Conan Gray w/ UMI ⭐ November 20, 2019 ⭐ Plaza — Orlando, FL ⭐ Photos by Cindy Ros — instagram.com/cindyros_

THOUGHTS + PHOTOS — Conan Gray w/ UMI — 2019

by Cindy Ros • December 3, 2019

Twenty minutes before Conan Gray walked on stage, screaming fans chanted “Conan … Conan … ” repeatedly louder and louder as it inched closer to nine o’clock. Conan opened up his set with “The King,” immediately hyping the packed room like no tomorrow. The entire venue was filled with the majority of young girl’s screams filling the space for an artist who gained his following through YouTube.

Conan Gray ⭐ November 20, 2019 ⭐ Plaza — Orlando, FL ⭐ Photos by Cindy Ros — instagram.com/cindyros_

The second UMI walked out on stage to open the show, it was very obvious she was going to warm up the room in the best way possible — “Breathe in and breathe out …” A few breathing exercises UMI started with in hopes to lighten up the audience while burning sage on the stage, cleansing the room full of pumped fans to generate wisdom and clarity.

UMI ⭐ November 20, 2019 ⭐ Plaza — Orlando, FL ⭐ Photos by Cindy Ros — instagram.com/cindyros_

She opened up her set with her leading single “Love Affair” off her Love Language album released on October 30th, 2019. Her music defined her character on stage in such a positive manner — smooth R&B tracks with hints of groove dancing and fun vibes all through out. Fans started letting loose and becoming more comfortable with her music as her set went on. Known for her classic laid-back R&B tracks, she performed a groovy cover of “Put Your Records On” originally performed by Corinne Bailey Rae. Her microphone was aesthetically laced with flowers wrapped around. UMI had the flower girl image written all over herself creating free open space in the room. After her performance, I caught myself listening constantly to her music.

Conan Gray ⭐ November 20, 2019 ⭐ Plaza — Orlando, FL ⭐ Photos by Cindy Ros — instagram.com/cindyros_

Conan took a turn in the middle of his set and covered “Burnin’ up” by the Jonas Brothers, adding an edgy twist. The majority of Conan’s lyrics talk about being open with feelings and aims towards the Generation-Z crowd with pop catchy tones with a charming bitter-sweetness.

Conan took the chance to hint at his upcoming debut album by performing an unreleased song close to his heart, “The Story,” but did not mention the release date. Conan is up and coming soon to be selling out bigger venues after a killer performance at the Plaza Live. He closed out the show with his biggest hit “Crush Culture,” an anti-romance bop with lots of energy.