The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

Suki Waterhouse delivers passionate performance, teases new release

English+actress+and+indie+artist+Saki+Waterhouse+performs+on+the+Bacard%C3%AD+stage+on+Saturday.
Jacob Slabosz
English actress and indie artist Saki Waterhouse performs on the Bacardí stage on Saturday.

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British singer and actress Suki Waterhouse performed on the Bacardí stage Saturday afternoon to an enormous crowd of fans.

Wearing a slim purple one-piece and knee high boots, Waterhouse took the stage at 4:00p.m, right in the middle of a rainy day at Lollapalooza.

Festival goers took cover in the trees surrounding the stage before Waterhouse’s set. The rain lightened up but was still coming down as Waterhouse began her performance, though fans didn’t appear discouraged as they still showed out in large numbers.

Waterhouse’s singing career is still fairly new, with her first album, “I Can’t Let Go,” being released in 2022. She is best known for her acting career, which included a lead role in 2023 series “Daisy Jones & The Six.”

Purple was splashed across the set as Waterhouse’s outfit matched the drums and lighting across the stage.

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    Additionally, a large screen behind the singer showed clips of herself in black and white as she sang her emotionally charged songs.

    Waterhouse sang her recent single “To Love,” which was released in March, to a huge reaction from the crowd. 

    The singer expressed her excitement at being able to play the festival from the stage.

    “I love being here and performing for you guys,” Waterhouse said.

    Midway through the set, she performed her 2022 single “Nostalgia,” which received an equally positive response from fans.

    Waterhouse added excitement to the performance by singing an unreleased song, which she said she may put out as a single before her next larger record. 

    The song received a wildly positive reaction from fans, which Waterhouse responded to by making a heart with her hands and blowing kisses to the crowd.

    Waterhouse danced throughout her set, moving fluidly and hitting beats within the music. 

    One of the set’s highlights was a medley of covers Waterhouse played towards the end of the performance, which included Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” and Taylor Swift’s “Lover.”

    The crowd appeared to enjoy the Swift song in particular, singing loudly along to each line and swaying in unison with the music.

    Waterhouse finished up the performance with her biggest hit, “Good Looking.” As she explained just before performing the song, her record label initially told her not to release it. “Good Looking” now has almost 200 million streams on Spotify.

    Though the rainy set ended a few minutes early, Waterhouse’s performance was a landmark in her young music career.

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    About the Contributors
    Maaike Niekerk, Assistant buzz Editor
    My name is Maaike Niekerk, and I am a sophomore majoring in English with minors in music and journalism. I began working for The Daily Illini last year as a staff writer for the buzz section. As a Champaign local, I spent the past summer working as an editor here on campus before moving my current position of assistant buzz editor. I love bringing live event coverage to you from Champaign-Urbana’s vibrant music scene and sharing stories of local artists and musicians. Outside of The Daily Illini, you’ll find me performing at every football game with the Marching Illini (the best band in the land) or running for the University’s club track team.
    Jacob Slabosz, Managing Editor for Visuals
    Hey, I’m Jacob! I am currently a sophomore in computer engineering with a minor in German. I started with The Daily Illini in fall 2022 as a news reporter and staff photographer, and by spring 2023, I had worked my way to photo editor. I have been the managing editor for visuals since March 2023. When I’m not taking pictures for The DI or for fun, I enjoy cooking, water sports and tending to my numerous houseplants. I’m excited to see the content that our team can produce with a more visual-oriented approach.