Sky Ferreira is an enigma. The indie pop singer first rose to fame with the help of Tumblr’s heyday in 2012. Her moody, synth-forward ballads struck a chord with a generation of people who relied on the online blogging outlet to direct their teenage angst. But following her debut 2013 album Night Time, My Time, Ferreira was rarely heard from again, save for a handful of one-off singles over the years. Rumors of a new album circulate on a near-yearly basis to no avail, the most recent being sparked by her 2022 track “Don’t Forget.” So when the singer announced a handful of shows in July, it reignited the possibility of a new album in 2023. And while Ferreira continues to be elusive, her fans are anything but. They show out in droves to support the singer whether there’s a promise of new music or not.
The crowd who came out to see Ferreira perform at The Vermont in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 9 was hopeful for any hint at new music, myself included. Fans excitedly trickled into the 1,200-capacity venue, large enough to draw a big crowd but small enough to still feel intimate, ready to see an artist many had been listening to for over a decade.
True to her reputation, Ferreira made fans wait nearly 30 minutes after she was supposed to take the stage. In the meantime, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation. Maybe a little too much anticipation at times, since I was able to get a great view of a fight that broke out in the middle of the crowd as we waited. But finally, the dark stage was illuminated by dim lights as her band funneled in. Ferreira made her dramatic entrance by slowly descending a staircase onto the stage, outfitted in a black floor-length duster jacket and opaque black sunglasses. She appeared as an apparition among the dim lights and rising smoke, a fitting image to accompany her haunting music.
Quelling the screaming audience, Ferreira immediately launched into a rendition of her grungy pop hit “Boys.” She followed it with “24 Hours,” which she ended with an a-capella delivery to allow the crowd to harmonize with her. Her newest track “Don’t Forget” was next, which someone in the front was ironically filming with their Nintendo DS. Because of her relatively small discography, Ferreira was able to perform nearly every one of her songs — two covers included — and had the crowd exalted with tracks like “Heavy Metal Heart,” “Lost In My Bedroom,” and “You’re Not The One.”
Ferreira didn’t address the crowd until four songs in, when she quietly thanked everyone for coming. The one time she did interact with the crowd was also the only hint she gave about the possibility of new music. Someone in the front row yelled a question about when her album will drop. She responded with, “What? Oh, sorry,” and slightly shook her head with a laugh. I interpreted the non-answer as Ferreira’s way of saying “not any time soon.” She did end up performing the unreleased song “All My Lovers Die,” which has become a staple in her live set, but didn’t give any indication as to when (or if) it will have an official release date.
@sxoul_search I was insuferrable tonight in a most tumblr 2014 way possible
sky was amazing #skyferreira #freeskyferreira #tumblr2014
It was rare for Ferreira to speak to the crowd at all throughout the show. She never introduced her band and didn’t have an encore, instead opting to play the entire way through her set list and mumble a quiet “sorry” into the microphone when she had to restart a few songs. Ferreira did give an introduction to her 2012 EP opener “Sad Dream,” which she said she hadn’t performed live in eight years. The rendition of “Sad Dream” had her appearing visibly distressed; She walked off stage and finished the song facing the back wall. She appeared to wipe away tears from her face as fans screamed words of encouragement.
Ferreira ended the concert with her oldest (and most popular) hit “Everything Is Embarrassing,” sending the crowd home satisfied, even without the promise of new music. Walking back to my car, I overheard a group of longtime fans hypothesizing why performing “Sad Dream” made Ferreira upset. “She puts so much pressure on herself,” one of them said. The other agreed with: “She needs to know we don’t need her to be perfect!” It showed how her understanding and undemanding Ferreira’s audience is. But more than anything it was a reminder that, no matter how long it takes Ferreira to release her next album, her fans will be waiting with open arms.