Vivid is one of the most exciting events on the Sydney cultural calendar and the accompanying music program of Vivid Live hosted by the Sydney Opera House is the perfect supplement. With the city buzzing, the Joan Sutherland Theatre in the Opera House welcomed Chicago R&B singer Ravyn Lenae for a special performance as part of her world tour. 

It is unusual to see a pop star gracing a venue that is traditionally reserved for opera, but Lenae did a great job of making the space her own. Her music can very much be placed within the tradition of artists like Minnie Riperton before her and her stylings reflected this throughout the 75-minute set. The lightness of her high notes throughout the set were a real treat and the crowd responded very well. 

Speaking of the crowd, they were perhaps as energetic a crowd as I have seen, with a boisterousness that far outweighed their numbers (even though the concert was sold-out well in advance). As Lenae moved from disco to more R&B and soul music, the crowd rode every wave with her, feeling the music as they got out of their seats to groove along.  

Lenae was visibly touched by the reception she received, telling the story of when she first arrived in Australia in 2019 to the crowd. 

“When I come back, I’m playing at the Sydney Opera House,” she told herself. 

Lenae played the entirety of her acclaimed sophomore album Bird’s Eye and the album, while short, gave an insight into the wide range of styles that the singer can encompass, with a spectrum of music covered. “Skin Tight” was a highlight of the set from Lenae’s earlier work, with the airy lightness of her upper register shining through while “Dream Girl” showed off a more playful side to the singer which had the audience up and moving. 

After a 20-song set, which she described as reflecting “the things that make me me and make me cool”, Lenae returned for an encore of the song that truly catapulted her into the public consciousness with the pop-tinged “Love Me Not”. This was the number that the crowd had been waiting for and Lenae engaged well with them, moving confidently around the stage to survey the audience who sung every word back to her in what was a fantastic way to end the night. 

With Lenae supporting Sabrina Carpenter across her US tour later in the year, it is safe to say this singer’s popularity is going to rise dramatically over the next year. In fact, this will most likely be one of those concerts that those in the audience look back on in a few years’ time and reminisce about the time that they saw Lenae play in an opera venue. This was a superb concert and Lenae has all the tools to be huge in the industry over the coming years, with an incredible voice, versatility and amazing stage presence. One can only be excited about her future. 

Rating: ★★★★1/2

Ravyn Lenae – Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House – 25^th May 2025

All photo credits: Gabrielle Clement (@Gxbriellemxry)