From College to Pop Icon: Chelsea Cutler Performs
Cheslea Cutler asked students to put their phones away and enjoy the music as she performed her hit songs and new tracks on November 2.
Singer and songwriter Chelsea Cutler took the Palace Theatre stage on Friday, November 2, performing her hits for eager Colgate students. The event was sponsored by SCOPE, the Student Committee On Providing Entertainment at Colgate. Cutler also had a personal connection with the community, shouting out her childhood best friend, senior Courtney Gilroy, in the audience.
The 21-year-old songstress has over four million monthly Spotify listeners despite getting her start in the industry only four years ago, when she began uploading covers to SoundCloud. Cutler said she could relate to Colgate’s liberal arts environment, having left her own studies and soccer career at Amherst College just last year to pursue music full time.
“It was cool to hear that Chelsea Cutler played soccer at Amherst as of last year and has obviously done a lot more with her life than I have. Props to her,” senior Abby Waxler said.
Cutler opened the concert with well- known tunes “Sixteen” and “Scripts” from her 2017 EP “Snow in October.” The EP features a collaboration with Quinn XCII, with whom Cutler toured with earlier this year. She has also collaborated with Jeremy Zucker, Louis the Child and ayokay.
Cutler asks for three favors of her audiences at each show she performs. First, to make noise for her drummer and close friend, Dylan. Second, to make the crowd a place of love. Third, to stay off their cell phones and enjoy the music. A highlight of the show was Cutler’s performance of “AF1S,” which was released on November 2. Colgate was one of the first groups Cutler played it to live.
“I just put out a song last night,” Cutler said.
Throughout the set, Cutler brought out the electric guitar, showing off her versatility as an artist. Her guitar playing on “Out of Focus” amplified the honesty of the track’s lyrics and instrumental bridge. During “Cold Showers,” from her album “Sleeping With Roses II,” released in June 2018 just before Cutler went on tour, she discussed getting over a tough break-up from a two-year long relationship.
“I’ve moved on and I just wanted to play happy songs,” Cutler said to the crowd.
The concert concluded with a medley of “The Reason” and “You’re Not Missing Me.” The former is Cutler’s best known hit; it has been placed on Spotify’s Chill Hits and Mood Booster curated playlists and has over 22 million streams.
Contact Julia Klein at [email protected].
