LIVE PERFORMANCE REVIEW: Journey With Me through Chloè Ligon’s Album Release Party and Exhilarating Performance of INFINITY

Chloè Ligon (Photographer: Damani Douglas)

On June 20th, Bed-Stuy rapper Chloè Ligon set out to perform her 10-track album INFINITY at her album release party just blocks away from her childhood home.

After rushing my brother, who takes way too long to get ready, and driving a smidge faster than necessary on the belt parkway, I finally made it to Chloè Ligon’s album release party to hear her latest project, INFINITY, performed live for the first time. As I approached the door–pen and notepad in hand–I was met by a group of security guards who told me I had to wait. Apparently, I had arrived 20 minutes early, which, for me at least, doesn’t happen often. The thing is, this event was one that I truly looked forward to for more reasons than one. 

Through wooden planks which flaunted spray paintings of women across the panels, I could just barely make out some members of Chloè’s team putting the finishing touches to the lot where the party was taking place. After being granted entry, I was searched by the cool, yet thorough security guard, got my ticket checked and received a silver wristband. I then took a moment to appreciate the space I had just entered.

Photos, sculptures and paintings belonging to a gallery curated by Miss BED-STUY and her team greet you just beyond the door. Seemingly every inch of this long room felt like it belonged on a canvas splattered by Jackson Pollock as each individual artwork was exquisite in its own right, yet meshed together so well in this dimly-lit space. A $10 orange wristband granted me access to every board game we used to play back before anyone played with iPads, and a nintendo switch connected to a projector that displayed Super Smash, Mario Kart and more onto the wall. I made my way to the stage through a dark, 7x7 room that would later be adorned with the backsplash of neon body paint applications and the exit to where the main event was going down. 

Chloè was set to perform in a lot wedged between two three-story buildings. Shielded by gnarled wooden planks bearing a black iron gate and some stubborn vines, the event space was like an outdoor club where you’d find ongoing chess games by the entrance, shish kabobs cooking in the back, a food truck selling fried oreos, merch on hangers and a bar selling drinks right beside the stage up against the gates.

As for the event itself, we had the honor of being hosted by @kityyorkk and @char.evee and vibing to sounds curated by DJ NINE11, DJ AUTUMN and DJ sexinchurch. 

I planned to write about this event and made it my duty as a journalist, and even more so as a fan of Chloè Ligon and her team's vision to soak in the vibe of the night. So I got there just as it began, claiming a spot just beside the bar with a great view of the stage. The curated list of DJs ensured that our energy was where it had to be in order for Ms. BED-STUY to do what we came to see. Just as I lit my first joint, the speakers started working, and I just knew I was in for a great night. 

As the sun set behind the brownstones that decorated the sky above the lot and the grills released a thick smoke that just slightly overpowered the smell of weed, more and more people began to spill into the spot, including the woman of the evening. The best way I can describe Chloè’s energy as she zipped around the room greeting her guests, family and friends is akin to lightning in a bottle—a bottle she would shatter 15 minutes later. In an outfit designed by Brooklyn artist Robert Provilus, she zipped around the space radiating light.

At the peak of DJ Autumn’s set, and right before Ms. Ligon would grace the stage, my brother and I got a chance to speak with her where I asked her how she was feeling knowing she would soon be sharing her art with us, which took a year to construct, in just a few moments. She said she was going through the motions as this was a day she had been building toward for so long, and we assured her that she was sure to give a phenomenal performance and advised her to use those feelings to fuel her performance. She was surrounded by friends and artists alike, all who came for the same reason: to see her do her thing.

The Fit:

Photos from Damani Douglas

Head:

XL silk double-sided scarf brandishing the designer's 2021 oil painting, THE MATRIARCHY, wrapped around her head like a hood and tied underneath the chin.

Torso:

A white shirt designed by @Global Wealth bearing the album cover of INFINITY, which was created by @berek3t, across the center.

Waist:

Double grommet translucent belt with a silver buckle.

Pants: 

10 pocket convertible canvas cargo pants named “NIKITA AND AJAHEE. 2021. oil on canvas.,” worn at her shins.

Feet: 

Black tube socks with green, red and orange shapes into a fresh pair of low-top Air Force 1’s.

Chloè’s performance would mark the release of her third album, consisting of 10 tracks, 28 minutes in length that showcased her growth as an artist, songwriter and her ability to paint a feeling over a carefully chosen beat which sets the tone. The performance itself was more than your typical album release, where an artist may narrate their album, providing insight on their creative process. Instead, what we got was a declaration of her arrival on the very same streets she’s always called home. She started from a place of love–in typical Chloè fashion— thanking everyone in attendance for choosing to spend their night with her. The room was teeming with anticipation, packed from the stage to the grill, with everyone's eyes fixated on the budding star standing center stage. She worked extremely hard to make this event a reality, everything from creating the music itself to forging the very community that cheered for her before she even rapped her first lyric, and this was the moment where she could finally release all of it.

I personally love live performances, especially when the artist makes the effort to guide you through each track. At its core, art is meant to elicit a response within the audience, and in some way, serve the audience by way of the artist. It was made evident that this album was no mere collection of songs, but the very essence of Chloè Ligon, extracted, mixed and mastered as a means of managing the pangs that coincide with this human existence. From there, she chooses to release the work to us with hopes that it may do something for those who might relate. Blindly listening to art has its pros for sure, the best being the chance of accidentally stumbling upon a gem, but experiences like these are even more rare and twice as valuable to me. 

As Chloè performed one song after another, pausing in between to share what was on her heart at that time or during the making of the song, I noticed how the crowd's energy was dictated entirely by the performer’s temperament. Upon first listening to each track, I quickly realized just how personal this project is to Miss Ligon. “INFINITE” and “END OF THE WEEK” reveal an artist operating live-in-the-moment and working through intense emotions, which arise from both romantic and interpersonal relationships alike. With “SOUL CHANGE” and “NEVER SAY NEVER” she continues to trod through the painfully enlightening journey one must walk as they begin to reclaim themself, including a re-evaluation of one’s understanding of self and a reallocation of one's focus toward what’s deemed valuable. In this way, the album truly feels like a long walk through Bed-Stuy on what begins as a bright, sweltering summer day turned cool by shifting clouds and the gradual descent of the sun, only to be once again basked in the light, instead this time, a much softer and forgiving luminescence.

Overall, INFINITY is a quality work of art that conveys the range of emotions, perspectives and actions associated with the rupture of a meaningful relationship and the ensuing tremors that force a restructuring of oneself for the better. The themes on this project portray the elevation of Miss Ligon’s pen as a songwriter and her maturity as an individual in-tune with their emotions, delivered through organic flows unique to Chloè Ligon. Whether smooth, rigid, raw and/or slurred, the delivery on this project requires at times an acquired taste. Much like the actual concepts within the songs, the production may take some listeners time to grow accustomed to—which is no different than the pain we experience with loss. All in all, this is a project that explores the full scope of the path to self-actualization. INFINITY is wrought with the very real aspects of life that afflict each and every one of us as to navigate us toward clearer skies. 

Favorite Tracks: “SOUL CHANGE,” “NEVER SAY NEVER” and “CURSED”

INFINITY by Chloè Ligon was released for sale on iTunes and across all digital streaming services on Wednesday, June 26th consisting of 10 tracks over the span of 28 minutes.