Mr. Eazi

Mr. Eazi

Photo: Joseph Okpako/Getty Images

News

SXSW Adds Second Round Of Global Artists For March 2019 Festival

Facebook Twitter Email
Deerhunter, Mr. Eazi, Jerry Paper, Nadine Shah, and hundreds more emerging acts will make the 33rd SXSW in Austin, Texas a wild opener for 2019's festival season
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Nov 28, 2018 - 2:14 pm

On Nov. 28 SXSW added more than 240 showcasing artists, including Deerhunter, Mr. Eazi, Jerry Paper and Nadine Shah, to their 2019 music festival lineup, in addition to 240 artists already slated in their first-round announcement last month. Emerging talent from around the world will be the center-of-attention in Austin, Texas on March 11–17, 2019, as the annual music event reconvenes for its 33rd year.

Any small sampling of the global array of up-and-comers planning to play SXSW next spring is bound to call on many rising stars and the hits they have in store. For example, also on Nov. 28, Nigerian afrobeats performer Mr. Eazi released Lagos To London, a documentary to complement his recent mixtape of the same name, explaining his evolution as an artist. As music consumers in the U.S. and elsewhere continue to build their interest in more international sounds, Mr. Eazi's fans have even compared some of his beats to those of K-pop phenomenon BTS. SXSW will bring plenty of global sounds to Texas, with Seoul, South Korea to be represented by Cifika and Duo Bud.

Read More: Keith Urban, K-Pop, Women In Music: Go Behind The Scenes At SXSW 2018

Experimental indie-rock group Deerhunter from Atlanta, Ga. and rapper Jerry Paper from Los Angeles, Calif. will be there. Tyler, The Creator teamed up with Paper just two weeks ago on their release "Hot Chocolate," to warm up the winter months. Britain's Nadine Shah is also a new addition to the lineup, whose growing following delights in her unique sound, blending jazz and pop with influences from the Sufi music she grew up listening to with her Pakistani dad, putting her on the Mercury Prize shortlist for 2018.

Feast your eyes on the diversity of SXSW's second-round list at the festival's website and then indulge your ears with the fest's compilation on Mixcloud, introducing just some of these acts' new sounds. Whether from Asia, Australia, Europe or North and South America, these artists leave an impression that the world is in good hands with the energy they bring, striving to enrich us with their music.

SXSW Announces First Wave Of Artists For Music Festival In Spring 2019

Eddy Cue at SXSW 2018

Eddy Cue

Photo: Jason Bollenbacher/Getty Images

News

SXSW 2018: Eddy Cue On The Expanding Apple Ecosystem

Facebook Twitter Email
Keynote conversation takes into account new models for music consumption
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Mar 13, 2018 - 4:15 pm

There's no doubt that Apple has made some sweeping changes to the way its products align with the consumption of music — look no further than the success of their Apple Music streaming service or the rampant rumors the iTunes music digital download store could be discontinued.

In a keynote conversation held at SXSW at the Austin Convention Center in Texas on March 12, Apple Senior VP, Internet, Software and Services Eddy Cue took some time to shed light into Apple's ecosystem expansion plans, including the music sector, with CNN's Dylan Byers.

The Apple Music subscription service grew in line with expectations last month, from 36 million subscribers to 38 million. But the paying customers for Apple Music and other subscription services are just a small part of the much larger demographic Apple is already serving.

"We have half a billion people visiting the App Store every week," said Cue. "There are easily 2 billion people in the world who can afford to pay for some level of music, yet Spotify and Apple Music combined have only around 100 million subs globally. There's a huge gap there and we both have to grow by a significant amount in order to get to the numbers that we should be at. … The opportunity here … is about sheer growth for music streaming, about compensating for that audience gap."

In addition, Cue highlighted Apple's smart speaker, HomePod, emphasizing its high music intelligence and its potential in a market with other smart speakers. Cue also reported the expanding adoption for Apple's AR software development kit, now in use by more than 2,000 App Store titles, saying the technology would become "a mainstream product that people use every single day."

