It’s fitting that we hear Debbie Ehirim before we see her. Known mononymously as Debbie, the south London artist first appears on stage as a silhouette, allowing her deep, full-bodied voice to trigger a three-piece backing band into action. Tonight (June 9), the capital’s 320-capacity Omeara plays host to her first-ever headline show; she swoons and delivers both gentle melismas and high notes with little, if any, assistance from a backing track.
Debbie’s power as a vocalist, and her burning, winning charisma, is immense. She grins conspiratorially and twirls around her mic stand as a crimson-toned spotlight adds depth to brooding opener ‘Cherry Wine’, before ‘Cousin’s Car’ tilts with a giddy energy, equal parts joy and nervous energy. A cover of Beyoncé’s ‘Crazy In Love’, meanwhile, makes for a confident statement of intent.
Before appearing in the NME 100 2023, the 23-year-old rose to acclaim late last year after working as a lead songwriter on Stormzy’s chart-topping ‘This Is What I Mean’; the pair are both signed to the UK imprint of legendary label Def Jam, which takes its ‘0207’ name from the London area code. Introducing a cover of ‘Firebabe’ – one of the five tracks Debbie has written for Stormzy – her voice cracks with emotion as she thanks her close collaborator for helping her realise her vision. Shortly afterwards, the man himself makes an appearance to duet on the lush ‘Give It To The Water’. The room erupts, even if the surprise is somewhat spoiled by a channel of white light that floods from a fully visible backstage door.
The rest of the night remains all about Debbie’s grab-bag of pop and R&B bangers – all delicious moments of slow-burn euphoria. In an oversaturated space, for newer artists, racking up impressive streaming stats can sometimes feel like an intangible, almost passive form of success – recent single ‘Is This Real Love?’ has already passed the 2 million mark – but Debbie’s career ascent has clearly translated into an engaged and burgeoning following. A videographer has to snake their way through fans raucously singing an acapella intro to ‘I’m Different’; Debbie leaves them to it, laughing as she grabs a sip of water from a bottle discreetly hidden behind a speaker.
Anyone not fully invested in Debbie’s refreshingly understated anthems might find that there are moments where the show lags, at least at first: songs transition seamlessly into one another, with little stage chatter. But strip away the smoky atmospherics and meticulously rehearsed stage routine and Debbie would remain a slick, clever and committed performer. There is power in her potential.
Debbie played:
‘Cherry Wine’
‘You Belong To Me’
‘Cousin’s Car’
‘Rules’
‘Summer In December’
‘Crazy In Love’ (Beyoncé cover)
‘I’m Different’
‘Firebabe’ (Stormzy cover)
‘Give It To The Water’ (with Stormzy)
‘Tony’s Gotta Leave’
‘Stay’
‘No Way’
‘Is This Real Love’
‘All Night Long’