Rising R&B-pop powerhouse Emmy Meli (the voice behind viral hit “I AM WOMAN”) made her first appearance in Boston last Wednesday at Somerville’s Crystal Ballroom. Joining Gen Z It-boy Alexander Stewart on “the bleeding hearts tour,” Meli showcased tracks off her newly released debut EP Hello Stranger.
In a room full of X’d out hands and reluctant parents, Emmy Meli quickly won over both sides of the crowd with her old-school vocal chops and modern, open-book approach to lyricism and performance. Joined by just her guitarist on stage, Meli captivated with stunning vocals and an engrossing stage presence, putting on a show that was bigger than the sum of their parts.
Her opening number “Aura” is a summer-ready single off of her latest project, and showcases the fun and ethereal qualities of the artist. Wearing a black corset and debuting her brand new bob, (just the night before, she cut sixteen inches off her hair), Meli’s aura shone bright and intense, as the crowd witnessed a star well on her ascent.
“All these songs I’m playing for you tonight are actually brand new songs that came out a week ago,” she stated at the start of the set, referring to her latest project that dropped on May 10th. “So you guys are some of the first crowds to ever hear them, which is really exciting.”
Effortlessly hitting each note in an Amy Winehouse-meets-Jessie Reyez vibrato, Meli’s soulful tone carried her through tracks “Happy Ending,” “Dear Little Me” and “On the Rocks” — the latter of which served as the night’s standout performance with its jazzy-inflections and mesmerizing rendition.
Exuding self-confidence and empowerment, Meli’s music preaches principles that feel like self-love mantras. Opening up about her own insecurities, she did not shy away from expressing vulnerabilities and the stories behind each song; often with her own brand of humor.
“This next song is about a dear friend of all of ours probably, called anxiety,” she introduced the R&B ballad “Silence.” Later, she disclosed that she is a Sagittarius, and after an ill-fated relationship with a Virgo, she penned the awakening diss track “Breakthrough,” apologizing to all the Virgos in the crowd (myself included, but no offense taken, Emmy).
Throughout the night, Meli’s incredible talent sent her climbing through soaring notes that stunned her captive audience. Of course, as always when an artist reaches viral success, as Meli did with TikTok-favorite “I AM WOMAN,” the crowd waited for its impending introduction. Stating that the track “is the reason I’m even here in front of you today,” she emotionally opened up about the song’s origins.
“If there’s any creatives out there who are secretly writing, making music, dancing, choreographing, painting, drawing, crocheting, making clothes, whatever it is that you do behind closed doors, waiting and hoping that somebody might hear you one day, I see you and hear you. This song is for you,” she addressed the room. “I want it to serve as a sign to start. Even though there is no handbook on how to start or where to start, just start somewhere. When I wrote this song, I was working on a golf course and a coffee shop, and I actually wrote the second verse on a napkin. I just want this song to serve as a reminder that in a society that makes us feel incredibly powerless, we as a collective can be extremely powerful. That’s what this song means to me.”
Phones lit up the room as Meli belted the inspirational track, which ended the night with the positive message. Improvising the lyric, “You got it going on Somerville,” she earned massive cheers, and surely, and ward of new, moved fans.
Taking on elements of soul, pop and even hip-hop, the 24-year-old artist is still at the beginning of her craft, yet exudes a confidence that few have at her age. After a stunning night in Boston, it is no surprise that Emmy Meli has reached the viral stardom that she has, with the promise of much more to come.
Emmy Meli online: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok | Spotify | Apple Music
PHOTO GALLERY BY: María José Torre