Focusing on various touchpoints in Apple's business model, from streaming to apps, AR and more, it seems no matter what the rumors say, Apple isn't straying far from keeping music at the core of their business.

Catching Up On Music News Powered By The Recording Academy Just Got Easier. Have A Google Home Device? "Talk To GRAMMYs"

Hyukoh

Hyukoh

Photo: Han Myung-Gu/WireImage

News

Music Festivals 2018: SXSW Rebrands Its Korea Spotlight

Facebook Twitter Email
K-Pop Night Out is in the works for SXSW in March, which is shining its Korea Spotlight on performers Hyukoh, Kard, and many more
Philip Merrill
GRAMMYs
Jan 16, 2018 - 2:27 pm

Korea Spotlight is the new name for the Korean Creative Content Agency's sixth annual showcase at SXSW 2018. Formerly known as K-Pop Night Out, the 18+ event will take place on March 16 at Austin, Texas' the Belmont.  The event promises a packed lineup, including indie rockers Hyukoh, tropical fusion group Kard, and newcomers Say Sue Me.

Other Korean artists to catch in Texas will be Cifika, whose Jan. 14 Momom YouTube is spinning into higher views, and rappers DPR Live. Korean R&B will be out in force as well with Crush and Lee Hi.

SXSW is always an opportunity to broaden horizons and become exposed to new sounds and visions. Fans and industry members alike will sure be eager to explore these poised Korean talents who are all trending even as the K-pop wave rises higher and higher.

Music Festivals 2018: Bonnaroo Lands Eminem, The Killers, & Much More

Music Festival AUS

Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

News

Australia's Pill Testing Debate Heats Up Following Music Festival Deaths

Facebook Twitter Email
Authorities have threatened to cancel future music fests in order to decrease accidental on-site deaths, but others say pill testing could do more
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Jan 2, 2019 - 1:19 pm

The conversation over whether pills should be tested at Australian music festivals is intensifying after two recent deaths.

A man died on Dec. 30 of a suspected overdose at the Lost Paradise music festival in New South Wales, and another man died on Jan 1. of a suspected drug overdose after attending the Beyond The Valley festival in Victoria.

Pill testing is one possible solution to the overdose deaths continuing to happen at music festivals in Australia, according to medical experts. But the option has been met with resistance.

Although the Australian Bureau Of Statistics can provide date on the number of people who have died from drug-related cases, the data does not show how many occurred "at large scale public events," according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

In 2016, there were 1,808 drug induced deaths in the country, according to the Australian Bureau Of Statistics. Illicit drugs increased that year, with the death rate from Psychostimulants quadrupling since 1999.

Authorities have threatened to cancel music festival events; the New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian said she would do "everything we can" to shut down the Defqon.1 festival after two people died in Sept.

READ: Music Fans Traveled The World For Live Events In 2018

But some say shutting down festivals is not a realistic way of keeping people from taking illicit drugs and welcome pill testing as a way to decrease deaths.

In the past, Berejikian has had a zero tolerance stance on pill testing, stating: "Anyone who advocates pill testing is giving the green light to drugs. That is absolutely unacceptable."

But as other leaders in parts of Australia rule out pill testing at music festivals, following the recent deaths, the Premier is warming to the idea.

"If there was a way in which we could ensure that lives were saved through pill testing, we would consider it—but there is no evidence provided to the government on that," Berejiklian said, according to the Guardian.

READ: Hearing Clinics Help Make Summer Festivals Rock

The country held its first pill test trial at the Groovin the Moo festival in Canberra in April. Participants were able to provide a small sample of their pill(s) or powder to volunteers, who then analyzed the m in a mobile laboratory.

Former Australian Federal Police commissioner has said that the governments have to consider all available evidence to save people's lives, including pill testing.

