#2024 U.S. headlining tour dates

[need406]

Neck Deep Announce U.S. Headlining 2024 Tour Dates. Details Here: https://need406.com/tour/24/neckdeep.html

[black-arcana]

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS Announces 'Armada Over North America' 2025 Tour

Symphonic metal pirates VISIONS OF ATLANTIS have announced the 2025 "Armada Over North America" tour. The thrilling voyage begins April 2 in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania and will plunder several major ports along the way including Baltimore, New York, Seattle, and Los Angeles before the closing celebration in Dallas, Texas on April 29.

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS's latest opus, "Pirates II – Armada", continues and expands on the success of "Pirates" (2022),landing at No. 2 on the U.S. Hard Music Album chart and No. 3 on the Canadian Hard Music Album chart. Furthermore, VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has conquered the 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise, the Sabaton Cruise, ProgPower USA, U.K.'s Bloodstock Open Air and several other festivals, as well as a 2023 North American headline tour. Their majestic soaring melodies and uplifting songwriting have carried them through treacherous waters and the crew emerged triumphant, hungry for their next adventure.

Pirate queen Clémentine Delauney proclaims: "We are delighted to finally announce that we're bringing our wonderful 'Armada' show over the Atlantic! Join this unique adventure, rich in colors and emotions, a massive pirate party! Come sing along your favorites tunes, jump, shout and row onboard our ship! We are so looking forward to many memorable moments with our North American Sailors and we can't wait to sail over there next spring!"

"Armada Over North America" 2025 tour dates:

Apr. 02 - Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedrafts Brewing Co Apr. 03 - Baltimore, MD @ Ottobar Apr. 04 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Preserving Underground Apr. 05 - New York, NY @ Meadows Apr. 06 - Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Apr. 08 - Quebec City, QC @ La Source de la Martinière Apr. 09 - Toronto, ON @ Lees Palace Apr. 10 - Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary Apr. 11 - Joliet, IL @ The Forge Apr. 12 - Minneapolis, MN @ Turf Club Apr. 14 - Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room Apr. 15 - Calgary, AB @ Dickens Apr. 16 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon Apr. 17 - Portland, OR @ The Bossanova Ballroom Apr. 18 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge Apr. 19 - Los Angeles, CA @ Whisky A Go Go Apr. 21 - San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick Apr. 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ Sinwave Apr. 25 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge Apr. 26 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell Apr. 27 - Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater Apr. 28 - El Paso, TX @ RockHouse Bar & Grill

Ship's log: July 5, 2024; High Seas

"A new day of sailing begins, the wind on our side, and the sea speaks of recent battles. The air feels fresh - Hypocrisy, greed, envy - hearts of the old world finally disclose their deluded truth. Old leaders are losing ground, their lies are getting worse, and darkness creeps in. Each sunny day hides a coming storm, nature testing our strength for the last battle.

"We've become pirates as their counterparts, free-spirited and true at heart. Navigating storms that try to make us doubt, we see the light in the darkness. The old truth is fading, making room for a new story. Our destiny is in our hands, in our hearts, in every step we take. Reconnecting with ourselves, we touch the essence of life we share with all creatures. Together, unstoppable, connected to the truth, guided by the sun and storms.

"We'll rule the oceans, the mainland, every street, every house, spreading hope. Our pirate cries will last for centuries, with ancestors humming our tunes, our words sung in the new world we create. Our glory will live on forever. United as one force, one army, under a final ARMADA."

