Written and Photos by Chloe Diehl
In the recent wave of female pop stars breaking away from the corporate cookie-cutter sound to explore something gritty and avant-garde, Slayyyter has shaken everyone to their core, pushing boundaries even further than the pioneer herself, Charli XCX. No female vocalist is more raw, powerful, and dynamic than Slayyyter, and attending her concert proved it.
Slayyyter toured for her hit album, “WOR$T GIRL IN THE WORLD,” and performed her set at Houston’s White Oak Music Hall. When I asked to cover her in July, her monthly listeners had just hit 1 million. I checked her listenership the day before the concert and was astounded to see her monthly listeners had jumped to eight times what they were in July. I quickly went to Ticketmaster to check resale ticket prices. My jaw dropped when I saw the cheapest resale ticket was around $300. How did she amass so much sudden fame so quickly? Who is this unstoppable beast?
Slayyyter’s set in White Oak answered that question. Slayyyter was a force to be reckoned with, delivering an electrifying performance. The stage background featured a trashy trailer-park theme, with a mobile home, a lamppost, and weeds. Thick fog covered the stage floor, making the set feel ominous. A grunge instrumental with heavy, distorted guitar excites the audience; suddenly, a loud roar erupts as Slayyyter takes the spotlight and kicks off the concert with “DANCE…” She lures the audience in as she belts out the chorus, her hair flowing majestically behind her.
With her strong vocals, she could easily get the crowd to headbang during some thrashy sections of the set. Ironically, the crowd didn’t seem like the type to truly enjoy heavy rock and distortion. However, in her extension of “CRANK”, she got the crowd to synchronize a heavy headbang to the downbeats, jumping as the song picked up.
Slayyyter is a siren; she served three fierce looks on stage and has an impressive vocal range. She can make a gut-wrenching grunt, master a heavy metal shout, and riff melodically. Her sheer musicality set her apart from other artists. I was standing before a true star.
Slayyyter’s performance marked a historic moment for the venue. Houston crowds are widely known for being stiff and hostile, making it hard for artists to engage with the audience. No one would have guessed the crowd was from Houston, as Slayyyter easily commanded the room with her raw energy and commanding presence. No wonder she rose to fame so quickly because she is a generational talent who knows exactly how to captivate an audience.