Chicago – Karen Marie Ørsted had THE hottest ticket around Chicago this past week. Okay, maybe Blackhawks playoff tickets actually took the title, but Karen Marie Ørsted for sure came in a close second. Karen, better known as MØ, quickly sold out Schubas, so the gig was moved to its larger sister venue: Lincoln Hall. The added tickets went just as fast, leaving many scrambling to get their hands on some. Heck, it was even tough to score a media pass, but thankfully I squeezed myself on the list and witnessed the Danish singer dance all over Lincoln Hall Wednesday night.

Long before the release of her LP No Mythologies to Follow, MØ – who works with producer Ronni Vindahl (No Wav) – had been building up a devoted following with her no-nonsense attitude and compelling electro-pop songs that mix soul, hip hop, and R&B, with hints of funk. But no doubt, the March release of her debut studio album and her much talked about SXSW performance spiked her U.S. fan base, resulting in several sold out shows on her first official North American tour. Critics have been comparing this twenty five year old pop sensation to Grimes and Santigold. She oozes quirkiness yet some of her catchy tunes carry strong hidden messages within the lyrics. Like Lady Gaga, MØ wants her fans to love themselves and not be afraid to be true to whom they are, and like Lorde, she throws in a little social commentary, occasionally asking that we open ours eyes to the world around us. Though the lyrics might be lost on some because her songs easily leave you lost in a trance, enchanted by the melodies and unknowingly moving your body to some wicked beats.

While projections began to light the stage, Vindahl and the band started to work their magic. MØ entered like a moving shadow in the afterglow. As she belted out the lyrics to “Fire Rides,” it was immediately apparent that she was set to put on one hell of a show. Her powerful voice was equally as captivating as her physical performance. She danced and thrashed around stage while images and clips from cartoons, movies, and television, like those on her audio YouTube videos, were projected onto a screen, leaving MØ and her band fuzzily lit.

MØ played every song off of No Mythologies To Follow, and she tossed in “The Sea,” a bonus track from the deluxe edition. Singles like “Pilgrim,” and the Diplo collaboration “XXX 88” had the crowd jumping and dancing. Arms were swaying in the air and hardcore fans were singing along with their Danish queen. An electrical energy filled every inch of the venue. One guy danced crazily while double fisting beer bottles. MØ wowed fans all night. She started a dance circle, crowd surfed, and shook her bootie atop the bar like a scene out of Coyote Ugly. During “Never Wanna Know,” she climbed into the balcony. As she made her way around the second floor horseshoe, people frantically pulled out their phones to capture her sweetly singing the slow jam.

After “Glass,” MØ came back out for a two-song encore. She turned the clock back with her fabulous rendition of the Spice Girls’ “Say You’ll Be There.” The self-proclaimed Spice Girls fan bopped around in her scrunchie, embodying that 90s spirit, while plenty of ladies in the room sang along with excitement, no doubt taken back to middle school. MØ ended the night with “Don’t Wanna Dance.” It was difficult to spot anyone in the audience who didn’t want to dance along with MØ.

The smooth Swede Erik Hassle started the night off with his alluring R&B grooves. His sultry, R&B-flavored electronica was the perfect start to the evening. His sexy sound is comparable to the likes of Young & Sick and fellow soulful ginger Alex Clare. Hassle recently released the EP Somebody’s Party, which features Chicago hip-hop artist Vic Mensa on “Talk About It” and up-and-comer Tinashe on “Innocence Lost.” If Hassle’s silky voice wasn’t enough to win the crowd over, his show of support for the Chicago Blackhawks surely was. The hockey fan, who I spied watching the game over a glass of white wine before the show, donned a Hawks jersey and gave a shout out to the team he said he’s followed since childhood. Hassle joked that he also hoped the jersey would score some points with the audience. Cheers and whistles followed. That said, much of the crowd lingered between the main bar and the music hall, keeping an eye on both Erik and the playoff game. The staff at Lincoln Hall kept the game on half the screen, while a live feed from the hall streamed on other half.

MØ has a few more tour stops in North America. Then she’ll be heading back to Europe and playing several summer festivals, but given her success and growing popularity in the States, I’m sure she’ll be back in the U.S. in no time! You can scope out her facebook page for tour details.

Erik Hassle will be touring with MØ for the remainder of her U.S. tour. Take a peek at his facebook pagefor more tour dates, and click here to stream his EP.

(Photos by Sarah Hess: smhimaging.com)