Emlyn, a 25-year-old Los Angeles-based artist who described her artistic style as “grunge pop,” released her debut album “loneliest b!tch in america” on June 10. This album followed last June’s release of her debut EP “confessions of a drama queen.” 

Two weeks after the release, on June 29, she performed at the Mercury Lounge live music bar on the Lower East Side for her first American headlining show, with Aria Lisslo opening for her. 

Emlyn’s set included songs from both her EP and debut album, and her enthusiastic audience sang along with clear familiarity. 

Many of her songs are break-up songs that encourage a high-energy performance. Emlyn’s relationship with her fans, as well as the joy she takes from performing, were easy to see as she spoke with fans throughout the set and filmed a TikTok with the audience.

TikTok has been integral to how Emlyn engages with her fans, and she has posted teasers for many of her songs on her account, @emlyn_music. Additionally, she posts reaction videos, song release notifications and life updates for her 475.3k followers to see. 

The first song of her set was “plot line,” a single released in 2021, and the song’s energetic and fun beat set the tone for the show as the audience screamed the lyrics with her. The lively accompaniment from her fans extended beyond just her dynamic, faster-paced songs. 

When Emlyn performed “change for me,” a song about mourning and coming to terms with how someone was unwilling to grow into someone with whom she could have a healthy relationship, she requested that the crowd sit or crouch down with her as she sang. For the duration of her song, people stayed down as they listened, sang along, and took videos and pictures. The diversity in her content was shown throughout her performance.

The four songs from her album that she previously released as singles and her EP have established her recognizable style, both in sound and lyrical content. 

Emlyn’s lyrics are frequently focused on failed relationships and calling out her ex-boyfriends. She claims that she only has one “love song,” and although she performed it, it isn’t from her debut album. The song in question, “a thousand parties,” was the second track on her EP and is about being willing to go outside of your comfort zone if it means being with someone. 

Her emotionally charged performance included the four songs Lisslo has released as singles that are available for streaming, as well as several unreleased songs.

Almost all of “loneliest b!tch in america” has a more frustrated tone directed at past relationships. However, the songs include self-empowering lyrics about how she refuses to be used and stay in an unequal relationship. 

Aria Lisslo, an 18-year-old graduate of Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts located only five blocks north of Fordham Lincoln Center’s campus, performed her first live show opening for Emlyn. She is also a pop artist with multiple songs about relationships, but she has a noticeable R&B influence as opposed to Emlyn’s rock roots. 

Her emotionally charged performance included the four songs Lisslo has released as singles that are available for streaming, as well as several unreleased songs. She was accompanied by Dave Levy and FKAjazz. 

Lisslo stayed in the venue after the show ended to speak and take pictures with fans. She was friendly and excited to talk with the people who approached her, happy to connect with people through her music.

Both Emlyn and Lisslo’s passionate performances kept fans engaged, and they talked to the crowd throughout their sets. Their personable attitudes and dynamic lyrical and narrative styles made for a cohesive, entertaining show.

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ALYSSA DAUGHDRILL