To a crowd of over 12,000 people last weekend, bedroom pop artist mxmtoon opened for indie trio AJR at State Farm Arena.
The singer-songwriter began learning several instruments at an early age and eventually released her first song on YouTube when she was 17. Initially, her YouTube channel and the music she created were kept secret, but the popularity that she began to see online led to her sharing the hobby with her family.
In the spring of 2018, her music went viral on TikTok, with many people connecting with the lo-fi, minimalistic sound of her songs — usually featuring a ukulele — and the soft, relatable lyrics. A year later, “Prom Dress,” the lead single off her debut album, “The Masquerade,” was met with the love of thousands of people who used the song in TikTok videos, especially throughout the COVID-19 lockdown.
Songs like “Coming of Age,” “Feelings Are Fatal,” “Seasonal Depression” and “Sad Disco” have an intimate feel to them as she sings about falling in love, struggling with self-doubt and family heritage in an endearing, vulnerable manner.
The night of the AJR show, mxmtoon was all smiles, moving around the stage as she performed, mic in hand. At other times, the mic stayed fastened to the stand to allow for the singer to bring out her signature ukulele.
In addition to her melodic voice, mxmtoon also had a bubbly and humble personality. Between songs, she spoke to the crowd as if they were her friends and not fans in a packed arena. Whether it comes from her youth or long-time presence on the internet, she had the attitude of any other person and not some big, larger-than-life rockstar, something that clearly helped her connect with the crowd.
Directly contrasting with AJR’s elaborate performance later that night, mxmtoon had minimal set and theatrics, yet her music, jokes and stage presence succeeded in keeping the crowd engaged and singing along.
At several points throughout her performance, it seemed that, despite her virality, mxmtoon had not truly realized just how many people love her music. This was most apparent when she asked the audience to turn on their flashlights and had to physically take a step back, not expecting the sheer number of lights that filled the room.
Whether playing her slower, more stripped songs or the bright, pop ones, the singer’s energy and passion never dimmed; rather, it bled into the audience, leaving them thoroughly warmed up and ready for the main act.