Happy Sunday! Welcome to the very first special edition of the Pop Recap newsletter 🎉

Apologies for disappearing for a couple weeks, I’ve been a little booked and a lot busy. I WENT TO LOLLAPALOOZA <3 Also known as the Coachella of the East?!?!

We’ll be back to our usual weekly pop news programming schedule next Sunday, but today enjoy a special look at my time at my very first ever Lolla! 

THE LINEUP

Lollapalooza 2024 was a celebration of the festival’s 20th year in Chicago and featured four jam-packed days of musical goodness across all genres. The headliners for this year’s festival were Megan Thee Stallion, Hozier, SZA, Stray Kids, Future x Metro Boomin, Skrillex, The Killers, Blink 182, and Melanie Martinez.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

1. Chappell Roan had the largest crowd of the weekend and potentially the largest crowd in the festival’s entire history 😲 Her set was one of my most anticipated of the weekend and by far one of my favorites. The energy, the wrestling theme, the setlist - all perfect! My favorite songs to hear live included “After Midnight,” “Picture You,” “Red Wine Supernova” and “Naked in Manhattan.” One of Roan’s winning qualities is the interactive nature of many of her songs, including “HOT TO GO!” and “Femininomenon.” Hearing these songs live as the crowd screamed and danced along was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I wish I could stay at the “Pink Pony Club” forever and ever.

2. It was my second time seeing Hozier on tour this year, but his Lollapalooza set stood out with fun surprises that made this show feel a few notches more special than a typical tour date. He played his then unreleased new single “Nobody's Soldier” live for the very first time and it was amazing! Many Lollapalooza attendees were worried about the stormy forecasts that were predicted for much of the day on Thursday, but the bad weather held off until the very end of the night. We got a comfortable drizzle and a pretty cool lightning show to close out the night and make Hozier’s set feel all the more magical. I have the coolest video to prove it ⬇️

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3. A friend of mine told me about The Last Dinner Party back in May and after listening to their single “Nothing Matters,” I instantly became a fan. They had a full hour set and played through their debut album Prelude to Ecstasy pretty much in its entirety, along with a fun cover of Blondie’s “Call Me.” If you aren’t familiar with this new British band, you need to be. They’re gonna take the world by storm. Their set was such a breath of fresh air and the perfect finale to my Lolla weekend.

4. I saw Tate McRae in concert for the first time back in 2021 and since then she has only exploded further into a massive star. McRae got her start as a competitive dancer and it shows onstage. She’s the new it-girl in pop music. With her catchy hooks and can’t look away choreography (we’ve all watched the viral “Exes” dance break too many times), Tate McRae lit up the stage and turned Lolla into a massive dance party.

THE SURPRISES

1. I wasn’t planning to see Laufey (I know, she’s pretty popular so maybe that’s a wild statement.) But I was on that side of the park and I wanted to see a set that was a little more laid back. I ended up being pleasantly surprised by her beautiful voice. Laufey, paired with the Chicago Philharmonic, brought a light and jazzy sound to Grant Park. It literally felt like I was watching a Disney princess singing right in front of me. The live orchestra, a unique addition for a festival like Lolla, added so many layers to the performance. Laufey also brought out Raye as a special guest and their voices blended together perfectly.

2. Megan Moroney is the new country music girlie you need to know. Her music can get upbeat and fun but also give you the feels. Once you learn the words to the bridge of “No Caller ID,” you won’t stop singing it.

3. I wasn't familiar with MiMi Webb at all before the festival, but I was hanging out in the VIP lounge, heard her set begin and decided to take a listen. The British pop singer was such a breath of fresh air and a lot of fun. She has energy and a pop sound that’s reminiscent of the early 2010s. It was the perfect set to jump around and dance to. Prior to going to Lollapalooza, I always heard people say that sometimes the best sets you see are the ones featuring artists you know nothing about, but spontaneously decide to watch. That was my experience with MiMi Webb.

4. You've probably heard Teddy Swims on the radio at some point this year. Known for his hit singles “Lose Control” and “The Door,” Swims has a soulful southern sound that lit up the T-Mobile stage on Sunday. While I hadn’t planned on catching his set, I was so glad I did.

5. Hailing from New York City, Quarters of Change is a fun and energetic band that really rocks. I discovered them by a few fellow Lolla-goers who recommended I check them out and they were phenomenal. They have hooks that will 100% get stuck in your head. Still need to hear that ”Kiwi”guitar solo live though, it wasn’t on the setlist :(

Other favorites that I enjoyed from the weekend included Kesha’s high-energy return to Lolla (she last played the festival in 2009), the insanely talented Victoria Monet, Tyla and her gigantic inflatable tiger, Labrinth, Megan Thee Stallion, Raye, Blu De Tiger and Sexyy Red.

THE NOT SO GREAT + LESSONS LEARNED

1. Lollapalooza was my very first major music festival. I went all-in and attended all four days of the full weekend. I don’t regret doing this but I learned how important it is to plan ahead and rest up! I wasn’t expecting to burn out as fast as I did. I ended up even missing sets that I wanted to see (SZA 💔) because I was just that tired after the first two days. In general, I learned that missing sets that you want to see is unfortunately just part of the music festival experience. A lot of the time artists with similar fanbases are scheduled at the same time because of crowd control. Other times, artists may drop out at the last minute, or show up to their set over 30 minutes late so you end up leaving (Looking at YOU Future and Metro Boomin 🫣)

2. Grant Park is HUGE. I watched a ton of vlogs and looked at photos and nothing actually did this place any justice. Lollapalooza is expansive. There’s so much to do and there’s so many people everywhere. You won’t be able to see everything in a weekend. I didn’t find Chow Town (Lolla’s food market) until day three and I didn’t see the sponsor pop-ups, like M&Ms and Tree Hut, until the final day when the lines were too long.

3. VIP is 10000% worth it. You get front of stage access to the two headliner stages and neither ever get crowded. If you saw the nightmarishly large crowd for Chappell Roan, know that I was able to get right up by the catwalk after only waiting an hour. When I decided halfway through her set to move back a bit, I had a ton room to run and round and dance full-out in the VIP section. I also walked into Hozier’s set shortly after he started and was able to get right up close. The VIP lounges are super chill with fun amenities (like yard games and giant, misty fans) and you never have to wait for water or the air conditioned bathrooms (NO PORTA POTTIES <3). Plus, with all the time conflicts, there’s free golf cart transportation to either side of the park so splitting sets is totally doable. Also—this is #totallynotsponsored. Just a real recommendation. Unless you wanna sponsor me next year Lollapalooza 😉

   

   Chicago is so beautiful, I loved spending my week here <3

Coming up this week on the Fan Fave podcast, a full recap of my time at Lollapalooza, including more lessons/tips and story times from my favorite sets. It’s also the season finale of the podcast so you’re gonna wanna tune in 😉 Make sure you’re connected with the Fan Fave community on social media. I’ll leave you with my little video recap from Lolla weekend :)

xx Katrina