On sunday evening, indie pop sensation Taylor D showcased her abdundant songwriting talents with a thoroughly enjoyable set – adding to the growing array of exciting acts on display throughout the Hot Press Y&E series.

The young singer has been captivating audiences across the globe with her stellar debut EP Fan Girl. The project’s diverse blend of infectious pop anthems and soul-stirring ballads has seen the singer garner radio play as far away as Japan, The United States and Australia.

Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences such as Taylor Swift, Nelly Furtado, and The Weeknd, her music  transcends conventional Pop boundaries.

She’s earned critical acclaim as a multi-award-winning singer-songwriter and musician too, being crowned "First Choice Radio UK Artist of the Year," and boasting a list of accolades which includes winning the Irish Youth Music Awards in 2021 and the President Gaisce Award for Music in 2022.

Watching Taylor D perform live from a professional studio set-up, the hype around her comes as no surprise.

Listening to her first song of choice, the emotive ‘Lost’, there’s an evident sense of maturity in Taylor D’s songs, her lyrics dealing with love and relationships in a way that makes the artist appear wiser beyond her years.  ‘Liar’, another track from her Fan Girl EP, continued in this vein, with its darker grunge-aesthetic also highlighting her ability to make each song stand out from a sonic perspective.

It wasn’t only songs from her debut project to feature, the virtual audience being blessed with some exclusive displays of unreleased material in the form of the Americana-twinged ‘Let Me Be’- the singer’s Taylor Swift’s influences on full display in impressive fashion.

On a more sombre, but simultaneously uplifting note, Taylor informed the audience that she sadly lost her grandmother only a few days prior to her performance – the signer taking time to dedicate her live set to her late loved one.

This underlined Taylor’s immense ability as a young performer. To deliver such an astounding show in the midst of the grieving process would be a difficult feat for even the most veteran of musicians, never mind someone at the beginning of their career.

A fine example of music’s cathartic abilities in difficult times, it was really this sense of professionalism that stood out throughout the set, Taylor D cool, calm, and collected as she rattled through her awe-inspiring heartfelt numbers.

Finishing the evening on a high was the title track from her Fan Girl EP – an ode to fangirls everywhere - the signer painted a succinct picture of the unbridled infatuation that we’ve all been struck with at some point in our lives - capping off another noteworthy addition to the ever-increasing list of great Y&E series perfomances.

Watch Taylor d's Y&E perfomance in full below. 

 

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Watch the Hot Press Y&E Series - supported by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media - live on the Hot Press Instagram (@hotpressinstagram) at 7pm each night.

Catch the following up-and-comers take over the Hot Press Instagram in the coming days…

Tuesday 31st: Holly Munro

An Irish singer-songwriter gaining recognition for her electronic-infused brand of folk-pop, Holly Munro's distinct sound draws inspiration from icons Bjork, Kate Bush, and Joni Mitchell. She also happens to be Harry and Alfie Hudson-Taylor's sister, spending most of her days alongside her producer in the same Somerset studio that Tears For Fears recorded Songs From The Big Chair in. With its folk sensibilities and ambient textures, her upcoming EP Up Against Your Nature is both reassuringly nostalgic yet excitingly fresh.

Wednesday 1st : Polly Barrett

Already renowned in the Irish folk scene with two studio albums under her belt, Polly Barrett is no stranger to the creative process and performing - having recently appeared at the Milwaukee Irish Fest alongside the Coronas, Wallis Bird and a host of Irish acts. Rediscovering her creativity through Forest Therapy, she explores the overwhelming love for one's child and parenthood on her new album Sapling be… a journey through motherhood, love and loss, the very life cycle of nature itself.