When Kevin Abstract was a hyper-online teenager, he watched Corpus Christi whiz by through the back windows of public school shuttles, blasting torrented MP3 files. Over the past decade or so, he’s become something of a savior to the crowd he once embodied: cynical young people cradling cracked iPhones, wax-coated earbuds, and pirated media en route to uncertain futures. Born Ian Simpson, he’s 27 now, a far cry from school buses and their rearmost regions. But he isn’t necessarily removed from existential uncertainties — and as much as he’s grown up, those uncertainties remain an enduring relic of his storied past. Last year, after a prolonged period of public prefacing, he pulled the plug on BROCKHAMPTON, the boy band that took him from Texas’ suburbs to the world’s loftiest stages. He’d been a solo artist before, but being alone, now, meant something vastly different. The back of the bus is fun when you’re with your friends. When they get off, the only voices left are in your head.

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On those after-school rides through Corpus Christi, the voices in Simpson’s head belonged, mostly, to a hodgepodge of indie-rock staples and internet anarchists. Today, on a Friday afternoon in February, he’s celebrating a friend’s birthday in Silverlake, straining to remember the music that soundtracked his formative years. “Dark [Twisted] Fantasy… In Utero… Modest Mouse stuff… Bastard by Tyler, the Creator… Nostalgia, Ultra… wait, I’m missing someone super important,” he drawls on a Zoom call, between lengthy pauses. “Oh. I never talk about how much I would listen to Mariah Carey.” Carey isn’t the only influence he’s freshly learning to wear on his sleeves. 

Post-BROCKHAMPTON, he’s seemed hellbent on holding true to those unsung high school heroes — the Mariah Careys, the Modest Mouses, the Kurt Cobains — as a conduit for holding true to himself. Long after he traded suburban Texas for cosmopolitan Cali, he put out ARIZONA BABY, a purgative album about fleeting todays and foggy tomorrows. A track called “Corpus Christi” asked questions he continues to grapple with, half a decade later. “At what point do I do it for myself,” he sings, “instead of thinking ’bout the set?”

You might interpret “the set” in one of two ways: There’s the band, obviously, but also its newly orphaned fans, who fell in love with a particular sound throughout the 2010s, and must now grope around for its detritus. If there’s any indication that Simpson’s priorities have shifted — from pleasing “the set” to pleasing his gut — it’s in the fact that Blanket, his most recent album, sounds a lot more like his influences than his reputation. Where BROCKHAMPTON once followed the blueprints of rowdy early aughts sensations, who melded hip-hop bravado with punk-rock outsiderism, the new iteration of Kevin Abstract is placid, more into whispering than yelling. In certain spots, say, the arena-sized title track, his album sounds revved-up, like a quiet friend learning to project his voice. More dutifully interspersed, though, are the sobering moments: ruminations stripped of braggadocio, conclusions that feel, simultaneously, like deaths and rebirths. About midway through “Voyager,” Simpson’s voice is a sullen mutter against torrents of downpicked guitar — quiet enough to seem wistful, but barely loud enough to feel, even if faintly, assured. “For the first time,” he sings, “I feel myself growing older.” 

It would make sense that only now, nearly a decade removed from his molten ascent, he’s getting the space to feel himself change. Simpson belongs to a pivotal progeny of information-era denizens, who turned frenzied media consumption into tangible, on-the-ground movements: Odd Future, the A$AP Mob, Pro Era, the Internet. He was a high school freshman when the seeds of BROCKHAMPTON were sown, more accustomed to the backs of classrooms than the fronts of festival stages. While peers were graduating, in real time, from the forums he stalked to the arenas he aspired to, he followed along on his phone, glued to the prospect of art on one’s own terms. At a certain point, it became painfully apparent that there was more to life than school, suburbs, slacking — and if he wanted it, he would have to act, and grow, very quickly. “When I was 14, my sister and my mom asked me something about college,” he says. “I was like, ‘Whoa. I only have, like, three years left.’” The more he thought about them, the more they seemed to be running out.

It’s 2024, now: More than three years have passed. On a recent business trip to London, he impulsively made a new Letterboxd account, something of an attempt to rein in — or reckon with — lost time. Over a single day, he logged 25 films. (“I use it as a diary, man.”) Among these titles was The Social Network, the 2010 Mark Zuckerberg biodrama that narrativized Facebook’s founding. Years ago, around the same time that the “college” question came up, his sister took him to see it at the neighborhood Cinemark, a brief respite from friendless school days and looming anxieties. “Made BH bc of this movie haha,” he wrote, casually, in a rambly Letterboxd review. “Made me chase the vision.” 

Over Zoom, he’s more detailed. “I watched the movie, and was left with this feeling that I couldn’t escape, really,” he says. “It lingered over my entire freshman year. ‘Empty’ was the first real music video I made. I remember coloring that with HK [Sileshi], and asking him to lower the exposure, bring out the blues a little bit more, fuck with the contrasts, make it a little bit more saturated, but still keep it moody and dark. And the more I did that, the more I realized I was pulling from that experience: watching The Social Network. It wasn’t the first time I had seen [David] Fincher’s work, but it was the first time I recognized the tone of it. I believe we see ourselves in the things we enjoy.”

Like any other kid who saw The Social Network when it came out, Simpson definitely enjoyed Facebook. But he enjoyed other things, too: things like telling stories, messing around with cameras, asking people questions, combing through records with cool covers. When he was 13, he started a short-lived blog; one of his first pieces was a heartfelt obituary for Michael Jackson. (He’s still quite the MJ fan: In preparation for soon-coming shows, he’s been studying footage from the Bad tour.) Come high school, he wrote a variety of op-eds for the school newspaper, including a personal essay about being Black in the suburbs of Texas.

In a sense, it was an early glimpse of what would soon be a familiar routine — the publication of personal truths, met with mixed reviews from its faceless consumers. “It felt so punk to be doing that in 2011,” he says. “Some people at my school felt weird about [the essay]. But no one ever said it to my face.” Somewhere behind the wall of white noise, there were other estranged suburbans, who saw themselves in what Simpson wrote, and deeply resonated with it. Both as the ringleader of his band and, now, a full-time pursuer of personal projects, he’s been an expert at finding the fringes, then making them the future — forums to festivals, cinephilia to celebrity. Today, with much of that legacy established, he still hopes others might see themselves in the meandering trail he leaves behind.

One thing Simpson has seen himself in, over the past few months, is deadAir Records, a young label that foregrounds inventive, boundary-pushing acts. A day before our interview, he was in Santa Ana to see a performance by Jane Remover, an eclectic signee whose prolific practice is a constant source of inspiration. He’d been obsessed with finding things that “painted unique pictures of ideas for the future,” and artists affiliated with the label “just kept popping up.”

Among those artists, aside from Jane Remover, was Quadeca, a 23-year-old wizard who puts pedal-drenched guitars, rap-adjacent vocals, and a million disparate influences into a blender to concoct wicked catharsis. Months ago, he released one of several singles for SCRAPYARD, a compilation album of loosie tracks recorded over the past two years. Simpson loved it. “He DMed me like, ‘Where are you,’ and I was like, ‘I’m in LA,’ and he was like, ‘What?’ For some reason, people tend to think that I emerged out of the woods,” Quadeca says, in a phone call. “He said, ‘We should make something,’ and I was like, ‘How’s tomorrow?’”

The following day’s studio session was quick, synergetic, “a successful rizzing” — all the things that Quadeca, a longtime fan of Simpson’s, might never have dreamed of in high school. “I was very captivated by the moment,” he says, of the BROCKHAMPTON 2010s. “I feel like every artsy white boy wanted to be in BROCKHAMPTON. But I was also inspired by Kevin’s solo work. There’s this song, ‘Empty,’ that I really love. It’s on [American Boyfriend]. When we were making our song, I think I was very specifically trying to get the swag of ‘Empty.’” 

The track that came out of those sessions was “TEXAS BLUE,” a head-boppy elegy that launches “Empty”’s angst, headfirst, into the hope it seemed to be scrounging for. When Simpson made “Empty” in 2016, growing pains were fresh, and he was wearing the welts on his sleeves. It’s disarming, eight years later, to revisit the section where he lists the pieces of himself he hates: his yearbook photo, his passport, his last name, everything said last name represents. As much as his upbringing may be something of an anomaly, its emotional baggage isn’t at all. When we were as old as he was, then, we hated things about ourselves, too. And some of those things, we still do resent — even if we suppress them under swagger, talk around them in therapy, finesse them via filters. Growing up isn’t about suddenly having everything you wanted; it’s about reckoning with what you lack, and finding strange comfort in the bumpy pursuit of it. “I’ll be honest,” the pair sing in unison, as “TEXAS BLUE” comes to a close. We should be, too.

Photos by Adali Schell

Styling by Jack Bat

Makeup by Mel Daniel Sandoval

The series explores the relationship between musicians and their mothers. It has also given Grohl space to discuss his own musical roots. During an episode,the Foo Fighters vocalist spoke of his admiration for drummers, from the Gap Band and Cameo to CHIC, and more with Williams.

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“Stop saying that I’m a good drummer because I’m the most basic fucking drummer,” Grohl says. “If you listen to Nevermind, the Nirvana record, I pulled so much stuff from the Gap Band and Cameo and Tony Thompson [of CHIC] on every one of those songs…. It’s all disco. That’s all it is. Nobody makes the connection.”

Actually, Thompson did make the connection, according to Grohl.

“He came to my house for a barbecue with somebody,” Grohl says. “I was like, ‘Man, I just want to thank you because I owe you so much. I’ve been ripping you off my whole life.’ He goes, ‘I know.’”

You can watch a clip of the interview below. 

https://twitter.com/CR00K__Gaming/status/1410241730654445569

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From Cradle To Stage is a new television series directed by Grohl and inspired by his mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl. It’s an unscripted visual adaptation of her book, From Cradle To Stage: Stories From The Mothers Who Rocked And Raised Rock Stars. 

The musician-mother duos appearing on the show include Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and Christine Reynolds, Pharrell and Dr. Carolyn Williams, Miranda and Bev Lambert, Brandi and Teresa Carlile, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello and Mary Morello and Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Mary Weinrib. 

You can watch the trailer for the show below.

Outside of his new show, Grohl has also begun performing live with Foo Fighters again. They warmed up at the 600-person-capacity Canyon Club in California before recently playing their first full-capacity arena show in New York City at Madison Square Garden.

Both performances were limited to those who received COVID-19 vaccinations. The band are slated to take on The Forum in Los Angeles next. 

Foo Fighters are also set to take the stage at a few festivals this summer, including Lollapalooza in August and Bonnaroo in September. They will play alongside Modest Mouse, BROCKHAMPTON and Brittany Howard at Lollapalooza and then alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Run The Jewels and Deftones at Bonnaroo.

You can buy tickets to see Foo Fighters live here.

Foo Fighters performance dates: 

07/17 –Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
07/28 – Cincinnati, OH @ Icon Festival Stage at Smale Park
07/30 – Milwaukee, WI @ American Family Insurance Amphitheater
08/01 – Chicago, IL @ Lollapalooza
08/03 – St. Louis, MO @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
08/05 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Aura Amphitheater
08/07 – Oklahoma City, OK @ The Zoo Amphitheatre
08/09 – Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater
09/03 – Manchester, TN @ Bonnaroo Music + Arts Festival
09/05 – Napa, CA @ Bottlerock Napa Valley
10/08-17 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

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11/10 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
11/12-13 – Monterrey, MX @ Tecate Pal Norte
05/27-29 – Boston, MA @ Boston Calling Music Festival
06/08 – Berlin, DE @ Flughafen Tempelhof
06/10 –Nickelsdorf, AT @ Nova Rock Festival
06/12 – Milan, IT @ I-Days
06/14 – Basel, CH @ St. Jakob-Park
06/16 – Valencia, ES @ Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias
06/18 – Lisbon, PT @ Rock in Rio Lisbon
06/20 – Madrid, ES @ Wanda Metropolitano Stadium
06/22-23 – Nimes, FR @ Festival de Nimes

The 18-year-old Indian-American artist just released his second single and accompanying music video for the powerhouse track “jaunty,” the follow-up to his rowdy, booming debut, “pots n’ pans.” Featuring undeniably catchy hooks, positive energy and a myriad of experimental synth sounds and beats, KOAD celebrates his roots proudly in the new release.

Read more: 40 new artists you need to hear in May

“This video, probably more than any other piece of content I’ve made so far, is all about my relationship with my culture, family and identity,” he shares.

In the colorful video, KOAD is styled in a traditional Indian kurta with the koala logo for his KOGO community on the back and performs a traditional bhangra dance with the San Fernando Valley dance troupe, which was choreographed by local South Asian bhangra student Amrita Patel.

It’s clear that KOAD is completely in his element in this music video, combining classic-rock sounds with modern beats and traditional Indian cultural practices with his vibrant personality. It’s truly the song and video you never knew you needed on your playlist.

Beginning as a high school dropout in his early teens and making music in his parents’ garage, KOAD is taking a major career step and is ready to crush a big show with his new tracks May 15. Catch KOAD along with artists such as ATEEZ, Wyclef Jean, Guapdad 4000 and more as they play IDENTITY 2021 Virtual Celebration: a night of performances and fundraising for the AAPI community.

You can stream the event Saturday, May 15 starting at 8 p.m. EST and watch as comedian Sherry Cola and rapper Dumbfoundead host the show. During the show, donations will be collected for Pacific Bridge Arts musical scholarships and the Gold House AAPI Community Fund for restorative justice. Tune into the virtual fest here.

While we wait to watch KOAD’s live performance, check out the high-energy music video for “jaunty” below, as well as an exclusive interview with KOAD about his influences, his future and his koala that makes several cameos throughout the video.

You exude infectious energy in both “pots n’ pans” and your new single, “jaunty.” Who or what influences your sound? What does your creative process look like when you’re writing and experimenting with new sounds?

Hip-hop birthed me. Artists like Kanye West, Tyler, The Creator, Lil Wayne, BROCKHAMPTON and Kendrick Lamar have shown me that it’s possible to create an idea that’s so unique to you and push that to a mainstream audience while still taking pride in it. My goal isn’t to be indie or nothing—my goal is to make timeless records that live beyond me, just like I saw my idols do. This is gonna be my way to achieve that and have the time of my life doing it because I’d be dead without hip-hop. I’m also very inspired by the genre of rock. Chuck Berry, James Brown’s groovy ass, and Bruce Springsteen all inspire me. My creative process when writing and experimenting is honestly just never leaving an idea out. I make a beat for myself, and then I rap over that beat, and then I spend [an] excruciating amounts of hours making it [into] one gorgeous art piece.

The music video for “jaunty” opens up with what sounds like a late-night talk show announcer bringing you onstage. Do you have a dream talk show or a venue you hope to play in the future? 

I fucking love James Corden. I fuck with that man. [Laughs.] Venue-wise, I’ve always wanted to perform at The Forum in Los Angeles because my first concert ever was the Life Of Pablo tour at The Forum.

What inspired the vibrant visuals of this particular music video? What do you hope listeners take away from your song?

I wanted this video to go from “zero to brown.” I hope listeners take away that I don’t gotta be a white dude with tattoos to be a rock star… I’m a gorgeous young brown man who’s rapping his ass off out of survival and love for this shit. I just want people to have fun while listening to statements that are taking steps toward embracement, not just acceptance. 

You made a huge splash with your debut song and will continue to grow in the music world. Where do you see yourself creatively or musically this time next year? 

I see myself touring and working on more music and finally getting my dream features on songs. I plan on being the most magical hip-hop artist in the world, so hopefully, I can dance on stages and give the magic that I saw acts like Michael Jackson do for me. This time next year, I will be rich as fuck and happy because I get to rap and dance for a living.

What significance does Benjamin the koala bear have in your music and in your life? 

Benjamin Kogo, my koala, writes all my music and takes all my royalties. My mother loves Benjamin Kogo more than she loves me. Benjamin Kogo really is everything to me. I’m not too materialistic, but if someone fucked with that koala, I’m throwing hands.

How are you preparing for the IDENTITY 2021 Twitch stream? What can viewers expect from your performance at this event?

Imma eat mad Indian food, smoke mad weed, call my mama up and celebrate with my dawgs at the KOGO home.

Did you add KOAD’s “jaunty” to your new alt playlist? Let us know your favorite part of the video in the comments below!

In the visual, Lil Nas X and Fike portray lovers who are going on vacation together. However, it doesn’t take too long for hallucinations to transform their trip from serene to downright surreal.

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The Kevin Abstract and Dan Streit-directed video follows Lil Nas X and Fike’s sunny car ride into an ominous forest. Throughout the first part of the video, the duo chats about the music they’ve been listening to as they blast “COUNT ON ME” through the car’s speakers. Following Fike’s revelation about listening to Radiohead, which Lil Nas X promptly pokes fun at, they are eventually surrounded by thick trees under the moonlight. 

As the night continues on, both Lil Nas X and Fike soon become detached from the real world as a series of strong hallucinations engulf them. The bad trip soon brings them closer together as they embrace and descend into the murky water in a nearby lake.

The “COUNT ON ME” video is available to watch below.

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Alongside BROCKHAMPTON, “COUNT ON ME” also features vocals from Shawn Mendes and Ryan Beatty. As well, the track was also co-written by A$AP Rocky who is credited under his name Rakim Mayers. “COUNT ON ME” appears on BROCKHAMPTON’s ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE which includes collabs from Danny Brown, JPEGMAFIA and A$AP Ferg among others. 

Leading up to its release, BROCKHAMPTON teased the album with a series of trailers that featured legendary producer Rick Rubin and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA among others. 

For Fike, the “COUNT ON ME” video isn’t the first time he has collaborated with Abstract. Back in 2019, they teamed up for “Peach,” which appears on Abstract’s album ARIZONA BABY. That same year, Abstract also directed an alternate video for Fike’s song “3 Nights,” off of Don’t Forget About Me, Demos. 

BROCKHAMPTON’s psychedelic “COUNT ON ME” video follows up the crazy visual for “BUZZCUT,” their collab with Brown, which was released in March 2021. Similar to “COUNT ON ME,” both Abstract and Streit oversaw the direction of the chaotically colorful “BUZZCUT” video which shows the group transforming into supernatural characters and puking bright green slime among other things.

The “BUZZCUT” video and ROADRUNNER: NEW LIGHT, NEW MACHINE are available to stream below.

More on Dominic Fike and Lil Nas X

Over the past few months, Fike has teased that a new album is on the way. More recently, on April 1, he posted a photo of him on Instagram recording at the legendary Electric Lady Studios in New York City.

“#DF2 [Electric Lady Studios] with [GQ],” he says on Instagram. 

 

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Along with working on new music of his own, he also recently teamed up with Paul McCartney to reimagine his song “The Kiss Of Venus,” off of McCartney III. The new rendition of the track appears on McCartney’s upcoming album McCartney III Reimagined.

For the collaboration, Fike completely reworked “The Kiss Of Venus” from a smooth acoustic ballad to the ultimate R&B pop hit. Infusing his own personal sound and distinct vocals, the reimagined “The Kiss Of Venus” incorporates McCartney’s legendary songwriting and Fike’s fresh take on pop music.

Along with Fike, McCartney III Reimagined also features collabs with Idris Elba, Phoebe Bridgers, Anderson .Paak, Queens Of The Stone Age frontman Josh Homme and Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn among others. 

McCartney and Fike’s “The Kiss Of Venus” video is available to watch below. McCartney III Imagined arrives April 16 via Capitol Records.

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As for Lil Nas X, he is still dominating the charts with his latest single “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name).” Currently, the track is sitting in the coveted top spot on the Billboard Global 200 chart. As well, “MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” is No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week after peaking at No. 1 on the week of April 9. 

Last month, Lil Nas X dropped a diabolical video for the track, which shows him traveling through time in many different realms. Eventually, Lil Nas X descends into the depths of hell and is welcomed by Satan. During his trip, Lil Nas X twerks on Lucifer before inevitably killing him and crowning himself the new ruler of hell. The fiery visual also features Lil Nas X’s controversial Satan Shoes, a collaboration with New York-based art collective MSCHF that was later recalled.

On March 25, Lil Nas X revealed on Twitter why he decided to release a song with his real name in it and publicly come out as gay in 2019.

Read more: 10 alternative covers that completely transformed pop hits

“Dear 14-year-old Montero, I wrote a song with our name in it,” he writes on Twitter. “It’s about a guy I met last summer. I know we promised to never come out publicly, I know we promised to never be ‘that’ type of gay person, I know we promised to die with the secret. But this will open doors for many other queer people to simply exist. You see this is very scary for me, people will be angry, this will say I’m pushing an agenda. But the truth is, I am. The agenda to make people stay the fuck out of other people’s lives and stop dictating who they should be. Sending you love from the future.”

What are your reactions to Lil Nas X and Dominic Fike starring in BROCKHAMPTON’s “COUNT ON ME” video? Let us know in the comments below.

Now, voting is open to decide which artist should win the coveted Best New Artist award. This year, there are 17 acts to choose from.

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Back in June, it was announced that MTV plans to host the Video Music Awards on Aug. 30. According to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, “the event will follow all safety guidance including limited or no audience.”

Typically, the Video Music Awards features a fan audience. For this year, it is possible that they will eliminate the fan audience and will seat artists within appropriate social distances from each other.

Back in May, a representative for MTV said that the company is exploring various ways it can safely hold the event this year in Brooklyn.

“We’re exploring with government officials, the medical community, and key stakeholders on how to safely hold the 2020 VMAs at Barclays Center on August 30th,” a spokesperson told Billboard in a statement. “The health of everyone involved remains our number one priority. Additionally, we are working on several contingency plans to bring music’s biggest night to audiences everywhere.”

Now, it appears that the VMAs are still scheduled to happen on Aug. 30. Although all of the award nominations have not been announced yet, voting is now open to determine who should win 2020’s Best New Artist award.

Read more: Here are all of the collabs on Taylor Swift’s surprise album ‘Folklore’

There are 17 artists to choose from this year that range from rock to pop and hip-hop. Included in this year’s list are YUNGBLUD, FINNEAS, BROCKHAMPTON, Doja Cat, Conan Gray and more.

YUNGBLUD recently released his new single “Strawberry Lipstick” along with a wickedly entertaining video. Over the past few years, YUNGBLUD has collaborated with various artists including blackbear, MGK, Halsey, blink-182‘s Travis Barker and Imagine Dragons‘ Dan Reynolds. “I Think I’m OKAY,” his collab with MGK and Barker, was recently certified platinum in the U.S. after it surpassed 1 million sales. In 2019, he released his hope for the underrated youth EP which debuted in the top 10 on the U.K. Official Albums chart.

FINNEAS is well-known for his collaborations with sister Billie Eilish. He also just recently released his solo album Blood Harmony in 2019. His latest single “Let’s Fall In Love For The Night” has over 127 million streams on Spotify.

BROCKHAMPTON have become one of the most successful groups in recent years. They currently have over 9 million monthly listeners on Spotify. As well, their 2018 album Iridescence debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200. Most recently, they dropped a remix for their hit “SUGAR” which features Dua Lipa.

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Doja Cat’s “Say So” continues to be a top hit on the radio. Her track featuring Nicki Minaj reached No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song currently has over 500 million Spotify streams and is off of her 2019 album Hot Pink.

Conan Gray has recently been praised by big-name artists including Taylor Swift. Earlier this year, he released his full-length album Kid Krow which debuted at No.5 on the Billboard 200. So far this year, he has been named a YouTube Artist on the Rise, Vevo’s Discover Artist To Watch and MTV Push Artist for the month of February. He also recently dropped an acoustic video for his song “Heather.”

The full list of nominations for the VMAs Best New Artist is available here.

Votes can be cast up to 10 times a day before voting closes on July 30. The winner of the PUSH Best New Artist will be announced live at the Video Music Awards on Aug. 30.

Which artist would you like to see win this year’s Best New Artist award at the VMAs? Let us know in the comments below.

After days of anticipation, Coachella began digging up old tweets about their lineup from both artists and fans Thursday night. From wish lists to big dreams, the festival began teasing what was to come with their tweet choices.

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Check out some of the artists confirmed through tweets below.

FKA Twigs

Rage Against The Machine

Denzel Curry

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizzard

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Caribou

Duck Sauce

Fatboy Slim

Run The Jewels

Read more: Oliver Tree shares bloody video of his Coachella “nightmare”

The festival returns for its 21st edition on April 10-12 and April 17-19 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

BROCKHAMPTON, Charli XCX, Kim Petras, PUP, the Regrettes, Beach Bunny, Code Orange will be playing alongside Rage Against The Machine on April 10 and 17.

Travis Scott will lead April 11 and 18 with 21 Savage, Danny Elfman, Swae Lee, Carly Rae Jepsen, Snail Mail, Emo Nite and Mannequin Pussy.

Read more: YUNGBLUD, Alex Gaskarth, more hit Coachella for Kayzo’s stacked set

Frank Ocean is headlining April 12 and 19, which also features Lana Del Rey, Lil Uzi Vert, FKA Twigs, Lil Nas X, Jessie Reyez, Denzel Curry, Bishop Briggs, (Sandy) Alex G, Alec Benjamin and YUNGBLUD.

Weekend one is sold out, but weekend two presale begins Jan. 6 at noon PST here.

Check out the full lineup below along with some artist reactions.

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https://twitter.com/kimpetras/status/1212940277414936576

https://www.instagram.com/p/B614rVVAVq7/

More on Coachella

Rage Against The Machine previously confirmed themselves as playing when their reunion became public back in November. The Instagram post the band made included the Coachella dates along with a small handful of other shows.

After parting ways in 2000, RATM released the cover album Renegades in December. A live album, Live At The Grand Olympic Auditorium, was released in 2003 featuring recordings from their final shows in Los Angeles in September 2000. The band later reunited at Coachella in 2007 before parting ways again after a final 2011 gig.

Read more: Idris Elba is playing Coachella, the internet is confused

Frank Ocean and Travis Scott have both previously played the high-profile festival in 2012 and 2017, respectively, but this will mark the first time they’ve ever had a headliner spot.

YUNGBLUD previously performed at Coachella 2019. He joined All Time Low’s Alex Gaskarth, grandson, Tommy Lee and Sum 41’s Frank Zummo during scene-loving EDM artist Kayzo’s set to play a remix of “11 Minutes.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BwMrkfZFBlw/

Are you stoked for Coachella 2020? Let us know in the comments below.

See more: 16 memorable band photos

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On National Coming Out Day, a day that’s made to own who you are, we’re here. That all being said, here are 10 songs by 10 artists on the LGBTQ spectrum that are sure to make you feel out, proud and heard every day of the year.

Read more: Kings Of Spade create emotional coming out anthem—listen

Panic! At The Disco – “Girls/Girls/Boys”

In case you couldn’t tell by the multi-colored hearts swarming the arenas on P!ATD’s last tour, “Girls/Girls/Boys” has been widely adopted as a bisexual anthem among Panic! fanatics. Singing about his sexual experimentation and openness about sexuality as a spectrum, Brendon Urie ends each quivering chorus with the strong reminder: “Love is not a choice.” [MH]

BROCKHAMPTON – “JUNKY”

Self-identifying as the “best boy band since One Direction,” BROCKHAMPTON are a music collective who transcend a label as lazy as “boy band.” Made up of 14 members, BROCKHAMPTON explore racism, sexism, homophobia and every intersection in-between. Almost any track from the group’s past three albums could count as a song about having pride in who you are, but rapper Kevin Abstract’s opening verse in “JUNKY” tackles every issue with clarity, wit and his trademark snark. Move over, Harry Styles. [MH]  

Read more: Disney releases rainbow Mickey ears just in time for Pride Month

Years & Years – “Sanctify”

U.K. synth-pop trio Years & Years attracted the universe’s attention with 2015’s hit single, “King,” and the world hasn’t fallen out of love with them since. Gay frontman Olly Alexander pens emotive, heart-wrenching lyrics that Pete Wentz would be proud of, while having the a performance pizzazz befitting Lady Gaga—complete with bedazzled outfits and ethereal backup dancers. In “Sanctify,” Alexander speaks directly to a lover who has yet to come to terms with his sexuality. With a simple croon, he sings, “Sanctify the love that you crave/Oh and I won’t, and I won’t, and I won’t be ashamed.” [MH]

Halsey – “Strangers ft. Lauren Jauregui”

Halsey has long brought representation to the wanting pop sphere. As a bisexual woman, she wrote “Strangers” about ambiguity in a lesbian almost-relationship. After deciding to make the track a duet and shopping around for possible singers, Halsey proclaimed to her label, “I’m not putting an artist on this song unless they’re fucking gay.” How’s that for visibility? Former Fifth Harmony member Lauren Jauregui, who came out as bisexual in 2016, was happy to lend her pipes, making for a sultry, earnest pop song. [MH]

Read more: Virgin Airlines now selling tickets for first ever ‘Pride’ flight

Trash Boat – “How Selfish I Seem”

Bringing a queer edge to melodic hardcore, Trash Boat frontman Tobi Duncan has identified himself as being attracted to people “across the gender spectrum.” Labels aside, Duncan spends most of their 2016 debut full-length exploring the topics of identity, forgiveness and existentialism. In the aggressive single “How Selfish I Seem,” he refers to a romantic relationship with both he and she pronouns, contemplating how he can “make putting you first second nature.” [KC]  

Like Pacific – “Distant”

Like Pacific frontman Jordan Black doesn’t just have the best Twitter handle (you can find him via @hotgayfather)—he also is waving the out flag for pop punk. In a section of the scene that can often err on the side of heteronormative breakup lyrics, Black and co. focus on finding deeper ways to explore relationships and the human experience. Don’t worry, they bring the angst, hooks and breakdowns just as hard. [MH]

Read more: Converse drops trans-inclusive Pride line, intention splits LGBTQ community

A.W. – “Who We Are”

A.W. came out as non-binary in 2017 and has continued to be an open advocate for trans rights and visibility. “I’m open about my own experience because I want queer kids to see more good stories,” A.W. wrote in a recent Facebook post. “It wasn’t until these last few years that I learned I could potentially be out, proud, happy, successful, lovable, worthy, valid… mostly thanks to others who have chosen to be visible themselves. So I choose to stand up and be counted.” They bring these concepts home in the upbeat anthem “Who We Are,” which also happens to be featured as the intro music to Cameron Esposito’s LGBTQ-centered podcast Queery. [MH]

PVRIS – “Holy”

Since PVRIS exploded onto our radar with their 2014 label debut White Noise, frontwoman Lynn Gunn has been vocal and proud about being a lesbian in today’s climate, especially in this straight-dominant scene. “Holy,” one of the stripped-back cuts from the record, bitterly calls out religious hypocrisy from the more conservative who might insist that LGBTQ+ folks are going to hell. “You’re shallow and empty and filled with regret/I think that chest must be heavy from that cross on your neck,” Gunn sneers, challenging whether the so-called “morality” of the homophobes of the world is quite so innocent after all. [KC]

Read more: New teen film embraces diversity and LGBTQ romance on-screen

Tegan And Sara – “Boyfriend”

The classic sibling duo of Tegan and Sara Quin, created many a baby lesbian’s first favorite gay record (cut to this preteen writer secretly jamming to “Walking With A Ghost”). The twins have continued to deliver that sweet content across their prolific career—perhaps most acutely on “Boyfriend,” the first single from their eighth album Love You To Death. The song may as well have been written by this writer the first time she fell for a straight girl: The lament of “You call me up like you want your best friend/You turn me on like you want your boyfriend/But I don’t wanna be your secret anymore” might ring a little too true for some of us, but the synth-pop backing shifts the song from downer to anthem. [KC]

Against Me! – “True Trans Soul Rebel”

If there was ever a time that Against Me! frontwoman Laura Jane Grace was afraid to be herself, you would never know it from the incredible figure she has become for transgender folks since she came out in 2012. But “True Trans Soul Rebel” articulates that fear and inner discord, as Grace asks, “Does God bless your transsexual heart?” Perhaps this song is too obvious a choice for a pride playlist, but no other track more painfully and powerfully confronts the turmoil of making the sometimes sacrificial, but always necessary choice to live your truth. [KC]

This list previously appeared in AP 358 with Adore Delano on the cover.

Read more: Mainstream pop music exhibits more sadness than ever, study finds

1. Tessa Violet

Tessa Violet is “just trying to play it cool,” and we can totally relate as she dances through the aisles of a grocery store in her “Crush” video. The singer first established herself as a YouTuber creating a variety of content including a fan-made music video for Relient K, so we know she gets our emo feels. Violet’s forthcoming full-length is on the horizon, and she’ll be hitting the road with fellow singer-songwriter/YouTuber dodie this fall.

2. Dev09

Dev09 has “1K boo” permanently inked into her skin. The tattoo was inspired by an exchange with A$AP Mob founder A$AP Yams on Twitter when she asked how many tweets it would take for him to take her to prom. While Yams unfortunately died shortly after the exchange, the experience led to her connecting with A$AP Ferg’s producer Stelios Phili who worked with her on her first single “You Made Me.” Dev is back with the follow-up “Bored,” which discusses a girl using a guy for drugs and affection. The singer discusses her journey with mental health following a bipolar diagnosis and rehab stay, all of which are touched on in her forthcoming EP.

3. Yoke Lore

Yoke Lore, the solo moniker of Adrian Galvin, is quintessential indie pop. Formerly a member of Walk The Moon and Yellerkin, Galvin blends the catchiness of a pop track with intriguing synth riffs. His latest single “Ride” appears on his Absolutes EP that was released July 27, and he’ll hit the road for a headlining tour in the fall.

4. Billie Eilish

Billie Eilish delivers an ethereal sound backed by her moody vocals, and we know she’s as dark as us based on the fact she announced her most recent tour with the help of some eight-legged friends. Her middle name is also Pirate (yes, seriously), so along with her catchy, no-holds-barred music, she’s pretty much goals. Eilish has released several singles this year including “Lovely” with Khalid for the 13 Reasons Why: Season 2 soundtrack. The singer’s debut album is yet to be announced, but her Don’t Smile At Me EP was released last summer.

5. Kailee Morgue

With a stage name that sounds like it was lifted from our Myspace profiles circa 2005, Kailee Morgue (aka Kailee Moore) and her haunting pop are bound to be your next addiction. Moore lists Gwen Stefani and Hayley Williams as inspirations and has one EP, Medusa, under her belt, which was released earlier this year via Republic. Morgue hits the road with Poppy beginning this October.

6. WOLVES

WOLVES are catchy as hell. Taking influence from everyone from Michael Jackson to Coldplay, this trio meld pop, R&B and rock to deliver their own unique sound. The L.A.-based act are relatively new to the scene having just released their debut single “Animal” last year.

7. Bea Miller

A former The X Factor contestant, Bea Miller has opened for pop powerhouses Demi Lovato, Fifth Harmony and Selena Gomez, but her sultry tone sets her apart from those she shares the stage with. She’s influenced by all kinds of genres as she tells Teen Vogue, “I’m inspired by new things every single day so trying to fit myself into one box where I have to stay the same all the time? I didn’t want to do that.” Miller’s sophomore LP aurora was released earlier this year.

8. King Princess

King Princess (aka Mikaela Straus) has been backed by Harry Styles and Charli XCX and with good reason. The indie-pop artist writes, produces, plays instrumentals and sings her own tunes that detail life from a genderqueer perspective. King Princess’ debut EP, Make My Bed, is out now via the Mark Ronson-helmed Zelig Recordings.

9. Olivia O’Brien

“Life just sucks and then we all die” is just one of many relatable statements Olivia O’Brien makes in her music. The singer first rose to recognition on the gnash collab track “i hate u, i love u” and has also worked with blackbear (“Root Beer Float”) and G-Eazy (“RIP”). Her most recent release, 2017’s It’s Not That Deep EP, is available now.

10. Bishop Briggs

Bishop Briggs certainly has her own brand of alt-pop, but the singer is just as emo as us. From writing her favorite lyrics on her pink Chucks to being a fan of Panic! At The Disco and Twenty One Pilots, she totally gets us. Briggs released her debut full-length Church Of Scars this past spring.

11. Jessie Reyez

Starting your video with smashing a guitar? Jessie Reyez totally understands our angst. The singer stands out with a soulful voice that’s so full of emotion you can’t help but root for her even when she’s singing about a straightjacket. Her debut full-length is due out later this year, but her Kiddo EP can certainly hold you over until then.

12. BROCKHAMPTON

BROCKHAMPTON are your next favorite boy band. Despite the fact the group lean more toward the hip-hop side of the wide array of genres, member Kevin Abstract assures us that it’s not what they want to be known for. “Just cause we’re not white and some of us rap and like dick and dye our hair and make good music doesn’t mean we’re not a boyband,” he tweeted. The group released three LPs last year—Saturation, Saturation II and Saturation III—and have a fourth, The Best Years Of Our Lives, slated for this year.