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Brighton Music Hall was full last Friday night. It was the kind of crowd that gathers when people know they are catching an artist just before everything gets much bigger. Sydney Rose has gone Gold recently for her hit, “We Hug Now” – check out our interview with her from just a few weeks back here – but she still feels like an artist on the verge of her big break. Her Boston stop showed why that’s likely coming much sooner than anyone could have anticipated. 

Opener Jayla Kai set the tone early with a warm and confident set that immediately connected with the room. When she launched into a call and response on her song “I Do,” the entire venue answered, including the people tucked away in the back pool room. Her cover of “Dancing On My Own” turned into a full sing-along. At one point, she told everyone to be silly with the person next to them, and the crowd broke into hugs, compliments, and easy laughter. It was an unusually engaged opener set and a sign of how locked in the room already was.

photos by Alex Santos

Sydney Rose walked onstage feeling slightly under the weather and joked about someone offering her DayQuil from the crowd. Once she started singing, though, you’d never have been able to tell she was feeling ill. She began with several fan favorites and moved to the piano four songs in, settling into the emotional core of the night. Her voice carried the same soft intensity that draws comparisons to Gracie Abrams and Lizzy McAlpine, although Sydney is carving her own voice out in the genre. 

The crowd knew every word, and the night was full of special moments. “Before & After You” created one of the strongest moments of the night, with people literally holding on to each other during the chorus. “Briston” landed with the same force, and the line “Just don’t let me ruin good things for you” came out of the audience like a collective scream. Someone brought a banner with Pedro Pascal’s face and “First Boston Headline” printed underneath. Sydney waved it above her head and laughed as the crowd cheered.

photos by Alex Santos

The setlist moved through several corners of her catalog, including songs from the I Know What I Want era, her breakout singles, two unreleased tracks, and a soft cover of Phoebe Bridgers’ “Moon Song.” Tracks like “Dogs I Pass on the Street,” “Charlie,” and “We Hug Now” showed exactly why she has built such a loyal following. The room was filled with people singing with their eyes closed, holding hands, and leaning into strangers the way her music often encourages. The sense of community she once talked about building online was fully alive in the room.

Sydney closed with “Dreams,” another unreleased song that hinted at what her next chapter may sound like. If this show was any indication, the days of playing rooms this small are numbered. Last Friday, Brighton Music Hall got the kind of early moment fans will reference years from now when they say they saw her before she jumped to the next level.

Follow Sydney Rose: Website | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | YouTube