"Pill testing is not a silver bullet, but it's a proven and positive way to help prevent this kind of tragedy, has majority support from Australians and must be at least trialed on a pilot basis —if it doesn't work, then stop it," Palmer told the Australian.

After the death of the man in New South Wales, Brisbane Water Police district commander Acting Superintendent Rod Peet said, "the best safety message is don't take drugs."

ABC Triple J conducted a survey of 11,000 young people that showed 55% have brought drugs to a festival and 83% would use pill testing, if available.

2019 Music Festival Preview: Noise Pop, Ultra & More

Ultra Music Festival 2018

Ultra Music Festival 2018

Photo: Sergi Alexander/Getty Images

News

2019 Music Festival Preview: Noise Pop, Coachella, Ultra & More

Facebook Twitter Email
With next year’s lineups dropping left and right, we've created a helpful roundup to help you decide which music fests to attend (or livestream from your couch)
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Jan 1, 2019 - 9:51 am

Music festivals the world over have been releasing their 2019 lineups for a hot minute. Such an abundance of choice can be overwhelming, so to help you prepare, we organized an overview of some of the biggest events you may want to snag tickets to.

From the desert-set musical smorgasbord that is Coachella, to Ultra and Electric Forest's laser-filled dance floors, to SXSW and Noise Pop's up-and-coming indie events, read on to narrow down which music fests you’ll travel to (or livestream from the couch) in 2019.

West Coast

Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival

Tupac's iconic lyrics are just as relevant as ever: "California knows how to party." It's definitely the case when Coachella lights up Indio, Calif. every April. The iconic desert fest always brings an exciting and stacked mix of artists both big and rising across genres—and the upcoming 20th anniversary event more than lives up to the hype.

The headliners alone are enough to get excited about, with this year's lineup featuring GRAMMY winner Childish Gambino and GRAMMY nominees Tame Impala and Ariana Grande. Even more impressive, Grande will be the fourth-ever solo female headlining artist at the event, following in the footsteps of GRAMMY winners Beyoncé and Lady Gaga.

There are plenty of other gems on the lineup, with Latin music artists making big waves beyond the Spanish-language market: Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY nominee Bad Bunny, Latin GRAMMY winner Rosalía and Latin GRAMMY winner/GRAMMY nominee J Balvin are on board for Coachella. Plus, plenty of rising stars are represented, including first-time GRAMMY nominees H.E.R. and Ella Mai, viral teen sensation Billie Eilish, indie/electro R&B artist Blood Orange and GRAMMY-nominated dance/pop duo Sofi Tukker.

The 2019 event will return for two three-day weekend events, on April 12–14 and 19–21. Tickets and more info can be found on Coachella's website.

Noise Pop Festival

While you probably can't rock your denim cutoffs in San Francisco in February, you can get your live music fix early with Noise Pop Festival, which runs from Feb. 25 to March 3. The 26-year-old event specializes in up-and-coming indie acts, with a solid sprinkling of well-established fan favorites. Noise Pop prides itself on bringing "early exposure to many emerging artists," with plenty of previous acts going on to become household names, including GRAMMY winners The White Stripes and The Flaming Lips and GRAMMY nominees Death Cab for Cutie and Modest Mouse. Additionally, the event takes place at venues across the San Francisco Bay Area, making use of the historic venues around S.F. and beyond, giving attendees the ability to not only explore all the area has to offer, but to also pick and choose which shows they want to see.

Noise Pop 2019 will include performances from indie rock/folk darlings Beirut, The Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr., Bob Mould of '80s alt-rock group Hüsker Dü, along with electro/dream-pop artist Baths, indie-pop singer/songwriter Caroline Rose, Aussie electro-R&B duo Kllo, Latina rapper Princess Nokia and more.

All access passes are available for purchase, as well as individual tickets for specific shows. Check out Noise Pop's website for more info.

