elevASIAN

Lyn Lapid brings 21st century love to the live stage

The rising Filipina-American musician performed in St. Paul, Minnesota during her first headlining tour.

Photo of a woman in green singing on stage in front of a guitarist and drummer

Lyn Lapid performs at Amsterdam Bar and Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

By Marissa Ding

When a self-written song became TikTok’s top viewed unreleased demo of 2020, 17-year-old singer and songwriter Katelyn Lapid, or Lyn Lapid, found herself in a once-in-a-lifetime position to pursue her passion for music. From uploading videos of her original songs online, to signing with Republic Records after her TikTok success, to working with producers like Dan Nigro (producer for Olivia Rodrigo and Conan Gray among others), Lapid has made great strides in the past few years. Yet through it all, she has remained true to herself. In an industry where seasoned professionals can take more of the lead in creative and music direction, she continues to create tracks that capture both who she is: a young woman navigating the insecurities, crushes, and self-growth of the journey to adulthood.

Lapid announced her “to love in the 21st Century” tour in April alongside an eponymous EP that dropped last Friday. But this marks her third time on tour, having opened for artists Ricky Montgomery and Eric Nam in their respective headlining tours. With her previous live performance experience and ever-evolving sound, audiences eagerly anticipated what Lapid would bring to her first headlining shows. Lapid’s Minnesota stop was in St. Paul, where she performed at the Amsterdam Bar and Hall on June 18th.

Photo of a singer in green pointing

Lyn Lapid talks to the audience and mentions the excitement of headlining her first show in the Twin Cities. She went on to perform “Producer Man,” the finished version of the aforementioned TikTok demo that sparked her career, and “Infinite,” a song inspired by the feeling of missing out on carefree summer memories documented by others on social media. Lapid developed an interest in music at a young age, from singing karaoke at house parties with her Filipino family to playing the piano and violin in elementary school. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a singer with a small guitar behind a guitarist

Lapid writes songs mainly from her personal experiences. Before playing a track from “to love in the 21st century” about being ghosted by a crush, she asked the audience if they had ever had similar experiences, sharing her own story of a boy who ended communication with her without any explanation. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a singer with her back turned, jumping and her hair floating

Lapid jumps up and down with the crowd. She continues to experiment with genres while discovering her voice and commenting on topics such as drifting apart from close friends after they entered college. Lapid chose to continue music full-time after high school rather than beginning an undergraduate degree to follow her childhood dreams of medical school. She stated in a 2021 interview that her goal of medical school was to “make her parents proud,” but music was her true passion once she reconsidered her future career and life. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a woman in green singing in front of a guitarist

Lapid croons to the crowd. She performed two covers during the set, the first being a cover of “When She Loved Me” by Sarah McLachlan from the film “Toy Story 2.” Lapid told the audience this was the song that jump started her social media presence as a singer before “Producer Man.” (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a guitarist

Bassist Kayla Ramilliano sways to the melody of a track. Lapid’s band is composed of musicians close to her age, including drummer Tyler Nam and guitarist Ezra Silver-Isenstadt. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a singer singing back to back with a guitarist

Ramilliano and Lapid stand back-to-back as Lapid performs her encore. The crowd swelled in anticipation as the first few notes of “In My Mind,” one of Lapid’s most popular songs, played. Lapid showed off her dynamic vocals throughout the concert, leaning into her microphone and walking around the stage with a self-assured, sincere presence. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a singer with her back turned with her arms extended upwards

Lapid and Silver-Isenstadt jam out to the bass of a track. Throughout the show, Lapid connected with various fans, holding finger hearts out to them and pointing them out in the crowd. (Photo by Marissa Ding)

Photo of a woman holding her arms out with a microphone

Lapid holds her arms out to the audience as she ends her show with “poster boy.” As a young woman who began posting on TikTok for herself and without expectations for an audience, she serves as an inspiration for budding musicians to pursue their craft regardless of their concerns about achieving success. (Photo by Marissa Ding)