On Jan. 28, the night before a major 24-inch snowstorm rocked Boston, fans lined the stairway into The Sinclair to see British pop-sensation Griff. A little over a week after releasing her latest electro-pop single with Sigrid, “Head On Fire,” Griff was in the Cambridge staple on her first ever American tour.

Walking out onto the stage in a checkered dress and her signature bubble braid, the singer and songwriter started the show with “Forgive Myself,” a song about letting go of failed relationships. A self-love ballad, the track epitomizes the feeling of getting energized before a fresh start, and it got the crowd excited for the rest of the show. Griff’s dynamic start to the show was followed by an acoustic version of “Walk,” celebrating that little something special she notices in a love interest.

Griff at The Sinclair in Boston. By Courtesy of Anna Moiseieva

Griff’s set featured lyrical, instrumental, and aesthetic range. Performing “Better” acoustically and “Earl Grey Tea” on the keyboard showcased Griff’s connection to various music genres like soul and classic pop. The mood of the performance was facilitated by the lighting transitions, illuminating Griff in shades of red and orange for lively songs and shades of purple for lyrical numbers. As the show progressed, Griff shared insights into the stories behind songs like “Good Stuff” and “Shade of Yellow.”

To Griff, “Good Stuff” is more than just a break up ballad. “Your brain has this way of only filtering out the best memories and it's so frustrating,” Griff said. She shared that her family would foster kids who later moved on and left their home, leaving Griff with just the “good stuff” she could remember from their stay. This made moving on a difficult process, but in a good way. “Shade of Yellow” is about a similar feeling of happy nostalgia.

“When you look back there’s a real safety and a haven in that memory and it’s about wondering why you keep running back to this place,” Griff said in her introduction to “Shade of Yellow.” The yellow lights above the stage during “Shade of Yellow” made it a particularly upbeat and positive performance, brightly illuminating Griff and elevating the mood as she danced.

Griff’s latest single with Singrid was scheduled to air on Jimmy Fallon later that evening. Griff expressed her joy for being able to collaborate with Singrid despite the competitive nature of the pop industry. She was met with the sounds of thundering applause.

Griff sang “Black Hole” as her final song of the night. Starting the song acoustically on her guitar, she climatically built up the energy of the crowd by dancing and encouraging them to belt out the words with her. Animated in their excitement for such a charged performance, fans demanded an encore moments later.

Overall, Griff delivered an astonishing performance, cementing her spot in the world of pop music and making an unforgettable night for everyone present.

—Staff writer Anna Moiseieva can be reached at anna.moiseieva@thecrimson.com.