Emotions, depth, richness of sound. Not only a record, but a true hurricane of feelings is what VISIONS OF ATLANTIS delivers with the new album, "Pirates II - Armada". On a journey in which listeners face their own battles and cannot resist joining the "Armada", VISIONS OF ATLANTIS will have listeners facing the "Monsters" inside them, with catchy melodies destined to endlessly stick in their mind. The uplifting "Tonight I'm Alive" surprises and captivates with the rhythms of a pirate party on the eve of combat, with the electrifying rumble of a hurricane — a unique, uncharted showcase of talent from VISIONS OF ATLANTIS. The burning flames of "Hellfire" enchant the listener before the sweetness of delicate melodies accompany them "Underwater". The cinematic adventure of seven-minute-plus masterpiece "The Dead Of The Sea" conjures the salty scent of the sea, making the listener feel — in every melodic twist and theatrical orchestral hit — the cannons firing and the battle raging. Listeners will shed a tear while mourning under the melody of "Ashes To The Sea".

Photo by Robert Eikelpoth / Photo editing by Blake Armstrong

[hopeonmyphone]

BTS’ J-Hope North American Tour Details Unveiled – Global Bulletin [Variety]

POWERHOUSE PERFORMS

J-hope of K-pop phenomenon BTS is set to make history as the first South Korean solo artist to headline a U.S. stadium show with his upcoming North American tour. The run, part of his “Hope on the Stage” world tour, will hit six cities starting March 13 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.

The 12-date North American leg includes two-night stands in each city, culminating in a pair of stadium shows at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium on April 4 and 6. The jaunt also includes stops at Chicago’s Allstate Arena, Mexico City’s Palacio de los Deportes, San Antonio’s Frost Bank Center and Oakland Arena.

Ticketing for most dates kicks off with an Army membership presale on Jan. 22, followed by general on-sale Jan. 23. Los Angeles show details are pending due to ongoing wildfires in LA County.

The North American dates are part of J-Hope’s broader world tour spanning 31 shows across 15 cities. The trek launches with three shows in Seoul from Feb. 28 to March 2, which will also stream globally via Weverse.

The announcement follows J-hope’s milestone 2022 Lollapalooza performance, where he became the first South Korean artist to headline a major U.S. music festival. His latest release, “Hope on the Street Vol. 1,” debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 in 2024.

Source: Variety

[thelensofyashunews]

YEAT SHARES NEW VIDEO "FLYTROOP" – OUT NOW

Today, Yeat shares his new video for “FLYTROOP”––out now via Lyfestyle Corporation / Field Trip / Capitol Records. The video places Yeat in a dark military scape, continuing his apocalyptic themes shaped around LYFESTYLE. and pays homage to Ukrainian sniper Vyacheslav Kovalskiy––world record holder for longest confirmed sniper shot. His commanding vocals and unpredictable delivery blend around a massive bass line and pitch-bending synths––creating a mesmerizing chaos. Last month, Yeat hit a massive career milestone, earning his first-ever no. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with LYFESTYLE. Within its first week of release, the 22-track project sold 89K equivalent album units—the rap phenomenon’s highest first week sales to date. This achievement also marked Yeat’s fifth top 10 debut in under 3 years: Lyfë (No. 10 in 2022), 2 Alivë (No. 6 in 2022), AftërLyfe (No. 4 in 2023), 2093 (No. 2 in 2024), and now LYFESTYLE (No. 1 in 2024). LYFESTYLE was released initially on October 18, boasting features from Lil Durk, Don Toliver, Kodak Black and more. The project debuted on Spotify at No. 1 on the Top Album Debut Chart both globally and domestically, as well as landing two tracks on Spotify’s Top Song Debut Chart in the U.S. for “GEEK TIMË”, and “STFU”. Globally, LYFESTYLE is having major impact on Apple Music, currently charting in over 100+ countries across the platform.

Teasing for LYFESTYLE kicked off this summer when Yeat hinted at new music during his special three-show North American run across New York, Los Angeles, and Portland. The first official announce of the upcoming album arrived in September when Yeat’s LyfestyleCorporation confirmed the name LYFESTYLE through a video graffitiing the word across a Lamborghini. This reveal was followed closely by another video taking over New York’s Times Square billboards to announce LYFESTYLE’s October release, and the official album trailer which can be viewed here. Most recently, Yeat embarked on an international tour across the EU & UK—an explosive run through 9 cities which included his first ever headlining show in London, which The Guardian noted as a “ribcage-reverberating success”—before the final album easter egg when Lyfestyle Corporation unveiled an eerie video of massive flame letters spelling out the album name in a deserted field. Now, LYFESTYLE has finally arrived—see full track-listing below.

