Under flashing lights and hums of anticipation, alternative-indie artist Sofia Isella transformed City Center into a charged emotional and musical landscape Wednesday night. The performance — part concert, part immersive theater – drew in University students who found themselves cheering, jumping up and down, crouching and even coming face to face with the artist.

Born in Los Angeles, the young artist began properly releasing music in 2022. Trained as a classical violinist since childhood, Isella blends classical violin with alternative modern production. She utilizes vulnerable and powerful displays of emotions during her performances, her songs often touching on themes like feminine rage and social critique. 

Isella released her first EP, titled “I’m Not Yours,” in 2020, consisting primarily of songs she wrote at 14 and 15 years old. She gained popularity online by posting short-form videos of her song “Hot Gum.”

Isella was a concert opener for popular artists such as Tom Odell and Melanie Martinez, and also opened for Taylor Swift during her 2024 Eras Tour. Just a month after, Isella released her EP “I Can Be Your Mother.” This EP contains one of her most popular songs, “The Doll People,” which currently has over 14 million streams on Spotify. 

Audience member Zoe Pileggi, freshman in Engineering, was particularly looking forward to Isella performing “The Doll People.” 

“I am really excited to hear ‘Doll People,’” Pileggi said. “It’s one of my favorite songs; it’s the song that got me into her.”

Before the lights dimmed and the rumble of bass filled the venue, fans eagerly discussed what they expected from the night. Some were unfamiliar with Isella’s music, while others were finally getting to see one of their favorite artists live.

“I have not been to a Sofia Isella concert before, but I know her from social media,” said Sheila Bourke, freshman in LAS. “I thought she was pretty cool, and I saw the concert was happening here, so I bought two tickets for me and my friend.”

Others arrived vaguely familiar with the young artist’s music, drawn to the show by curiosity. Amanda Reyes, sophomore in LAS, came along with friends. 

“I’m just excited to see what she performs,” Reyes said. 

The show opened with Sierra Sikora, a singer-songwriter who warmed up the crowd with a mix of earnest originals as well as covers of Billie Eilish’s “What Was I Made For?” and Radiohead’s “Creep.” Some of her original songs on her set list included  “Astrology,” “Dear Athena” and “Maybe That’s Just It,” all of which set an intimate tone for the night.

Between playful jokes and inviting fans to dance along with their significant others, Sikora’s set built an easy rapport with the audience. Her performance was humorous and vulnerable, her songs emphasizing themes of love, friendship and self-reflection. The crowd was completely immersed in Sikora’s performance. By the end of her performance, she had the audience dancing along with her and clapping to the beat under pink and white lights to “Dear Athena.”

When the short break after Sikora’s opening performance ended, the atmosphere shifted. A low, almost violent rumble filled the room before Isella emerged amidst flashing red and white lights. She immediately began across the stage, twisting and reaching in visceral, theatrical movements. Fans surged toward the barricade as she launched into her opening song, “Out in the Garden.”

Throughout the set, Isella blurred the line between instrumental and performance art. Her body language — clutching her hair, yanking at her clothes, pressing her wrists together as if in cuffs — mirrored the anguish and defiance in her lyrics. Falling to the floor and rising with gripping intensity, making sudden high leaps and raising her instruments wildly, she had the audience hooked by her movements.

For Layla Zarei, sophomore in LAS, Isella’s unique stage presence and distinctiveness as an artist were very clear during the show.

“She definitely has a very ‘her’ style, like a very distinguishable style that I haven’t really found in other artists,” Zarei said. “And the way she interacts with the audience itself was really cool.”

Isella allowed for an intimate connection with her fans, standing very close to the edge of the stage, letting them film her close up and even making physical contact with them. 

“I was at the barricade; she came up really close to me and we touched foreheads,” said Daye Chung, sophomore in Education. “Her face touched my face, so I’m definitely telling everyone about that.”

Fans cheered and awed at Isella’s violin performance during her second song, “Hot Gum.” Throughout the show, Isella displayed a masterful control over her violin, playing notes so high they resembled shrieking. 

Later on, she also introduced an instrumental duet of a song she wrote called “The Well,” which she performed with her former violin teacher onstage. The two exchanged hauntingly precise notes under still red lights, enchanting the crowd into complete silence.

The centerpiece of the night was Isella’s viral song, “The Doll People.” The crowd cheered loudly upon hearing the opening instrumentals of the song, excited to hear the lyrics and instrumentals in person. 

For some in the audience, hearing “The Doll People” live was an emotional experience, its lyrics resonating with their experiences. 

“As an assault survivor, it’s such an important song to me; it’s so important for me to hear,” Pileggi said.

Isella’s performance extended beyond just the stage. At one point, she asked to join the crowd, telling fans to raise their hands if they were comfortable with her touching them. She sang amidst a circle of fans, then, slowly, she grabbed each fan’s hand while making her way back onstage. 

The show’s later moments veered into pure catharsis. The concert went on with the shrieking violin, Isella’s continuous theatrical displays of anguish, pink and orange lights flashing and students crouching and jumping up in unison on Isella’s word. 

When the set ended a little after 9 p.m., chants of “one more” erupted until Isella returned for an encore, performing once again in the middle of the crowd as the floor shook beneath fans’ feet.

For some, the night exceeded every expectation. For others, it was an introduction to an artist they had only seen online. Either way, Isella’s performance wasn’t just a concert; it was an emotional, moving experience. 

“It was amazing and I would definitely come see her again,” Zarei said. 

Others felt similarly, expressing their awe of the performance setup. 

“I really liked when the beat dropped, it was super cool to see the lights flash as well,” Chung said.

Isella brought her trademark emotional vulnerability and vocal power to Champaign Wednesday evening, leaving a strong impression on fans who saw in her something genuine and new.

“She’s really cool, and I respect her a lot for what she’s doing,” Chung said.

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