“Eric Nam! Eric Nam!”, the crowd cheered at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. Although the name itself is well-known to me, I have never thought that, after the sold-out concert on April 14^th, I would become one of his dedicated listeners.

Back in 2019, when Eric came to the O2 Academy Islington in London, I told myself that this young man had much to improve, not necessarily vocally – he is an incredible singer – but performance-wise. For some reason, to me, there was a lack of that special sparkle and stage presence. Yes, some may say that you don’t need that when you have talent, however, being gifted is sometimes not enough to keep the audience entertained. Nevertheless, since that time, I have been following Eric’s career. One of the things I noticed about him is that he definitely knows how to combine an unprecedented sense of humour with a soothing voice and music for every mood. Even though it took me a while to genuinely appreciate his music [yes, shame on me], I am glad that it finally happened now. 

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The Korean-American singer has won many hearts around the world, and the number of those in love with his music keeps getting bigger. Unquestionably, Eric Nam grew into a mature, self-confident, and artistically conscious singer. 

The aforementioned concert which took place in O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – a part of the There and Back Again tour – was one of its kind. Why? Well, there are three words to sum it up: live band extravaganza. Prior to Eric Nam’s performance, Rhys Lewis, a British singer-songwriter, moved the audience with his hypnotic vocals and an acoustic 30-minute show. However, the moment Eric appeared on stage, the fans went wild. Armed with energy, strong vocals, and visible passion, the singer made the crowd ecstatic with his presence. He became a perfect antidote for a bad day, if you had one that night. 

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Eric Nam’s show was a mixture of different styles such as pop (Paradise, I Don’t Know You Anymore, Lost on Me and I Don’t Miss You), dance-pop (Any Other Way), and slower, ballad-like songs (One Way Lover and Love Die Young). After watching Eric for almost two hours, I realised how unafraid he was to say how he felt and how hopeful he sounded when he sang. I might be wrong, and I don’t want to assume that I know how Eric feels, but this is how I felt while listening to his songs on that day. The mood of the audience kept changing, people jumped, sang, and screamed like there was no tomorrow. By the end of the show, we were all sweaty and beaming from ear to ear.

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Eric Nam presented a fascinating kaleidoscope of his old and new songs. He knew how to interact with his fans as well as the band on stage. The moment he sang covers – Ne-Yo’s So Sick and Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time – I finally felt like I was at home, you know, with my dinosaur generation… [giggling]. The artist’s performance was taken to the next level thanks to superb stage lighting which was also brilliantly in sync with the music. 

The singer ended the show with Congratulations and got off the stage as fast as he appeared on it. Obviously, it wouldn’t be Eric if he didn’t take group photos with some of his fans after the concert. 

Summing everything up, Eric Nam has a fresh sound – joyful and elegant at the same time. The singer is invariably a candidate to become one of the most desirable pop stars of his generation. 

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Written by Maggie Gogler