Rising Canadian pop artist JESSIA has been seen touring the world as support for acts such as OneRepublic and Dean Lewis, but last Tuesday, the artist kicked off their first-ever headlining tour across North America. The first destination for the trek was Los Angeles' Moroccan Lounge, and the intimate venue was filled with fans waiting to greet the artist in their new era of independence.

Following a groovy intro courtesy of her live band, JESSIA walked on stage to begin their set with "I Should Quit," which finds the artist simply wanting to see what happens next ("I should quit tellin' lies to sound cooler/But I'm just too desperate to fit in"). JESSIA continued with fan favorites "But I DonT" and "Conviction" before heading into their new self-released EP Okay with Every Part with the cuts "He's A 10," "Care About Me," and "Happy Without You." Leaving a major label is always a tough moment, and many artists tend to struggle with what to do next. Fortunately, JESSIA carried on with a slew of independent releases gaining praise from their fanbase.

JESSIA made their set feel more like a get-together with friends with the artist having conversations every other song. Before jumping into the song "One of the Guys," the artist asked if the audience dealt with any situationships in their lives. One lady stood out with their story of wanting to leave their significant other after a long relationship. Before "He's A 10," JESSIA asked what are some dealbreakers when it comes to meeting a new person. Audience members delivered a slew of red flags, including bad breath.

During her set, JESSIA unveiled an unreleased song titled "I'm Not Gonna Cry," which finds the artist refusing to shed tears following a nasty breakup ("It's gonna get better, it's gonna get worse, but I'll keep dancing as if it doesn't hurt"). The tune was inspired by The Rock's "Don't cry" meme that's been running rampant on TikTok.

The artist included an acoustic portion of the set, which featured a stripped-down version of "The Woman You Are." Written about their mother, JESSIA crooned "I'm okay with every part/If I became half the woman you are." As expected, JESSIA discussed being nervous about singing that song at the hometown show with her mom in attendance.

JESSIA closed their set with "Be Here Now," which found the audience waving their hands from side to side while singing along to the song's sincere chorus. Towards the song's conclusion, JESSIA exited the stage to let her live band deliver a melodious finale.

Opening the evening was fellow rising pop artist Alexa Cappelli. The hometown artist unveiled their new EP The Process of Elimination earlier this month, and they were ready to play cuts from that release along with fan favorites such as "Could've Just Left Me Alone" and "Body Language." Much like JESSIA, Cappelli had some fun with the audience before their song "Replicate You." Before her set, members of the audience were asked to finish the statement "If I'm gonna love somebody new..." with how they would get over their ex. Cappelli read some responses on stage, and they ranged from getting drunk to burning pictures.

JESSIA setlist

I Should Quit
But I Don'T
Conviction
He's A 10
Care About Me
Happy Without You
The Climb (Miley Cyrus cover)
Without You
I'm Not Gonna Cry
One of the Guys
Different People
The Woman You Are
Next Time
Nobody Hates You
I'm Not Pretty
Be Here Now