Big Show was a hit this October! With performances by Natasha Bedingfield and Towa Bird on October 26, Skid Kids were delighted to attend the festivities in the Williamson Sports Center gym. Eager to hear Natasha and Towa, students lined the front of the stage as soon as the doors opened.
Natasha Bedingfield is a renowned British pop singer who has uptempo music that transcends generations. With her powerful vocals, memorable hooks, and creative, distinct lyrical quality, Bedingfield’s debut album Unwritten was destined to become certified triple platinum in the United Kingdom. When Bedingfield was a teenager, she premiered in a dance and electronic group, The DNA Algorithm, with her siblings. When she released her debut album Unwritten in 2004, the single “These Words” became a global hit, charting at #1 in the UK and the top twenty in the U.S. The song “Unwritten” has become a lasting U.S. success. Between December 29 and January 1 of 2023-2024, Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” soared to 1.3 million streams as the song gained new viral popularity from the movie Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell. Bedingfield is another example of an artist whose music has become accessible to a new generation through short-form media like TikTok. It is easy to see why; her music evokes sensory and emotional immersion through relatable lyrics that convey optimistic possibilities about the ever-changing quality of life.
Towa Bird is a newer artist who grew to fame in 2020, largely thanks to TikTok. She signed with Interscope Records in 2021 and released her debut single “Wild Heart” on April 7, 2023. Her music career started long before that though; she began playing electric guitar at the age of 12 and, by 14, had formed a band, “Glass Onions,” performing at various dive bars in Hong Kong. She was also featured in pop music star Olivia Rodrigo’s documentary Driving Home 2 U. Only adding to her popularity is her relationship status. She is dating Renée Rapp, another widely celebrated queer musician. They make for quite a power couple.
Towa Bird opened Big Show with a resounding “WHAT’S UP BISEXUALS?!!” and was met with enthusiastic applause from the surrounding Skidmore students. In a red vest, denim pants, and her signature curls, she performed original tunes, including “Drain Me,” “Rat Race,” and “May Flower.” Towa Bird was not only charming and talented but also funny and engaging! She remarked on never before performing in a gym: “I keep making eye contact with the basketball hoop.” Despite the unusual venue, Towa seemed to enjoy herself. She was joined by a full band and introduced each member, expressing her gratitude towards their musical talent. Her music was poppy and full of life but also contained a realness that many people look for in modern music. Skidmore students seemed to enjoy Towa’s exuberant (and undeniably cool) personality. She prefaced her last song, “Drain Me,” by saying, “This song is about lesbian sex.” Another crowd-pleaser. She threw guitar picks into the audience periodically, which students were proud to flaunt following her enthralling performance. Many students had listened to her album in preparation to chant the lyrics back to the musician.
Natasha entered not too long afterward, wearing a black catsuit with a gold buckle. Her performance was full of life, including a club EDM mix that brought infectious excitement to the gymnasium. Natasha’s set included hits like “These Words,” “Purple Rain” by Prince, “Pocketful of Sunshine,” and “Symphony” by Zara Larsson. Her stage presence and vocal runs were astonishing, indicating the powerful quality of her voice. Natasha’s custom dance set was exactly what college students look for: a high-octane dance party combined with exciting vocals. As pulsating beats and brilliant lights flooded the gymnasium, one could have mistaken Skidmore’s campus for a concert at Madison Square Garden (in fact, Bedingfield has been touring with and recently performed with Meghan Trainor at Madison Square Garden on her Timeless Tour). She performed one of her best-known songs, “Pocketful of Sunshine,” for students both as a dance track and an acoustic version: Skidmore audience members belted along “take me away / a secret place / a sweet escape” at full volume. “Pocketful of Sunshine” was released as a part of Natasha’s studio album Pocketful of Sunshine. While journeying through her hits, Natasha put on a witch’s cloak for Halloween, joining her DJ for a spooky Halloween EDM set. At Skidmore, Natasha’s “Unwritten” was a summons to the dance floor and an assertion that nobody else can live your life for you; so go live it!
Another notable aspect of Big Show was the decorations. Circular screens on either side of the stage displayed not only lyrics and designs but also memes. Some memes even highlighted our very own President Marc C. Conner. During Natasha’s rendition of “Symphony,” the screens proudly flashed an accompanying dolphin meme. After the show ended, an ice cream truck sat waiting in front of the sports center to deliver free, tasty ice cream sandwiches to students. SEC had the students’ best interests at heart while planning this memorable event, and we were delighted to witness performances by two global stars on our very own campus.