While Chappell Roan and politics ruled Day One of Lollapalooza 2024, the second day of the Chicago festival held in Grant Park featured new song debuts from headliners SZA and Zedd, and a top billing from the chart history-making Stray Kids. It also featured surprise guests, including Chance the Rapper, Remi Wolf, and Bobby Shmurda. Raye, Victoria Monét, and Laufey’s sets were also among the highlights from Day Two.
Stray Kids Inject a Punk Attitude Into K-pop
Hot off their fifth Number One album on the Billboard 200 thanks to ATE, Stray Kids were eager to entertain at their headlining set. While fans literally barked in support, the K-pop group rapped their way through hard-rock renditions of their catalog, courtesy of a live band, next to pyrotechnics, lasers, and fireworks. More striking than the drum-and-bass-inspired “Domino” or funk-laced “Back Door” was the octet’s angular choreography. Their dance moves aligned with punk jostling, giving them the aura of cinema’s suave bad boys. That deviousness reappeared later: butting against the city curfew (“Should we break the rules?”), Stray Kids snuck in “Haven” for one last sugar rush to last all night. – N.C.
SZA Debuts “Cry Baby”
For SZA fans, the wait between 2017’s CTRL and her sophomore album, SOS — which topped Rolling Stone’s best album of the year list last year — felt like an eternity, but she didn’t wait long to treat those at Lolla to a new number partway through her set. “This song is ‘Cry Baby.’ It’s not out, but it will be,” she said, before launching into the lovesick song that dovetailed well into her repertoire of lyrics that traverse heartbreak and longing. Sitting astride a giant ant prop, she and her guitarist intertwined melodies on the new track. She also delivered the hits from both albums, which included SOS’ “Snooze” and “Kill Bill” as well as CTRL’s “Love Galore” and “The Weekend.” Another standout was “Kiss Me More,” SZA’s collab with Doja Cat, which included snippets of Prince’s “Kiss.” Her lush vocals and fantasy backdrop — complete with an icicle-flanked cave and giant tree trunk — was a fitting way to cap off the fest’s Night Two. – A.L.
Zedd’s Drone Performance Stole the Show
Zedd, the electronic music veteran known for party anthems “Stay,” “Middle,” and “Clarity,” closed the festival’s second night with a rapturous performance. Though he remixed Martin Garrix’s “Animals,” the DJ stuck to his catalog during his set, putting the crowd into a trance with a sped-up version of the theme song of Netflix’s Squid Game and “Break Free,” a synth-heavy track featuring Ariana Grande. Alt-pop star Remi Wolf made a surprise appearance to announce their high-energy, dance-pop track “Lucky.” If fireworks, laser pointers, and flames weren’t enough, by the end of the show dozens of drones flew to the sky to remind the crowd of Zedd’s larger-than-life persona, replicating his emblem and providing the release date for “Lucky,” which arrives Aug. 9. – K.R.
Raye’s Triumph Is a Win for Us All
Raye has been on a roll, and she kept it going on stage at Lolla. Earlier this year, she made history at the 2024 Brit Awards when she took home six wins from seven nominations. At the festival, she proved she deserved all the kudos, and then some. Performing songs from her long-awaited debut album, My 21st Century Blues, which arrived in 2023, she was a study in elegance, honesty, and class. With supple vocals that vaulted to whistle range and a visceral delivery that found her dropping to her knees to deliver songs, such as the smoldering “Mary Jane” and the goose-pimple-inducing cover of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World,” her set that spanned multiple genres was thoroughly engrossing. Introducing “Ice Cream Man,” a raw and powerful song about sexual assault, she explained how it makes her physically sick to sing but that it’s important as “music is meditative.” As she spoke of music’s healing powers, some in the packed audience needed assistance, and she made sure they were helped before launching into the song. Later, she asked for support while delivering “Genesis,” her seven-minute experimental pop to jazz opus, to which fans happily obliged. – A.L.
Victoria Monét Is Victorious
On a day that included other artists who’ve been making a splash for years before getting their well-deserved due, like Raye’s hard-won debut and SZA’s held-up sophomore release, Victoria Monét earned every minute of her spot on the main stage with material from her long-awaited debut, Jaguar II. Appearing in a fedora and overcoat, she opened with “Alright” as she and her dancers delivered precise choreography. Later, sans coat and dressed in an orange two-piece, she advocated for women who rock their natural bodies (“Ass Like That”) and weed (“Smoke”) during her playful set. Embracing R&B that hearkened to the classics while putting her own spin on the genre, she also weaved those elements together; “Cadillac (A Pimp’s Anthem)” touched on Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody,” she married Supremes’ “Stop! In the Name of Love” into her “Stop (Askin’ Me4Shyt),” and “Party Girls” featured nods to Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” and Beyoncé’s “Baby Boy.” – A.L.
Laufey Gets Classy With the Chicago Philharmonic
“Welcome to the symphony,” Laufey greeted fans, curtseying in a regal dress of tulle and silk. The Icelandic 25-year-old was all charm and grace live, showing a demure humility despite her lovesick songs warranting the presence of the Chicago Philharmonic. As if subbing in on electric guitar, cello, and piano while singing wasn’t enough, Laufey brought out Raye to duet “It Could Happen to You.” One of the classiest sets of the day, it was a romantic, transfixing showcase of Grammy-winning traditional pop that earned mid-song cheers when cameras zoomed on an oboist. Based on the crowd, the next generation’s appetite for this old genre is only just beginning. – N.C.
