Cian Ducrot
Main stage
★★★★☆
Cian Ducrot knows how to whip Gen Z TikTok users into a frenzy. He has made a name for himself through his viral videos in which a flash mob choir joins him in serenading unsuspecting members of the public. But the 26-year-old is more than just a clever marketer. His debut album, Victory, rocketed to the top of the charts last month, and it’s no wonder. The Cork man has an adept understanding of melody, and his lyrics never shy away from his personal trauma or inner turmoil.
Despite being relatively new to the music scene, he exudes confidence when he steps on to the main stage of Electric Picnic on Saturday afternoon with his song Victory. A pre-5pm slot is a tough one for any artist to fill, but, perhaps encouraged by the unexpected September sunshine, an unusually large late-afternoon crowd stretches out before him. “This is so f**king cool. Wow. Thank you. I don’t even know what to say,” Ducrot tells them.
When he sings All for You, one of his best-known songs, emotion bleeds into every word. The crowd respond in kind, singing along with as much ardour as Ducrot himself. His set takes on an edgier feel when he sings Everyone Who Falls in Love (Has Someone Else They’re Thinking Of). Then he opens his song Heaven with a reworked piano version of Drake’s Hotline Bling. “Wasn’t sure I was allowed to do that, but I did it anyway,” he says, chuckling. “Thanks for singing along.”
Ducrot ends his set with Part of Me, with its echoes of Dermot Kennedy, and his smash hit I’ll Be Waiting. Ducrot, a born performer, leaves the stage with the crowd energised and wanting more. It’ll be no surprise if this is only the beginning of his success.
