Cat Burns
Relatable, embracing, encouraging. An exploration of Cat Burns’ recent tour and her impressive portfolio of musical excellence in her debut album Early Twenties.
Know that you’re not alone.
Cat backstage, ready for a sold out show at the Roundhouse, Camden Town, London. October 18 2024 Via @catburns on Instagram. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Cat Burns is a singer/songwriter from Streatham, London, who first came into the spotlight with her single "Go." It went viral on TikTok (Gen Z never miss), went on to become number two in the UK singles chart, and the rest is history. She was sort of mysterious enough that I could snatch tickets to her recent tour of her debut album without too much hassle and FOMO, but she has 777k Instagram followers and over 4 million monthly Spotify listeners at the time of writing, so I fear we can’t gatekeep her for much longer. It’s also refreshing to see an artist who is so authentic and open with their audience. Cat is an openly gay and queer woman, inspiring all young girls and women who listen to her work. As a Black woman, she also advocates for equality and challenges the barriers in the music industry, particularly in her song with Rachel Chinouriri—“Wish I didn’t have to climb twice as high for them to see me” speaks volumes. In a world of negativity and discrimination on social media, Cat Burns is that positive light. Online, she shares her journey with mental health as well, after being diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 and ASD in 2023, and having anxiety. The Early Twentiesalbum features so many personal songs about Cat’s struggles. I find “Anxiety” particularly touching: “Would they recognize me without my anxiety?” “Introvert” is also a top pick for us introverted girls who much rather sit and scroll Pinterest than go out, duh.
A predominantly pop artist, she draws inspiration from real-life experiences, including breakups and anxiety, and makes them seem slightly less tender with a beguiling vocal ability and relatable lyrics. If Cat Burns can get played, for lack of a better term, there's no hope for the rest of us. Dating sucks. She has the sort of lyrics and voice that make you feel every word, and suddenly the world is less scary. Hearing them live has an extra special magical feeling that you really only experience in a room full of people who like the same music as you, and an artist that has gone through the same troubles as you. Cat has an extremely versatile vocal palette; a distinct voice. She can produce some gorgeous, melodic notes—the sort that entice goosebumps, which is an incredible experience live, by the way. I rarely cry, but standing probably 2 meters from one of your favorite artists in a room of 3,000 people, in Central London, but still feeling like it’s just you and Cat there, it does make you shed a few tears, I will admit. Will never stop going on about it x.
Pack Up Your Sh*t and Go
179,000,000 Spotify streams—and counting—definitely not bad for a song you wrote at 18, or ever! “Go” was released in 2020 but became more popular in 2022 when trending on TikTok. Social media is not all bad. The official music video has over 28 million views on YouTube. I genuinely think the floor was shaking hearing this one live; it’s the song that got Cat recognized, so it’s only necessary to scream every lyric and regret it the next day when you can’t speak. It’s a given. So worth it.
The Tour
The main event. Cat performed 10 shows across October – Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin, Brussels, Paris, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, and London. I can only speak for the London show, which was incredible, but from her fit pics on Insta, all the concerts were probably amaze. I was celebrating my birthday, but no matter the reason for being at the concert, the vibes were there; everyone had a big cry and a very good sing.
At the Roundhouse, there were thousands of people in attendance (crazy to me); the venue is big enough to get that big crowd energy but also intimate enough to share some close moments as a group. Cat's song ‘Healing’ was perfect for a calm and supportive atmosphere. It was probably the only moment throughout the concert where the crowd was quiet and just enjoyed Cat's singing in silence. She has quite a few bangers, so it's easy to sing along tbh. But this is an extra personal tune for Cat, so it felt so beautiful to allow her to sing this song even though it was likely very difficult and emotional. It was a stunning show. Post-concert blues set in pretty quick though.
Mega and guitarist Ed Riches on stage, Roundhouse, London, 18 October 2024. Photo by Elly R (author).
Mega opened the show. From London, Mega is definitely an artist to keep your eye on if you're a fan of contemporary soul and perfect a cappella. Mega started the night with a bang and is well known for her song ‘Chariot,’ which has almost 35M Spotify streams. It's a beautiful track that really showcases Mega’s vocal confidence. Her voice and tone are sublime for this genre of music; a truly flawless performance all around. Cat Burns and Mega deserve the absolute world – keep your eye on their next tours and listen out for Cat's upcoming song ‘Girls’ that we got a sneaky listen to at the Roundhouse… and gatekeep Mega while possible.
