If Capital FM were to host a music festival, it would be Mighty Hoopla; a painfully commercial, yet enchanting haven of manufactured pop music, meticulously selected for a mainstream LGBTQ+ audience. Just in time for pride month, all the colours of the rainbow congregate one weekend a year in Brockwell Park to celebrate queerness and individuality in all its glory and jubilance, creating such a magical upheaval of infectious positivity and freedom of expression, that even the most alternative of a group of Satanist Rockers couldn’t help but sing along to some of these tunes at this pop cheese-fest.
Predominantly a millennial crowd, whose childhood and adolescence were soundtracked during the 90s and 00s by the likes of Nelly Furtado, Eve and En Vogue, were intoxicated by a wistful nostalgia. There was the convenient option of alternating between the Hayu Arena and the main stage to experience both shows at once.
Rap star Eve made her entrance in neon yellow splendour and saved her two biggest hits for last, Let Me Blow Your Mind and Tambourine driving the crowd rampant for more. The former was the hip-hop queen’s highest-charting single from her 2001 debut album entitled Scorpion and originally featured Gwen Stefani, the accompanying music video picturing them gatecrashing a posh party – and the rebellious tone of the song aptly mirrored the political climate of the festival, where attendees held up banners that read “F*ck the Tories”.
En Vogue’s set list was essentially a hit list. The 90s girl group opened with their 1992 number one song My Lovin’ and a sea of people sang what is said to be the catchiest chorus line in history, “You’re never gonna get it.” The next belter was a Salt-N-Pepa dancefloor tune, Whatta Man, for which frontwoman Terry Ellis introduced the song as a celebration of good men, a touching moment reflecting on a time before male-bashing became trendy. The highly anticipated surprise guest Alesha Dixon followed soon after and instantaneously captivated the swarms of pop lovers with her masterful and recognizable MCing. The eight-minute mashup included bangers from her time with the British girl band Mis-Teeq, Scandalous and All I Want, as well as some tunes from her solo career.
The final act was none other than 2000’s pop phenomenon Nelly Furtado, who opened with Say It Right, a track whose hauntingly mystical beat has transportive powers. Furtado emerged in head-to-toe sparkle and ostrich feathers and continued with one hit after the next, from Maneater and Promiscuous to Like a Bird, proving that pop music was once a soulful and meaningful experience, hence the festival’s obsession with chart-topping music that dates back a minimum of 20 years. The Maneater songstress was the perfect way to end the extravaganza that is Mighty Hoopla!
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