Review: Shygirl Radiates at Thalia Hall
English rapper Blane Muise, better known on stage as Shygirl, brought the storm with her on the Nymph World Tour (Part 1) last Friday night. The possibility of severe weather rolling in was not going to stop me from attending the first night of two sold out shows at Thalia Hall. Although she has been making music since 2016, Shygirl’s debut album, Nymph, only came out last September and it’s taking over the world. I have to admit I’m a fresh fan of hers and I have been bumping Nymph on a constant loop for the past month, so excited was in fact an understatement for how eager I was for the show.
As they drew open the curtain to reveal the stage, a mirror towered over the stage and towards the audience. The lights went down and Shygirl emerged on stage wearing a bodysuit and her hair down with fans blowing through her flowy locks. She had among one of the most unique and creative stage designs of any artist I’ve experienced live, using projected visuals that were displayed on the floor which were reflected by the angled mirror; creating the illusion of a screen that complemented Shygirl’s artistry perfectly. Shygirl radiated confidence the moment she took the limelight, opening with Nymph’s respective opening track “Woe” the crowd instantly began dancing and went wild. I could tell her fanbase (myself included) are music aficionados, from thoughtfully tailored concert outfits to the passion they exuded throughout the night; Shygirl has already cultivated a devoted crowd for her shows.
One of my all time favorite perks of artists touring their debut is that you get to hear pretty much most if not a complete live playthrough of the record, and Shygirl did not come short of that for her fans. Early in her set she played her hit “Heaven” and it seemed like everybody in the room was singing every word to it. She also performed “Firefly,” another notable single from Nymph. As she was preparing to perform her sensual and acclaimed single “Shlut,” Shygirl laid down on the floor towards the mirror. When the lights went up, her body reflected off the mirror making it appear as if she were floating to the audience and she sang and choreographed the entire song from the ground. Making my jaw drop I had no idea Thalia Hall was in for such a treat both visually and musically.
Shygirl concluded her set with “Cleo” and “Wildfire” before coming back out for an encore which included “Nike” and my personal favorite of hers, “BB.” The glitchy sound effects on this track are particularly attractive to my ears along with the vigor in Shygirl’s voice, it makes for the perfect track to have stuck on repeat. The entire show was an absolute dopamine high with Shygirl constantly surprising me and her fans throughout the night; I left the venue speechless and yet wanting to experience it all over again.
Shygirl has established her artistry and her brand in the music world and we’re all here to eat it up. With a solid debut under her wing and having already collaborated with huge names such as Björk, FKA Twigs, and Tinashe, Shygirl is ahead of the game and I cannot wait to see how much more she grows and establishes herself as an artist.
