Delta Goodrem’s debut album, Innocent Eyes, is one of the highest selling albums in Australian music history. Selling over 1 million copies, the album featured hit after hit, with Goodrem quickly rising to become one of Australia’s most recognisable stars. While Innocent Eyes marked the start of her commercial success, it was her sophomore album, Mistaken Identity, that truly showcased Goodrem’s artistry to the world. Written in the period following her devastating cancer diagnosis, Goodrem explored a darker, more introspective style of writing that marked a significant departure from the exuberance of her first album.   

Returning to the album twenty years on, Goodrem suggested to the audience in the Concert Hall at the Opera House that some of the distance between her and some of the album’s more emotional songs, many of which she hadn’t performed since 2005 (if at all), allowed her to view them through a different lens. 

Goodrem began the anniversary concert with the album’s first track “Out of the Blue”, which she kept fairly true to her original version. It was a powerful opening, showcasing Goodrem’s fragility at the start of the number before moving into her more powerful register as the song progressed. Loyal fans of the singer shouted out their praise for her during the song to which she responded with sincerity  and for many in the crowd, it was an emotional moment, with Goodrem playing up the poignancy as she stood centre stage with smoke around her as the song began. Closing out the song with a mash-up of “Hey Jude”, it was a rousing start to the set. 

As Goodrem prepared to play the Mistaken Identity album in full (including the bonus tracks) for the first time, she introduced each song with a little vignette about its context. One of the more emotional descriptions was her introduction for “Extraordinary Day”, where she described the day she was diagnosed with cancer. 

“There’s a moment where life splits in two,” she said. “There’s before the news and after the news.”

While the Mistaken Identity is arguably the most reflective work in Goodrem’s discography, this does mean that, at least on the original album, some of the songs lack the energy of the singer’s other albums. Goodrem managed this well, by rearranging some of the lesser-known tracks with a rich string background alongside her house band, giving the songs a much edgier feel which worked very well on the Concert Hall stage. 

Goodrem also displayed great artistic sense in her creative choices as well, mashing up covers with some of her slower songs effectively. The combination of “Be Strong” and Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On” was an inspired choice, with the richness in Goodrem’s voice as she sat at the piano to play the medley taking both songs to a new level. Additionally, the mashup of “Fragile”, which showed Goodrem at her most vulnerable following her diagnosis, with Christina Aguilera’s motivational anthem “Fighter” worked well both musically and symbolically as Goodrem charted her journey towards healing and strength in the darkest period of her life for her audience. It was incredibly vulnerable but was truly special for those in attendance. 

With many of the songs on the album being ballads, it meant that the more up-tempo numbers stood out even more. “Electric Storm” was a particular highlight, with Goodrem’s performance being particularly passionate and invigorating as she stood at the front of the stage with a commanding presence as she belted out the fan-favourite song. The production for the song was also superb, with Goodrem being illuminated in a glowing orange light for the number (as an aside, the production all throughout the night was outstanding, perfectly complementing the onstage performance). The titular track “Mistaken Identity” also allowed Goodrem to show off her virtuosic piano skills (which seemed to have been lifted up a notch, even by Goodrem’s lofty standards), much to the delight of the crowd. 

After a performance of “Almost Here” featuring Cody Simpson, who is currently starring in Guys & Dolls on the other side of Sydney Harbour, and a tribute to her brother with “You Are My Rock” to close out the Mistaken Identity part of the night, Goodrem performed a medley of some of her biggest hits. With “Wings”, “Lost Without You”, “Born to Try” and “In This Life” all being covered, Goodrem made sure she saved something for all of her different eras of fans, many of whom were extremely vocal in expressing their love for the singer throughout the night. Goodrem closed out the night with a powerful performance of “Sitting on Top of the World” as she jumped atop of her piano and shared one last moment with the crowd. 

This was an absolutely flawless concert that reinforced Goodrem’s position as one of Australia’s best performers. Her musicianship was impeccable throughout the night as she showcased her incredible vocal range as well as her vast array of skills at the piano. But perhaps most importantly, this was a refined and sincere performance, with Goodrem exploring and analysing some of her most pivotal moments with heart and vulnerability alongside her audience, who were entranced by every minute. This concert was Goodrem at her very best and with only one show left in the Australian leg of the tour before the singer heads off to London, it is one not to miss. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Delta Goodrem – Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House – 14 April 2025