Concert Review: Ella Boh @ Songbyrd Music House (10/6/26)

Ella Boh (Photo Credit: Wiktoria Cebera)

“I love you!” – fan in crowd.

“I love you more. I already told you you’re not winning this game!” – Ella Boh

Ella Boh visited DC via Songbyrd Music House on October 6^th and proceeded to blow the crowd away.

She is on her first headlining tour, BLURRY, in support of the 2026 deluxe version of her second EP, also titled BLURRY (via Bamboo Artists).

Songbyrd was sold out, and was already packed shortly after doors opened. It appeared that Ella already had one fully formed fan group, as the crowd’s center mass at front stage were mostly teenage girls (who were basically having the time of their lives). The rest of the crowd watched with envy (presumably) that anyone could have that much fun at a concert, as if this was their own witnessing the Beatle’s live for the first time moment. Yes, these fans brought lots of screaming, reaching hands, and a healthy number of ‘I love yous’ directed at Ella.

An explosive sound and red lights alerted us to Ella’s imminent arrival. As the music slowly built and the fans started the journey towards losing their collective minds…errr…voices, Ella arrived in sunglasses and a wry smile, along with her band, which included a guitarist and a drummer. She kicked off her set with “BLURRY”, which speaks to dissociation and mental escapism, and dealing with the internal turmoil of depression. Evidence appears in the lyrics that end the song, ‘lightning, lightning, thunder, and lightning, frightening, frightening, goin’ on inside me’.

Next came a new single not on the EP, “A MiLLiON DAGGERS”, which got everyone dancing and bouncing. Ella whipped off her sunglasses and knelt down to interact with the fans, while giving us an incredible rendition of a song about being detached and not feeling anything, where only something truly intense could be the cure.

Something to get out of the way, Ella has a ridiculous voice. Beautiful and resonant, and she loved to sing to the rafters during many of the choruses.

Speaking of which, next was “iNSOMNiAC” about someone who is your only weakness, so much so that you cannot sleep. Ella’s live version had some differences compared to the recording, as she fully belted the ‘you made me, you made youuuuur‘ to the rafters, causing a doubletake. That isn’t in the recording.

“STARLET” had some good guitar riffs, and may have been my favorite song she performed that evening. Ella performed 21 songs in total, including all eight songs from the BLURRY DELUXE EP, all seven songs from her first EP, 2025’s milk & honey, and a few covers and other singles for good measure.

From Southern California, her music is categorized as dark pop, which leans into moody, atmospheric pop. Often times leaning into rock, as there were multiple heavy riffs and an assortment of guitar solos. Many of the themes of her songs are about exploring emotional vulnerability, including obsession, creative expression, and trauma from an early-age restrictive religious upbringing. Maybe her fan group needs more time to experience these emotions (or maybe not), but I agree with their fandom, they can still enjoy the sound and the way her music makes them feel.

Five of the first six songs were from BLURRY. I noticed that every song title in that EP used all caps, yet every ‘i’ was lowercase. I’m a sucker for patterns, it turns out this is a stylistic choice to showcase the vulnerable and introspective themes of the EP, where the ‘i’ minimizes the self, showcasing the feeling of being overwhelmed. (Yes, I googled it.)

The next six out of seven songs came from the milk & honey EP, starting with the title track. She brought out a guitar and introduced the song as “going back in time a little bit” (but only to 2025). She also had the exchange with the fan found at the top. The song is about the magic and beauty of a relationship, harkening back to the conceit that we can actually find the preverbal milk and honey in the Promised Land. When she hit the high notes in the chorus, ‘she’s so hiiiiiiigh, oh so lovely’ it brought chills to the whole crowd (presumably).

Her first hit was “a little bit” and warranted a solo by the guitarist. Nearing 10 million streams on Spotify, it’s an upbeat ode to infatuation and obsession for someone you’ve falling for. It speaks to trying not to be too aggressive in the pursuit, even though that is all you want. She used backing vocals here and there in the songs she performed, which in this case helped to convey the chaotic nature of the obsession, like an internal monologue that won’t let it rest.

The whole crowd sang the chorus of “out of order” while Ella watched. Before moving on to “SERiAL KiLLER”, she got a little emotional, ‘That was fun. Deep in my soul. Thank you for being here!‘ She finished the main set with the final three songs from BLURRY and “CHOKE”, which she performed sitting on the stage.

The encore was three songs, including “babydoll” from milk & honey, and “DiE”, a single from 2025 about never wanting to leave someone’s side, under any circumstance.

Ella ended the encore with her just released cover of George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”, replacing saxophone with guitar and adding a down-tempo breathy take to the lyrics. When she got to the chorus, the fans couldn’t get enough.

I’m going to have to strenuously recommend that you buy BLURRY and milk & honey, but more importantly that you catch her live in the near future, because you may just want to join me in the fan group at the front.

Setlist