Amid a January littered with tragedies across the country, 2hollis’s sold-out show at Metro was a cathartic escape from reality. Chicago’s prince of hyperpop played a homecoming concert as part of a North American tour even after devastating wildfires in Los Angeles claimed thousands of homes, including his mother’s house in the Altadena neighborhood. He was greeted with a turnout so warm that the “Jeans” singer was overwhelmed by the end of the show.
Concert-goer Nonso Onwaeze, a Los Angeles native, was one of many university students who waited in a line that wrapped around the building before the show. Support in such dire times goes a long way, Onwaeze said. “I just think support is very important for artists … and just seeing this kind of support he’s receiving from fans will do something to him. He does his part to give us good music and all we can do is at least support him in good times and rough times.”
Opener Nate Sib gave an explosive start to the show, kicking off with “Hold On.” It did not take long for fans to get loose and dance around in mosh pits. Sib delivered songs like “Don’t Fall,” “Strike” and several unreleased songs with the same intensity as a headliner.
Fan Nikash Khanna says that 2hollis’s music resonates with young people because of the resurgence of house and techno in tandem with the popularity of hip hop and the rise of hyperpop as a genre.
“I feel like there’s a big resurgence of house music lately and 2hollis kind of infuses techno and house music with rap music which is the most popular genre right now. It feels very electric and energetic and energetic and it connects with a lot of people,” said Khanna.
Another longtime fan, Lacey Thompson, said she loves the unique sound he has cultivated, beginning with early work such as the 2022 studio album “White Tiger.”
“I love his production too. He produces all his own stuff especially a lot of his early work. It has its own special touch, something I never heard before. And I think we need a lot more of that in the music industry,” Thompson said.
After a quick break between musicians, 2hollis hit the stage draped in a black mesh shirt with his long, platinum blond hair hanging from a White Sox cap. With the crowd yelling “2,” the towering young artist didn’t waste time to kick things off with the bass-pumping “Gold.” He carried a captivating magnetism on stage as he danced and engaged with the crowd throughout the night, though he did not talk to fans much.
One of the biggest highlights of the night was when he debuted a song sampling Kanye West’s “All of the Lights” from West’s career-defining album “My Beautiful Dark and Twisted Fantasy.” As the music played in the darkened Metro pit, the room illuminated when the bass dropped and fans practically erupted.
When the crowd pleaded for “one more song,” he played his biggest hit, “Jeans.” Fans still had plenty of energy left to dance and mosh with him. He and Sib teamed up on stage to give the eager Chicago crowd their first performance of their new single “Afraid.”
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Derrek Vasquez, a Gold Coast native who attended 2hollis’ last show at Lincoln Hall in 2024, said he was excited to hear the new song live.
“I’ve been listening to the leak for a while now and it finally dropped so I’m excited,” he said.
2hollis also played Lollapalooza last summer.
For the artist to have such a massive turnout at his homecoming show during such a heartbreaking point in his family’s life made this a memorable night for him and fans alike.
“Having such a big crowd like this come together and really just vibe out to great music is truly important. Yes, it was a tragedy, but I think the support was really needed,” said Thompson.
For a brief moment, as Sib and 2hollis gave their farewells to the audience, 2hollis briefly froze while taking in the pleasure from the crowd, stammering, “I don’t know what to say … good bye.”
Mark Braboy is a freelance writer.
