“Go big or go home.” This timeless catchphrase seamlessly captures the long-standing motive behind Chicago’s greatest musical sensation: Lollapalooza.
The dynamic four-day music festival, hosted annually in ‘The Windy City,’ has long held the reputation of accumulating a wildly diverse range of artists. In comparison to Indio, California’s photogenic, pop and EDM-heavy Coachella and Miami’s electrifying, rap-centric Rolling Loud, Chicago’s high energy, beautifully chaotic Lollapalooza has often been described as ‘alternative.’
The festival’s history of experimenting with underground talent has accumulated into a successful track record of priming artists on the eve of their big break. This is exemplified in the performances of Lady Gaga in 2007 and Pearl Jam in 1992, both of whom were scheduled as smaller talent with low priority in terms of timing and staging before they became two of the biggest hits of their generations. Lollapalooza’s tendency to take risks in artist discovery is what makes the festival stand out. Be that as it may, this August’s roster drives a wedge in Lollapalooza’s longstanding ‘indie’ reputation. Has Lollapalooza turned … mainstream?
Thursday starts out with a bang, featuring a myriad of high-energy artists ranging from Lorde and John Summit to Empire of the Sun and 5 Seconds of Summer. Lorde’s unique vocal style and distinct synth-pop sound come together uniformly to cultivate successful hits, such as her 2013 song “Royals,” a classic that will give all the concert-goers a glimpse into the previous decade. As one of the most well-known and quickly escalating DJs of the 2020s, John Summit’s musical melting pot of tech-house and neoteric pop can be counted on to boost the festival atmosphere. Empire of the Sun, an Australian duo known for their 2009 number one song “We Are the People,” will undoubtedly keep up the electro-pop hype, spreading an uplifting perception of spiritual ecstasy amongst the audience. Another Australian band, 5 Seconds of Summer, embodies pop-rock by layering dark introspective songwriting with powerful instrumentation. The group is most well-known for their 2018 knockout album Youngblood, and is bound to rekindle a striking sense of pre-Covid naivety amongst the crowd.
As we transition into Friday, the energy picks up with Charlie XCX, Zara Larsson, Major Lazer and Lil Uzi Vert. British musical powerhouse Charlie XCX’s fast-paced blend of hyper and electro-pop music carries a nonconformist spirit that set the stage for her 2024 era-defining album Brat. Meanwhile, Zara Larsson brings a unique scandipop music style to the table characterized by her empowering radiance, as featured in her Swedish 2015 number one singles “Lush Life” and “Never Forget You.” With the presence of these two female stars, fans will experience the dynamism of summer nightlife energy and be struck with the contagious confidence that both women unapologetically exude. Major Lazer, a group best known for their hit songs “Lean On” and “Cold Water,” fuse tropical Jamaican roots with catchy EDM beats. Meanwhile, Lil Uzi Vert conducts a mesh of hip-hop pop and untraditional rap styles through emotional lyrics and melodic flows, as featured in his 2017 collaboration “Bad and Boujee” with Migos. Both music styles embody the eclectic 2016 ambiance our generation incessantly tries to recapture, and will likely be mosh pit-starters that bring out the crowd’s unfiltered rowdiness.
Saturday takes a turn into a softer, more relaxed vibe with artists The Neighbourhood and Ethel Cain. The Neighbourhood’s unique combination of alternative rock, R&B and indie-pop has been featured in their 2013 sensation “Sweater Weather,” whose longstanding presence on the charts will bring out the crowd’s reminiscent side. Meanwhile, Ethel Cain’s alternative-pop style is set apart by her southern gothic themes, elegantly soothing voice and deeply vulnerable lyrics, as seen in her 2022 single “Strangers.” Cain will join The Neighbourhood in bringing a melodramatic twist to the array of music genres.
As the festival reaches its final day and begins to wind down, it is effectively amped back up again with Sunday’s big names of Tate McRae and The Chainsmokers. Ever since Tate McRae’s 2021 breakthrough with “you broke me first,” she has rapidly escalated in status in the pop music industry, reaching the number one spot in 2023 in the Billboard Hot 100 with “greedy,” her most popular song to date. McRae’s intense dance-pop music style consists of unfiltered lyrics, bold confidence and cinematic beats that will keep the audience dancing and on their toes. The Chainsmokers’ electro and indie-pop music style blends authentic lyrics with upbeat EDM tempos to generate infectious melodic sensations. The duo was massively successful around the time of the release of their 2016 hit single “Closer,” which singlehandedly acts as a time machine in transporting listeners back to the fondly remembered 2010s.
Lollapalooza’s lineup has no misses, that is for sure. The roster encompasses a diverse assortment of music types, activating an inevitable emotional rollercoaster for all attendees. Nonetheless, it seems as if the majority of artists chosen for this summer share a common theme: They are known for peaking about a decade earlier. Our generation’s all-consuming obsession with nostalgia seems to have conquered modern music culture, and with it, Lollapalooza’s distinguished identity as a focal point for up-and-coming artists. Has Lolla gone mainstream, or am I just ticked off because I didn't get tickets?
Maya Sperling is a member of the Class of 2029 in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is a contributor for the Arts & Culture department and can be reached at mhs328@cornell.edu.
