Report and photos by Tania Graham-Brown
There’s a quiet magnetism to Kita Alexander that’s impossible to ignore. At Sydney’s Factory Theatre on Saturday night, she performed barefoot to some of her biggest fans. The Byron Bay singer-songwriter, long praised for her emotional honesty and sun-drenched pop sensibilities, delivered a show that felt like a heartfelt letter passed between friends.
Fresh off supporting pop juggernauts Dua Lipa and Madison Beer, Kita has been riding a wave of momentum that could easily tilt her toward stadium polish. But in the intimacy of the Factory, she chose vulnerability over spectacle – and it worked. Her “Press Pause” tour is aptly named: this was a night where time slowed.
Opening with the dreamy shimmer of “Between You & I,” Kita immediately set the tone – wistful, warm, and entirely present. She moved through her set with the easy confidence of someone who knows exactly who she is as an artist. Songs from her debut album Young in Love flowed into recent releases like “I Don’t Wanna Go Home” and the tour’s namesake track “Press Pause,” a standout moment that revealed the full emotional weight behind its message.
Kita’s voice – effortlessly clear and evocative – carried every song with grace. On stage, she radiates a strength wrapped in softness. Her music has often been compared to the work of early Taylor Swift, and the parallels were undeniable during a stripped-back acoustic section that left the room in awe. She also played a nearly finished song aptly named “Back to Sydney” and the audience were lucky enough to hear something never heard anywhere apart from this tour. It felt like a perfect moment to share it, with lyrics such as “two blocks from Newtown” feeling like it was written for the crowd.
Her uniquely Australian brand of nostalgia – windswept, coastal, and deeply human was in full effect. Tracks like “Hotel” and “Like You Say You Do” had the crowd going wild. The show included upcoming unreleased music, tracks from her debut album Young in Love and beloved fan favourites. This blend invites a kind of shared vulnerability that shines live. Plus the cosy settings she’s chosen on this tour are where she truly excels – layering storytelling between songs, just as she’s built a reputation for doing.
Her Sydney show wasn’t just a concert – it was a shared reckoning with love, loss, and finding your feet again. In pressing pause, Kita Alexander gave us all a moment to feel – and in doing so, reminded us why we keep pressing play.
