Almost exactly one year after her first time playing in Amsterdam, Cloudy June played her sold-out show at Bitterzoet on March 12th. As support for her “We’re All Mad Here” Tour, she brought American artist KiNG MALA: what a promising combination.
At 8 pm, KiNG MALA kicked off the evening. While only having a 20-minute set at this show, she made the absolute best of the short time given. Most people in the room had clearly heard at least a few songs of hers before, as the crowd sang along loud enough for outsiders to believe she was the headline; it was King Mala’s first time playing in the Netherlands and the crowd welcomed her with open arms. With songs like ‘she calls me daddy’ and ‘martyr’, she got the crowd dancing and singing along. In between songs she repeatedly expressed her gratitude for people showing up for her set. During the performance, she gave her songs all the power they needed, even those in the crowd that did not know her music prior to the show were inevitably captivated by her energy.
After a short break of only ten minutes, it was time for the main act. During a short intro, her live band worked their magic to excite the crowd even more, before Cloudy June stepped on stage. She opened with ‘Red Flag’, one of her latest singles that was released in October 2023 and the crowd did not hold back on singing along. Her set showcased the best of her songs, blending old with new, where emotions and nostalgia intertwined with happiness and confidence.
“We will dance, we will laugh, we might cry”, the artist announced after the first two songs, and she kept her word. Songs like ‘DNA’ and ‘Mommy Issues’ created an amazing energy, empowering especially young women to be confident. During a more emotional part of the set, however, she also opened up about a more difficult time of her life with songs like ‘Love Under The Influence’.
Two of many highlights during the show were the unreleased songs she played: ‘Crazy Woman’, a song about men making women believe their concerns and emotions are invalid, and ‘Sad Girl Era’, dealing with letting go of the emotional baggage of the past. Sticking to her tradition of covering a banger from the 2000’s, Cloudy June this time played a cover of Miley Cyrus’ ‘Party In The USA’ for which her band had prepared a little choreography to entertain the crowd during the bridge of the song.
The energy at this gig was even more powerful than the line-up suggested, it was an evening full of good vibes, confidence, and queer and female empowerment that everyone should get to experience.
