Tayla Parx and Lizzo

The Riv // Chicago, IL // May 3, 2019

The R&B star opened for Lizzo, but she stood on her own with an electric performance.

The crowd for Lizzo’s first sold out show at The Riv was one of the best. Everyone had a huge smile on their glitter-covered faces, and the amount of love and positivity radiating through the venue was palpable. One woman eagerly walked up the massive flights of stairs to her balcony seat, holding her massively pregnant belly the entire time.

Lizzo by Kate Scott

I was struck by how many people came to see Tayla Parx, as it’s not uncommon for concert-goers to skip the opener and show up 10 minutes before the main act. Those who did come early were not disappointed. Parx, a 25-year old singer/songwriter out of Dallas, has had a lucrative career both in and outside of music. She’s also starred in several TV shows, movies, and video games. Even with such an impressive resume, Parx’s biggest claim to fame has been co-writing some of the biggest hits of the 2010’s.

Tayla Parx by Kate Scott

Parx opened her set with “I Want You”, the first track on her debut album, We Need to Talk, which came out in April of this year. Parx’s style is a strong blend of pop and R&B, and the singer’s soft, melodic voice feels like it’s perfect for a #1 Billboard hit. Singing off of a backing track, Parx was onstage completely alone, yet she commanded the massive space she had. She brought along some inflatable cacti which adorned each side of the stage and made the show a bit more fun and lighthearted.

Tayla Parx by Kate Scott

A couple songs into her set, she told the crowd “I do a bit of songwriting. Anybody heard of Khalid?” The crowd cheered, of course, and she sang part of “Love Lies”, a massive single she co-wrote with Khalid and Normani for the Love, Simon soundtrack. When she started singing Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings“, people freaked out. The person sitting next to me shouted, “Damn, she wrote this?!” I too was surprised by this, but by the time Parx’s set was over, I could clearly see the talent and potential this singer has.

Tayla Parx by Kate Scott

My favorite moment of Parx’s set was when she sang her song  “Mama Ain’t Raise no Bitch”, a soulful and emotional song that goes against what you’d think it’d sound like based on the title. Fans were singing along, and those who hadn’t heard it before were dancing and nodding like they’d just heard the next big single. It’s only a matter of time before Parx is headlining and selling out The Riv all on her own.
Parx is on tour with Lizzo and will be headed to D.C., Boston, and New York soon. Tickets and more info can be found HERE.

Tayla Parx

Lizzo