On Monday night, Cuban-American singer Isabel LaRosa returned to Montreal for a sold-out show at Studio TD as part of her PSYCHOPOMP TOUR, supporting the release of her debut studio album Raven. Her alt-pop tunes, reminiscent of Lana Del Rey, Tate McRae, and Nessa Barrett, blasted through the ears of the 600+ people in the audience. You could tell Montreal had been waiting for this one—by the time I arrived, around two hours before LaRosa was scheduled to take the stage, the venue was already packed.
The first act was Thomas LaRosa, Isabel’s older brother. The siblings share a very creative relationship, with music being a central part of their lives. Thomas has helped Isabel produce most of her songs—think Billie Eilish and Finneas vibes. Now venturing into solo music, his set was short and sweet but definitely won over the hardcore fans—many of whom knew him from performing with Isabel. Black jeans, no shirt, playing guitar and backed by synth-heavy tracks, his sound reminded me of emerging artists from L.A. like Hayden Henderson and Emei.
Next up was San Francisco-based Mercer Henderson, making her Montreal debut. Her melodic tunes and stripped-down beats reminded me of Gracie Abrams, but with upbeat choruses that edged closer to Carly Rae Jepsen or Taylor Swift. By the time she began her set, the sold-out crowd had fully assembled. Mercer was clearly overwhelmed by the love from the Montreal crowd, calling it her favourite so far on the tour.
A personal highlight was when she played “Don’t Wake Me Up,” an acoustic track from her debut EP Not Really Strangers, and the crowd lit up the venue with their phones as she strummed the melodic chords with a huge smile. She wrapped up her set with one of her biggest hits, “Almost, So Close, Maybe,” which was the perfect way to warm up the crowd for Isabel LaRosa. I wouldn’t be surprised if Mercer returns to Montreal as a headliner in the near future—I’m definitely excited to see what she does next.
Around 8:20, it was finally time for the rising star to take the stage. Synths flooded the venue, and as a pool of red light illuminated the centre stage, Isabel LaRosa emerged from a wall of smoke. The deafening cheers of the sold-out crowd made me think, “Well… these earplugs are paying for themselves.” The young crowd went wild from the very first moment of the set—the loudest crowd I’ve ever experienced at a venue this size, by far.
Isabel kicked off the performance with her 2023 single “Older,” a song about outgrowing someone in a relationship and wanting something more. She followed with “Pretty Boy,” a fast-paced fan favourite. Throughout the song, she would count to three before the bass drop, and every single soul in the crowd would start jumping. The combination of the crowd’s energy and the booming bass made the room shake like a club at 2 a.m. on a Saturday. The audience clearly didn’t care that it was a Monday night—they were ready to party.
Isabel continued her set with “Heartbeat,” “Without You,” and her latest single, “Help.” Throughout the night, she didn’t shy away from paying homage to artists who shaped her career. She covered “BABYDOLL” by Ari Abdul and followed it with “House of Balloons” by The Weeknd. As the night neared its end, she played some of her biggest hits, like “Favorite,” which has amassed nearly 300 million streams.
To finish her massive set, which surpassed the 20-song mark, she ended with the song that catapulted her into mainstream stardom, “i’m yours.” Before exiting the stage, she thanked her fans for their support, for selling out the venue, and for listening to her music.
It was a night full of upbeat songs, most of which explored themes of heartbreak—both with lovers and friends. These are the central themes of Isabel LaRosa’s music. After all, if you’re going to talk about sad things and bad relationships, you might as well have a blast doing it and take your Montreal fans along for the ride.
Review & photos – Andres Amaya
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