Teddy Swims and Peggy Gou fire up first night of Abu Dhabi F1 concerts

The two performed back-to-back sets at Etihad Park

Teddy Swims performs at the opening night of the F1 concert series at Etihad Park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on Thursday. All Photos: Victor Besa / The National

Swims delighted the crowd with his charisma and a stormy collection of ballads

Swims could well have been the first viral sensation to headline his own Abu Dhabi F1 show

Swims, with his tough, tattooed look, enchants the crowd with his sensitive, husky voice

Swims with part of his back-up band

The full house appreciates Swims's performance

Swims in full flight

Larger than life, Swims performs hits including those to be released on his first album, which is expected next year

Fans and music lovers watch Swims at Etihad Park

Swims belts out another one

South Korean DJ and singer-songwriter Peggy Gou performs at the F1 concert

Gou puts on a spectacle at the first F1 concert of the season

The crowd takes in Gou's performance

Gou's animations, lights and lasers add to her techno beats, Latin percussion and manic jungle loops

Gou's set at Yas Island

Teddy Swims could be the first viral sensation to headline his own show at the Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix. Several years have passed since the US soul singer stunned social media with his unlikely mix of a tough, tattooed exterior and a sensitive, husky voice.

The Atlanta native has since been charming audiences with his southern charisma and a stormy collection of ballads. All that singing about heartbreak seems to be doing him a world of good, as Swims opened the Abu Dhabi F1 after-race concert series to a modest but loving crowd.

Goodbye’s Been Good to You is carried by swaggering piano riffs, perfectly complemented by Swims’s pinpoint vocals, which quaver and croak at all the right moments.

What More Can I Say delves deeper into the 1970s soul songbook, with Swims’s sweet croon bolstered by the band’s lush backing vocals. The tumultuous Hammer to the Heart finds him starting to emerge from his influences, with a more dynamic vocal performance ranging from almost melodic spoken word to an anguished howl.

It’s that kind of winning intensity that will help him sidestep comparisons to Bruno Mars and fellow F1 concert performers Maroon 5, while auguring well for his album, set to be released next year.

Peggy Gou performs at the F1 concert at Etihad Park in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Capping off the double bill is Peggy Gou. Making her name in dance citadels such as Berlin nightclub Berghain, the South Korean DJ and producer is at ease performing on massive stages.

Her set crosses various rhythm-driven soundscapes, from propulsive techno beats and Latin percussion to manic jungle loops. While her refreshing takes on Dom Dolla's Miracle Maker and Masters at Work's Work were a treat, the true highlights were her own anthems. These included the pulsating (It Goes Like) Nanana, with its wormy synth hook, and the house-techno fusion of Starry Night.

Backed by 1990s-inspired visual motifs – from chrome-coloured designs to Tamagotchis – Gou shows why her deft nods to the past have cemented her place as one of dance music's future stars.

The Abu Dhabi F1 After-Race Concert series continues with pop group Maroon 5 on Friday, hip-hop star Eminem the following day, and concludes on Sunday with British rockers Muse. Access to all concerts is exclusive to Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix ticket holders.