With full excitement, we head straight from work to Berlin’s Columbiahalle. Tonight, we’re seeing Dijon live for the very first time. Fresh off an extremely successful year, he’s ready to bring his critically acclaimed album Baby to German fans. The record landed high on many 2025 end-of-year lists — and for good reason. Baby feels like listening to raw demos: full of emotion, creative freedom, and vulnerability. Almost as if you’re sitting in the studio with Dijon while the songs are being born. Naturally, this had us wondering how such an intimate album would translate in a live setting.
The stage setup immediately answers that question. The show is designed like a studio, making it clear we won’t have to worry about how the album translates live — we are quite literally invited into Dijon’s creative space. The band and backing singers sit comfortably around him as he takes centre stage. Everyone is seated, reinforcing the feeling of intimacy, as if we’re witnessing a private recording rather than a concert. From the very first notes, Dijon sings as though he’s delivering these lyrics for the first time, his emotions pouring through his raspy voice.
Throughout the album, his vocals are often layered with distortion and autotune — another potential concern going into the night. Would his voice hold up on a stage this size? The answer is a confident yes. Only occasionally does he allow his microphone to distort his vocals the way we hear on the record. Most of the time, we’re treated to Dijon’s voice in its purest form. He exceeds all expectations. What a voice.
The tone is set early with ‘FIRE!’ and ‘Another Baby!’, the latter instantly locking the crowd in and getting bodies moving to its mesmerising production. Other up-tempo highlights include ‘HIGHER!’ and ‘Talk Down’ from his previous album. It becomes clear that many in the audience have been with the singers career for a while — the crowd sings along word for word, fully immersed in Dijon’s world.
The setlist is near perfect, blending the strongest moments from Baby with a few carefully chosen throwbacks. The show unfolds like a journey: starting softly and gradually building toward emotional and sonic highs. By the final two songs before the encore, the room is on the verge of tears. First comes ‘Baby!’, the album’s title track, named after and dedicated to his son. Sung directly to him, the song tells the story of how Dijon met his wife and how their family came to be. It’s no surprise this is the most emotional moment of the night. Goosebumps spread across the room.
What follows is one last emotional rollercoaster. Vocally, Dijon is at his absolute best here. Watching him sing his lungs out — ending the song in a raw, cathartic scream — we feel every emotion right alongside him.
Walking into the concert, we didn’t quite know what to expect. Leaving the venue, we’re left in awe of Dijon’s ability to translate such deeply personal studio recordings into a shared live experience. Allowing himself to be completely vulnerable, he takes us along on his journey. What an honour it was to witness his undeniable talent up close.