[kenpiercemedia]

Slayer Adds One Final Date to its Summer Festival Itinerary

Slayer Adds One Final Date to its Summer Festival Itinerary

The Press Release: Last week, Slayer – Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and Paul Bostaph – announced that they plan to return to the concert stage for the first time since they concluded their Final World Tour in November 2019, to headline two summer festivals, Riot Fest and Louder Than Life. Today, the band announces they’ve added one last U.S. 2024 festival date, headlining the Aftershock…

[horrorpatch]

ICE NINE KILLS Announce The Silver Scream-A-Thon U.S. Headline Tour!

America’s favorite horror metallers ICE NINE KILLS have announced a huge U.S. Headline tour for 2025! The Silver Scream-A-Thon tour will kick off in April of next year. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 20th. Get all the tour dates and details down below. From The Press Release Tuesday, December 17th, 2024 – Los Angeles, CA – Ice Nine Kills are thrilled to unleash news of their very…

[whatsonmedia]

TITLE: Sting\ Labour Conference 2024\ Honduras Defies US intervention\Coldplay

Get ready for some big updates! Sting will headline UK festivals in summer 2025. The UK Labour Party's 2024 Conference in Liverpool is focusing on housing, workers' rights, and devolution after their election win. In Honduras, President Xiomara Castro is pushing back on U.S. intervention, bringing national sovereignty to the forefront. Plus, Coldplay fans in Mumbai, you're in luck! A third concert date is added to the 'Music of the Spheres' tour.

[chorusfm]

Twenty One Pilots Have Great Week

Twenty One Pilots’ Clancy has the biggest rock sales week so far of 2024. GRAMMY® Award winning duo Twenty One Pilots have made a massive global impact with the release of their celebrated new LP, Clancy, which posted the biggest week for any Rock album in 2024. The collection opened in the U.S. with 143,000 units in its first week, an extraordinary achievement for the Columbus, OH band of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun who moved over 113,000 copies of Clancy in pure album sales, landing them them the top spot on Billboard’s: Top Album Sales, Top Rock Albums, Vinyl Albums, and Indie Store Album Sales charts.  Clancy also commanded the #2 spot on Billboard’s Top Alternative Albums and Top Rock & Alternative Albums charts, and soared to #3 on the Billboard 200 marking the highest debut this week and the duo’s fourth consecutive Top 3 debut on the tally. A true global phenomenon amassing over 100 million streams worldwide in its first week, Clancy earned Twenty One Pilots Top 3 chart debuts in the U.K., Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands, Ireland, and Austria, with #1 debuts in Australia, Germany, and Scotland. Clancy is available worldwide on all streaming services and www.twentyonepilots.com. Co-produced by Joseph and Paul Meany, Clancy marks the final chapter in an multi-album and nearly decade long narrative first introduced in the band's 2015 multi-platinum breakthrough, BLURRYFACE.  The ambitious collection is highlighted by the previously released tracks “The Craving (single version),” “Backslide,” “Next Semester” and “Overcompensate,” the latter of which rocketed up the Alternative Radio chart hitting #1, marking their 11th #1 at the format, and welcoming listeners back to the band’s immersive world of ‘Trench.’ Having already sold nearly one million tickets across 75 shows, this summer Twenty One Pilots will embark on The Clancy World Tour, their biggest headline tour ever which is set to kick off with a two-night stand at Denver, CO’s Ball Arena on August 15th and 16th. Produced by Live Nation, the tour will traverse North America through the fall followed by dates in New Zealand, Australia, Latin America, Europe, and the United Kingdom [see tour itinerary below].  Tickets for The Clancy World Tour are on sale now. For tickets and more information on Twenty One Pilots The Clancy World Tour visit www.twentyonepilots.com/tour. Furthermore, the RIAA recently awarded Twenty One Pilots 20 new Platinum and Gold certifications for songs and albums from their catalog including: “Stressed Out” - 13x Platinum, “Heathens” - 11x Platinum, “Ride” - 9x Platinum, BLURRYFACE - 6x Platinum, “Tear In My Heart” - 3x Platinum, “Car Radio” - 3x Platinum, “Holding On To You” - 2x Platinum, “Lane Boy” - 2x Platinum, “Heavydirtysoul” - 2x Platinum, “House of Gold” - 2x Platinum, “Goner” - Platinum, “Hometown” - Platinum, “Message Man” - Platinum, “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” - Platinum, “Polarize” - Platinum, “Doubt” - Platinum, “Ode To Sleep” - Platinum,  “Guns For Hands” - Platinum, “Levitate” - Gold, and “Morph” - Gold. Having amassed 34 billion streams worldwide and over four million tickets sold across global headline tours, the Columbus, OH based duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have established themselves as one of the most successful bands of the 21st century and redefined the sound of a generation. --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/twenty-one-pilots-have-great-week/

