Saya Gray Brings Genre-Bending Artistic Ingenuity to London’s Village Underground

Japanese-Canadian artist Saya Gray brought genre-defying artistic ingenuity to London’s Village Underground for the final show of her sold-out European tour. The tour follows the success of her latest album ‘SAYA’, which was released in February this year, her music a restlessly compelling blur of uninhibited experimentation.

On Thursday night, the Shoreditch venue was transformed into an intimate cove of sonic exploration, where a tightly-packed crowd buzzed with anticipation. 

An arresting opening came from PUDDLE ( OF ME ), a strikingly delicate track from her recent album which instantly revealed the power of Gray’s live arrangements: intricate, textural, and deeply-felt. 

In a rare moment of stillness, the audience was guided through peaceful stretches and breathing exercises, inviting a warm sense of community, contemplation, and joy within the room before the set’s energy began to build.

Standout tracks from the new album followed, ‘..THUS IS WHY ( I DON’T SPRING 4 LOVE )’ and ‘SHELL ( OF A MAN )’, with the latter’s twangy instrumental flourishes and folky, soulful rhythm conjuring pure energy from the audience. 

“I think I’ll do something for the day ones”, the singer announced with a smile as she moved into a stripped-back version of her debut single ‘SHALLOW (PPL SWIM IN SHALLOW WATER), From every corner of the packed London venue came heartfelt chanting of the track’s lyrics, proving that the emotional resonance of the track hadn’t faded since its release in 2020.

Mid-set, invigorating hit ‘DIZZY PPL BECOME BLURRY’ highlighted Gray’s remarkably dynamic range. The track’s soaring electronic pulses and thrilling textures saw the crowd quickly heighten into a haze of thunderous euphoria. 

As the set began to close, anticipation swelled for hit single ‘LIE DOWN..’, in which a devoted audience repeatedly chorused the track’s lyrics like a mantra ‘She can look like me / She won’t feel like me’.

The night ended with an acoustic encore that brought a serene sense of awe to the room, leaving behind a lingering reminder of Saya Gray’s gift: the rare ability to balance sonic intricacy with vulnerable fragility.

Photography by Emma Last