Rapper/singer Shygirl took over Glasgow University’s Queen Margaret Union (QMU) on Monday, December 4 for the first and only Scottish date of her Nymph World Tour. The concert was an eclectic blend of poppier tracks from Shygirl’s most recent LP, Nymph, and the grimy, hedonistic sound of earlier EP Alias, all mixed together with a selection of standalone singles.
Since debuting in 2018 with hip-hop EP Cruel Practice – a dark, industrial record that, honestly, sounds better the gayer you get – Shygirl’s sound has become increasingly mainstream, but her sex-positive lyrics have always remained a staple. Stepping onto the stage draped in red, Shygirl’s look oozed sex appeal and perfectly complemented her raunchy musical stylings.
Shygirl surprised the crowd with her musical experimentation: the singer blended songs together throughout the concert and interloped lyrics from popular older songs, repackaging them into a fresher sound. At one point she worked lyrics from Madonna’s 2000s country anthem Don’t Tell Me into the sea shanty-esque chorus of Shlut, driving the audience crazy with the combination.
Shygirl’s glossy, hyper-feminine stage presence almost renders her untouchable while onstage, but her genuine love for her Glaswegian fans quickly became evident in her ongoing banter with the audience – she feels more like a friend than a star. At one point, she proclaimed that “there would be no Shygirl without Glasgow” before dedicating Heaven, a radio-ready pop song off her most recent album, to the crowd.
The climax of the night was Shygirl’s 1-2 punch of Freak and Slime. Both from Alias, Freak is easily Shygirl’s most hyper-sexual song. Sang live, she almost satirizes extreme sexuality by moaning wildly and asking the audience to join her. Once the track finished, Shygirl hardly gave her crowd any room to breathe as she flipped instantly onto next track, Slime, which was produced by the iconic SOPHIE. Seeing this live was both impressive and intimidating, as Shygirl growls the lyrics “she’s for the streets” over a pulsating beat.
Shygirl’s tracks tend to be short-but-sweet, and her formula translates well into live performance. Songs did not outstay their welcome, with slower tracks like Honey giving the audience a much-needed cooldown from the feral club bangers that were playing all night long, but the short runtime of each song meant all stayed on their feet.
The shorter song length also made it easier for Shygirl to mix two songs together at a time. A highlight of the gig was when the singer mixed Tasty and Siren from 2020’s Alias. Just when the crowd thought the bouncy bassline of Tasty had finished, Siren’s hypnotic chorus kicked in, reaching euphoric levels as she sampled the instantly recognisable guitar hook from 90’s club classic 9PM (Till I Come).
At times it felt like there was too much attention paid to songs from Nymph and Alias, but she did not completely ignore 2019’s BB; her first truly popular single. Sega Bodega’s steely production and repetitive vocal sampling was incredible to hear live and the crowd absolutely lived by the song’s boastful mantra of radical self-love: “Only one winner in this bitch and I win everything.” Shygirl has said that the song is about “finding the good in your bad traits” and this rowdy crowd took that at face-value.
After finishing the show’s first hour with newest song Thicc, Shygirl faked an exit from the stage, only to return for the encore with a selection of fan-favourite songs like the catchy Nike, a song built upon Shygirl’s erotic slant on the famous Nike slogan “Just Do It”. The song’s chorus almost sounds like a twisted nursery rhyme, encrusted with lyrics dedicated to sexual desire.
She also performed new song Fake, which is not released yet but sounds like a musical evolution for the singer: Shygirl finally take on techno, a genre that she has experimented with in the past but never expanded upon.
Shygirl closed the night off with 2021 non-album single BDE. Although the live version did not include the original’s feature with London rapper slowthai, Shygirl proved that she could drive an audience wild all by herself, spitting bold, hedonistic bars over one of her filthiest basslines.
For those previously unfamiliar with Shygirl’s music, the track ran the risk of sounding indistinguishable from the other oonts-oonts “yeah, I have sex” tunes she had played all night long. However, this song did a good job encapsulating what the night was all about: self-love; sexual liberty; and most importantly, losing all inhibitions to dance.
Featured Image Credit: Robbie McAvenue
Student journalist with a passion for music.
