Unless you've been living under a very, very large rock, you would've heard about Fred again.., the British producer sending the entire country into a frenzy.
Ever since he announced a surprise show at the Sydney Opera House on Feb 27, he has been touring the country in a string of last-minute shows that have garnered interest from literally millions of Aussies.
Now, old m8 Fred didn't hit superstardom out of nowhere. After recording albums which he calls 'diaries' during the 2020 lockdowns, he struck gold when he teamed up with The Blessed Madonna to make 'Marea (We've Lost Dancing)'.
It's a song about not only missing what we lost throughout lockdown, but pushing through to experience it all again.
One day I'll deal with the trauma that time of my life brought me, but not today!
Fred is also a master of TikTok – not only using samples of TikToks to make music, but almost every visual element of his craft is cut in 9:16 (ie. social video aspect ratio).
He's also very active with his fans, running Discord servers and Whatsapp groupchats to communicate with them.
Now, it'd been a year since Fred again.. was last in Australia, where he did a string of shows as part of Laneway Festival and a few sideshows here and there.
His last Sydney sideshow — another last minute announce at Hordern Pavilion — had a capacity of 5,500. The three Qudos Bank Arena shows he's done this year? 21,000. Each.
But things were different this time around. From the second he touched down in Sydney, the aforementioned Discord server and Whatsapp chats were going gangbusters.
Whispers of secret shows, hacks to get links to buy tickets that he gives out to only his oldest fans. Suddenly, ticket buying wasn't just a transaction — it was a treasure hunt. The more people talked about it, the more people got in on it. It was becoming very clear that we have a full blown love affair with Fred again..
And, if just one of his Sydney arena shows is anything to go by, the love is mutual.
I headed along to his show at Qudos Bank Arena on March 13 to investigate myself if the hype was real. And, if it was, I was determined to see if he could live up to it.
Before even stepping inside the venue, it was clear that this was a special night for thousands of people. Big smiles at every corner. People absolutely sprinting just to get in line.
In fact, according to this TikTok, people were getting hype on the train ride there featuring a complete DJ set up.
But once I entered into the depths of the arena, the joy felt all-consuming. It was everywhere. You couldn't not feel it.
Once he took to the stage, sitting by his keyboard, he started to play a beautiful, slowed-down version of 'Kyle (i found you)' — a nice way to tenderly pull at the heartstrings before the crowd drenches themselves in sweat.
Things turned up a gear when it came to performing 'Roze (forgive)' and 'Tate (how i feel)', before absolutely unleashing for 'Danielle (smile on my face)'.
The spotlight then turned to a spot in the crowd, where Joy Anonymous' Henry Counsell — Fred's IRL housemate and this show's support act — was seated with a microphone.
Fred let the crowd know that the song they were about to perform was debuted at the Sydney Opera House not two weeks prior. Imagine his surprise when he tried to teach the crowd the words, only for the crowd to already know them.
It's a testament to Fred's power and harnessing his virality. Anyone can go viral, but Fred again.. weaponises it in such a way that it becomes a beast that feeds itself. For a song to become so anthemic before it's even released shows his impact, but also his fanbase's reverence for his work.
But why do his fans revere him so much? There was something strangely religious about him standing in the middle of the crowd, rattling through absolute bangers like 'Rumble', 'Jungle' and 'leavemealone'.
After getting the lights to shine on the crowd multiple times so he could see all the smiling, teary faces gaze back at him, Fred told a story about 'Marea (We've Lost Dancing)'.
To paraphrase, he said that he was receiving countless DMs, following the song's release, of Australians dancing to the song in the confines of their homes, begging him to come to Australia whenever borders opened. And that's when the crux of Fred again..'s impact really struck me.
Fred again.. doesn't make music for escapism. He makes music that reminds you of home. He makes music that makes you feel present.
Documenting his life through song throughout the pandemic means his music is grounded in universal experience, which might be why so many people on the other side of the world connect with him so strongly. We've had dancing back in our lives for years, but the song serves as a reminder of what we as a collective endured — which makes the dancing so much sweeter.
Images and videos of his friends dancing and partying splash across the screens as he plays 'Baxter (these are my friends)' and 'Marco (and everyone)'. In those moments, they were our friends too, and everyone around us were our friends as well.
You can imagine the 21,000-deep embrace that happened when the cries of "put your loving arms around me" played during 'Billie (loving arms)'.
Groups of crying people hugging each other tightly and passionately, whether they've been friends forever or just for tonight. Except for the one guy next to me shuffling vigorously like it was still 2011. Shout out to that guy.
Over the whole evening, it became clear that people don't just love Fred again.. the way they love other celebrities. They love what he represents.
As I walking out, I passed a British woman who was sitting with her friends recounting her experience.
"When all the videos of his friends started playing, I started crying."
That is what a Fred again.. show is about. It's music, visuals and an experience that ground you. Why would you need escapism when you can find so much love and happiness all around you (in the least corny way possible)?
All that being said, the hype is most certainly real, and Fred again.. lives up to colossal amounts of love Australia gives him.
Again and again and again.