Shygirl Lights Up the Stage on Nymph World Tour
Having been a fan of Shygirl’s music for a few years now, I was really excited to have the opportunity to see her live. Shygirl is a U.K. based singer/rapper, songwriter and DJ. Her music is an infectious blend of club, house, and industrial hip-hop with sprinklings of hyperpop. The best way I can describe her music is with the 💅 emoji. (I have a whole Spotify playlist titled with that emoji and Shygirl’s songs make many appearances.)
I first came across Shygirl after she released her 2018 EP Cruel Practice, with my favourites from this project being “O” and “Nasty”. Her following EP, ALIAS, solidified Shygirl for me as someone to look out for, featuring slick basslines and bold production; it's sexy, feminine, and just an overall fun time. Since then, she has released numerous singles, as well as her 2022 full-length album, Nymph. Nymph builds upon her previous work, incorporating a glittery Y2K aesthetic with sounds reminiscent of 2000s R&B, contrasted against U.K. grime influences. The nods to these styles may be attributed to the multiple co-producers who collaborated with Shygirl on the project, including Sega Bodega, Danny L Harle, and BloodPop.
Before any concert that I go to, I always wonder what the crowd is going to be like—what energy they are going to bring. As soon as I stepped off the streetcar outside of the venue, I knew that I would be in for a good time. Waiting in line and seeing what everyone was wearing was honestly an experience in itself. It was a showcase of the vibrant uniqueness and creativity of today’s queer and youth culture. Shygirl had clearly attracted an audience that was just as unapologetic and expressive as her.
I started off the show on the balcony, which, in my opinion, is a highly underrated spot. It was even a good enough view for my concert buddy and fellow Rebelle team member, Estrella, who was photographing the show. The opener was a DJ named Angelita. I had not previously heard of her so I was excited to discover a new artist. She got the crowd going with a great set which featured a remix of “XXXTC” by Brooke Candy.
The venue roared when Shygirl took to the stage and opened with the lead track from Nymph, “Woe”. Bathed in blue and pink lighting, she came out wearing a white ruched dress with black lace up boots. After a few album favourites such as “Firefly” and “Nike”, Estrella and I made our way down to the floor. The energy from the crowd washed over us as we got closer to the stage. More songs from Nymph were performed such as “Heaven” and “Wildfire”, as well as one of my most-liked from the album, “Poison”, which has a groovy 90’s europop flair. Shygirl’s performance felt intimate, almost as if she were in the crowd with us, or as if we were attending a house party she was hosting. In between songs, she handed out flowers from a bouquet to audience members.
We eventually went back to a different section of the balcony. As much as I was loving the energy from the crowd, it was nice to take a little break and watch from afar. As a devout lover of ALIAS I was thrilled when “FREAK” came on. It's a song I love playing late at night in my room and absolutely vibing to it, so hearing it in a live setting was the cherry on top of an incredible experience. The last song of the night was “BDE”, which is another song that I love, and the rest of the crowd did, too. Hearing everyone passionately singing along was the perfect way to cap the show.
If you’re looking for your next favourite music artist, I recommend giving Shygirl a listen. She’s definitely an artist to watch and you won’t want to miss out when she comes to your city.
Follow Shygirl on Instagram: @0800shygirl
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