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Review: House of Blues crowd gives 'Trapsoul' star Bryson Tiller a hero's welcome

Kentucky artist Bryson Tiller has hovered near the top of the streaming charts for many weeks, mostly thanks to the smooth and heady seduction single "Don't." In addition to its growing number of streams, the video for the 23-year-old rapper and singer's hit has racked up more than 54 million views. In short, the guy's on fire right now.

The fanfare for "Don't" — a tune that falls right in the pocket with the Weeknd's stuff and also harks back to the hypnotic sex jams of Ginuwine — now extends to other vibe-y tunes on Tiller's debut full-length album, TRAPSOUL. It was no shock to see the singer-rapper draw a bustling, enthused pack of young fans to House of Blues on Friday night.

Even before Tiller took the stage, as the opening outfit THEY paced the stage and chanted over uninspired beats, the people were already in hand-waving mode. And when the headliner did eventually appear, flanked by two dudes with laptops and a drummer, the audience welcomed him like a long lost friend.

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The fact that fans have listened to his record constantly helped Tiller achieve this kind of rabid reception without having to work all that hard on stage. The dense fog and customizable panel of lights behind him did more to contribute to the show's visual aesthetic than any of his pacing. He gave the folks straightforward renditions of album tracks -- the hard-hitting "Rambo" and the libidinous "Exchange" were standouts from the set. Tiller incorporated an impressive range of styles seamlessly, from romantic crooning to rapid-fire, aggressive spitting. He can sound like Drake one second and Chris Brown the next.

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Tiller even invoked the name of Drake at one point in the show when he recalled, with an almost misty-eyed quality, the moment when the Toronto superstar followed him on Twitter. He also spoke fondly of the halcyon days when "Don't" premiered on Soundcloud. Brave new world.

Jokes aside, Tiller's a talented artist riding high on a relevant sound. He's captured the stripped-down mix of pop melodies, hazy production and vice-influenced lyrics that so many seem to be going for these days.

Whether that continues to work for Tiller the way it did Friday night remains to be seen. But with the experience he's getting on the current tour and the skills he already possesses, he ought to be able to ride whatever the next wave might be.

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Hunter Hauk on Twitter: @hausofhunter