Irish electronic-pop artist Viscose brought a brilliant, stripped-down set to the Hot Press Y&E series on Sunday night- even as he fought through a current bout of Covid.

The producer kicked off his set with his latest single 'I.L.Y' that dropped back in February. The dance/pop banger takes after the likes of Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue, and Madonna whom Viscose praises as some of his favourite artists.

While the artist has made a name for himself with his many made-for-the-dancefloor hits, this set featured a more stripped down approach that lacked his usual heavy synths and driving pop beats. In this way, the set really provided listeners with an opportunity to appreciate Viscose’s insightful lyrics and raw musicality.

After a quick sip of his mango daiquiri, the singer moved on to deliver a fun and jazzy take on an unreleased song called 'Smart'.

The singer then took a chance to answer several audience questions about his skincare routine (he doesn't really have one) and who his musical influences are (Lady Gaga and Lana Del Ray, among others).

For the remainder of his set, Viscose moved between piano and guitar for renditions of 'Been There' and 'Love Again'. He concluded the set with a stirring and poignant performance of his 2021 single 'Piece of Mind' that addresses the trauma that mental illness can have on the mind through Viscose’s own personal struggle with anxiety disorder.

"Who is winning, Covid or me?" he asked at the beginning of the evening. By the end of his set, it was clear that Viscose emerged victorious.

Check out the full set 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 (@hotpressmagazine) at 7pm each night.

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