How to Live with Vulnerability (Little Simz Concert Review)
November 20, 2025
Lotus — the sixth studio album from Afro-British rapper, Little Simz — almost didn’t happen. Earlier this year, it was reported that the rapper filed a lawsuit against former producer, longtime collaborator, and friend, Inflo alleging that he stole nearly 2 million pounds from her. The fallout was massive for Little Simz. Financially, as an independent artist, it put her in the hole. Equally so, she had to deal with the betrayal of someone she counted as one of her main champions and collaborators. On the album, she details dealing with self-doubt throughout the creative process, questioning if she even knew what was “good” anymore, or what her voice sounded like. In the end, the album is triumphant, and as Kevin writes, she “models how to live with vulnerability…” despite dealing with the weight of grief.
On Sunday, November 2, Little Simz performed at The Fillmore Philadelphia. The show came in support of Lotus, and was a part of a 14-city North American Tour. For Kevin and I, this was a long awaited show, having listened to her previous albums, and counting her among one of our favorite and most respected artists. In 2022, we made an attempt to see her in concert — following her 2021 much acclaimed album, Sometimes I Might Be Introvert — but the tour had to be cancelled due to financial concerns. A dour reality for independent artists, especially those seeking to perform internationally. When the tour was announced earlier this year, there was no doubt that we had to be in attendance.
In the review, we talk about how we came to Little Simz’s music and what it does for us, her new album — which, in part, discusses the cause of the financial difficulties she faced around 2022 — the performance, and more! You can read our conversation below:
Photograph by Stanley Collins
Stanley: I remember you putting me on around the time of her 2017 project, Stillness in Wonderland. Which is to say, Little Simz has been on your radar for a while now. How did you come to her music? What does her music do for you?
Kevin: Simbi! Man, it took awhile but we finally saw her in person. I came to her music around that time because she had a feature from SiR on that Still in Wonderland project on the track titled One in Rotation + Wide Awake. I was heavy on the TDE kool-aid at the time. Every flavor. So I listened to basically everything their artists were featured on at the time and I came across Simz that way. I googled her then and saw that Kendrick shouted her out in a 2015 interview. The Kendrick stamp was enough for me to do the digging.
I would say though, when I first came to her music it was apparent how talented of a rapper she was. I really vibed with the soulful production and choices for features. She always had a good ear for beats and the rapping was solid. But there's a reason I call her the Kendrick of the UK.
Yes, she is her own artist and comparisons don't allow us to fully appreciate an artist for who they are but I draw the comparison mainly because of this - they both continue to push the boundaries of who they are in very unique ways. The audience can never box them in.
Simz on her latest project, Lotus, continued that trend. There was just a litttttle bit of drama this past year that we don't have to get into too much, but Simz sued her longtime collaborator, Inflo, over unpaid debts. A much more valid lawsuit than Drake's jawn to be fair. This is important to say because Simz, like Kendrick, will expose herself on wax. She may not do all the interviews but you knew that she would address this situation in her own way. With no longtime collaborator (and by proxy, no Cleo Sol) by her side, she went to work and did the work on herself along the way.
Her music continues to evolve as she evolves as a person. I'm into transformation at the moment. Reimagining what is possible for yourself and in our relationships with others. For me, I always talk about my love for writers like Simz that have the ability to capture the essence of a feeling, emotion, or experience so personal yet make it feel universal and relatable.
Because in the end, it is. We are humans in this experience and if you give yourself to the experience of life, you will find shared joy, pain, struggle, and meaning with others.
Simz does all of that for me in her music. Through her music, I respect Simz for modeling how to live with vulnerability and still know/learn your boundaries along the way. The music is really good too. Can't beat that.
What does her music do for you? Why have you stayed around all these years? I feel like we haven't had long discussions about Simz irl which is interesting. So this is a cool space to kinda hear from you on that.
“...she delivered, yo. The lighting, the sound, the band. I knew she wouldn’t do the tour unless she was able to do it in the way that she wanted to. ”
Stanley: Little Simz embodies a lot of what I look for in my music, and art, in general: she’s a gifted storyteller, she’s not afraid to use her life/lived experiences as subject matter in her art, and she fluently works across mediums. I would also say that there's immense attention to detail in her work, from the videos to the live performances to the styling to the cover art and so on.
Like I mentioned, you put me on to her music, which I think is important for a few reasons. In those situations where someone introduces you to an artist, you can sort of take it or leave it; there's not the same intimacy that comes with that initial spark you might feel when you've come to something on your own.
