“We are back, Luxembourg! We’ve been coming here since 2008, I don’t even know how many times we’ve come to play,” said Ryan Tedder, singer and leader of OneRepublic. In reality, the American pop group was stopping off for the eighth time in the Grand Duchy on Thursday evening. The love story continued, as nearly 5,000 fans made the trip to the Rockhal. This return had a particular flavor, Tedder admitting to having burned out in 2017 after ten years on the road.

Black cap screwed on the head and white T-shirt, in the middle of his musicians and in the heart of a rather sober scenography, overhung by three screens, Ryan Tedder is not the type to play the superstars. However, he is the chief artificer of this real tube machine that is OneRepublic. The highlights of the Colorado band’s discography were of course there, from “Secrets” to “Counting Stars”, via “Apologize”, a hit concocted with Timbaland.

In parallel with his group, Ryan Tedder has composed songs for the biggest stars, from Adele to Taylor Swift via Katy Perry or Beyoncé. No wonder the 43-year-old artist is covering the hit he co-produced for Queen B, “Halo”. OneRepublic’s latest album is called “Human”. It is dedicated to the human being, his flaws and the hope that carries him. Hope and positive energy was what defined the pop stars’ Thursday night show.