5 Best Moments From Loyle Carner’s Lush Glastonbury Performance

When Billboard U.K. spoke to Loyle Carner about his impending Glastonbury Festival slot earlier this year, he was rendered speechless. Such is the power of his journey from the festival’s smaller stages to The Other Stage (the second-biggest on site, headlined by himself, Charli XCX and The Prodigy), it puts into perspective his trajectory. Since his 2017 debut Yesterday’s Gone, Carner has established himself as a key player on the U.K. music scene with an earnest voice that resonates far and wide.

On Friday night (June 27), Carner achieved something of a dream to headline to one of the biggest crowds of his career. Speaking to the crowd, he said that “this is the biggest show we’ve ever done,” as a packed-out field arrived to watch this career milestone. The magnitude of the moment wasn’t lost on him, and he pulled out all the stops, with guests, deep cuts and new songs throughout.

The set comes hot off the heels of his new album hopefully ! which was released last Friday and recently hit No. 2 on the U.K’s Official Albums Chart. The LP was influenced by his love of indie bands such as Fontaines D.C., Big Thief, and The Smiths, and a move away from the DIY hip-hop stylings of his early work. During his set, the album was realized with a new production, a greater focus in weaving in his backing band and evolving his capabilities as a singer, not just as an MC.

These were the best moments from Loyle Carner’s headline set at The Other Stage at Glastonbury.