Review: World War Joy
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What do you get when you mix three different artists and two different genres of music? The answer; The World War Joy Tour featuring Lennon Stella, 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS), and The Chainsmokers.
The concert was worth seeing. When the tour was first announced, there was skepticism, and an unsure sense of how combining two completely different genres of music with two different fan bases would work.
However, the energy in the arena was very present. All artists did a great job of engaging the audience, making the night one to remember.
The idea for the tour first came from The Chainsmokers, a popular-EDM (Electric Dance Music) production duo made up of members Andrew “Drew” Taggart and Alex Pall. The pair first rose to fame with the release of their first hit single, “#SELFIE.”
Since the release of “#SELFIE,” the duo has collaborated with several artists on hit singles such as “Closer” featuring Halsey and “Who Do You Love?” featuring Australian pop-rock, 4-piece, 5SOS. Following their collaboration with 5SOS, the duo planned to release their newest album, World War Joy. This sparked the idea of a tour in which, 5SOS and Lennon Stella became included. 5SOS became a co-headliner. Throughout the 41-show long tour, the duo continues to translate their act from DJs to live music performances.
The show kicked off with an opening artist, Lennon Stella. Stella’s genre is also EDM meaning that her performance was similar to The Chainsmokers. A drummer and a DJ joined Stella onstage as she jumped and jogged around, trying to get the audience engaged and warmed up for the rest of the night.
Visual aids were heavily present on the screens above her set, constantly flashing and changing colors for each song. Stella performed a total of 8 songs. She opened with “Breakaway,” a song off of her second EP, and concluded with “La Di Da,” a song that has been streamed over 75 million times on Spotify.
Following Stella’s performance, 5SOS took the stage, and the audience erupted.
A visual aid of each band member’s logos appeared on the screens throughout the arena. The group opened with their very first hit single, “She Looks So Perfect.” The atmosphere was loud and crazy; the audience got into their performance.
The members of 5SOS worked the stage extremely well, considering that they play their instruments. Drummer, Ashton Irwin, created a smooth transition from “She Looks So Perfect” to “More,” a fan favorite off of their latest album, “Youngblood.” The group performed a total of 16 songs, ending their performance with “Teeth,” “Want You Back,” and “Youngblood.”
The dimming of the lights and the display of the World War Joy logo on the big screens had signified the moment the audience had been waiting for: The Chainsmokers.
Drummer, Matt McGuire, took the stage holding torches. Smoke and warm-colored lighting engulfed the scene. Each member took their spots on stage and kicked off their set with “Takeaway,” a track featuring opener, Lennon Stella.
Concluding “Takeaway,” an EDM drum performance took the stage and then transitioned into 2015 hit, “Roses.” The performance included different pyro releases, drum solos, and smooth transitions.
Halfway through the set, the duo brought back out Luke Hemmings, the lead singer from 5SOS, to perform “Who Do You Love.” This onstage collaboration brought both groups of fans together, something that usually doesn’t happen.
The set concluded with “Closer” and a final onstage bow.
Written by: Hailey Krawczyk
