The pensive portraits lining the walls of the Hall of Presidents had quite the show on Friday, April 19, when audacious singer-songwriter CupcakKe took the stage. The concert, hosted by Colgate University’s Queer & Trans People of Color (QTPOC), brought a change of pace and lively energy to campus, fueled by both CupcakKe’s electrifying performance and the packed crowd’s excitement.
Colgate’s QTPOC was excited to bring an artist as authentic and open as CupcakKe to campus. Co-presidents of QTPOC, juniors Salem Sokpoli and Rei Albarez, provided a joint statement emphasizing the significance of inviting CupcakKe to perform.
“We were so grateful to share the CupcakKe concert with the Colgate community,” Sokpoli and Albarez wrote. “The state’s continuous repression of Black and Brown Queer people makes erotic autonomy paramount. The control of Queer bodies extends beyond the legal. We picked CupcakKe because she represents true self-expression and sexual positivity. The Colgate community demonstrated the need for safe spaces of joy for QTPOC.”
CupcakKe is known for her TikTok hypersexual hits, like “Deepthroat,” “Squidward Nose” and, most recently, “CPR” — not to mention her iconic parody of Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.” Her lyrics are lascivious but, more importantly, hilariously brilliant and representative of sexual autonomy in communities of color.
At Colgate, CupcakKe proved that she’s more than just a TikTok artist. Her songs enthused the entire crowd — an impressive feat, considering the wide array of students in attendance. (Live music is hard to come by in Hamilton, after all.)
The performer even invited students onstage to show off their dance moves, or, for the unabashed type, a moaning contest — 18+, of course. Junior Lara Blanton was especially impressed with the audience engagement.
“CupcakKe was one of the most fun concerts at Colgate in recent memory,” Blanton said. “She brought lots of energy and made an effort to connect to the audience, making it feel even more special that she was there.”
Despite her travel difficulties — her bags were lost in transit, makeup, outfit and all — CupcakKe was not deterred. If anything, the logistical setbacks and the intimacy of such a small school only encouraged her to give the performance of a lifetime, and one that Colgate won’t forget any time soon.
This performance could not have happened without the planning, showmanship and skills of Colgate students. Senior Yeraldi Delos Santos, also known as DJ Santos, opened for CupcakKe. Santos played familiar club favorites to get the crowd hyped for CupcakKe’s highly-anticipated performance.
While she didn’t take the stage, junior Maddy Vuignier had the chance to operate the light board for this spectacular performance. As a student of theater, specifically passionate about technical theater, this opportunity was a chance for Vuignier to share her technical skills in a new setting.
“It was super exciting to get the opportunity to light CupcakKe’s show; busking is new to me, and this was the perfect first opportunity,” Vuignier said. “Instead of having cues prepared beforehand, I got to live edit the lighting look and program on the fly. I could not believe the number of people though, definitely the most I’ve seen in the Hall of Presidents in a while.”
The packed HOP and provocative performance provided an opportunity for students to come together and engage with rap, an opportunity that is all too rare in Hamilton. QTPOC’s efforts to highlight an artist of color were beyond successful as students around campus have overwhelmingly expressed their satisfaction with the show. Making the concert even better is the fact that students played such a major role in its success, giving students a chance to appreciate talents that often go unnoticed, like DJing or lighting design.