CRSSD Festival

If warmer weather and dance music is more your scene, check out CRSSD in San Diego, Calif. The electronic music-focused festival hosts an event every spring and fall by the ocean in sunny Southern California. Their spring 2019 event will be held on March 2–3 and features some big names, including GRAMMY nominees ODESZA and dark electro-pop duo Phantogram, as well as plenty of popular underground house and techno favorites, like Luttrell, The Martinez Brothers, Avalon Emerson and more.

Head to CRSSD's site to snag tickets and view the full phase one lineup.

South

SXSW Music Festival

The week-long extravaganza of SXSW Music Festival will take over Austin, Tex. From March 11–17 with hundreds of music acts in venues across the city. Similar to Noise Pop, SXSW populates its lineup with up-and-comers from around the world, plus features a handful of established stars—like Prince—popping up in intimate venues: The late GRAMMY-winning icon gave a small crowd of lucky fans an almost three-hour show at SXSW 2013.

While there are countless unofficial SXSW shows all over the city, the SXSW official 2019 lineup boasts over 480 diverse acts so far. Some of the showcasing artists announced are GRAMMY-winning rapper Wyclef Jean, who will also be a featured speaker, Los Angeles-based (by way of San Francisco) psych-rock group Thee Oh Sees, and Chicago-based electro R&B duo DRAMA. There’s also plenty of international talent on the docket, including Argentinean Latin trap star Ecko, Netherlands-born, Australia-based pop songstress Wafia and Nigerian Afrobeat singer/songwriter Mr. Eazi.

To pore over the extensive lineup, check out ticket options and more, visit SXSW's website.

Hangout Music Fest

If you're looking for something where you can chill in one spot, perhaps by a body of water, Hangout Music Fest in Gulf Shores, Ala. may be more along the lines of what you're craving. The 10th anniversary, which the organizers have coined a "music vacation," will take place on May 17–19 on the beach.

The stacked lineup of over 50 acts is pretty diverse among artists and genres, with big names in dance music such as GRAMMY winner Diplo, GRAMMY nominees Mura Masa and Sofi Tukker, along with Detroit hero GRiZ and dance festival favorite Alison Wonderland.

Meanwhile, artists in the pop/indie-rock arena include GRAMMY nominees Hozier and Bebe Rexha, as well fan favorites The 1975, Walk The Moon and Jimmy Eat World. 

For more info and to see the complete list of artists, visit the Hangout Fest website.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

Founded in 2002, this down-south outdoor fest once specialized in all things folk and jam band. Nowadays, the lineup's diversified a bit, welcoming artists of nearly every popular genre.  

This year's Bonnaroo will take place June 13–16 at Great Stage Park, a 700-acre farm and event space in Manchester, Tenn., 60 miles southeast of Nashville. In its 18th year, the festival will feature a wide range of artists performing around the clock across more than 10 stages. Festival organizers also promise an array of new features and improvements this year, including upgrades to the site's communal areas, known as Plazas, with free public WiFi, showers, charging stations, medical and safety stations, and more.

The festivities kick off On June 13 with Grand Ole Opry Featuring Special Guests. Friday, June 14 headliners include Phish, Childish Gambino, Solange, The Avett Brothers, Brockhampton, Courtney Barnett, Gojira, K.Flay and more. Saturday, June 15, will showcase Post Malone, Odesza, Hozier, Musgraves, The National, ZHU, John Prine, Maren Morris, and more, while Sunday, June 16 will see Phish return with two sets, plus The Lumineers, Cardi B, Carlile, Walk The Moon, Mac DeMarco, King Princess, The Wood Brothers, and many more.

Also new for 2019, Bonnaroo will feature a "Sanctuary of Self-Love" campground experience curated by none other than Paramore's Hayley Williams. There will also be circus acts, immersive cinema shows, theme parties, and Bonnaroo's first-ever Pride parade.

Tickets for Bonnaroo go on sale Thursday, Jan. 10 at 12 p.m. EST exclusively via the festival's website.

East Coast

Woodstock 50th Anniversary

In the summer of 1969, a dairy farm in Upstate New York hosted one of the most renowned music festivals of the 20th century, the Woodstock Music And Arts Fair. Now, as Woodstock approaches its 50th anniversary this August, the excitement to relive the summer of '69 returns, with two music festivals aiming for just that. An official Woodstock 50th music festival has been announced by one of the iconic gathering's original promoters, Michael Lang. It will be held at a different location, further upstate in Watkins Glen, complete with glamping. The Bethel Woods Center For The Arts, located on the site of the original event, has also announced that they will host an unofficial celebration—the Bethel Woods Music and Culture Festival on Aug. 16–18.

There's no lineup announcement or tickets offered for either event yet, so we’ll just have to wait to see if any living Woodstock legends, like the GRAMMY-winning group Santana, who launched their career on the famed Woodstock stage, will return.

Ultra Music Festival

The EDM-centric Ultra Music Festival is returning for the 21st year of their flagship festival in its home base of Miami on March 29–31. The dance music mecca's new oceanside venue on Virginia Key will allow the 2019 offering to host more attendees for longer hours. The artists this year are sure to get you moving, with a wide range of dance music favorites, from big room house to some more underground acts.

Some of the big DJ/producers on the list include GRAMMY winners Afrojack, the Chainsmokers, Dubfire, David Guetta, Tiësto and Zedd, plus GRAMMY nominees Alesso, Armin Van Buuren, Deadmau5, Galantis and ODESZA. Underground faves include The Martinez Brothers, Maceo Plex and Tale of Us.

To scope the complete lineup and ticket options, check out Ultra's website.

Governors Ball

Governors Ball Music Festival is returning for their ninth year on Randall's Island Park in New York City on May 31–June 2. Governors Ball 2019 will bring The Strokes and GRAMMY nominees Tyler, the Creator and Florence & the Machine as headliners.

The three-day event of music, art, food and fun certainly brings an N.Y.C.-inspired melting pot approach to their musical lineup, and this year does not disappoint. Other musical highlights include: GRAMMY winners Lil Wayne and Kacey Musgraves, GRAMMY nominees SZA, Nas, The Internet, Jorja Smith, Bob Moses, Charli XCX, ZHU, plus Vince Staples, BROCKHAMPTON, Blood Orange, Clairo, Bazzi, MØ, Major Lazer (DJs Jillionaire, Walshy Fire and GRAMMY winner Diplo), Noname, Kaytranada, Gesaffelstein and King Princess.

More info on tickets, as well as the complete lineup and event details can be found on the Governors Ball site.

Electric Forest Festival

The annual Electric Forest Festival likes to keeps things interesting with a solid mix of jam bands and electronic acts among the forest in Rothbury, Michigan. The 2019 fest will take place on June 27–30 and lists ethereal electronic duo ODESZA, tropical house DJ/producer Kygo and bass music heavy hitters Bassnectar and Zeds Dead as the headliners.

Other artists range from GRAMMY-nominated deep-house duo Bob Moses, Detroit house legend Claude VonStroke, female bass powerhouses Alison Wonderland and TOKiMONSTA, who is a first-time GRAMMY nominee this year.

The jam bands are led by The String Cheese Incident, an Electric Forest mainstay, who will be doing three performances over the weekend, along with the The Floozies and STS9, who blur the line of electronic music, psych-rock and hip-hop.

GRAMMY winner T-Pain represents the smaller hip-hop contingency, along with rising female rapper, and first-time GRAMMY nominee, Tierra Whack.

For more info on tickets, including on the VIP lodge camping offering, check out Electric Forest's site.

No matter your musical and venue taste, there are plenty of festivals this year to keep you dancing all year long. Stay tuned to grammy.com for updates on new lineup releases, along with exclusive behind-the-scenes artist interviews from the biggest events as we approach festival season.

Ed Sheeran, Mariah Carey & More Broke Big Music Records In 2018