[mxdwn]

Descendents & Circle Jerks Announce Fall 2024 U.S. Co-Headlining Tour Dates

https://music.mxdwn.com/2024/04/16/news/descendents-circle-jerks-announce-fall-2024-u-s-co-headlining-tour-dates/

[slrmagazine]

Grammy Nominated Artist Jelly Roll Announces Beautifully Broken Tour

Grammy Nominated Artist Jelly Roll Announces Beautifully Broken Tour. #jellyroll @JellyRoll615

Multi-genre hitmaking entertainer Jelly Roll today revealed details of his Beautifully Broken Tour 2024 run. Produced by Live Nation, the arena tour marks the Nashville native’s biggest headlining tour to date and kicks off on Tuesday, August 27th at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, UT. The tour will make stops across major markets in the U.S. including New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago,…

[thephotopitmagazine]

AVATAR ANNOUNCE SPRING 2024 HEADLINE TOUR DATES TREK INCLUDES KEY FESTIVAL APPEARANCES

PHOTO CREDIT: Johan Carlén    AVATAR ANNOUNCE SPRING 2024 HEADLINE TOUR DATES TREK INCLUDES KEY FESTIVAL APPEARANCES    The heavy metal ‘n’ roll, dark, madcap visionaries collectively known as AVATAR — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — will return to the U.S. for a headline tour this May. The trek kicks…

[black-arcana]

BUTCHER BABIES Announce September/October 2024 U.S. Tour

BUTCHER BABIES will embark on a U.S. headlining tour in September. Support on the "Good Lord! The Butcher's Ded!" trek will come from DED, DROPOUT KINGS and FOX LAKE.

Tickets go on sale this Friday, August 9.

Tour dates:

Sep. 18 - Palmdale, CA - Transplants Brewing Company Sep. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720 Sep. 20 - Bakersfield, CA - Temblor Brewing Company Sep. 21 - Reno, NV - Cypress Reno Sep. 23 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon Sep. 24 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom Sep. 26 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall Sep. 27 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep Sep. 29 - Denver, CO - HQ Oct. 01 - Tulsa, OK - The Shrine Oct. 02 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th St Oct. 04 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live Oct. 05 - Dallas, TX - RBC Oct. 06 - San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box Oct. 07 - El Paso, TX - RockHouse Bar & Grill Oct. 08 - Roswell, NM - The Liberty Oct. 10 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock Oct. 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock

BUTCHER BABIES played their first concert since the official departure of co-founding co-vocalist Carla Harvey on July 27 at the Stonehenge festival in Steenwijk, The Netherlands.

The band announced Harvey's exit in a social media post on July 20. BUTCHER BABIES wrote: "As you may have already guessed, it is confirmed that Carla Harvey and BUTCHER BABIES have officially parted ways.

