COBRAH
Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, USA
March 2, 2024
Article by Alicia Urrea
COBRAH. Photo via Instagram
Lace corsets.
Glitter tops.
Chain necklaces and leather chokers.
In the swarm of COBRAH fans that stood around me, it was the attire that I observed from the moment I stepped into the Fonda Theatre.
The outfits felt on-par for COBRAH's artistry; from the moment she made her debut with her single titled IDFKA in 2018, she adopted a dark, sex-appealing, "BDSM" aesthetic. With stiletto nails and pale makeup photographed in single artwork, along with her hyperactive house discography, she's acquired a fanbase that is equally erotic. As I stood amidst everyone in my black jeans and zip-up sweater, I felt foreign and intimated, but it made me all the more excited for the show to begin.
I had been listening to COBRAH for about a year now, unfortunately missing a few opportunities to see her live up until now. As someone who normally listens to traditional pop music, her heavy EDM tracks were a stark contrast to my ears, but ones I was eager to hear live. I was additionally excited to see COBRAH herself; she's a multifaceted Swedish singer, rapper, writer, and producer who has had quite the successful year thus far. She had hit the road in early 2023 for her self-titled EP that was released during the pandemic. Later that year, she released another EP titled SUCCUBUS. I was now standing in the sold-out crowd of the Los Angeles stop of the Succubus World Tour.
Upon the stage was a monochrome cross with a small surface in front of it, looking like someplace for COBRAH to sit at some point in her performance. There were also belts hanging from either side of the cross, adding onto that sensual aesthetic that is present within COBRAH's persona. As the house lights ceased, it was pitch black in every direction I turned. After a few seconds, all I could make out from the stage in the darkness was long, platinum blonde hair that swayed with every movement made. As she stood center stage in a black leather corset, a flowy black skirt, and dark high heels, the crowd roared in excitement as the opening song began: DIP N DRIP.
With fast paced electronic synths and a hefty bass, COBRAH strutted from stage left to right as she rapped the lyrics. Her hair and skirt followed her elegantly, with strobe lights synchronizing with the loud music. As the chorus hit, she jumped along with the crowd and ended with a perfect transition into the following song.
A notable part of the first half of the set was the performance of 10/10. At this point, I was up in the balcony of the venue and was looking out into the crowd and had a birds-eye view of the stage. Arguably, everyone went the craziest for this track, especially with how expeditious the chorus is. I wish she had started with the song, because it really set the tone for the rest of the night – everyone was bouncing with drinks in hand, sweat dripping off of foreheads and forearms (especially because of how warm everyone's outfits seemed!). The chorus simply repeats "10 out of 10" with pulsing synths and bass. COBRAH's energy never withered as she continued to jump in rhythm with the crowd.
She did take breaks in between certain songs to deliver some appreciative words, the first being after about five tracks: "I can't hear anything, it's so loud tonight!" she yelled before continuing on with her set. The next few songs – such as FEMININE ENERGY, BAD POSITION, and ACTIVATE – were very seductive and luscious. During all of these songs, red lights were beaming overhead as she did some chair choreography on the cross. She sat facing the opposing side of the stage with her back to the audience, flipping her hair and keeping the energy high despite her sitting down. For the following track titled SUCK, COBRAH put her legs on either side of the cross and hung upside down, receiving amazed gasps and hollers from the audience. It was definitely the most provocative song of the night, and another one of my favorite moments of the concert. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition between some sultry choreography on a cross.
The house lights flared on as COBRAH began to do some crowd work for the next song: "I wanna play a game with you. It's called: beat go hard with a bang." Without even providing instructions, everyone shouted, "I just bang my way to the bank!" as COBRAH held out her microphone. This was done about once or twice before the music for the track BANG started, and it genuinely looked like she was having the most fun during this one. She was consistently smiling and she never stopped dancing; her crowd work even continued for the next song called BRAND NEW BITCH, which she announced as one of her favorite songs she's ever released.
The last song before the encore was GOOD PUSS, which is honestly one of my favorite COBRAH songs, and I was super excited to hear it live. Needless to say, it did not disappoint; when the opening beats started, the crowd was the loudest it had been since the show began. The music and COBRAH’s voice was barely audible over the speakers as everyone erupted into excitement. Several expressions of awe scattered across faces as two dancers stood on concave ledges that were on opposing walls of the venue. Though I wish the dancers were on the actual stage behind COBRAH, their choreography was hypnotizing. They were dressed in black lingerie with fishnet tights, along with black heels similar to COBRAH's. Their choreography was also sensual, adding to the climatic point of the night. It felt more like a nightclub than a concert, in the best way possible – it was evident no one was ready to leave. She exited the stage briefly, only to return with the encore, MAMI. She shouted into the mic, "Let's fucking go LA!" as the crowd jumped in unison one last time.
To say the least, the entirety of this show was vigorous in energy and was definitely the place to be on a Saturday night. The glamorous outfits, vibrant music, drinks, sex appeal, an entertaining sold-out crowd, and a starlet to steal the show were the fragments that put together a memorable evening. Having COBRAH crossed off of my concert bucketlist is personally an astounding achievement, and having a second successful headlining tour is definitely a remarkable achievement for COBRAH. I'm eager to see what more she accomplishes throughout this year.