Reminders for life at Magi Merlin’s home show at Casa Del Popolo

“It’s okay to take a minute, if you need one,” Montreal’s RnB popstar Magi Merlin tells us, “this is a reminder for life”, but a minute is not what at all what Magi (pronounced Mahd-j-eye) is taking. The single Spicekick came out on April 1st (not a joke), officially announcing her second album, POWER HOUSE, to be released this July. “It’s going to be weirder,” she told me, more like herself, but if the two singles spell out any future, it’ll be a hard-hitting pop record with producer Funkwhat’s iconic neo-soul beats plastered up on a wall of distortion and critical analysis of society and culture. “It’s about community and being a human being,” she told the crowd at her Casa Del Popolo show, telling us that she solemnly believes we can change the world, together, starting here. It feels easy to believe her, to get wrapped up in the good vibe she and her fans created, or family, rather, as she chose to refer to us as. 

    Magi Merlin’s music is the type of RnB-rap-pop fusion that, even in your most sober state, you cannot help but dance sexily to your own reflection, or gracefully stomp down the street to the swanky bass, pretending you’re in a music video. Not only is the music phenomenal, but the lyrics will wrap you up in a sociological bird's eye view of the crossroads of race, sex, fame, money, and power. I mean, what other popstar uses words like ‘modicum’ in the chorus?

    It was the end of an overcast so-called spring day when Mile End’s finest slogged through the rain to a sold-out home show for Montreal’s most underrated popstar with a stacked lineup of locals. In Casa’s back room, Magi had worked her curatorial magic, her promo photos plastered on the walls and an altar set up on the stage. Candles burning under a painting of Magi were framed by white tulle and black balloons; the opening DJ Nkusi held a Rwandan jersey under his laptop as he spun classic RnB, rap, and club pop to warm us up, along with customized intros for each opener. Iconic rapper and friend of the station, Fraud Perry, came on first, with a Rico Nasty style punk trap and a proclaimed asexual baddie, she gave us a short and sweet set of navigating being a person with a body out in the world and hyped us up for more. Jashim followed up, a high-intensity Franco rapper with a healthy soak of autotune and an aura of swag. They slammed us with energy a bit too hard cause halfway through their second song, the DJ’s laptop went flying, abruptly stopping the music. For a split second, there was silence and a brief moment of panic, but Jashim’s autotuned “oh nooo" brought the vibe back, and we all laughed as they rescued the laptop. Belí brought us to the headliner, an emblematic francophone Charli XCX with even more vocal modulation. Finally, we were ready and aptly prepared. 

    Magi Merlin’s performance was everything and then some. She played us new music, old music, unreleased music with playful bits and heartwarming moments between songs. Magi repeatedly called us her family. Many people here seemed to be longtime fans and friends of hers. I felt really lucky to be a part of this energy of interaction between all of us. There was a water bottle passed between band members. When it needed to be refilled, it got passed through the crowd to the bar and back again, like we were all family. Halfway through her set, she invited a cowboy-hatted saxophonist to lead a Texas-style auction, not in the name of capitalism, but in the name of Transgender Day of Visibility, all the proceeds donated to a trans rights organization in India in the face of newly regressive laws. What was to be auctioned? Well, a weird little dog, of course. This life-sized sculpture was made as part of Magi’s ‘Weird Little Dog’ 2025 EP. This dog and its sister travelled across North America on tour last year, and although its sister “imploded upon return to Quebec,” this one was perfect. People eagerly raised their hands in the Texan auction style, getting so caught up in the MC's encouragement that they were raising their own bids. The lucky winner paraded the dog up above the crowd while dancing for the rest of the set, amidst stacks of $100 Magi Merlin bills flying from the stage. 

What I admire most about Magi is that she wears her values on her chest. While I was catching up with her after the show, our conversation got briefly interrupted by someone asking how much the singles LPs were on the merch table, “they’re free!” she told them, even reaching over to hand a second copy to the inquirer’s friend. Magi ended the set with a full participation “Fuck The System” chant and a viewing of her then-to-be-released music video for her new single, Spicekick. It was baller, it was beautiful, it was heartwarming; the music was fantastic, and the curation phenomenal. I eagerly encourage all music appreciators to give Magi a listen. 

Jasper Cobb is the host of The Castle, on air every Friday at 1 PM