"Carla has been an integral part of our journey, bringing her unique talent, passion, and energy to the band. We are grateful for the incredible memories we've made together and the impact she has had on our music and our fans. We will miss her greatly and we wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

"We deeply appreciate your support over the past 15 years," BUTCHER BABIES added. "We feel incredibly fortunate to keep making and playing music as our career, and we are excited for this new era of BUTCHER BABIES!

"See you on the road."

Carla added in a separate post: "Over the last 6 months You may have noticed my absence from BUTCHER BABIES posts. After 15 years of dedication, I wanted to let you know that I will not be rejoining the band for any future endeavors.

"I am super proud of my work with BUTCHER BABIES…2 EPS, 5 Full lengths albums and countless tours with our metal heroes! To all of our incredible BUTCHER BABIES friends and fans…you have provided me with some of the greatest experiences of my life! I have loved every second of writing and performing all over the world for you! I have loved meeting you. WOW. I still can't believe this kid from Detroit got so lucky.

"I am not done making music and performing. I WILL see you soon".

Last fall, BUTCHER BABIES completed a European tour without Carla, who sat out the trek in order to undergo emergency surgery on her left eye.

Harvey shared the news of her absence from the tour on October 26, 2023 in a social media post. The 47-year-old singer, who co-founded BUTCHER BABIES in 2010 with fellow vocalist Heidi Shepherd, posted a photo of her performing with her bandmates, and she included the following message: "Here's a picture of a girl in her happy place; unfortunately i won't be in that happy place on the upcoming @butcherbabies Euro run. Love you all but i have to sit this one out!

"I have a history of problematic vision and I had to have a major surgery about 10 years ago in my right eye for a retinal detachment. On our summer tour the telltale symptoms repeated themselves in my left eye. I've been hoping to avoid major surgery but it is clear that it must be done. My emergency surgery will include a healing process of laying face down for a number of days with a gas bubble in my eye."

Carla added: "This is the first time in fifteen years i won't be able to join my friends on stage but right now my health and sight take precedence for me. While I am gutted that I cannot make the tour the risk of me waiting till after a tour to do such a surgery is too great and includes permanent vision loss. The beauty of having two vocalists is that Heidi can cover for me until i'm better!

"Hoping to make it out for part of this euro run...go to the shows, have a blast and support my bandmates for me! I'll see you soon!"

In the comments section, Shepherd voiced her support for her then-bandmate, writing: "Sending all the love and healing. We'll hold down the fort while you heal. We need those beautiful eyes to work!!! Love you!"

BUTCHER BABIES' three-week European tour is scheduled to conclude on August 17 at the Czech Republic's Rock Of Sadská festival.

This past January, Harvey and ANTHRAX and PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante announced that they were officially engaged.

BUTCHER BABIES released a double album "Eye For An Eye..." and "…'Til The World's Blind", in July 2023. The double album celebrates the tenth anniversary of BUTCHER BABIES' critically acclaimed debut, "Goliath", released on July 9, 2013 via Century Media Records.

BUTCHER BABIES' previous album, 2017's "Lilith" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marked the band's recording debut with drummer Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

In July 2019, longtime BUTCHER BABIES bassist Jason Klein announced his departure from the band. He has since been replaced by Ricky Bonazza.

[hopeonmyphone]

BTS Member J-Hope to Embark on First-Ever Solo World Tour [The Hollywood Reporter]

The 30-year-old rapper, the second member from the K-Pop supergroup to return from mandatory enlistment, is slated to perform in six cities across North America including L.A., Brooklyn and Chicago.

J-Hope is officially heading out on his first-ever solo world tour.

The 30-year-old rapper, a member of K-Pop supergroup BTS, will travel to 15 cities, including six stops in North America, for the “Hope on the Stage Tour,” Hybe, the parent company of BTS’ label BigHit Music, announced Tuesday.