That said, I'll just point out a few moments for me that I think really solidified her as an artist I connected with on a personal level. Her 2019 song, Flowers with Michael Kiwanuka. It opens with these haunting vocal harmonies, slowed down boom-bap drums, and a super minimal bass line. The song's composition is masterful.
Another key moment of appreciation was watching her live performance of Woman on Live with Jules Holland and her Tiny Desk at Home performance. Both of these performances were during the COVID shelter in place, so about 5 years ago. The styling and overall creative direction for both were mind blowing to me, and just deeply considered. I think about Little Simz in the same way the broader public might think about a Solange or a Tyler, The Creator, artists who embody strong sonic and visual grammars.
Now, musically — and I don’t quite know how to put this but — I like my artists as music nerds. I like artists that have a broad palette and bring all of that to their music. I can hear so many points of reference in Little Simz’s music, some of it is familiar to me, others less so. So, to get at the question of what keeps me coming back: I think I just never quite know what I'm going to get from her and that's exciting to me.
“I pulled out my phone and typed “Superstar” in a text message...She’s really charismatic and engaging as a performer. You could see it from the second she came on stage.”
This date has been circled on our calendars for a while. It was our first time seeing Little Simz in concert (after a failed attempt trying to see her a few years ago)! What were your expectations coming into the show? Did she exceed those expectations?
Kevin: I tried to keep my expectations in check, I really did. But it was difficult! I know the kind of performer she is. I know how much she respects the #art. So, I was hyped! Couldn't help it and man... she delivered, yo. The lighting, the sound, the band. I knew she wouldn't do the tour unless she was able to do it in the way that she wanted to. And this was an incredible show start to finish (including the opener, shoutout La Reezy). The breath control she displayed to - I feel like this is her at the peak of her powers as an artist.
*my quick tangent* The only thing I wish was that it wasn't at the Fillmore/part of Live Nation. I get, in theory, all the backend support that Live Nation offers to artists, especially coming from overseas like Simz and all that. But, I can't help but wonder how the energy in the room might have been even higher if it was in a venue that had character. In a venue that allowed for more closeness. That it wasn't so cold and flat. The Fillmore, to me, is boring. During the show, I was imagining Simz in a spot like the old Trocadero Theatre. A place with character and life. Live Nation built venues feel like it is AI generated/designed in many ways. Venues and space matter.
Back to Simz though...
You took out your phone mid-show, typed one word and showed me. I want you to tell the people what it said and why you typed that lol...
Stanley: Yes lol. I pulled out my phone and typed "Superstar" in a text message (I didn't actually send it to you because we were standing right next to each other and I didn't want to break the music to talk lol) She's really charismatic and engaging as a performer. You could see it from the second she came on stage. I think I said this to you somewhere between Thief and Flood the first two songs she opened the night with.
The energy was through the roof! It's somewhat ironic because both songs are pretty minimal, musically. On Thief, the bass, drums, and guitar lead the song and they're laid back, with plenty of space on the venues — but the choruses are high energy where everybody yells "Thief!" We can surmise that the song is about former producer and collaborator, Inflo, who is alleged to have stolen a substantial amount of money from her. Every time the audience yelled "Thief" felt cathartic. I would hate to be him and within an earshot of the venue during that song. On Flood, the drums drive the song and the bass is pretty much playing one note the entire time. There's so much intensity. Simz was floating over each song.
Live Nation is incredibly annoying. This venue feels sterile and without character. After all, it is a converted metal factory, so there's just concrete everywhere. This was my first show at one of their venues in a while, too. It's Simz so I was going to go regardless, but I wasn't happy about being there.
Related to the last question, you mentioned being curious about who would come to her show, who her audience was/is. What was your takeaway here?
Kevin: I was curious because I can honestly say that I've never really heard a Simz song in public. Whether that be the radio, out at a function or anywhere in the states. When I look at her fandom on her home turf through videos, I see someone that can sell out arenas. So, I wasn't sure how any of that would transfer to a place like Philly. We tapped in but can't say I knew what type of folks would be there. Or how many.
I was reading this article about streaming and how it has impacted local fandom for sports teams. Creating more borderless fans and that connection to the local team is not as strong in many cities. I feel this musically sometimes. I'm not sure what contemporary music resonates here anymore. There was a time when you would walk outside and know. You would hear the latest. But now, the streaming happens in our headphones and in our homes. That connectivity and knowledge feels...disconnected sometimes due to how we experience music now. And how we experience each other (maybe a post-COVID take in here somewhere).
