Mercer Henderson can probably be found writing breakup songs. Unless, of course, you were looking for her this past Friday night, when she headlined the Brooklyn Bowl in a four act show presented by Women That Rock.
Taking the stage after performances by Abby Holiday, Stevie Bill, and Rachel Bochner, Henderson ran to the mic with the energy of a bona-fide rockstar. The twenty-two year old singer-songwriter already has a stage presence that takes most artists years to develop: She’s cool, she’s confident, she’s the pop star we all like to think we’d be onstage when we’re dancing around the bathroom singing into a hairbrush. Henderson knows how to work the stage and connect with the audience without missing a note. It quickly becomes clear that she’s one of the rare few who somehow sounds even better live than she does in the studio, and it only takes a few songs to realize that she’s going to be BIG.
A recent graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, Henderson’s rockstar stage presence is matched by her powerful vocals and strong, relatable lyrics. Her debut EP, Not Really Strangers, was released in August of 2024, and has been followed by a series of melody-driven singles that showcase her strengths as both a songwriter and performer. Henderson’s hour-long setlist spans her entire discography, from the Not Really Strangers to unreleased tracks that leave the audience eagerly awaiting her next move.
Henderson closes out the show with her recent breakout release, Almost, So Close, Maybe, which has amassed over 3 million streams on Spotify to date. As the opening chords of the song play in the background, Henderson confesses to the crowd “this last song is changing my life a little bit.”
Seeing Mercer Henderson perform live, it’s clear that she’s not an almost, a so close, or a maybe: she’s a sure thing, and she’s just getting started.
For more information on upcoming releases, shows, and more, visit https://www.mercerofficial.com
