Girl in Red, also known as Marie Ulven, is a Norwegian singer who began her musical career in 2017. Her music has grown increasingly popular recently because her lyrics resonate with many teenagers, as they focus on the struggles of teenage life and mental health struggles. 

At sleepaway camp this past summer, I heard Girl in Red’s song, “Summer Depression,” and I was immediately hooked. After I heard the song, I instantly wrote down the name of the artist in my notebook to remember her and listen to her music once I got back home. Fast forward to the present day, and my playlist mainly consists of Girl in Red’s music. 

So when the opportunity arose for me to attend the Girl in Red’s tour, “If I could make it all go quiet,” I instantly took it. Girl in Red performed two concerts in Maryland, one in D.C. and one in Baltimore in this tour. I attended her concert in Baltimore on March 12 at a venue called Rams Head Live. 

Immediately after arriving at the venue, I noticed the diversity in the crowd. There was a mixture of adults and teenagers of all genders and ethnicities. This made me realize how the music of one artist can resonate with so many people who seem to not have anything in common. 

Once the concert started, British singer-songwriter Holly Humberstone came on stage to open. I loved the passion in her voice, as she sang while playing the piano. I especially enjoyed her performance of her song “London is Lonely” because it had a lot of emotion, it described the relationship the song was written about and it made the audience feel like they were a part of it. 

I noticed that the fans and staff at the Girl in Red concert were especially kind and genuine to one another. There was barely any pushing or fighting to get to the front of the crowd which was different from most concerts. Additionally, the staff at the concert was constantly throwing bottled water into the crowd with cups, which were shared among strangers rather than hoarded by one person. This added to the caring environment at the concert.

Girl in Red finally came on stage around 9 PM, with a powerful entrance to her hit song “You Stupid B****.” I loved how everyone in the crowd was singing along word for word, making the performance even more meaningful. 

I also enjoyed how Girl in Red paused to talk about herself, her personal life, and even conversed with some of her fans instead of going from song to song. One of the really interesting things she shared was a story about a bullet that was shot at her tour bus, and the impact it had on her. I thought it was amazing that she was able to bring such personality into the concert. 

Another powerful performance of the night was her song “Girls.” Everyone in the crowd was extremely engaged in the performance, but rather than pushing to get to the front, people were dancing. It was especially cool when Girl in Red jumped into the crowd and went crowd surfing in the middle of the song. 

During her last song, “I wanna be your girlfriend,” Girl in Red jumped into the crowd a second time and fans formed a circle around her while she sang. This exemplified her connection to her fans, a big part of the reason why her music resonates with so many. During the concert, she even talked to fans standing in the front rows and sang “Happy Birthday” to one of them.

Connecting to an artist not only through their lyrics but through performance is crucial to the success of a concert. Girl in Red’s concert not only achieved this; it made me feel more connected to her music on a personal level as well. Next time Girl in Red comes on tour, buy a ticket! It is truly the performance of a lifetime.