Canadian singer-songwriter, Lights, lit up the Bowery Ballroom stage in New York City on June 5th as part of her (A)LIVE AGAIN tour, delivering an electrifying set that blended her synth-pop roots with raw, emotional depth. The sold-out show came on the heels of her latest album, A6, released just days earlier. Entirely written and produced by the artist herself, the record marks one of her most personal to date and the live performance reflected that vulnerability and vision in full force.
Opening up the night was none other than KiNG MALA, a Los Angeles-based alternative pop artist known for her experimental, cinematic, and dark-pop sound. The energy throughout the room buzzed with unexpected excitement as the audience prepared for the set to begin, lights dimmed low until the opening act was revealed.
KiNG MALA slowly introduced fans to her world with her opening song “POSESSION.” Her raw and husky vocals echoed through the venue, balancing grit with vulnerability. KiNG MALA’s set took the audience on a journey through a dark and enchanted forest, featuring tracks such as “SALVATON::VIOLATION,” “THE GRAND DECAY,” “GARDEN,” and “LITTLE DEATH,” all pulled from her latest album, And You Who Drowned in Grief of a Golden Thing.
The forty-five minute set allowed fans, new and old, to venture into the depths of her mind musically. Behind the moodiness of each track, KiNG MALA showcased herself as a bubbly and energetic artist happy to be sharing her music on the stage. KiNG MALA closed out her set with “ODE TO A BLACKHOLE,” a slow-burning finale that brought listeners to the exit of her world, leaving the audience behind to reflect on the journey just taken.
With the opening set complete, the night turned to the headliner, Lights, who was ready to showcase a new side of herself through a fresh sound still grounded in her roots. Starting with synth-pop that felt plucked from a digital dreamscape, Lights has built a genre-crossing sound that moves between brooding alt-pop, smooth R&B, and raw acoustic cuts, while still holding onto the electronic core that shaped her early work. For longtime listeners who grew up with Lights’ early work, her recent shift in sound invited both curiosity and anticipation.
The synthetic chords of “Day Two” echoed through the venue, causing fans to erupt with cheers as the night moved into its final chapter. While “Day Two” is the final track on Lights’ new album, A6, opening with it established the atmospheric tone for the rest of the set. Lights followed with another track from A6, “Damage,” shifting the energy forward and picking up the pace.
Weaving in parts of her past alongside her new tracks from A6, Lights led the crowd down memory lane, leaning into the nostalgia with longtime favorites like “Okay Okay,” “Running with the Boys,” and “Siberia,” along with a medley from her debut that included “The Last Thing on Your Mind,” “February Air,” and “The Listening.“
As the set wound down, Lights returned to newer tracks like “Grip” and “Piranha” to close out the night. The energy shifted like a pendulum, moving from electro-pop to pop-rock, showcasing different facets of her music while reminding the audience that she’s always stayed close to the core sound that brought her here.
As the stage went dark for what fans assumed was the last time, they began chanting her name, and soon “Lights” echoed through the venue. Giving the crowd exactly what they hoped for, she returned for a two-song encore, closing the night with “Love Me” and “Alive Again.” Her upbeat personality and energetic stage presence kept the crowd dancing, even as some began making their way out during the final chords of “Alive Again.” It was a fitting close to the night, landing on a track that brought the room back to life one last time.
Both KiNG MALA and Lights put on an amazing performance, immersing fans in their artistry through their music and stage. The two carried their fans through a musical landscape which highlighted the journey both women have gone on to be on that stage. These two women dominated the stage, making sure they commanded the room and kept energy high at all times. If you’re ever able to catch either KiNG MALA or Lights on tour, make sure to do it.