Sexyy Red Makes a Presidential Campaign Stop
All rise for the president of sexy. Escorted onstage by faux secret service, Sexyy Red delivered her own state of the union address, summoning even the most upright prudes to get wild. Twerking by an inflatable MAGA hat knockoff, which was stamped “Make America Sexy Again,” the St. Louis sensation led rap-alongs of “U My Everything,” “Get It Sexyy,” and a brief karaoke interlude that included the band fun. and Miley Cyrus. Half the thrill was hearing her rearrange “coochie,” “dick,” and “titties” like a salacious pack of Mad Libs. As Hood Hottest Princess promised, Sexyy Red was here to have a good time: “Bitch, you know I do it big.” – N.C.
Faye Webster Offers Sprawling Folk-Rock for Sprawled Fans
Faye Webster knew what she was doing opening with “But Not Kiss,” an ode to falling asleep in a lover’s arms. The Atlanta singer-songwriter churned out jammy folk-rock that sounded like a dream state; as the sun descended, yawning slide guitar and woozy bass serenaded a field of listeners sprawled on their backs. Peppered around tracks from her new album, Underdressed at the Symphony, were old favorites “Kingston” and “Right Side of My Neck,” showcasing Webster’s consistency as a subtle songwriter. Don’t conflate that with predictability, though; right when she lulled you into a comfortable high, she would let out a sharp, surprise scream. — N.C.
Kevin Abstract Keeps it Candid
Kevin Abstract, dressed in a plaid-patterned hoodie, doesn’t disguise when he goes off script. The Brockhampton founding member put the crowd first, running to each side asking, “Is everybody feeling alive tonight?” while subsequently performing two unreleased tracks. He continued to keep things candid, asking the crowd, “Is anyone out there in love with me?,” and later described his type as the Disney channel star Ross Lynch. Despite the “infinite hiatus” of Brockhampton, Kevin Abstract headbanged to Saturation’s “Star” and Saturation II’s “Gummy” before launching into guitar-revving tracks “Georgia” and “Baby Boy,” off of his second album Arizona Baby. Before he left the stage, he asked one more favor from the crowd: to form a mosh pit. Fans listened, creating a hole in the crowd in time for the yelping track “Blanket,” the title song off his latest album. – K.R.
Reneé Rapp Rocks With Chance the Rapper
Singer-actress Reneé Rapp commanded the stage as someone who was born to do it, and she was as the Mean Girls/Sex Lives of College Girls star has confidently balanced her singing and acting career. Armed with songs from her debut album, Snow Angel, “Pretty Girls” was among the highlights during her set. She also brought out a surprise guest. Noting she has been a fan of Chance the Rapper since 2016, when Coloring Book arrived, he joined her on stage to perform “No Problem.” – A.L.
Wisp Brought Wistful Shoegaze to Her First-Ever Festival Set
Virality is surreal to experience firsthand, but Natalie R. Lu, the 19-year-old behind Wisp, handles it with humility. Last year, her shoegaze project exploded with only a few songs out, earning bragging rights. During her first-ever festival performance, however, she admitted she was nervous. Wisp’s droning guitars washed over the crowd (dressed in baggy pants, oversized shirts, and sporting dyed hair, fans mirrored the band’s alt aesthetic) at full volume as heavy singles “Tangled Dreams” and “Your Face” wove through songs from her debut EP, Pandora. “I know you guys may not be the moshing type, but let’s move a little,” Lu laughed meekly — as much a request of them as a reminder for herself. – N.C.
Militarie Gun Do It Faster (Twice)
Like any band formed during the pandemic, Militarie Gun performed like they’ll never take touring for granted again. Hardcore musician Ian Shelton created the band to channel pop-minded songwriting, but live, their alt-rock songs took on a gruffer edge. Despite the peak UV rays timeslot, Militarie Gun kept the energy high — Shelton climbed into the crowd to cover Blur’s “Song 2,” and swapped places with a guitarist to play “Do It Faster” twice — as did the crowd, which spontaneously sat in the field to mimic a rowing team. Collectively, everyone played it fast and loose, sweating it out as proud stalwarts of the midday block. — N.C.
Loud Luxury Turn Up the Volume
The crowd at Loud Luxury, the Canadian-born dance-pop duo, couldn’t keep still. The audience clapped their hands to “Sunroof,” the laidback Loud Luxury remix to Nicky Youre and Dazy’s pop track. Andrew Fedyk and Joe De Pace kept the crowd fist-pumping to “Love No More” and “Aftertaste” as hypnotic visuals and flames were projected from the Perry stage. It felt reminiscent to the duo’s nighclub residencies in Las Vegas. The band’s bubbly house set reached a peak when surprise guest Bobby Shmurda took the stage to perform their unreleased single “Cool Like That,” before the crowd-rumbling hit “Body.” It’s been five years since the duo’s last Lollapalooza set and they made sure to leave a memorable performance. – K.R.
Blu DeTiger Brings the Bass
Blu DeTiger, the 26-year-old bassist who went viral on TikTok for her bass guitar skills and covers of Ariana Grande and Cardi B, played an effortlessly cool show at the Bacardi stage Friday. Wielding an electric blue bass guitar, DeTiger assembled a fan-pleasing mashup of Lorde’s “Ribs” and Icona Pop’s “I Love It” before crash-landing into hit single “Cotton Candy Lemonade.” To a swaying crowd, Blu DeTiger ushered in the weekend with tracks such as “Hey You,” which she co-wrote with Chappell Roan and laidback alt-track “Figure it Out.” – K.R.
