Foxes @ The O2 Academy, Oxford

It’s not hard to see why so many people are getting excited about Louisa Rose Allen.

The Southampton-born singer, who trades under the suitably Vulpine sobriquet Foxes, looks every inch a star — with the looks and charisma to match. And her slick show in the intimate surroundings of the O2 Academy’s old upstairs Zodiac Room had the production values of a stadium show. Yes, this girl may be playing for a modest crowd on the Cowley Road, but she has also played Vegas — and it shows.

Wearing a white, figure- hugging two-piece, knee-length stockings and swigging from a bottle of mineral water, she oozed confident cool as she emerging on to a stage illuminated with her stage name — and launched into an upbeat set of tight electro-pop, pausing, endearingly, only to introduce herself... as if we didn’t know.

Though accompanied only by a skeleton staff of drummer and keyboard player, the show is kinetic, with our heroine punching the air and leaving the microphone stand to spin and reel around the stage.

The show is, of course, a vehicle for her album Glorious, and starts with album opener Talking to Ghosts, followed by White Coats (“I think we all like to go mad” she jokes) and Night Owls Early Birds.

Then comes a song she says is about her moving away – Youth; one about “rebelling for your dreams”, Echo; and one about not giving up — the album’s title track Glorious.

She sparks energy and cheerfulness and we are soon eating out of her hand. “This is an acoustic cover that you might know,” she says, bringing the tempo down with a soulful mash-up of Drake’s Hold On We’re Going Home and Eminem and Rihanna’s The Monster. It’s fragile, emotional and beautiful.

Then it’s back to the album for Shaking Heads. “Listen to mum in this song!” she says excitedly — throwing a sample of Mrs Foxes’ voice into the tune — to Louisa’s obvious delight. And why not? Bless!

Then it’s the one we’ve been waiting for: Let Go for Tonight — which has entered the charts at Number Seven. It’s a big unthreatening slab of soulful power pop and Louisa is all over its highs and lows, louds and quiets, with vocal dexterity.

“You guys have done something amazing...” she says breathlessly as she tells us about her chart success, adding: “It’s every girl’s dream!”

Though the three-piece then disappear from the stage, there’s unfinished business — resolved with an encore. After a stripped-down version of last summer’s single, Beauty Queen (“This is a song about beauty, whatever that is...”), she finishes with the tune which has made her the rising star we now see before us — Clarity. The song, a collaboration with electro-house producer and Lady Gaga-collaborator Zedd (Anton Zaslavski), has also assured her success on the other side of the Atlantic, hitting the Top 10 in America’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. And it’s a sing-along scorcher, her voice dripping with emotion over a gentle piano backing.

It’s all neat, tidy and polished, but undoubtedly accomplished. As if we needed reminding, Foxes is way more than a pretty face. And while she’ll certainly be back, it certainly won’t be in a space as cosy as this.