The highly underrated, uber-talented, and extremely likeable, OneRepublic are the band the world needs right now. The band consists of lead singer: Ryan Tedder, bassist, cellist and songwriter: Brent Kutzle, keyboardist: Brian Willett, guitarist: Drew Brown, drummer: Eddie Fisher, and guitarist: Zach Filkins. They’ve been a band now since 2002 and it’s clear they perform just like they are family.
Last time I saw the band perform live was at London’s OVO Arena Wembley back in 2023, which is a slightly better venue. But the band truly deserves to perform at Wembley Stadium one day. OneRepublic are perhaps most recently known for their contribution to the soundtrack of Top Gun: Maverick (2022) with their song, “I Ain’t Worried” – writing such iconic lyrics as, “But time is running out, so spend it like it’s gold.”
Fans of OneRepublic also appreciate the iconic trademark ‘whistle’ that is incorporated into so many of their songs. If anyone can create a memorable beat, it’s Ryan Tedder. Every note not just sung live. But sung perfectly.
True Musical Inspirations
Although, the ultra-talented, Ryan Tedder mostly flies under the radar for anyone outside of the music industry. For the hit songwriter and music producer who has worked on some of the most well-known and popular songs including Adele’s “Rumour Has It” and the Jonas Brother’s “Sucker” among many other hit songs. There’s clearly no limits to Ryan Tedder’s musical talents.
Performing a cover version of “Halo” – the hit song Ryan wrote for Beyonce along with boasting the writing credits for my favourite childhood song, “Bleeding Love” for Leona Lewis. He’s invested a lot of his lyrical talent into new pop princess, Tate McRae who has truly catapulted to superstardom. Her most popular song, “Greedy” was also mainly penned by Ryan.
Mid-way through the concert, OneRepublic performed on a different stage which was situated in the middle of the standing area. You can see in-person how much their music resonates and means to their fans. It goes beyond music. Ryan often talks about mental health and anxiety. His songs often featuring a theme of running – a passion he strongly advocates for not just for performance stamina but for better mental health too.
Some songs like “Rescue Me” showcase a very personal message where he was at one of his lowest points. But it’s a fantastic song like this that not only means a lot to the band but to the fans too. There is something on the other side of “Rescue Me” that gives us hope and inspiration to continue doing what we love.
OneRepublic’s Music: A Blessing to All
The most popular songs of the night were of course the fan-favourites, “Counting Stars”, and “I Ain’t Worried”. Stand-out songs for me included the painfully meaningful yet boldly energetic “Rescue Me”, and the beautifully soulful “Lose Somebody“. But it was also OneRepublic’s new unreleased song, with its catchy vibes, “Need Your Love” which was also a stand-out of the night.
Ryan also highlighted how the band were slightly nervous to perform the song for the first time to the 02 Arena crowd. But each one of the band’s songs are a blessing to our ears for sure. Especially when we long to hear the expressive undertones of Ryan Tedder’s high notes and the elongated end notes of their songs.
Another excellent reason to not only support OneRepublic on tour but as a band too is their ticket pricing. Every time I go to their concert, I wish I’d chosen a nearer seat because they’re worth it. The tickets are such good value.
The Best Concert Experience
What’s the best thing about OneRepublic?
Other than their live performances and genius music, it’s the love and respect they show their fans. Giveaways, fan interactions, and affordable concert tickets are the few reasons on how the band give back to their fans.
They really give their all to the concert. I thought they were excellent last time at the OVO Arena Wembley. But this time, they’ve reached a whole new level. It’s not just a concert but an experience. They exude pure talent, full-out energy, and no one really compares to them.
OneRepublic are in another league that they set themselves. The interludes where we get to hear the special voice of their lead singer, Ryan Tedder gives exclusive insights into either the process of the song and where his headspace was during the writing process. He’s such a natural at talking to the audience about his passion.
We gain an insight into Ryan’s train of thoughts as he tells us stories behind the creation of OneRepublic’s hit songs. Either where he was when he wrote the song or how his feelings at the time resonated into the song. And we especially love how London has influenced the band’s music tastes and inspired so many their songs.
Appreciating Music with OneRepublic
OneRepublic’s love and enthusiasm for music is truly contagious. They inspire you to appreciate music even more. And every time you go to a concert you should really be feeling this way. OneRepublic achieve all that and so much more. The band members are all very likeable and feel more like family to each other when you see them up on the stage.
You know the feeling where you are in the right crowd? That’s the feeling among the fans of OneRepublic. It’s quite a kind and mature fan community. And how fandoms behave often reflects back on the group. As with more respectful fans really mirrors the band of OneRepublic themselves.
Their Escape to Europe Tour merchandise is unfortunately not as well designed as their US merch available on their official website. But the pricing of their merchandise is quite perfect, especially when you compare to the likes of K-pop groups like BLACKPINK whose merchandise doubled in pricing for their Deadline tour this year. (You can read our review of the K-pop girl group’s Wembley concert here).
What do we want to see next time from OneRepublic?
My one wish for OneRepublic is for the band to perform “Ships + Tides” live at their next London concert. It’s my all-time favourite OneRepublic song and it deserves so much more love, much like the band themselves. There’s truly no one better to see live in concert than the flawless standouts that are OneRepublic. Their prettiest stage even featured a red moon. If you don’t see them in concert, you’re truly missing out. OneRepublic are more than welcome back to London any time, hopefully very soon…
Rating: 5 stars
