girl in red brilliantly rocks the Greek Theatre

The indie artist brought fall feelings and positive reflections to her latest tour.

By JASON PHAM
girl in red, a Norwegian artist known for her hits such as “bad idea!” and “i wanna be your girlfriend,” played the Greek Theatre on May 29. (Jason Pham / Daily Trojan)

On the 15th stop of her “Doing It Again” tour, girl in red delivered smooth serenades and joyful revenge songs for a revitalized comeback to her career Thursday at the Greek Theatre.

Fans and concertgoers eagerly flooded the windy streets of Griffith Park once doors opened at 6:30 p.m. Lined with vendors selling bootleg merchandise on the sidewalks, traffic crowded the streets and parking lots filled up quickly as attendees brimmed with anticipation.

Sporadic spots of red sweaters and dyed hair marched toward the security checkpoints and into their seats. The outdoor venue set the scene for a chilly yet serene setting among the Los Angeles greenery — perfectly complimenting girl in red’s autumnal and natural aesthetics.

Marie Ulven, a Norwegian singer-songwriter professionally known as girl in red, first broke into the music industry with the single “i wanna be your girlfriend” in 2016 on SoundCloud. During 2020 and the height of the coronavirus pandemic, songs such as “bad idea!” and “we fell in love in october” went viral on TikTok, skyrocketing her into the mainstream spotlight.

Now touring for her sophomore album “I’M DOING IT AGAIN BABY!,” the artist is scheduled to travel across the United States, Canada, Asia, Oceania and Europe.

For the opening act of the L.A. show, girl in red invited The Beaches, who started the night off strong with rock undertones and a passionate presence. After The Beaches’ set, Sabrina Carpenter songs and classical music played over the loudspeakers, keeping the crowd at bay as they waited patiently for the main attraction.

At nearly 9 p.m. sharp, the stage lights switched to a bright red, flooding the stadium with a warm glow and completely shifting the audience’s listening environment. Fans cheered loudly as girl in red took to the stage with an elegant pose and powerful instrumentals right off the bat.

Beginning her performance with “DOING IT AGAIN BABY,” girl in red shot out with an energetic start. Shortly after, she quickly transitioned to singing her more melancholy music with heavy guitars, such as “summer depression” and “girls.” Fans cheered, celebrating every era of music girl in red has to offer, including themes of queer relationships and mental health.

Her performances captured the vast breadth of her discography, from mournful love lyrics to upbeat pop songs and classical piano for a rollercoaster of emotions. Throughout the night, girl in red played from a red piano, complimenting her color-blocking stage setup.

In between songs, girl in red revealed the inspiration for her tour set design — a detail she felt only the L.A. audience would appreciate and not judge her for.

“This whole set design is actually inspired by my Italian design lamps that I have in my apartment,” girl in red said. “This was one of the few places I felt comfortable saying that because I sound like an asshole when I say it.”

girl in red’s consistent conversation and laughter between songs made for an intimate yet welcoming concert experience. From dedicating a song to Kristen Stewart to regaling her own bar stories, the artist was outwardly open to the audience, even signing a fan’s wedding album in the middle of the show.

“Holy fuck, marriage, huh? Best of luck, I haven’t tried it, but it’s not about me. I it’s about you. Congratulations,” girl in red said.

She signed while drawing “a pair of boobs because it’s a gay wedding album.”

The artist continued performing throughout the night, featuring new hits from her sophomore album, such as “Too Much” and “You Need Me Now?” to sprinkling fan favorites, such as “Serotonin” and “dead girl in the pool.” Throughout each song, fans went from hyped energy and jumping to sorrowful sways and mood lights, reflecting the blends of rock, pop and indie genres.

Once the clock struck 11 p.m., girl in red drew the night to a close by thanking the crowd and teasing her upcoming transition to L.A.

“Since I’m in L.A., I might get some In-N-Out or do some fucking touristy shit. I don’t know,” girl in red said. “Rumor has it she’s moving here so we don’t know. Anyways, soon I’ma be around every single coffee shop looking for y’all.”

girl in red closed out her L.A. show with a performance of “i wanna be your girlfriend” while singing in the crowd and fist-bumping fans for a fitting end to an intimate night of indie music.

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