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Sweden has produced an abundance of talented individuals ranging from Tove Lo to Lykke Li to Avicii, and so on.
Considering my family originates from Sweden, I always take great pride in artists who share the same origins. The sense of connectedness makes me root for them that much more.
On October 21, I had the pleasure to see the indie-pop artist from Sweden, Léon, perform live at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall.
Léon was born in Stockholm Sweden as Lotta Lindgren and grew up in a musical household. Her mother was a cellist and her father was a composer, giving her a jump-start in the music world.
Léon experimented with soul and hip hop music for a while, but soon found her voice as an indie-pop artist when she uploaded her first single, Tired Of Talking, onto SoundCloud in 2015.
She then began to gain well deserved popularity which lead to the release of her debut EP, Treasure, in 2015. From there Léon followed up with her second EP, For You, and in 2017 released her latest EP, Surround Me.
Her warm retro vocals pair up nicely with the three EP’s that feel right chronologically. The stories of her career to her breakups are told naturally and has a bit of a 70’s aesthetic to the sound.
After the release of Surround Me, Léon began her first North American headlining tour, where I got to watch her thrive in person.
To set the tone of the night, singer and songwriter, Wrabel, opened up the show. While staying with his piano and sipping tea in between numbers, Wrabel proved to be the best choice for the opening act. He served strong vocals and nailed those falsettos. Wrabel also made the audience laugh with his witty humor, and brought others to tears when performing his song, The Village, which pays tribute to the transgender community.
Léon appeared on stage in a gorgeous 70’s fashioned dress, and black heels, which she later took off to perform the rest of her show completely barefoot.
She immediately showed off her beautiful live vocals and proved herself to be a true performer. Her ability to command the stage and connect with the audience was satisfying to watch. Léon had a way of making nobody feel alone in the room, which is a trait that not all artists have.
Léon also showed confidence in her act and in her voice, put on a beautiful and unforgettable show, and for sure made Sweden proud.
The highlights of the night for me was watching her perform my personal favorite, I Believe In Us, where she provided raw and emotional talent, and when Léon and Wrabel came together onstage to duet Surround Me, which sparked the audience to an energetic high.
Léon and Wrabel both possess incredible talent, and if you have the chance to see either of them live, I encourage you to do so.
[all photos were taken by me on 10/21/17 in Chicago]
My name is Tara and I put out articles for UIC Radio every Thursday. I’m a communication and professional writing major at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and I almost set my apartment on fire trying to cook rice today. If you want to keep up with my saucy life you can follow me here:
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