A sun that dominates the screen was safeguarding Lorde’s healing ritual as she called on nature to pulse with electronic textures. The crowd at Primavera Sound leaned into a moment when the New Zealander’s latest album Solar Power meets the festival’s electric energy, turning the Forum into a vibey space that blends soothing warmth with urgent messages about the planet. Photographers were not welcome, and the organizers kept a wide lane for the performers to connect with the audience without intrusion.
Spring may be ending this weekend, yet the vibe lingered. A fresh round of heavy-hitting attractions drew long lines and crowded bars near the main stages, testing the limits of the festival’s logistics but never dulling the energy. Even as glitches flashed across the festival’s central system from the night before, Lorde still delivered a performance light on flash and full of style, weaving storytelling with danceable soundscapes. The show, while festival-sized in spirit, felt a touch more intimate than the larger concert halls of cities like Paris or Amsterdam.
spiritual journey
The collection traces a generational shift toward ecological awareness, pairing introspection with a broader, more hopeful outlook. The early tracks hint at a new era, with the opening note of Yol signaling a shift toward a gentler, more contemplative energy. Older tracks from the past, such as Homemade Dynamite, Ribs, and Louvre, helped anchor the live experience as it gradually embraced more electronic textures, later giving way to Secrets of a Girl and Mood Ring. The crowd formed a circle, guitars in acoustic light, as the performance explored a moment when sound becomes a shared ritual. The artist relished a sunlit moment in Barcelona, embracing Solar Power as a central theme, one that honors abundance while playing with hedonistic joy and a touch of cool defiance—an echo of the mood in Primal Scream’s Loaded moments. The set included high-impact peaks like Royals, Supercut, and Green Light, each marking milestones of the night’s journey.
female role
Friday also spotlighted remarkable female voices, including South American talents who infused the stage with power. Brittany Howard anchored the set with a bold, soulful voice that nods to gospel influence while pushing the modern soul-funk lineage forward. The album title nods to her sister, who passed away from eye cancer at a young age, a personal thread visible in the music. Songs such as Goat’s Head carried poignant reflections on racism in the Southern United States, transforming personal pain into a broader social message and a powerful live moment.
Nina Simone’s Promise
Her performance blended funk-infused grooves with soulful ballads, from a lively opening to moments of quiet resonance. The set carried spiritual echoes, including a revival of He Loves Me, where the artist asserts a sense of being loved by a higher force even as church affiliations change. A memorable Stay High showcased rich vocal texture and organ warmth, while a nod to Nina Simone on The Revolution connected the night to a pivotal era—1969—a year defining civil rights tenacity. The moment linked artistic courage with social history in a way that felt both personal and universal.
Australia’s Courtney Barnett added a contrasting and buoyant energy, opening with Rae Street and its brisk, witty reflections. The lyric snapshot—Things take time, take time—shone a light on Melbourne life and the way daily moments shape larger truths about ambition, money, and the ecological balance of modern living. The set wove through songs from Barnett’s catalog, including Avant Gardener, and reflected Primavera Sound’s fearless spirit that blurs genre boundaries and celebrates the magic of live discovery.