Poppy Performs Genre-Blending Set at Rock in Rio

The singer Poppy performed at the Sunset Stage during Rock in Rio, showcasing a versatile repertoire that transitioned between pop and heavy metal. Dressed in green and blue with a masked band, she performed hits from her albums Negative Spaces and Empty Hands, including songs such as The Cost of Giving Up, Bruised Sky, Crystallized, and Vital. The performance featured a mix of delicate vocals and guttural metal sounds, reflecting her career evolution from an early pop image to her current rock phase. During the set, some members of the audience engaged in a Viking row movement while sitting on the ground. Both reports noted that the artist had limited interaction with the crowd. While the performance included high energy moments and pyrotechnics, the overall reception was mixed. Some audience members began leaving for the Bring Me The Horizon performance before her set concluded. The center leaning source described the show as lukewarm due to the audience's lack of familiarity with the artist. In contrast, the center left leaning source framed the performance as a study in contrasts that started strong but lost energy over time due to repetitive song structures.