All that to say, my takeaway is inconclusive. There were a lot of creatives in the building and that is what I somewhat expected. We both know that Simz believes in high art lol. So I know those folks (we are included in that number) would be there but I also saw so many people from so many walks of life there. I wonder what resonates with them about Simz. Next time, I'll start taking these questions out of my head and engage people in real life. The ways we experience music has changed but artists like Simz still connect. It just looks different now.
Photograph by Stanley Collins
Stanley: The idea of borderless fandom is really interesting, particularly when thinking about it alongside the rise of online fandom and music streaming. Related, but slightly tangential, I think there's room for a comparison between online fandom (music and sports) and the moment when sports started being televised nationally and internationally. So, how we might get a Dallas Cowboys fan in Virginia or the Netherlands, rather than being a fan of your local team whose games aired on a local television station, for example.
At any rate, I think what’s true for Little Simz is true for a lot of artists: music has become more niche. (There's an argument that music — how it's consumed, where it's performed, etc. — has always been niche). The notion of "buzz" is completely flattened. In part, because, as you pointed out, we all listen to music in silos.
My hunch is that artists (their management teams and music venues) recognize it's more profitable to not be everything to all people. And because of the internet (and data cookies, yikes), venues like The Fillmore Philadelphia/Live Nation know so much about us/listeners that we can be targeted with precision. They know exactly who fans are and where they are.
The rise of the mid-sized venue also helps with creating more niche music experiences (venues between 500 and 2500 persons). It's sort of like, on nights when I'm driving by The Fillmore Philadelphia, Union Transfer, or Franklin Music Hall — all venues that range from 500 - 2500 persons — and I see a line down the street and congested traffic, I'll look at the marquee and be like, "nope, never heard of them." Versus somewhere like The Met Philly (3500 person capacity) or one of the sports stadiums, I'll usually at least know who those performers are.
So, bringing this full circle (somewhat), when I called her a "Superstar," I guess I really just meant she's a superstar to me, and I am a very specific listener, as we all are. It's also a comment on what I perceive to be her talent and skill level. At the same time, I was looking at the shows she did in London — where she's from — at The O2 Arena which seats 20,000 people, and from what I can tell, those shows were well attended. For comparison, that's like the size of your average NBA arena. So, there's also a case that she's quantifiably a superstar lol.
From what I observed, and my small sample size conversations I had with folks I ran into at the show, I saw a lot of artsy folks, Black folks, queer folks, non-binary folks, and so on. The audience seemed to be mostly mid-20s to mid-30s
What are some of the highlights from the show for you?
Kevin: So many to choose from! She DJ'd a set in the middle of her show like it was an intermission lol. I mean that was kinda crazy. Not sure I seen that before.
But I was telling friend of the blog, Tyler (didn't know we had those fr lol), that I was most looking forward to hearing the song Lonely. Before the song she mentioned that she doesn't even like performing it in public. In the song, Simz details how she was suffering from self-doubt, knowing that she had to create this new project without the help of her friend and long-time collaborator, Inflo. She talks about not knowing "what's good anymore" and maybe doing "less rapping and more acting."
This type of self-exploration moves me as a listener. And it moved someone else in the audience too. Simz came down from the stage to hug someone in the crowd who also felt the message. In a world where systems and leaders try to convince you that if you just follow the path laid before you, it'll work out. It's refreshing and necessary to hear from people who are trying to figure it out. And as a person who does not like answers lol. I gravitate toward things and people that ask questions.
Questions that require you to do the digging internally. As Simz says in the song, "I was lonely making an album till I realized my story's all I can pour out." To get to that story, you have to dig. So, that was the highlight for me.
What about you?
Stanley: I enjoyed her performance of Lonely, too. Plus, I thought it showed how dynamic of a performer she is. I think the DJ set was the most shocking, I didn't know she had that in her toolbox.
I really enjoyed her performance of Lotus! In another surprising turn of events, she played acoustic guitar here. Much like Lonely, Lotus has a deep emotional core and is one of my favorite songs from the album (it features Michael Kiwanuka, so it's obligated to be a favorite).
Few moments matched the level of excitement I felt when she performed Woman.
Simz's performance of Lion was really fun, too! Lion is an Afro-beat-inspired tune that's sort of laid back but with great momentum. Simz is working both sides of the stage, incorporating the audience in the refrain -- "we don't care 'bout what they say/that's my superpower" -- and right when it feels like the song is ending, there's this break and Marla, who is playing bass for Little Simz on this run, has a bass solo and the audience carries the tune. That whole moment was magical to me because it went beyond the original record and also shows how the audience is very much a part of the performance, too.