Following a three-day run in Seoul, J-Hope, whose real name is Hoseok Jung, will set off to the U.S. for the North American leg of the tour. He’ll begin with two nights at New York’s Barclays Center, starting March 13, before traveling to stops in Chicago, Mexico City, San Antonio and Oakland.

The rapper will end the North American run at L.A.’s BMO Stadium. The L.A. finale is slated to be historic as the concert marks the first time a Korean solo artist headlines a U.S. stadium. From the U.S., the artist, known as BTS’ main dancer, will head to the Philippines, Singapore and more countries around Asia.

All three nights of J-Hope’s Seoul stop will be available for fans to live stream on Hybe’s fan platform, Weverse. It’s unclear whether any other stop of the tour will be live streamed at this time.

The tour marks J-Hope’s first tour as a solo artist. The Jack in the Box rapper is no stranger to solo performance, however, having headlined Lollapalooza’s flagship Chicago festival in 2022. The jaw-dropping set made history as he became the first Korean artist to headline a major U.S. music festival. His fellow BTS member Suga, whose real name is Yoongi Min, embarked on his own world tour “Suga Agust D Tour” (Agust D is the rapper’s solo alter ego) in 2023, prior to enlisting.

In October 2022, J-Hope and his fellow group members — RM, Jin, Suga, Jimin, V and Jungkook — performed a massive free concert, titled “Yet to Come,” in Busan, South Korea. The concert, which was in support of Korean city’s bid for the 2030 World Expo, brought legions of ARMY, the name given to BTS’ loyal fan base, from around the world.

Days after the performance, BigHit Music announced that all seven members would be moving forward with plans to fulfill their military service, saying it was “the perfect time” and that group’s members were honored to serve. Jin, the eldest member of the group, was discharged in June 2024, with J-Hope joining him in Oct. 2024. BTS is expected to reunite as a full group this year when all seven members have been discharged.

Those with an official ARMY fan club membership will be the first to have a chance at purchasing tickets on Jan. 22, with general on-sale scheduled for Jan. 23. The L.A. stop’s ticketing will be announced at a later date due the ongoing wildfires.

Spurce: The Hollywood Reporter

[thelensofyashunews]

Sexyy Red Shares Highly-Anticipated "Get It Sexyy" Single, Prod. by Tay Keith

After taking over the charts and dominating the cultural conversation in 2023, Sexyy Red is back with "Get It Sexyy," her first new single of 2024. The song features booming production from Memphis heavy-hitter Tay Keith, who collaborated with Sexyy Red on her biggest hits to date. On "Get It Sexyy," the two Highsnobiety-profiled close friends make a formidable pair once again. Tay Keith's instrumental is perfectly tailored to Sexyy's playground chant flow, providing a tuneful 808 drum break that guides the rapper's hook, and supplementing with rattling hi-hats and dramatic strings to give weight to each X-rated bar. The St. Louis native is as quotable as ever, as she crafts couplets that reflect her inspirational self-confidence: "I'm so f*ckin' sexy, yeah my skin is glistening," she purrs. 

"Get It Sexyy" kicks an already-eventful 2024 into high gear for the 25-year-old artist, which includes a new project on the way and a performance at Rolling Loud California 2024 this weekend. Earlier this year, Sexyy gave birth to her second child, a process that was fictionalized in the video for Drake's "Rich Baby Daddy," featuring Sexyy and SZA. The documentary-style video is one of the most talked-about and viewed music videos of the year, with over 13 million views in one month and multiple days atop the YouTube Trending charts. More recently, Sexyy connected with her close friend Summer Walker for the music video for "I Might," a highlight from Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe), Sexyy's latest project, which came out in December. 

Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe) adds 11 songs to her critically acclaimed tape Hood Hottest Princess, earning Best of 2023 honors from The New York Times, Pitchfork, The Washington Post, Billboard, and more. The Deluxe is home to highlights like "Shake Yo Dreads," a booming pump-up anthem for all the dreadheads in your life, the ultra-raunchy "Hood Rats", and the Chief Keef collaboration "Ghetto Princess." Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe) adds guest appearances from some of the best street rappers in the business, including Chief Keef, G Herbo, and 42 Dugg, and is available everywhere via Open Shift Distribution / gamma.

Fueled by Hood Hottest Princess and its singles, Sexyy's improbable, yet inevitable rise was one of the biggest stories in hip-hop in 2023. The mixtape earned a sterling 8.0 review from Pitchfork, who wrote that the mixtape "sets the tone for what she hopes is the nastiest, sweatiest, and freakiest summer since the smartphone came along" and "...30 minutes of straight-up standing-on-the-table raps. There are a handful of songs on here that are bound to be summertime anthems." Home to other hits like "Looking For The H*es (Ain't My Fault)," and "Hellcats SRTs," blessed with a remix featuring Lil Durk, Hood Hottest Princess made an impact on the Billboard 200, where it reached a peak of #62, and Apple Music's charts, where it peaked at #7 on the Hip-Hop albums chart and #12 overall.

Sexyy's viral rise quickly fomented success on the touring front. After a viral performance at Rolling Loud Miami, Sexyy Red earned an invitation to open on tour for her biggest fan, Drake, during his "It's All A Blur Tour" with 21 Savage. Sexyy's first headlining tour, the "Hood Hottest Princess Tour," sold out many dates within minutes of its initial onsale, including a 3,000-cap show in NYC and a 4,850-cap show in Chicago. The tour criss-crossed the U.S. for dozens of dates–including 24 sold out dates–including a massive sold out hometown show at the 8,000-capacity Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. In all, Sexyy's first-ever headlining show sold an estimated 70k tickets, making her one of the hottest draws in the genre.

After changing the game in 2023, Big Sexyy looks to cement her status as a cultural icon for her generation. Stay tuned for more announcements. 

[jennyboom21]

In this op-ed, cultural critic Jenzia Burgos responds to Latine musicians being “snubbed” at the Grammys 2024, arguing that Latin music is not suffering from a lack of global visibility — the American music industry simply does not know, or care to know, how to recognize the movement as anything other than a monolith.

If there was ever a question about the “Latin music boom” being here to stay, the resounding success of Latine artists over the last year should put those doubts to rest.

In 2023, reggaetón, Latin pop, and regional Mexican music climbed the charts for weeks on end, broke streaming records, hit all-time revenue highs, launched global stadium tours, and accounted for the most listens in any language other than English both in the U.S. and around the world. It all made for one of the most transformative years in music, as Latine and Spanish-language artists seem to have finally cemented their place among the mainstream — but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the 2024 Grammy nominations.

When nominees for the 66th Annual Grammy Awards were announced in November 2023, the Recording Academy faced swift backlash for failing to nominate a single Latin music artist in any of its Big Four categories (Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, and Record of the Year). Only one Latine artist got a major category nod: Afro-Latina rapper Ice Spice, who makes music in English, is up for Best New Artist. In a glaring omission to the category, Grammy voters chose not to nominate Peso Pluma — the raspy voiced wunderkind who spent the better part of 2023 putting música Mexicana on the world map. In another upset, Karol G — who made history as the first woman to top the Billboard 200 with a Spanish-language album — missed out on main category nominations for 2023’s Mañana Será Bonito, despite the LP taking home the award for Album of Year at the Latin Grammys.

After Bad Bunny’s takeover at last year’s main Grammy Awards ceremony, this year is serving up another blunder of “speaking non-English” proportions. Only now, the oversight feels even more deliberate, coming at a time when members of the Latine community continue to face mounting xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant rhetoric in the U.S. For Latines, the message is clear: the Recording Academy, much like many members of the American public, are refusing to recognize us for who we truly are.

