Strobe lights flashed, the music crescendoed, and people migrated back toward the front of the room. Band members took the stage slowly, one by one, and the crowd cheered even louder.
Such was the anticipation of MØ.
Two Fridays ago, one of Philadelphia’s most popular venues (and my personal favorite), Union Transfer, had the pleasure of hosting the 25 year old Danish electro-pop artist (real name: Karen Marie Ørsted). Her debut album, No Mythologies to Follow, was released earlier this year and she has been touring internationally since then.
With only three U.S. shows preceding Philadelphia, MØ’s return tour to North America was just getting started, and the energy was high. Ørsted took the stage with her signature high ponytail and a pair of high waisted Everlast pants. Lightning strikes and trippy visuals flashed behind her as she started off with “Maiden” and “Fire Rides.”
No song was underwhelming and no song lost my attention. She effortlessly sang through the anthemic Diplo-produced track, “XXX 88” and slowed it down a bit with “Slow Love.”
At one point, Ørsted jumped into the crowd mid-song. Everyone around me was engaged with her; dancing, bobbing their heads, singing out loud. Seeing an artist that was so interactive with their audience was refreshing.
Ørsted continued with the popular “Walk This Way”, her arms, hips, and head hitting every beat. She got down to eye-level with the audience and then quickly jumped up onto high platforms and all around the stage. Even with all of that energy, her voice never faltered. She power-housed through every song.
When Ørsted’s cover of the Spice Girls’ Say You’ll Be There started, there wasn’t a single guy or girl in Union Transfer that wasn’t dancing. She has described her musical influences to be everything from the Spice Girls to punk to hip-hop and rap. Her live performance made these influences even more apparent. The heavy genre-layering, paired with the rawness and realness of her voice created a captivating performance.
“Don’t Wanna Dance” closed her set and it was clear that the crowd could’ve handled a couple more songs.
My final thoughts?
No Mythologies to Follow is a fun listen; the catchy 808s, the ever-present synths, and MØ’s unique voice all help make the album what it is. But actually SEEING MØ live is an entirely different story. You can’t help but dance, sing, and smile. And you definitely can’t help but appreciate her music even more.
Photos by: Jeff Albertini