Dare I say Jessie Reyez PAID IN MEMORIES tour in Dallas was one of the top 5 Good Guys Press shows of all time?!…

On July 21st, over 4,000 fans packed into Dallas’ historic Southside Ballroom for a night they’ll never forget. Jessie Reyez, the Canadian-Colombian singer-songwriter known for her raw vocals and soul-slicing lyrics, stopped in the Lone Star State as part of her PAID IN MEMORIES tour — and let’s just say, emotions were running high in the best way possible (even I shed some tears).

From the jump, it was clear this wasn’t going to be your typical pop concert. Jessie doesn’t do surface-level. She doesn’t just sing songs; she feels them — and she makes sure you do too. The crowd was a beautiful mix of Gen Z and millennial fans who’ve clearly been with Jessie since Figures and Kiddo, and they all showed up early and loud.

Some were decked out in tour merch, others with hand-painted signs or tears already welling just from hearing her pre-show playlist (yes, we clocked that SZA and Amy Winehouse). The vibes were intimate even though the space was massive, which is kind of Jessie’s thing — making you feel like you’re in her living room, even if you’re in a warehouse-style venue with thousands of strangers.

When the lights finally dimmed and Jessie appeared, the room erupted. She opened with “I NEVER SAID I WAS SANE” and “BEGGIN 4 LUV” — both high-energy gut-punches of a track — and immediately had the whole place singing along like it was a karaoke night hosted in the middle of a therapy session. Jessie remained the focal point — commanding the stage in a denim-on-denim fit and the sharpest pair of heels I’ve ever seen.

Throughout the night, she blended crowd favorites like “PSILOCYBIN & DAISIES”, “Shutter Island”, and “Apple Juice”, along with cuts from her second album project, YESSIE. Songs like “MUTUAL FRIEND” and “ONLY ONE” were clear standouts, with the crowd screaming every word, often louder than Southside’s speakers. But Jessie didn’t just perform these songs — she lived them.

One of the most powerful moments came midway through the set when she sat down on a stool, guitar in hand, and stripped things back for a medley of ballads. “Figures,” of course, was the emotional high point. Phones lit up the room like stars, and Jessie’s voice cracked in all the right places. She didn’t hold back — not on the vocals, and definitely not on the storytelling. It’s hard to put into words how different her music feels live. On streaming, Jessie’s songs already hit deep — she’s got that rare gift of putting complicated emotions into blunt, poetic language. But live?

It’s like her pain, joy, rage, and softness take physical form. You’re not just listening — you’re experiencing it with her.

Another important moment that night was hearing Jessie perform “Great One”, which is featured in the soundtrack of the 2019 Netflix Original Movie, Someone Great. This movie single-handedly saved me from my pre-pandemic breakup, and was what introduced me to Jessie in the first place, so this moment certainly held a soft, nostalgic spot in my heart.

Jessie Reyez is more than a performer — she’s a storyteller, a healer, a soul on fire. And on Monday night, in the heat of a Dallas summer, she reminded us all that even our most painful memories can be paid back in connection, release, and love. If you ever get the chance to see her live, take it. PAID IN MEMORIES isn’t just a tour — it’s a collective therapy session set to soul-R&B beats and fearless lyrics. Jessie Reyez showed up, showed out, and left a piece of her heart in Dallas.