Slayyyter Owns the Stage at House of Blues with Her ‘Erotic Electronic’ Music

Mesmerizing Chicago’s House of Blues Nov. 4, electropop artist Slayyyter entranced the crowd with sensational outfit changes and high-energy performances of songs spanning her entire music career.

The show opened with pop and R&B singer BAYLI, who warmed up the crowd with both originals from her own discography and a cover of Paramore’s “The Only Exception.”

BAYLI took the stage like a catwalk, walking across the stage’s white, fluffy rug with an effortless swagger. She captivated the crowd with the low, smooth beats of songs like “foreigner” and “sushi for breakfast.”

After BAYLI’s exit, a countdown appeared on the screen backdrop and the crowd roared in delight and anticipation. Murmurs from the audience climbed into shouts as they interpreted the timer to be a reference to “Out Of Time” from Slayyyter’s Sept. release “STARFUCKER.”

Slayyyter took the stage dressed in a cropped, full-sleeve white dress with towering shoulderpads. She observed the crowd from behind her futuristic, mono-lens sunglasses with her icy blonde hair slicked back into a ponytail. 

The heavy bass of “Out Of Time” rattled the standard martini glasses perched on the side tables, the liquor splashing dangerously to the sides of the glass. Two vases of white calla lilies and orchids trembled to the vibrations of the electropop tunes. 

The martinis weren’t only for decoration, as Slayyyter took periodical sips from the cocktails throughout the show.

“My Body” continued the flow of hyperpop and ended with Slayyyter removing her sunglasses to reveal dramatic, glittering blue wings of eyeliner.

“I can’t wait to make memories with all of you,” Slayyyter said to the crowd as “Memories Of You” began to echo through the venue. Her words were nearly drowned out by the volume of the cheering that followed. 

Up next was “Touch My Body” from her self-titled debut album. The song ended with Slayyyter collapsing to her knees on the floor, head tilted upwards with the back of her hand pressed delicately against her forehead, as though she felt faint. 

Sashaying off stage, she returned moments later in a red corset matching a distressed, crimson skirt. A scarlet anthurium flower bloomed from the choker around her neck. 

Sparkling jewels danced across the screen behind her as she performed a cover of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds Are Forever.” Her vocals fought for dominance against the intensity of the crowd’s roar upon her return to stage.

Continuing the show, Slayyyter returned to “STARFUCKER” with “Miss Belladonna.” Her next song, “Dramatic,” was accompanied by a nighttime cityscape scene on the screen as cool blue lights cut through a sunny red-orange haze.

To prepare the crowd for “I Love Hollywood!” snippets of Marilyn Monroe and the Golden Age of Hollywood flashed on the screen. 

“Show me how you party like Hollywood,” Slayyyter demanded of the crowd. 

The audience seemed to take great joy in enunciating the moans that followed every iteration of the lyric, “I love Hollywood!”

Originally from Missouri, Slayyyter referred to the crowd as her kin.

“I love coming to Chicago,” Slayyyter said. “You guys are my Midwest sisters.”

Slayyyter then moved into three successive songs from her album “Troubled Paradise” — “Butterflies…,” “Troubled Paradise” and “Clouds.” She took moments to expand and effortlessly hit the high notes while the audience chanted the lyrics as back up.

Slayyyter’s crowd control continued into “Tear Me Open,” where she led the audience in waving their arms side to side as she vocalized.

“I wanna hold you here forever / Tell me if you feel the same about me / I won’t put on any pressure / I just want to be together,” Slayyyter sang.

Once again, Slayyyter exited the stage for a costume change — this time returning to perform “Erotic Electronic” in a jet black bodysuit with chains draped across her thighs and midriff. Accompanything the ensemble were matching high heeled boots and a studded black choker.

The singer promptly jumped into “James Dean,” an unreleased bonus track from “STARFUCKER.” In the middle of the performance, Slayyyter ripped the chains off her outfit and waved them in the air, swaying her hips to the tempo of the song.

“He wanna mess with my makeup / But his face kinda ugly / When I get real fucked up / He look just like James Dean,” Slayyyter sang.

Harsh beats mimicking a technological glitch with their choppy, discordant rhythm introduced “Alone” to an eager audience, followed by the similarly styled songs “Plastic” and “Purrr.”

For the final song on her setlist, Slayyyter called for screams from the audience before launching into “Daddy AF” from her first album. 

After exiting, the crowd’s demand of an encore prompted her to take the stage one last time — this time in a glittering, bejeweled bodysuit, matching gloves and a white feather fan in hand. Fittingly, Slayyyter began her encore with “Rhinestone Heart.”

“I wanted to believe in love at sight / Glitter that I cry like fallin’ stars / Take what’s on my chest and leave your mark / You just wanna wear my rhinestone heart,” Slayyyter sang.

Slayyyter then led directly into “Girl Like Me,” followed by a remixed cover of Britney Spears’ “Gimme More” — containing an identical chorus but Slayyyter’s own verses, including lyrics like “Oh me, oh my, I’m the skinniest bitch alive.”

The concert ended with a callback to the beginning of her career with her 2019 single “Mine.” Having removed her heels, Slayyyter crawled across the stage in stockinged feet, leaning her body close to the restless hands of the crowd.

Slayyyter departed the stage to cheers and a promise of “See you next time.”

Featured image by Catherine Meyer / The Phoenix