Review: SZA sizzles in Auckland venue that needs to fry

SZA sizzled at her first New Zealand show. Photo/Getty

This was not a show where clapping would cut it. Even shouting your approval was out of the question.

As SZA - last year's breakout R&B star and recipient of a top 10 TimeOut album of the year accolade - emerged onto Logan Campbell's ageing stage last night, it became clear that only your loudest, trillest shriek would cut through the crowd noise.

It was loud on stage for SZA too. "You guys are electric," she said during one of her chirpy, frequently hilarious, monologues to the crowd. "I can't hear shit."

It wasn't just noise that the New Jersey native had to deal with up there. The 28-year-old struggled with technical difficulties throughout the night, being interrupted by wonky ear pieces, a meddling stage handler, a dodgy audio mix and, at one point near the end of the show, a band that was forced to stall thanks to faulty instruments.

She's not the only one to struggle with Logan Campbell's setup. Along with its awkward location, last night only added to the argument that Auckland desperately needs a new mid-sized inner-city venue - with a capacity somewhere between the Powerstation and Spark Arena - to accommodate the screaming hordes an artist like SZA demands.

It showed how much of a class act she's become that the issues didn't bother her. SZA's setlist pulled many songs from last year's excellent CTRL album, one that turned stories of alienation, loneliness and bad relationships into something a little more celebratory.

And that's how last night's show felt, with every lyric sung with full force by the crowd full of 20-somethings. From the opening acoustics of Supermodel, hits like Doves in the Wind and The Weekend, and deeper cuts Wavy and 2am, were sung with such a ferocity there were times it was tough to hear her.

That wasn't a problem during Drew Barrymore, a soaring stunner that showcased her vocal power. Things got so intense during the climax of Love Galore, her inescapable radio hit notable for her ability to turn the word "love" into an entire sentence, that SZA was forced to extend the song, remixing the chorus for several sublime extra choruses.

Afterwards, the applause, like the rest of the show, was ear piercing, and totally deserved. Last night showed glimpses of a true superstar, one that rose above venue and technical issues to impress at every point. No joke: Beyonce levels of greatness are within her grasp.

"I will be back," she promised after finishing with 20 Something, jumping into the crowd to pose for selfies. Next time, it's unlikely she'll be forced to perform in a run down tin shed next to a Greenlane car park.

Who: SZA
Where: Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland
When: Tuesday, January 9