Sydney, Australia isn’t exactly the epicenter of rap and hip-hop, but that hasn’t stopped The Kid LAROI from setting his sights on worldwide domination, who ever since starting out as, well, a mere kid, is surely on his way.

Now 19 but grinding since the mid-2010s with a jumpstart from Chicago’s own late JuiceWRLD, the Grammy nominee already racked up a chart-topping debut, a pair of platinum-plus records and millions upon billions of streams that have sent his stock into the stratosphere.

After selling out the entire “End Of The World” Tour in 2022, he graduated to college arenas, including an Illinois-exclusive date at the sizeable State Farm Center in Champaign for the entirely new “Bleed For You” show.

And considering it was the tail end of the latest run, The Kid LAROI wound down with a bang, giving fans not only a glimpse of his official full-length project, “The First Time,” but mounds of singles and mixtape tracks.

On an industrial looking set centered around gigantic guard dog statues, who were perched behind a barbed wire fence, the mega star in the making instantly commanded attention, alongside heartfelt authenticity to tracks such as “I Can’t Go Back To The Way It Was,” “Let Her Go” and “Diva,” all backed by a bassist, drummer and DJ.

The Kid LAROI is no stranger to rapping about real issues, including a traumatic upbringing often spent on the streets, clouded further by the tragic murder of the uncle who helped raised him and a subsequent season of poverty.

As a result, there was an underlying intensity to the unforgettable night, but with a palpable sense of optimism to move on in the face of adversity, which is probably why concertgoers seeking a solace screamed practically all of the words, especially when he got closer to everyone by standing on the security barricade during “WRONG.”

There were also examples of sheer radio domination, the paramount being the Justin Bieber collaboration “Stay,” though in this instance, it was carried out entirely by the charisma of The Kid LAROI, who made just as much out of the understated acoustic lane of “WITHOUT YOU.”

No matter it if was gritty or poppy, the headliner’s perpetual ability to connect had the State Farm Center lit like it was the last day of class, which was certainly no surprise since he’s well on the way to becoming a primary voice for this entire generation.

For additional information on The Kid Laroi, visit TheKidLaroi.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the State Farm Center include Alice Cooper (May 9); Foreigner (Oct. 22) and “The Price Is Right Live” (Oct. 25). For additional details, visit StateFarmCenter.com.

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