She’s the girl at the party, trying to fit in. She’s the girl you can rant to at three in the morning, and she’ll understand. She’s the girl with the sad songs, the soft voice and a love for all things normal. 

Sasha Sloan, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter, has a knack for confessional songwriting with catchy melodies. This is especially apparent on her latest album, “Self Portrait,” which was released on Oct. 18. She performed at the 9:30 Club in D.C. on Saturday, Nov. 23, currently traveling on her “Let’s Get Sad” Tour. 

The crowd skewed younger, with many teens and people in their twenties. There was a long line of people waiting to buy merchandise before the show. The most popular items were the Sasha Sloan t-shirts. 

“Thoughts” was the first song of the night. As Sloan walked onto the stage, she was greeted by screaming fans. One lyric that stands out in the song is when she sings: “I swear to God I’m trying, but I don’t know how to be… how to be a good friend to me.” The song was a great choice to start off the night because it highlights several of Sloan’s traits: her honesty, her anxiety and her relatability.

She didn’t talk too much between sets. However, when she did, she thanked the audience for being a great crowd. She also introduced her drummer and guitarist.

Her song “Ready Yet” was one of her most vulnerable. Her voice sounded exactly like it does on audio. The song is about her relationship with her father, and not being sure if she’s “ready yet” to speak with him again. As she sang, the audience sang the words back to her.

Her performance did not disappoint. She played all of her hit songs, including several songs from her 2018 EP, “Loser.” These songs include “Again,” “Faking It,” and “Version of Me.” The songs have a distinct late-night vibe, a common theme in Sloan’s music and one of her charms. She tends to sing about the kinds of things that people only think about when they’re lying awake at night, unable to fall asleep.

This 1,200-ish capacity show seemed to be just the right fit for Sloan. It was easy to hear her soft voice in the intimate concert setting. Even though she’s written for artists like Camila Cabello and Idina Menzel, she seems to aim for a quieter persona. 

Near the end of her set, Sloan brought out an acoustic guitar for her most well-known song, “Older.” She sang, “My parents aren’t heroes. They’re just like me.” She sang about the things that people realize as they grow up. All of the songs of the night were clearly personal to her, but this one seemed to strike a different chord. This was a crowd favorite. Her passion for the message behind this song really shone.

The concert lights changed throughout the set, reflecting the mood of each song. It was particularly mesmerizing in her song, “Dancing With Your Ghost”, which is about the loss of a loved one. Sloan was bathed in dark blue light. Several people in the audience danced to the song, especially couples. Some waved their phones in the air, with the flashlights on, adding to the song’s magic. 

She ended the set with her song “smiling when i die.” The song is about not wanting to die with regrets. She sang about all of the things she wants to do before she dies, like going home to see her mother again, traveling to Tokyo and getting lost in the desert. It left the night on a sad— yet hopeful—note. 

She thanked the audience and ran off the stage at around 8:20 pm. It was an early end to a concert, but it was still worth it. The show was 45 minutes of music straight from the heart—45 minutes of beauty. Fans can look forward to hearing more from “sad girl” Sloan in the future, as she continues to hone her songwriting skills and create herself through her music.