A Dreamy Night at Metro with Tirzah

^{Article and photos by Alejandra Rodriguez}

With only a single white light to illuminate her, Tirzah cooly waltzed onto the Metro stage to the roaring applause of her equally effortless audience. An ambient sound began to trickle through the speakers, as pensive, charged synths overtook the intimate space. Audience members closed their eyes as the speakers roared louder and louder, coming to a head as Tirzah finally took to the microphone, her voice beautifully slicing through the charged air. 

Hailing from Essex, England, the singer-songwriter has been making music with collaborator Mica Levi since 2013. Her EP, I’m Not Dancing established her signature combination of heartfelt, melodramatic lyrics mixed with danceable beats that could be heard at the likes of a Boiler Room event. Tirzah has since released three solo albums on the Domino record label. Chicago was the last night of her string of North American shows, where she has been performing her latest album, trip9love. 

Opener Coby Sey set the perfect tone for Tirzah. He began with Etym, a spoken word poem that quickly turned into a dreamy, haunting song that he orchestrated through a loop machine, his raw voice being his greatest instrument amidst the synths and clarity of strings. He sang with such conviction and persuasion and his lyricism urged that he did not make music by choice, but because he needed to. He transitioned from soft and eerie soul to a few rap songs, in which he had the audience clap along to the beat. His songs were of heartbreak, loss of self, and societal critiques — including a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, all to the applause and support of the audience. 

Coby Sey also was on stage during Tirzah’s set, where he handled all instrumentals. The two performed the perfect mix of slow songs, with eyes closed and a sway that was shared amongst the artist and fans. They were quickly followed by danceable yet soulful numbers, like No Limit, where the beat drop ignited a collective dance amongst the crowd — not a body was still. As u all the time played its first echoed chords, two friends at the barricade turned to each other, locked hands, and promptly began to yell the lyrics. 

It wasn’t just them that seemed enthused, her music was impactful and resonant. Tirzah’s voice is incredibly pure, with every breath into the Metro mic sounding exactly like the studio recording. Her show was memorable, paced perfectly, and her profound lyrics were cleverly snuck into ethereal sounds and rhythmic jams. trip9love, amongst Tirzah’s other works, are available now on streaming platforms. 

Listen to Tirzah on Spotify below!