On possibly the rainiest day of November, my friends and I went to see Rizzle Kicks at the Corn Exchange, a staple venue in the Cambridge live music scene. Despite the torrential downpour, everyone in the crowd from students to families were full of excitement for the concert, and to be out of the rain, of course.

Rizzle Kicks are a hip hop duo comprising of members Jordan Stevens and Harley ‘Sylvester’ Alexander-Sule. Their music gained popularity in the 2010s; for me and the other Gen Z students it was a time of school sports days, angry birds and CBBC, and therefore the songs are deeply nostalgic. Their early albums Stereo Typical (2011) and Roaring 20s (2013) are playful yet honest, with both making it into the top five in the UK album charts. After a hiatus due to mental health and addiction issues, the duo made a triumphant return in 2025 with their new album Competition is for Losers. However, the band did not capitalise on the nostalgia but instead used their talent and passion to write impressive new songs, keeping their set feeling fresh.

“The band used their talent and passion to write impressive new songs, keeping their set feeling fresh”

The relaxed song ‘Bad Tattoo’ from the duo’s new album warmed up the crowd, before ‘Lost Generation’ took over with screams from the audience and every song lyric shouted back at the stage. This song offers a moment of depth during otherwise fun-loving Roaring 20s album, with lyrics critical of the cruel nature of 2010s reality TV. The chanting of “I’m living in a lost generation” remains relevant to those younger in the crowd growing up in an era dominated by suffocating social media.

Arms were raised in the air for ‘Dreamers’, the crowd loud for the chorus. The duo matched the crowd’s enthusiasm, chanting “L is for Losers!” in between songs (in reference to their latest album). They also chatted with crowd members frequently, including a starstruck 13 year old boy who plucked up the courage to talk to Stevens. The audience interaction wasn’t just in between songs: during ‘Put Your Two’s Up’ Stevens directed the audience to split into two, with each side fiercely singing different sections of the chorus in competition.

The brass section drove the energy of ‘When I was a Youngster’ which had every Cambridge student in the crowd singing back to their carefree youth. The song was preceded by a proud comment from Stevens about being eight years sober; it’s clear that the duo have healed during their hiatus. ‘Time Alone’, which was “dedicated to being outside […] shout out to grass,” truly embodies feelings of renewal and growth. Stevens and Sylvester’s voices blend to perfection, and despite the song only being released recently, many in the crowd sang along with confidence.

“My friends and I stood in a circle singing with each other, for a brief moment free from any thoughts of impending deadline doom”

The chill, pop-rap track ‘Miss Cigarette’ (jokingly renamed ‘Miss Vape’ by Stevens) began with the crowd singing the trumpet intro. The two girls behind me missed not one word of the rap, their lively voices featuring in the background of my gig recordings. It was amazing to see the love for the band so strong since their return.

‘Stop with the Chatter’ raced onwards with the bassist (Stevens’ father), dancing over to the drummer. The band’s enjoyment shone with the brass players often dancing in synchronisation. Stevens stated that the original members of their band made up 80 percent of the current one. Both long-term friends and family work together to bring this show to life with such warmth, talent and passion.

The Corn Exchange was transformed into a summer party during ‘Mama Do The Hump’. With punchy drums and mischievous lyrics, the duo had the whole crowd dancing. My friends and I stood in a circle singing with each other, for a brief moment free from any thoughts of impending deadline doom.

Variation in volume kept the audience on their toes: ‘Vice’ had the crowd jumping, whereas the ‘New Sport’ calmed the audience back down with its melodic bass-line and Sylvester’s well-controlled voice adding a relaxed feel to the chorus.

Phone lights were raised in the air for ‘Traveller’s Chant’, with the chant itself sung full-heartedly by the crowd. ‘Javelin’ increased the liveliness with the cathartic climbing melodic line in the chorus: “We don’t need to worry ‘bout a thing” the audience practically yelled out.

“Nostalgia may have brought me to the show, but I left with a huge appreciation for Rizzle Kicks’ new album”

A standout moment was ‘Follow Excitement’, a song featuring Rachel Chinouriri that had a viral moment on social media, yet has withstood the test of temporary TikTok success, evident from the crowd’s deafening voices filling in Chinouriri’s vocals. The wild brass section together with a funky Latin-style drum groove, brought summer warmth yet again to the Corn Exchange. The trumpet solo ended with whoops from the audience, before the next song ‘Undefeated’, a request from the 13 year old fan, swept onwards.

The 2013 classic ‘Skip to the good bit’ had us jumping to the feel-good chorus with every single lyric reverberating from the crowd. The final song ‘Down with the trumpets’ followed suit, bringing nostalgia, sunshine and ecstatic screams as soon as it began.

Nostalgia may have brought me to the show, but I left with a huge appreciation for Rizzle Kicks’ new album, a night in Cambridge that I’ll cherish and a bit of extra sunshine before stepping back out into the never-ending downpour.