HAYLA

HAYLA is worth catching at the Regency for a simple reason: few electronic vocalists have built a reputation around the sheer emotional weight of their voice quite like this Liverpool singer. Her work with John Summit, Kx5 and Kygo has made her a familiar presence on dance records, but a live set puts the focus back where it belongs, on the voice itself. The Dark Tour also gives her room to move beyond the festival-scale collaborations that introduced her to many listeners, with Ella Rosa opening the night. There is plenty of polished electronic production in HAYLA’s catalog, but the strongest tracks are the ones where the vocal carries real drama, from the aching pull of “Where You Are” to the more cinematic “FADED” with Nelly Furtado. For anyone who likes their dance music with a serious vocal centerpiece, this is a strong Thursday night pick.