Chappell Roan, SZA, Benson Boone, Deftones amongst 10 must-see Lollapalooza standouts
Boasting more than 170 artists spread throughout eight stages over four days, Lollapalooza is on its way to Grant Park, promising both today’s hottest chart-toppers and rapidly emerging tastemakers in all shades of pop, rock, hip-hop, electronic and beyond.
From August 1-4, headliners SZA, Megan Thee Stallion, Blink-182, The Killers, Future X Metro Boomin, Hozier, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez and Skrillex are just a handful of the heavyweights who will continue a tradition that began as an annual tour in 1991.
And even if there are now several stand-alone locations all across the globe, Chicago is clearly the festival’s flagship, as evidenced by these must-see moments in what’s bound to be a long weekend’s worth of endless entertainment and hopefully a few surprises.
1. Chappell Roan (Thursday)
At this point in her meteoric ascent, previous Olivia Rodrigo opener Chappell Roan should probably be listed in the largest print possible, though she’ll likely draw that size of crowd and then some thanks to pride-filled indie pop from the fantastic “The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess.”
2. SZA (Friday)
After her triple win at this year’s Grammy Awards, SZA more than earned a slot at the top, which won’t just focus on her latest R&B masterpiece, “SOS,” but has the potential to go back to her breakthrough, “Ctrl,” plus preview the “Lana” long-player.
3. Deftones (Saturday)
Perhaps the most noticeable nod to Lollapalooza’s heritage is the Deftones, the alternative and experimental rockers who’ve been riding high upon their increasingly iconic “White Pony” for three aggressive decades and regularly maintain an unpredictable metallic edge.
4. Benson Boone (Thursday)
He could’ve probably went pretty far on “American Idol,” yet after voluntarily withdrawing, Benson Boone had no trouble trending on TikTok to the point where he opened for Taylor Swift and sells out solo shows everywhere, based solely on the singer/songwriter strength of “Fireworks & Rollerblades.”
5. Laufey (Friday)
Iceland’s jazzy pop/classical crossover star Laufey is so cinematic in nature, it’s only fitting she’s going to be accompanied by the Chicago Philharmonic as quite possibly the first vocalist/multi-instrumentalist to ever feature full orchestral accompaniment at Lollapalooza.
6. Conan Gray (Sunday)
The bedroom pop bangers and ballads of Conan Gray are sure to leap to life in the communal setting, while a massive stage is especially an ideal platform to experience the 1980s-inspired sugar rush of “Found Heaven.”
7. Hozier (Thursday)
Folk, soul and blues troubadour Hozier always has something compelling to say, yet last year’s “Unreal Unearth” may very well be the Irish “Take Me To Church” titan’s most compelling body of work.
8. Future X Metro Boomin (Saturday)
As if getting to catch culture-shaping rapper Future wasn’t enough, he’ll appear alongside producer/DJ/artist extraordinaire Metro Boomin to drop the best of their brand new collaborative collection, “We Don’t Trust You.”
9. Zedd (Friday)
Practically the entire Top 40 of the past decade has at least of few of Zedd’s fingerprints on it, which means nothing but non-stop hits from the German giant, who’s about to release his immensely anticipated “Telos” project.
10. Blink-182 (Sunday)
The reunited line-up of the entirely original Blink-182 proved so popular, a pair of United Center sell outs weren’t enough, resulting an encore coming on the heels of the aptly titled “One More Time…” album and the pop/punk players picking up precisely where they left off.
Lollapalooza comes to Grant Park from Thursday, August 1 through Sunday, August 4. For additional details, visit Lollapalooza.com.