Little Simz review – hip-hop visionary radiates joy and Gallagher-level swagger

<p><strong>Co-Op Live, Manchester<br></strong>Switching from full-arena singalongs to horn-blaring funk to sweaty Detroit techno club vibes, the rapper is at the very top of her game</p><p>Pop stars often stumble along the fine line between confidence and arrogance (see <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/oct/03/taylor-swift-the-life-of-a-showgirl-review">Taylor Swift’s latest opus</a>), but north London’s rap visionary Little Simz appears to be in perfect balance. Should anyone decide to challenge the songwriter’s self belief – or as she names it in the hit single Selfish, “heritage ego” – this week’s back-to-back arena gigs prove her hard-earned place at the forefront of Black British music is warranted.</p><p>Before she walks on to the stage, 90s baby pictures of an even littler Simz flash on the drop down screens, before we flick through the years to an awkward yet adorable teenager with her first guitar. It all leads to the present, where tonight she is an honorary Manc in a khaki overcoat, swinging her arms behind her lower back with plentiful Gallagher swagger: “Missed you!” She radiates joy and gratitude, but the live show does not shy away from her life’s trials, and she confronts the fallout of a messy <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/mar/17/little-simz-sues-former-producer-inflo-over-unpaid-debts">public financial dispute</a> with menacing metaphors and a slick vengeance that slips readily from her tongue.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/oct/17/little-simz-live-review-co-op-manchester-arena">Continue reading...</a>