Live Review: Selena Gomez

Qudos Bank Arena is more than half empty tonight, strange considering these young girls are supposed to be gathering tonight to see Instagram's most popular person for the first time. Even still, our seats are in prime position to spot trends in the floor beneath - popular picks tonight include box braids, Lumee phone cases for optimal selfies and Selena Gomez tees, freshly picked up from the merch stand.

With a bass-heavy Game Of Thrones theme booming overhead, DNCE takes the stage to the beat of the enormous flashing letters behind them. Straight off - despite their peculiar outfits - they've got a rock'n'roll energy we suspect these young girls don't experience often. Ex-Disney star Joe Jonas heads straight for the crowd in the front row and is held aloft by a screaming army of fans. We're getting real Flea vibes from their bassist, who is no joke wearing a hi-vis vest and shorts with street signs all over them. This is accessible stadium pop rock (surprisingly more rock than pop) for the masses - all perfectly timed jumping, mic stand throws and on-your-knees shredding. They rip out a funky rock cover of TLC's No Scrubs for all the "'90s babies in the house", which turns into Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home. Even a Prince tribute surfaces, Everybody Get On Up giving their rad axewoman and Flea 2.0 a chance to groove. Their extended We Are The Champions exit is a bit egoist given these guys are only a support act who have played a half-hour set tonight, but eh, it wouldn't have gone amiss at the top of a bill so we'll let them have it.

Opening with trap-influenced Same Old Love, Selena Gomez slinks out in a black sheer leotard, sparkling all over as she's flanked by masked dancers. The screaming that begins here never stops - these fans have waited since Gomez's 2014 cancelled tour to catch a glimpse of the Disney star-turned-pop singer. She exudes a confidence that shines bright even when compared to her pop star contemporaries, and the dazzling smirk she lets rip between belted out choruses shows she's having a blast already. Apologising for her past cancellation - "I felt like a real jerk last time" - Gomez pulls out a mic stand for Sober, showing off her pipes. The stage set-up tonight is stripped back considering her star power; with two small stages set up for her band, the floor is all Gomez's when she returns from one of many costume changes for Good For You. The big LED backdrop is constantly morphing to each song's theme, as are her dancers who currently have a '90s techno dance club theme going. Our crowd tonight are clearly excited but have a strange way of interacting with Gomez aside from Snapchatting everything and screaming, but Gomez continues to parade around the stage, either dancing or grinning. Older songs like Love You Like A Love Song get an airing and it gives her backing band a minute in the spotlight alongside Gomez. 

The sultry, half-whispered Hands To Myself probably warrants the loudest singalong we've heard all night, Gomez egging the crowd along with "do you guys know how to snap [your fingers]?" Bowler-hatted male dancers crowd her and she offers up a coy giggle as she sings the last line, the men carrying her out. A piano is wheeled out for a triumphant Who Says and worship song Nobody, Gomez now wearing a flowy white dress. In homage to her Mexican heritage, Gomez and her dancers return in Dia de los Muertos garb for Me & My Girls, sparkling in red and gold, as two huge inflatable roses rise from the floor. The backdrop now boasts Gomez dressed as a calavera. Finally, Kill Em With Kindness, Zedd collaboration I Want You To Know and Revival are our last hurrahs, ending the night on a glitter-fuelled '80s-themed extravaganza as Gomez waves her last goodbyes.