LAMAYA @ King Tut's, Glasgow, 24 Jul

A small but engaged crowd has gathered at King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut to see rising star LAMAYA tonight. The gig, a triple bill with SNEDZ and Lil Bon, is part of the venue’s long-running Summer Nights series known for spotlighting emerging talent. The audience is a mix of LAMAYA fans and supporters, and curious listeners drawn in by the venue’s consistently sharp programming. By the end of her sparkling set, everyone is on board.

LAMAYA appears on stage looking effortlessly cool in a leopard-print Adidas tracksuit and bikini top. Her set is tight, expressive, and full of intent. As a performer, LAMAYA is magnetic – a thrilling showcase of vocal control, dance, movement and personality. It's impossible to take your eyes off her. She introduces new track Ginger, explaining with a laugh, “I’ve dyed my hair ginger to fit in better here in Scotland. You guys say ginger like an insult, but ginger is also a word in Nigerian that basically means ‘hype me up’.” It’s a funny, self-aware nod to her cultural duality – raised near East Kilbride with Nigerian heritage – and it sets the tone for the energising, swaggering track that follows.

Musically, LAMAYA is hard to pin down, and that’s all part of her charm. Elements of neo-soul, grime, R'n'B and hip-hop surface throughout, but never settle long enough to fully define her. Her rendition of debut single COMING FOR UR <3 is better than the recording sounds, with the beat hitting heavier live. Her voice hovers confidently on top of the song’s brooding production.

But it’s the newer tracks, Walk Away and Nitelife, that bring the crowd in closest; Nitelife swells into something of a singalong while Walk Away turns the room into a dancefloor. Throughout, her choreography mirrors the music: sharp, expressive, and never getting in the way of her atmospheric vocals.

The star quality here is undeniable. LAMAYA has stage presence well beyond her years, the kind that fills a room before she even begins singing. It’s easy to imagine how these songs might evolve even further with a full live band, bringing new weight and dimension to an already distinctive sound. This is something to look forward to as she no doubt continues to higher heights. LAMAYA’s name isn’t printed on the King Tut’s stairs yet, but it might just be a matter of time.