tanerélle & zyah belle

brighton music hall | allston, ma

11.24.24 | 8pm

lineup: @tanerelle @zyahbelle

It was windy and chilly getting to Brighton Music Hall in Allston but it’s safe to say that was the only cold thing about the night. The air was electric (pun not intended) even in line to get into the show, with a lot of hype around Tanerélle from some of the people I was talking with, along with my own excitement. She came onto my radar from her early singles “Dreamgirl,” “A Trip Through Space to Clear My Mind,” and “Good Good” but I had missed out on her other releases until hearing about her newest album Electric Honey this year. After listening, I knew I needed to hear her spacey, electronic, ultra-sultry take on R&B live. 

Before Tanerélle came on stage was her opener Zyah Belle. I was not familiar with her but when she came onto the blue and purple-tinged stage with her energy I knew I was in for a great show all around. She opened with a song that showed off her strong, smooth vocals, making runs between spoken adlibs, even interpolating Doechii’s “What It Is” for one section of it.

She then dropped her first piece of wisdom of the night on us to introduce her next song: “Closure is a lie. You really don’t need that…” I already felt called out that night and we were barely into the show. But we hadn’t even gotten to the real calling out yet. Zyah opened the next song, “LYIN” with a task for the audience: “This is a diss song for your ex. Feel free to send it to them or post it as a subliminal…” (if they’re not already blocked). If the audience was already hyped up, this is the moment that fully won them over. Between a memorable chorus and a melodic rap flow on the verses (and some bars that’ll make you do a double take, like “yo mama still wishin I had yo ugly ass kids.” That got a good reaction), this song made for a magical live moment. And no wonder, because she told the story of how Rihanna discovered the song through a snippet online and DMed her asking her to send it when she dropped it so she could put it on repeat. Personally, I would never shut up about that if that ever happened to me. Zyah took it as a moment to reflect, saying how “There is never a time limit on how you can be blessed.” 

That led us to her very personal but uplifting closing songs: a cover of “Sweet Life” (which she did amazingly) and “I Think That I Love You,” a love song written about her fiancé before he even came into her life. After all of that, I can now happily say I’m a fan. And I suggest you all get on before she’s on her main headliner tour.

Before getting to the main act, I have to call out the pre-show music because it’s truly some of the best selection I’ve heard anywhere. So many of the R&B greats were in rotation— Janet, Joe, Charlie Wilson, Aaliyah, Ashanti, D’Angelo, MJB, you name it. It was like a mini concert in itself. As the crowd was jamming out to “Doo Wop,” Tanerélle reminded us exactly what we were there for. The lights faded as a ring of golden light flooded the stage and a spoken monologue played. We were really getting a really spacey and cinematic presentation, which was impressive considering how intimate the performance space was. However, I’d be remiss not to mention that Tanerélle was key in bringing this energy to the stage.

The moment she stepped out from the velvet curtains, the room erupted with cheering. Oftentimes, it takes a bit for an audience to reach the same level of energy as when an artist enters the room, but the momentum was held in the palm of Tanerélle’s hand. I was in the presence of some major fans by their reactions and their enthusiastic singing of the lyrics of so many songs. And no wonder. Tanerélle had a way of commanding the stage, whether she was floating across it while singing a song like “Blink,” the opener from her new album, or covering “No Ordinary Love” (a song that really complements her rich, lower voice) while staying in one place.

And when she wasn’t floating, she was giving us CHOREO. There was a moment where she spun and spun and then spun her hands, which made the crowd roar. And another involving a backwards-facing chair that I felt like I was NOT supposed to be seeing. Even when she wasn’t on the stage, we were being given a show. The spoken interludes and flashing lights were thrilling in the anticipation of what would happen or be played next. I think I’m gonna need to see her add a live band to her next concert because the instrumentals during these interludes were immaculate and matched the dramatic yet elegant flair she had going on. 

The moments of audience participation with Tanerélle were what made the show for me. In a similar fashion to Zyah Belle, she would open some songs with a spoken segue, one in particular asking “who in here likes to make wishes?” and voicing her own wishes with audience help, the last one being that she “wishes a n**** would.” For her 2019 hit “Continuum,” she prefaced it by saying “I write a freaky, nasty song but in a really pretty way” before asking the audience to help her sing the chorus (which they already knew all the words to and were ready to sing acapella). You could definitely see Tanerélle’s sense of humor and her natural ability to connect with her audience in those small moments.

And speaking of small moments, I noticed a unique structure to the setlist. More often than not, Tanerélle sang abbreviated versions of her songs, giving us little bits of magic in a chorus and a verse or two. I selfishly wanted more of some songs but I also appreciated the temporality of it. It definitely allowed her to reach back into her catalogue for some deep cuts that were much appreciated by the fans and made the full-length songs all the more special, such as the single “Mama Saturn” with an extended intro containing the outro of “Seigfried.” I was not expecting a Frank Ocean cover, let alone two that night, so I was pleasantly surprised. 

The last few songs felt like the cooldown of the night’s exercise and excitement. “Better Days” and “Nothing Without You” were two of my personal favorites in my recent listening and felt like perfect ways to close the show, telling the narrative of looking forward and having faith in the future after your lowest point. 

It is so refreshing to see such an open, supportive, and lively dynamic between an audience and artist (both Tanerélle and Zyah Belle) that is well-deserved. 

Thank you to Tanerélle, her management, and Brighton Music Hall for this experience. 

Photography and review by Liam Alexe.