Last night, The Launch Season 2 contestant Vi, joined by close friends SVLM and Jayen x District, performed at Ottawa’s Babylon nightclub in front of a hometown crowd. Although she didn’t win her round of the music competition show, as a finalist, Ottawa and Canada now clearly know “who is Vi”. In the process, she’s managed to provide more well-needed inspiration for artists in the capital.
The night began with Jayen x District who performed a few songs off their 2018 release Anywhere but Earth, including “Masquerade”, the highlight of their set. Then it was SVLM’s turn to grace the stage, delivering banger after banger, including”Day Dreaming” off his 2018 album Haven Nights. He also performed material from his latest project Restless, including standout tracks “405” (his biggest song to date) and “Louis Luggage”, which got the biggest crowd reaction during his set. He came alive during this track, which he calls his favourite on the project. He brought the energy and the crowd reciprocated.
Then came the moment the crowd was waiting for. Vi, who before hitting the stage told SHIFTER she was a bit nervous, didn’t look it at all. She performed a number of songs from her 2018 EP Blackwater, including “Make Believe”, “Fool’s Gold”, “Blackwater”, “Demons” (her biggest song to date) and “Reaping”, the first song she ever wrote at 19 years old. It’s this song that helped Vi move on to the second round on episode one of The Launch.
What we saw last night was an artist that was still shocked, amazed and thankful after experiencing the best week of her life. She also seemed equally shocked, amazed and thankful that hundreds of people actually came to see her perform, perhaps not fully embracing that she’s now a bit of a big deal.
Between the family, friends and fans in attendance and Vi’s thankful demeanor and playfulness on stage, the show felt more like an intimate family celebration than an actual concert. This night wasn’t about delivering a perfect performance or wowing the crowd. It was a night to celebrate one of our very own living her dream.
For Vi, The Launch clearly isn’t the end; it’s just the beginning.
Related article:
VI AND MICHELLE TREACY SET TO APPEAR ON SEASON TWO OF CTV’S THE LAUNCH
