Acoya At The Troubadour

He calls it “music your girlfriend likes”, but standing in the crowd at the Troubadour on that Wednesday night, it was clear the line undersells it. Meet Acoya, a Filipino-Dutch Pop/R&B artist under ABS-CBN Music International. Not too long ago, he was just an engineering student at UC Davis, teaching himself production in his dad’s office-turned bedroom. Now, he’s brought those learnings and that same bedroom sound to one of music’s most storied stages, the Troubadour, a venue that’s launched icons from Elton John to Guns N’ Roses. With a lineup filled with his friends and a room of his loved ones, he delivered a set that felt like a celebration and proof of his growth, with a striking, opening song that hinted at what’s to come.

Live, that ethos comes through in full color. Confident, romantic, and a little vulnerable underneath it all, his set ebbed and flowed with wide emotional range. *“Loverboy” *brought the confidence, smooth and a little cocky, and “Casanova” right alongside it, brought the swagger. Then,“Say It First” pulled the room the other direction entirely, trading the confidence for something softer and more tender.

One of my favorite parts of the night was when Acoya brought out **rache. **for their duet of “Is It Cool?”, where the two of them shared a glass of wine while trading lines, clearly having as much fun as the crowd was.

This was exactly the room to meet Acoya in, and it was truly the best place to get a taste of whatever he’s got planned next.

Photography by @averyantonio