminding the room of the deep, personal connection this band has forged with its audience. It’s a poignant moment that one could only wish came sooner.
Ultimately, OneRepublic deliver a fun, crowd-pleasing show. Tedder and co are undeniably talented and do what they do with ease, but between the sparkle and polish, the performance never quite finds its oomph. The high points are isolated, as much of the set feels rehearsed rather than alive. Fans leave satisfied, no doubt, as the band showcase some of their most loved and celebrated hits, but for those looking for some risk or reinvention, the Escape to Europe tour plays it all a little too safe.
Katherine Parry
Photos: Guifre de Peray
For further information and future events, visit OneRepublic’s website here.
Watch the video for Beautiful Colors here:
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