Once it’s her time to go on, the side of the stage fills with A&Rs and artists, probably wondering who exactly QRTR is and why she’s making so much noise in the scene lately. This is the girl who was personally asked by Fred again..’s team to support him for his secret Brooklyn pop-up show a few months ago and was just announced as support for two dates on ODESZA’s stadium tour.
The stage is in a smaller room within the lobby of the resort, reminiscent of the sweaty Bushwick venues that make her feel at home. Dressed in a black crop top, Adidas track pants, and combat boots, which she uses to stomp around the stage, she seems totally self-assured. She’s in full focus, engaging with the crowd, ignoring the feigned cross-armed apathy of the industry types behind her.
Their resistance breaks when QRTR’s set finishes. She’s mobbed, and it takes 10 minutes for me to get through the crowd to talk to her. When I do, she’s soaked in sweat and grinning, wide awake. She turns her back on the mob and walks straight to the front of the dancefloor.
