If this was a goodbye, it was a glorious one.

As I write this review from my living room table, I’m faced by a striking print of The Supremes by graphic artist Jimmy Turrell – a reworking of a real mid-60s photograph, with vibrant colours superimposed over Florence Ballard, Mary Wilson, and Diana Ross, their lips pursed and hair coiffed. Of that original lineup, only Ms. Ross remains. Now 81, and looking fabulous, she has completed another UK tour, closing with a grand finale at London’s O2 Arena.

This was a show powered by sheer legacy. It opened with a film montage charting her career milestones before the curtain lifted to reveal the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, delivering a rousing overture of Ross classics. Then, the Boss herself emerged – wearing the first of three shimmering gowns – and launched into ‘I’m Coming Out’, that indelible queer anthem. What followed was a glut of career-defining classics, sometimes truncated but helmed by the magnetic charisma that has sustained her c.65-year career.

Vocally, her feathery soprano always stood in contrast to the heavier, church-grown voices at Motown (and the wider soul music landscape). Sometimes dismissed as a weak or inferior singer, what she may have lacked in volume, power, or acrobatics she had in sensuality, tenderness, and charm.

At 81, her voice, perhaps expectedly, cannot shoulder a whole set. A Supremes medley early in the set appeared lip-synced, as did some of the high-octane uptempo numbers. But that unmistakable tone and uncanny knack for phrasing shone on performances of ‘Touch Me in the Morning’, Billie Holiday’s ‘Don’t Explain’ (a nod to her role playing Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues), and ‘Amazing Grace’, an unexpected highlight. With splendid heft from the orchestra, she belted the climax of ‘Home’ from The Wiz with aplomb. Her daughter Rhonda has clearly inherited some of her mother’s vocal powers, duetting beautifully on ‘Count on Me’ from Ms. Ross’ 2021 release Thank You.

Will this be her last touring appearance in the UK? Perhaps. It had all the hallmarks of a ‘farewell’ show – one last, triumphant outing serving up delicious nostalgia hit after hit. A euphoric ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’ – with the sumptuous orchestra, youth choir, four white hot backing vocalists, and Ms. Ross giving it their all – was the show’s highpoint. If this was a goodbye, it was a glorious one.