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It’s dark, lively, and full of yearning in Sonia — located in the basement of Cambridge Club The Middle East — on April 17. Ambient lamp lights around the small stage flare on, a flicker of movement offstage draws viewers’ attention, and soon Sadie Jean hits the stage with “Lights On.”
This was Jean’s first performance on her first ever solo tour, although the artist previously shared the stage with rapper Rod Wave in 2023. After amassing a substantial social media following and having the hit single “WYD Now?” blow up, she set out solo.
The stage’s golden lamp lights burst with the heavy syllables “Lights On,” from her 2023 EP “Simple Like 17,” and the background lights flowed in a range from warm reds to cool purples. After setting the venue ablaze with only one song, Jean settled into the obligatory post-first song talk, thanking fans for coming out to support her. Her presence onstage was one of clear excitement and enjoyment. Taking the time to take pictures with audience members’ phones, and even two BeReals at one point, it was clear she cares about her fanbase — all while gushing over how unbelievably real her career was becoming and how her dreams were coming true.
Sadness is a recurring theme in Jean’s work, which she highlighted as she exclaimed, “Get ready to cry tonight!” before jumping into the EP’s title track, “Simple Like 17.” The song comes with a wish to turn back time to when things were, well, simple. It’s a track that signifies how growing up is hard, showcased by lyrics like, “And nothin’ will ever hurt like bein’ a lesson learned / And thinkin’ it coulda worked if we were older / But nothin’ will ever be simple like 17.”
Aging and growing were the themes of the evening, from the track titles to Jean’s expression. Fans brought paper stars to give to her during the song “16” — a nod to Jean achieving her dreams and becoming a “big star.” She took nearly every star from fans and placed them on top of the piano, stating, “I will keep them forever.”
The show was not without some subtle chaos, however, like when she introduced one of her most popular songs, “Locksmith.”
“If the song makes you think of someone, text them after the show,” Sadie said.
Perhaps some fans did, hoping to reconnect with their lost locksmiths after singing along, “No matter where we are, you still have my heart / ‘Cause I locked it, and I promise / You’re the locksmith.”
Sadie shared the stage with her guitarist, who accompanied her throughout the evening. Their jam session during “Locksmith,” one of the more upbeat songs in her discography, brought a moment of ecstasy. The moment was bittersweet, though, with the bridge emphasizing what may never be: “You’re the one that I can see me growin’ old with / Build a house, I see it now, you plant me roses / And everything we dreamed about came into focus / Here’s to hopin’.”
Jean’s previous sad songs were nothing compared to the two unreleased songs she performed — the first time they’ve ever been performed live. The first unreleased song, titled “Shut Up About It,” couldn’t ring more true for Jean. Self-aware, she sets the scene of her entire discography — all heartbreak — and she wishes could just “shut up about it.”
The second track, “I Tried,” annihilated any possibility of holding back tears. Piano-heavy and slow, it took the breath out of the room and held it with the refrain, “I could’ve been someone who loved you / But now I’m just someone who tried / And I tried.”
Without an encore, Sadie stood up from the piano and announced the final song of the evening was “WYD Now.” She explained that she would have done an encore, but said, “it feels like lying, and I’m really bad at lying.”
Before jumping into the full extent of the song, a fan’s voice broke through the crowd asking to sing it with her. Sadie welcomed them with open arms and allowed a quick run through of the chorus with the fan. The final song erupted with passion and ended with a guitar solo, echoing on lost love.
Sadie’s stage presence was soft yet powerful, her ballads about lost love relating to listeners of all ages. While yearning for the release of her newest songs, fans long for Sadie’s return, sure to be filled to the brim with shimmering tears and the sweet release of pent-up emotion.
