After an exciting bank holiday weekend playing both Reading and Leeds Festivals, Sofia Isella arrived in Camden on Tuesday night to headline the Electric Ballroom. The twenty-year-old, who’s been steadily building an impressive following online, had to upgrade the venue due to demand – and still managed to sell it out. Hype was high, not least because of the glowing reviews from her festival appearances, even though her Reading set was cut short due to some technical difficulties.

As the doors opened, some fans headed straight for the merch table. Rumours had been circling outside the venue about signed albums and polaroid photographs. While others practically ran for the barricade. Looking around, the audience was mostly young, predominantly female identifying fans, it made for a lovely vibe. Everyone was complimenting each other’s outfits and chatting excitedly about the night ahead.

First up on stage was Nxdia, another fast-rising artist with their own dedicated fan base. Switching between English and Arabic, they immediately made an impression. Nxdia admitted early on that it felt strange to be performing without their band, but you wouldn’t have guessed it. They carried themselves with confidence, their vocals sounding strong and clear, and the crowd sang along with every word, right from the very start of the set.

The energy shifted a few songs in when Nxdia set aside their guitar and leaned fully into the performance. By the time they finished with the fan favourite ‘I’m Not a Boy’, the Electric Ballroom was buzzing, audience members bouncing along in unison. As support acts go, it was an accomplished and memorable set that set the perfect mood for the night.

There was a short intermission before Sofia appeared on stage. She arrived with her distinctive jerking, almost theatrical movements, her eyes wide, scanning the room before launching into ‘Hot Gum’. Unfortunately, it seems like Sofia is cursed with some sort of sound difficulties gremlin, as technical problems started again. There was some microphone feedback and muddied vocals which made it tricky to pick out her lyrics and the lyrics are such a crucial part of what she does. To her credit, Sofia powered ahead with full intensity.

Her songs are almost like spoken poetry for those who haven’t heard her before. They thrive on unease and the breathiness behind the sound makes them even creepier still. Lyrically, they wrestle with themes of womanhood, societal pressure and discomfort, and her physical performance mirrors this. She pulled at her shirt, writhed on the floor, and clawed at the air. It felt like she was trying to break out of an invisible box.

As the set continued, the sound issues settled down. ‘Cacao and Cocaine’, ‘Josephine’ and ‘Man Made’ all came through with more clarity, and the lyrics cut deep and the audience could now hear every word. 

Sofia remained compelling throughout, her movements sometimes precise, sometimes chaotic, a perfect reflection of the subject matter in her songs. She walked the fine line between control and collapse, and it was hard to look away.

One of the most electric moments came during Sex Concept. Abandoning the stage, Sofia launched herself into the crowd, crowd surfing across the room. She walked back through the audience and came face to face with her fans. She locked eyes with one fan and walked straight towards her. The fan backed away at the incredibly intense moment and the two weaved through the crowd before the fan ducked away. Performances like this where the stage and audience are blurred are so powerful and this moment showed how powerful Sofia is as a performer.

But the night’s biggest surprise arrived with Paris Paloma’s appearance. The pair joined forces for ‘labour’, Paloma’s breakout anthem about the historical weight carried by women. It was a perfect collaboration, matching the themes of Sofia’s own music, and the reaction from the room was huge. A sea of phones raised in the air, as everyone tried to catch the moment.

By the time Sofia closed her set, the earlier technical glitches had been long forgotten. Her focus never wavered, and her willingness to throw herself into the performance carried her through. What’s clear is that Sofia Isella is not interested in changing her art to fit into what the music industry often demands from young artists. Her performance style is dark, and uncomfortable viewing at times. That won’t be for everyone, but for those brave enough to come face to face with the issues she’s singing about… she is an artist not to be missed.