Full of melodramatic teenage melancholia and euphoric adolescent highs, South African born, London based musician Baby Queen set The Academy's Greenroom ablaze with screaming and adoring fans.

Coming onto The Academy stage, Arabella Latham, more popularly known by her stage name Baby Queen, opened with a simple 'Is mise Baby Queen' which was naturally received with rapturous applause.

Flattering her Dublin audience, Baby Queen Said 'There's just something about an Irish crowd- I love you guys!' which naturally was received by a round of 'Olé, Olé, Olé'. Of course, the quasi-essential Irish flag was flaked onto the stage, which the musician happily wore.

Baby Queen at The Academy. Tuesday 21st of November 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Opening with her album's titular track 'Quarter Life Crisis' she had the crowd swaying as Baby Queen sashayed across the Greenroom stage, cajoling her fans with her feel-good indie pop song complete with elaborate angsty lyrics.

Of course, the crowd had to be warmed up, and there was no better act for the job than Cork's Hannahbella. When the band has mullets and haircuts this good, you know the tunage is going to slap, and Hannahbella did not disappoint. Hannahbella's closing track 'cntrl' is 'cntrl' is a smooth and suave track, which acted a sherberty pop closer and left buzzed for Baby Queen's entrance.

Hannahbella supporting Baby Queen at The Academy. Tuesday 21st of November 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Highlights of Baby Queen's gig was a strategically planned concert lull, which occurred after pop bangers 'Dream Girl' and '23'. The emotional dip occurred with a trio of 'Love Killer', 'Die Alone', 'Buzzkill' followed by the soothing balm of 'A Letter to Myself at 17'.

This track line up was a frenzy of songs which focused on self loathing, depression, anxiety and the crippling pains of being young in the Tiktok generation, however this emotional raw and intense audio experience was soothed by the playing of her heartfelt track 'A Letter to Myself at 17' which acted as a balm to these blistering emotions.

Baby Queen gave a speech before the performance of 'A Letter to Myself at 17', which disclosed some of the struggles she experienced growing up, the pains of her life and her experience of being queer. To conclude all this she said 'This is just a little something to say, it doesn't necessarily get better but it does change'.

Baby Queen at The Academy. Tuesday 21st of November 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Baby Queen's energy is messy, glamorous, chronically online, emotionally vulnerable and queer- it's clear she speaks to a great number of people growing up today all around the world, and a good few of them could be seen packed into the Greenroom at the Academy. An over 14s gig, the venue felt like a slumber party on steroids.

Closing this night that was a tribute at the alter of girlhood was Baby Queen's hit song 'Dover Beach' which features in the Netflix smash hit coming of age coming out story 'Heart Stopper', and Baby Queen makes for the perfect musician to speak to this queer vulnerability.

Of course, no gig is complete without an encore and for this the pop musician opted for her yearning sapphic love song 'Want Me' followed by 'We Can Be Anything', closing a night of dramatic adolescent highs and lows with a sense of wonderous possibilities. Baby Queen set the Academy alight in teenage frenzy.