Festival line-ups are always something I love to have a look at, even if the majority of the time, I have no intention at all of going there. Like Coachella, despite being a devoted watcher of Emma Chamberlain’s outfit videos and the iconic Beyoncé performance of 2018, I have no connection to this festival whatsoever (maybe because it’s $1000 and is a 12-hour flight away). Yet, will I have a look at the line-up? Absolutely! This year the lineup is; Sabrina Carpenter, KATSEYE, Ethel Cain, Justin Bieber, Addison Rae and Karol G, just to name a few. Perhaps there is no link between this lineup. Personally, I can’t see the correlation between Ethel Cain and Justin Bieber, but I think social media is an important part here. Whether it’s KATSEYE, Sabrina Carpenter or Addison Rae – you don’t have to scroll too far into Twitter to find something about any of these artists. Apart from Ethel Cain, these are all pop singers, maybe telling of the influence of TikTok sounds, and yes, I hear you, this is Coachella! So what are other festival line-ups looking like?
Primavera Sound is probably one of my favourite line-ups I’ve seen in a while – The Cure, PinkPantheress, Doja Cat, Addison Rae (deservedly made it on a lot of line-ups for next year), Gorillaz, Lola Young and Massive Attack. All of which are incredible artists, both Massive Attack, The Cure and the Gorillaz are groups that have been active for at least 25 years, quite different from the rest of the line-ups. You could say there is a sense of nostalgia amongst festival goers, but to be truthful, I think it’s the need for good music. Especially when the world feels awful sometimes – it’s important to have artists who make you feel great – whether that’s Doja Cat or The Cure. I also think artists such as Kneecap and Massive Attack need to be noted – they are artists who are fighting for change in a world that just feels so hopeless. And as a listener, it’s empowering to hear them. So with festival line ups, some complain about the ‘TikTok music’ released by artists these days, and whilst that may be true to some extent (looking at the lyricism of Taylor Swift’s new album). I just think we want good music, one that makes us dance and sing, and simply forget about the blatant reality of the world we live in.
IMAGE: @allpointseastuk – Instagram