This criticism, of course, isn’t new. Every year, come awards season, the Internet explodes with demands for better representation. At this rate, however, expecting the Recording Academy to heed any criticism reveals a fundamental, institutional misunderstanding of the Grammys itself.

As a televised event, the Grammys is primarily interested in creating a spectacle — one where snubs and red carpet soundbites often spark more headlines than a deserving artist’s success. And while getting recognition from the Grammys is a boon to any musician’s career, Latine artists and fans must now ask themselves if “music’s biggest night” is even worth following when it keeps sidelining the acts that soundtracked music’s latest year.

Peso Pluma at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards in Los Angeles

Getty Images

Today’s Latine artists have a unique opportunity to embrace their differences, rather than flatten them for the Western gaze. This means operating in ways that transcend the rigid categories imposed by both the Grammys and the Latin Grammys. While the Latin Grammy Awards were established to honor the work of Latine artists, they still suffer from the same lack of clarity that plagues the main event, lumping different genres together and relying on dated terms like “urbano” to define hip-hop and reggaetón artists.

As much as a nod from either award show can feel like a small slice of recognition, Latine artists are the ones putting in the work to honor their respective genres each day — from reggaetón’s dembow riddim to the blaring charchetas of corridos tumbados. Many Latines recognize these styles across the diaspora, but it’s only through exposure that others may come to understand the nuances for themselves one day. With the world finally listening, Latine artists must continue to bring it all to the table.

Many Latine artists are already proving that they don’t need validation from the Grammys, Latin Grammys, or any white-dominated media for that matter, to define their success. As Bad Bunny put it in an interview with Vanity Fair last year, “I sing for those who want to listen to me and those who understand me.” Artists like Benito are choosing to make music exclusively in Spanish, instead of worrying about appealing to the English-speaking mainstream. This approach marks a major shift from the early 2000s, when artists like Ricky Martin and Shakira were forced to play the caricature of a hip-shaking, Spanglish-speaking star livin’ la vida loca to attain crossover success. While these reductive stereotypes persist in popular culture today, Latine artists and audiences are increasingly recognizing our own power to shape the narrative.

Listeners, in particular, have more agency than ever. We are taking music discovery and consumption into our own hands — with fans of Latin music genres displaying some of the strongest investment yet. According to data gathered by Luminate, last year saw “Latin music super fans” in the U.S. spending 30% more per month on music expenses, including live music, streaming, and artist merch, compared to super fans of other genres. While there are no perfect solutions to inequity under capitalism, there is also no denying that money talks when fans continue to show up and show out for Latine artists.

This level of support reflects a larger shift in the culture, brought on in part by this country’s changing demographics. Over the last five years, the Latine population in the U.S. has steadily grown into the largest ethnic minority, with about 1 in 5 Americans now identifying as Hispanic/Latino as of recent census data. These numbers are only projected to grow, and so too will the demand for music that speaks to the many identities under the Latine umbrella. This is the case for young people especially, considering 1 in 4 members of Gen Z are Latine. As some of the largest drivers of the music industry today — both as artists and consumers — young people are poised to usher in an era of music as bold and diverse as their generation itself.

As their influence continues to grow, however, it's also important for Latine artists to make their empowerment inclusive — especially in a world where the Grammys fall short. Genres like reggaetón, dembow, and Latin trap remain male dominated, with some of the biggest names benefitting from the industry’s inherent colorism. In 2024, there is still room to share the spotlight. We can look toward artists like Afro-Latina dembow rapper Tokischa and Puerto Rican trap star Young Miko, who are the forefront of a new guard that sees queer identity and feminine pleasure taking center stage, as prime examples. Their music not only challenges traditional norms but also signals a future where all Latine voices, even those on the fringes of society, can be heard and celebrated.

It may take the Grammys a long time to catch up to this standard, if they ever do. In the meantime, Latine artists, fans, and industry executives alike should continue to do the necessary work to make our own spaces safe and fair for all. Only then can true transformation occur, and that alone would be worth more than any golden statue sitting on a shelf.

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