CHICAGO — We live in a time where microtrends rule our aesthetic, lifestyle choices, and output. Many people and artists fall into the trap of clinging onto the hottest trend on the market and squeezing it for short-term results. French-born pop artist Oklou transcends this notion and has made a career by making her seemingly Y2K worship a staple of her brand and more than a cash-grab schtick.
On Oct. 21, 2025, Oklou performed for a sold-out crowd at the historic Metro, a venue that carries a legacy of being one of the top in the Chicago area. The French artist crossed the pond to embark on her U.S. and Canada tour for her new acclaimed album “choke enough.” The album has made a splash in alt-pop and electronic spaces, bringing a new element to the scene by introducing more ambient, stripped-back production over Oklou’s quiet and soft-spoken singing.
As I walked up to the Metro I saw the long line of fans waiting for the floodgates to open. I noticed that the aesthetics – Digicams, mesh shirts, and septum piercings – were all represented in the mainly Gen Z crowd. The few older fans I witnessed in the line dressed exactly what I would imagine a 2000’s club crowd would look like. A variety of funky hats, cheetah-printed scarves, and alien-like glasses ushered me into a world where all walks of life are accepted.
Our hivemind of Y2K appreciation eventually spilled into the main floor of the Metro. In front of us, a staggeringly tall white tarp overlooked the audience from the background. The foreground, on the other hand, consisted of a snow-white stage draped with geometric shapes scattered across it. The stage more resembled a jungle gym that was hit by an arctic blizzard than a usual setup. Some audience members and I hypothesized what could come from the bizarre setup we were witnessing. Were there more instruments under the boxes? Would the tarp reveal something spectacular beneath it? I noticed that we were being brought into Oklou’s imaginative world before the show even started.
In the midst of our baffled conversations, a bright spotlight flashed from behind the stage. To a roar of applause, the opener, umru, appeared from the abyss to perform his opening DJ set. umru looked more like a car mechanic than a DJ. The spotlight turned out to be his headlamp strapped to his head, helping the New York based DJ see the turns and knobs in front of him.
Speaking no words to the crowd, a composed umru started his set with a varied mix that ranged from bubblegum bass, hyperpop, and Jersey club, married with vocal chops from well-known EDM and trap records. This amalgamation of pounding drums and offbeat vocal selections seemed reminiscent of Dariacore, a niche genre born from the internet in the early 2020s and made popular by Oklou’s frequent collaborators.
Excited by his choice of music, I frantically looked around me to see who I could share this moment with. I was despondently met with stoic stares and slight head nods from the audience. I braced myself for what I thought would be another disappointing crowd that were either too awkward or embarrassed to enjoy themselves with the music. Though during the climax, all of the ensuing chaos from umru’s set came to a halt. An abrupt string section was met with many confusing looks around me. Then, out of the blue, the muddled audience were hit with Chief Keef’s vocals from his record “Kush With Them Beans,” and a hardstyle drum came blasting from the speakers. This sudden switch turned the once frozen-solid crowd into a frenzy. umru’s DJ set awoke the crowd from its awkwardness and prepared them for what was to come.
As the crowd anxiously waited for the performance of the night, a familiar sight of a beaming light appeared from behind the white tarp. From the screams of the fans in attendance, the light slowly made its way to face the crowd. Emerging was Oklou with the same headlamp Umru donned, resembling the famous poster from John Carpenter’s “The Thing.” The intro to Oklou’s track “ICT” started playing through the speakers as she made her way to the microphone, accompanied by her fellow musician Casey MQ, who played keys and guitar. Oklou took no time to display her musical chops throughout the show, with vocals that matched the studio quality of “choke enough,” guitar playing, keyboard magic, and even a performance with a recorder.
The star of the show, though, was everything outside of the music. The stage setup that had me and others intrigued had no secret behind it but rather gave the feeling we were in the clouds, floating with the music and Oklou. The white tarp lit up with accompanying videos featuring distorted and blended clips of characters dancing, driving through highways, and swirling shapes that looked like Rorschach inkblots. The lighting throughout the concert was calculated and displayed an intense attention to detail.
In some performances, the light glowed behind the tarp to give Oklou a silhouette-like figure, adding to the world-building she was creating right before our eyes. Two light fixtures that resembled street lamps shined onto spurts of smoke that clouded the stage, creating an atmosphere even David Lynch would appreciate. The only time the lighting strayed away from its monochromatic look was when Oklou performed “galore”, from her previous project under the same name, a clear homage to the art direction of her earlier work.
As the show entered its last stages, Oklou appeared to grab a headdress covered in what appeared to be pieces of glass taped chaotically all over it. A narrow floodlight appeared and waved left and right before carefully shining directly onto the headpiece. Immediately, the light refracted in every direction, revealing spots of light that moved symbiotically with Oklou. Within seconds, the venue turned into a disco frenzy as the rumbling synth intro of “choke enough” started playing.
The theatrical performances and dazzling display of musicianship all culminated in the climax of the show. After performing “family and friends,” a cloud of mist and smoke smothered the stage and venue. A flood of bright lights above the tarp shined onto the performers as a harpsichord rendition of “harvest sky” softly played in the background. Oklou proceeded to sing her verse of “harvest sky” over the harpsichord, transforming her club banger into a medieval-like ballad. At the end of her soft-spoken verse, the white tarp flashed with a greenish scar that bounced along the intro synth of the track. Casey MQ turned to the crowd with a boastful look, swaying back and forth with his arms crossing his body. Oklou stood on top of one of the geometric structures and swayed to the beat, standing confident and free over the screaming crowd.
“harvest sky” is a fan favorite and one of the more popular tracks from “choke enough.” Hyperpop artist, underscores, known for her seminal album “Wallsocket,” provided lush vocals on the euro-trance inspired song with Oklou. There were swirling rumors among fans in person and online that underscores would make a surprise appearance at this show. No one knew a thing. I mean, Bladee didn’t magically appear for his verse on “take me by the hand,” so it was doubtful, right?
Right before the point in the song where she sings her verse, observant fans in the crowd saw what they thought was a figure emerging behind the white tarp. From the darkness, underscores appeared to a raucous crowd that, at the sight of her, started jumping around from sheer excitement.
The trio of Casey MQ, Oklou and underscores all stood on top of their respective elevated platforms and looked upon the crowd from all walks of life. The music, lighting, art direction, dances, crowd, and atmosphere all came together for this moment. In here I felt free: free from judgement, free from the ongoing chaos in our world, to enjoy this moment. A moment like this comes and goes, but Oklou embedded herself into my memory, a memory I’ll always cherish.
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