Pitchfork London 2024: Day 3

In a standout year for women in pop, it can be hard to find footing amid the juggernaut tours of Beyoncé and Taylor Swift or long-in-the-tooth ingenues Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter and Charli XCX. Among the noise however, Lorely Rodriguez, the Honduran-American singer known as Empress Of, has released both the best album of her career and a worthy competitor in year-end rankings. For Your Consideration sees Rodriguez lean into her heritage and infuse the current trend for Latin pop with her signature style. Reminiscent of the neoperreo experimentalism spearheaded by the likes of Arca, Rosalia and Isabella Lovestory, the album pares back beats into handclaps and breathy refrains that conjure up scenes of silk sheets and sulky lighting. 

Pitchfork have long championed Empress Of and so it was little surprise to find her in headline slot at Fabric as part of the magazine’s annual festival. Early support came from Gen Z singer Dora, who offered a breezy set of fresh tracks from A Flor de Piel, an album which shines when it focuses on folksy sensibilities. This gave way to Tatyana and an electric harp, an instrument that did not yet feel fully established within the performance, but in a manner that sparked more intrigue than doubt. With a pair of albums under her belt, it will be interesting to see Tatyana develop and watch her further fully explore the intricacies of her sound. 

Undoubtedly, however, the standout performance of the night came from support act Fcukers. Lead singer Shannon Wise appeared on stage with the energy of Charlotte from Sex and the City performing a grungy set at Buffy Summers’ favourite haunt The Bronze, her Britneyesque reverb-drenched vocals rising tantalisingly over slurry beats reminiscent of early MIA. When this many references are called for, it is obvious that you are in the presence of a genuine genre-shift, and Fcukers wasted no time in offering the audience a riotous mosh-till-you-drop set, running through fan favourites like ‘Homie Don’t Shake’ and ‘Bon Bon’. 

The energy dissipated when Empress Of took to the stage. By her own admission, Rodriguez was shaken by the American election, and this weighed heavy through the opening of the set. Where For Your Consideration slides so easily between sounds, Rodriguez initially struggled to connect with the audience and create a thread through the songs. Fortunately, during highlights such as ‘Feminine’, in which she pines for an androgynous Latin-e man, there was an unbridled euphoria that hit back at the browbeaten mood. A performance that developed with time, there was a marked change in the audience once Rodriguez tapped into the levity of the album. Indeed, in a week where personal liberation feels pressing, the sensual sweat-drenched lyrics of ‘Sucia’ proved a particular hit with the crowd. Rodriguez is an obvious talent with a slow burn rise to the top; it remains to be seen how she capitalises off recent success and steps further into the limelight.