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The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Your School. Your Paper. Since 1936.

The Suffolk Journal

Pop singer Rachel Grae plays ‘emotional rollercoaster’ set at Boston’s Red Room

Pop+singer+Rachel+Grae+plays+%E2%80%98emotional+rollercoaster%E2%80%99+set+at+Boston%E2%80%99s+Red+Room
Elise Coelho

New York-based rising star Rachel Grae opened her heart at Cafe 939’s Red Room on Dec. 3. Grae, who describes her music as “a page ripped out of a diary,” performed her singles and some unreleased songs.

Tom Siletto opened the show with a soft, indie pop set that hyped the audience. His latest single, “place and time,” and a cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream,” were some songs that entertained the crowd and made them sing out loud. 

With fantastic vocals and poetic lyrics, Siletto’s set left people well-prepared for the main attraction. The young artist has the voice and the potential to become a sensation. 

Rachel Grae warned the crowd as soon as she stepped onto the stage. 

“This set list is an emotional rollercoaster,” said the singer-songwriter. 

Grae’s songs shifted from romantic and emotional to songs about crappy exes and friends. In the midst of ups and downs, she maintained the audience’s interest and left them wanting more songs by the end of the show. 

Grae’s good energy and optimism are easily highlighted when she is on stage. But what makes the young singer stand out are her vocals and her ability to communicate through her music. 

When asked who inspired her the most at the beginning of her career, Grae mentioned Adele. Grae has the depth in her voice and lyrics that Adele also has. Yet, her music resembles Olivia Rodrigo’s and Billie Eilish’s, and “hits listeners right in the feels,” according to Biff Bam Pop! magazine. 

During the show, Grae opened her heart while telling how she wrote a song about a homeless woman she met in Los Angeles. 

“For some reason, I felt like I needed to have this conversation with her. And I think she also needed it too,” said Grae. 

The rising pop singer has more than 2.5 million streams and over 900,000 followers on social media. When her video singing “It’ll Be Okay” by Shawn Mendes to her mom went viral on Tiktok, she released a full version of the cover. It is now a famous audio on the platform, used by more than 100k users. 

When Grae performed “It’ll Be Okay,” the words seemed to be pouring out of her soul. And combining that with precise and strong vocals, the live performance was an angelic moment. 

While Grae was singing the slow deep “Outsider,” fans held up lights while vibing with the melody. The young artist played the piano while singing and got emotional after the number. She thanked her fanbase, which she adorably calls ‘friend-base.’

The singer performed her latest single, “Colorblind,” and explained that the song was about being scared of  ‘things being too good in a talking stage [of a relationship].’ Bostonians were excited to see Grae perform in Boston for the first time. The crowd was vibing and singing with her. 

Grae had a good stage presence, always made direct eye contact and interacted with the crowd. She felt comfortable enough to pour her heart out in emotional songs and shake it off when singing about friends that let her down and trashy exes.

The young artist finished the show with one of her most streamed songs, “Friend Like Me,” and after the performance, she headed to the exit to meet the audience and take pictures. 

Watching Rachel Grae live was a unique experience. Her words, turned into songs, are the feelings people share. Grae and Siletto created an atmosphere full of talent, emotions and delight, and the audience was glad to be there and have a good time.

Follow Elise on Twitter @elisefacoelho

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About the Contributor
Elise Coelho, Staff Writer | she/her
Elise is a sophomore from São Paulo, Brazil. She is majoring in philosophy with a minor in journalism. She loves to read, write, listen to music and take pictures. Her favorite band is Maneskin, and most of the time you can find her at a theater watching a musical. After graduation she plans to become an author and share her stories with the world.

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Pop singer Rachel Grae plays ‘emotional rollercoaster’ set at Boston’s Red Room