PHOTOS: GAYLE – New York, NY – 11/10

The 19-year-old breakthrough artist GAYLE delivered a powerhouse of a show for her “scared but trying” tour stop in NYC.

The “scared but trying” tour marked her first batch of headlining shows, and she came out swinging from the start to impress a packed room at Racket NYC.

GAYLE’s lyrics made their way into a 650-person venue in New York after playing stadiums and international venues with Taylor Swift and P!nk earlier this year. Opening with her catchy “indieedgycool”, GAYLE easily proved that she has a forceful sound and captivating stage presence on her own accord: “I’m hot shit you know how it is. I’m an indie edgy cool kid.” As a Gen-Z artist launched into the spotlight from her viral Platinum-certified smash “abcdefu”, her setlist reflected her evolving sound, growing confidence and unique experience.

GAYLE is undeniably talented. Expressive, passionate and filled with teenage angst, GAYLE’s stage presence was that of an instant rockstar. She has a powerful voice that is difficult to come by, especially with young artists who launched a career post-pandemic.

GAYLE filled the room with great energy and grunge throughout the night, attesting to her confidence on stage; the go-to moves were kicking her leg up when the beat dropped and lifting her sticker-saturated guitar up in the air for some spectacular solos. She was also able to charm New York with both her style and wit. She embraced a youthful look with an upcycled handmade striped longsleeve that had the phrase “dollfaced and lonely” embroidered amongst cartoonish flowers. At one point, she pausing in between songs to take a fan’s phone and call their mother mid-concert. During “Alex”, GAYLE joked that anybody named Alex is a red flag, calling out the ex after which the song is named. The New York show was a concert that associated itself with a particular genre of indie pop that felt authentic and very much Gen-Z, but it radiated the fire of a head-banging rock show.

GAYLE spoke about her songwriting with clarity and incredible maturity. Her monologue during “god has a sense of humor” was about having hope and optimism in a pessimistic world. During the concert, GAYLE expressed how many of her new songs are meant to give herself space to grow as an artist and performer. She has already accomplished an incredible amount, but this was her first tour where she is beginning to soak in the idea that people appreciate her as an individual singer-songwriter. Moving from stadiums and international tour stops to small venues where fans are singing her song lyrics back to her was certainly a scary, yet exciting experience, but her singles like “i don’t sleep as good as i used to” and “everybody hates me” showed that she is embarking on a new journey of musical exploration, growing up and self-love.

To say that the Grammy Award nominee has had an exciting year is an understatement. GAYLE spent the first half of the year opening for Taylor Swift and P!nk, writing a song for the Barbie Movie soundtrack and collaborating with Kelly Clarkson and Lauren Spencer Smith on new hit singles. GAYLE has shown the world her fierce artistry, and her “scared but trying” tour has only just begun to showcase an epic run of new music and impressive collaborations.

It is easy to draw parallels between GAYLE and Swift’s early career. GAYLE concluded her headlining tour in Nashville, where she moved to pursue a music career like her role model Taylor Swift did– it also happened to be the same city where she was asked to open for the Eras Tour. GAYLE endured significant online hate due to “abcdefu” becoming mainstream, which got brushed off by many as too juvenile or TikTok-trendy. Swift experienced much of that treatment when she was younger but grew and persisted to become the global sensation we know her to be today.

GAYLE has a promising career ahead of her, and she is only just beginning to scratch the surface with the conclusion of this tour. She closed out the show in New York with “abcdefu”, but she proved throughout the night that she has plenty more to offer to the world.