Danish electric dance darling MØ brought her Prologue Tour to the El Rey on September 18. The tour was just two dates, the other show being in Brooklyn a week before, and in anticipation of her upcoming release on October 19. Forever Neverland will be just her second studio album. This may come as a surprise, for her setlist was packed with songs more than familiar with pop radio. Even if they weren’t technically hits, the crowd sure acted that way.

“Los Angeles! How are you all tonight? I’m so happy to see you,” MØ greeted the El Rey following “Roots.” It was one of many moments of expressions of gratitude. She wore all black: a loose long sleeve, Doc Martens and biker shorts. Such an outfit definitely allowed for maximum movement; she constantly bounded about the stage, shimmying her body to each and every synth beat.

MØ didn’t stop much to chat. She occasionally would yell “Los Angeles!” and mentioned the evening was for celebrating her upcoming album. This allowed her to get through a 17-song set with ease. She sang some favorites, such as “Nights with You” and “Kamikaze,” and new releases, including “Sun in Our Eyes” and “Nostalgia.” After “When I Was Young,” MØ reflected, “Alright! This song is called ‘Pilgrim.’ It’s the song that launched my career… I wrote this song in 2012.” After thanking the crowd, she mentioned the new album “is actually kind of inspired by Los Angeles.”

MØ did find time to mellow out, relatively. “Now I’m going to ask if you guys will sing a song with me. It’s that time.” She leaned over to the keyboard player for a word and realized her mistake. “Oh fuck! It’s actually not the time.” It was in fact time for “Mercy,” another track from Forever Neverland. MØ eventually got to “that time.” She sang a stripped down version of her song with Justin Bieber and Major Lazer. The song was condensed, coming to an end quickly, as was the relaxed part of the set. MØ then said, “This song means the world to me so I hope you’re up for dancing.” They were, as evidenced by that they were able to sing the song, “Lean On,” sans-MØ.

MØ returned to the stage for an encore of “Don’t Leave” and “Final Song.” Though the El Rey was packed, it was intimate the way she interacted with the audience. MØ was just as thrilled to dance to her songs as the audience. She is a small but mighty force and knows the power in pairing feel-good beats with honest words. Their energy radiated off of one another, fueling a dance party of kinetic harmony. Toward the end, MØ jumped down into the audience, beaming. She shared a final moment of unwavering happiness in close quarters and then returned to the stage: “Thank you so much for coming out!”

Set List

1. Roots
2. Nights With You
3. Slow Love
4. Kamikaze
5. Sun in Our Eyes
6. Turn My Heart to Stone
7. Nostalgia
8. When I Was Young
9. Pilgrim
10. New Song
11. Mercy
12. Get It Right
13. Way Down
14. Cold Water (acoustic)
15. Lean On

Encore

1. Don’t Leave
2. Final Song

Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado