With the return of music festivals following a year-and-a-half-long pandemic pause, festival founders are sharing new insights about how excited fans have been to get back to live music.
Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell told Billboard about the 30th anniversary of the Chicago-based festival being an “extremely important and special year” due to its return this past weekend. And Coachella co-founder Paul Tollett made the rare move in confirming a headliner for its festival years in advance: Previously scheduled artist Frank Ocean will finally do the honors in 2023.
Other artists who’ve appeared at the top of their game this week include Verzuz co-creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland leading Billboard’s 2021 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players list and Rihanna with her new billionaire status, crowning her as the wealthiest female musician in the world.
Take a look at Billboard’s weekly roundup and the “awards” it gave to this week’s headlines.
Happiest Music News: Frank Ocean announced as Coachella 2023 headliner
Frank Ocean will headline Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival three years after he was supposed to, co-founder Paul Tollett revealed in a new interview on Monday (Aug. 2). Travis Scott and Rage Against the Machine, whose names appeared next to Ocean’s at the top of the bill for Coachella 2020 that was derailed by COVID, will take over Coachella 2022. Learn more about the future Coachellas here.
Sweetest Music News: Taylor Swift applauds Simone Biles’ return to Tokyo Olympics in new promo
With Biles’ medal-winning return to the Olympics on Tuesday (Aug. 3), Swift was cheering her on not from the sidelines but in a brand-new NBC promo. “Her honesty as beautiful as the perfection that had long been her signature. But don’t you see? It still is. She is perfectly human. And that’s what makes it so easy to call her a hero,” the pop superstar narrated over her Folklore track “This Is Me Trying.” Watch the video and see Swift and Biles’ tearful Twitter exchange here.
Wildest Music News: Lollapalooza returns for 30th anniversary
Lollapalooza wrapped up its four-day festival on Sunday (Aug. 1), making it the first large-scale music festival to return after the pandemic shut down the live music industry. “I think [this 30th anniversary of Lollapalooza] is an extremely important and special year, because we all are hurting a little bit, we’re all a little afraid, but yet we’re exercising courage,” founder Perry Farrell reflected to Billboard for our new “My First Fest Back” series. Read the rest of what he had to say here and what Aly & AJ, Orville Peck, Journey and more performers had to say here.
Most Inspiring Music News: Billboard names 2021 R&B/Hip-Hop Power Players
Timbaland and Swizz Beatz rule as Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop executives of the year after they transformed their Verzuz live battle platform “from pandemic entertainment to a still-evolving, profitable wealth generator for Black artists,” according to the list. Meanwhile, Lil Baby discusses his parallel rise as a musical superstar and community hero, and Usher brings us into his world of Las Vegas for his latest residency. Read the Power Players list here and Lil Baby’s cover story here and Usher’s cover story here.
Most Record-Breaking Music News: Rihanna becomes a billionaire
Call her BillionaireGalRiRi from now on! Forbes announced on Wednesday (Aug. 4) that the musician-actress-businesswoman has an estimated net worth of $1.7 billion in large part due to her Fenty Beauty brand. She’s now the richest female musician in the world and second richest female entertainer second to Oprah Winfrey. Read more about RiRi’s new status here.
Most Electrifying Music News: The Weeknd releases new single “Take My Breath”
The Weeknd provided nothing short of a breathtaking single and music video with “Take My Breath” on Friday (Aug. 6). As he transitions out of the After Hours era and continues to announce “the dawn is coming,” the R&B superstar moves full speed ahead with his synth-driven track and its powerful, strobe light-fueled visual. Watch the “Take My Breath” video here.
