For those who don’t know, Lollapalooza was originally a heavy metal punk show and the festival has endorsed other music genres over the years to gain a wider audience. However, they never forgot their roots, and this year they brought back rock legends Green Day and Metallica. Both of whom recently played at The Metro showing that they are willing to pay homage to their humble beginnings. The theatrics of Lolla allowed both bands to put on grand performances.

Metallica began their set with a video montage of Ennio Morricone’s “The Ecstasy of Gold” from Clint Eastwood’s The Good, The Bad And The Ugly. Once the band came on stage they wasted no time by performing “Whiplash.” They asked the rowdy crowd whether they were diehard fans or newcomers, but welcomed both. The band continued by playing classic songs from their catalog like “Die, Die My Darling” and “Enter Sandman.” Metallica’s James Hetfield joked, “I bet you are all wondering what are we going to play now that with finished all the good songs.” They then proceeded to play songs from the less critically acclaimed St. Anger before going back to the typical hits.

Green Day by Charles Reagan for Lollapalooza

Green Day was the only other band that could go toe-to-toe with Metallica, both in audience attendance and song list. Green Day have gotten a lot of flack over the years as fans debate their “punk” status but there is no denying the band’s impact on the genre during the 90s and early 2000s was immense. The more melodic sound and mainstream attention make an argument about them being punk or pop punk but in the end, Green Day have some bangers. Playing songs off Dookie and American Idiot took listeners back to yesteryear, especially the later album. Hearing “American Idiot” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” was a reminder of the emo craze. Some of us still haven’t left that phase (Sigh).

The older I get the more I’m turning into an EDM fan. I still enjoy rock shows but I’m too old to get thrashed around in the mosh pits; you wake up the next day, body all sore from the intensity. So naturally, Perry stage is where I spent most of my Lollapalooza journey. It was safe, people weren’t pushy, there was much more of a positive vibe, and most importantly the music was fun to dance to. It was great seeing DJ’s I’ve seen before like LP Giobbi and Liquid Stranger, with his visual display blending modern EDM, all that heavy bass, and head-bobbing electronic tunes. However, the best DJ set I saw over the weekend was John Smith. His style aligns with more traditional house music making for a pleasant experience from start to finish. His vibrant light show plus consistent heart-beating tempo kept the field dancing through the entire set.

Dua Lipa by Pooneh Ghana for Lollapalooza

Dua Lipa absolutely slayed her performance. Adorned in shimmering black and clear spandex, the English singer got to work with “Physical.” As she sang her lyrics, you can tell she took over the crowds’ imagination with her performance. Over the weekend I went to a Dua Lipa pop-up event, in collaboration with Puma clothing line, the fun interactive set pieces were great for fans to take selfies with, and not going to lie, the clothes were looking pretty fly too. Hearing her music playing in the background took me back to seeing her live. Fans sang along to the tunes of  “Boys Will Be Boys”, “Electricity” and “Hallucinate” before ending her set with “Don’t Start Now” with a crazy firework show! Watching her hypnotizing dance moves, hearing the beautiful vocals, and observing the showmanship of the entire performance, I definitely became a fan of Dua Lipa.

My heart will forever be in love with hip-hop. Pi’erre Bourne, the former producer of Playboi Carti, had an instrumental set; his sound is mellow and chill yet fans still found a way to mosh to it, which I found hilarious. The beats do go hard and can be headbanging-worthy but people love a reason to start a mosh pit these days. Luckily, I was more in my element when Big Sean and J. Cole performed. Both rappers played back to back on the same stage so most of us didn’t have to move. The adrenaline Big Sean brought went hard on “All Me”, “Blessing”, and “I Don’t Fuck with You”.  J. Cole kept it more chill with his verse from 21 Savage’s “A Lot” and “No Role Modelz”. It was a nice balance of high energy and chill vibes.

Cole by Brandy Fik for Lollapalooza

Denzel Curry was another rapper that put on an amazing show. Doing most of the tracks Melt My Eyes See Your Future like “Troubles”, “Ain’t No Way” and (IMO) the best song on the album “Walkin”. I actually got to meet Curry in the media lounge and talk a bit, it wasn’t until during his set that I regretted not asking for a picture.

Maxo Kream had one of the best performances of the entire festival. Not as highly known as his contemporaries Maxo Kream can make an impact on anyone who gives him a listen. Maxo Kream didn’t bring together a big crowd but those that gathered were diehard fans that rapped along to all the lyrics. He’s a goon from the slumps but songs like “Roaches,” “Grannies,” and especially “Meet Again” paint the image of a rough life some of us can relate to. It’s not glamorous or something to brag about, it’s simply real. I enjoyed seeing Maxo Kream perform so much that I rushed to Reggies Pub to catch his after-show.

Lollapalooza has set the bar high when it comes to music festivals. It could be hard for them to consistently outdo themselves year after year yet the organizers always find a way.

Maxo Kream by Greg Noire for Lollapalooza 

cover image: Big Sean by Keenan Hairston for Lollapalooza

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Curry begins his album with “Melt Session #1,” the whimsical horns with light vocals set a majestic mood in the track, before the aggression pierces. Accompanied by piano and drums a barrage of words, never overwhelming listeners, bar after bar hit their mark. As the song progresses you immediately understand Curry is growing, apologizing for past mistakes: “I dedicate this to the ones I hurt. It’s time to get my spirit right on earth. Before my sins become an evil curse. Conquer thirst, can’t revert to who I was first, I channel God through this verse.” There is no chorus, he simply ends the song by chanting “I keep walking I keep walking! Melt!” which leads perfectly into the next track – “Walkin”. This track is simply a banger. It starts off once again inviting listeners with soothing, heavenly singing in a more classic boom-bap style. However, the second half of the song switches up with more bass and trap claps that will bump your speakers.

“John Wayne” and “The Last” both tackle dark narratives in their own way. Curry has more gully swagger on “John Wanye” as he rolls through the hood with a gun on his hip like Wayne did in old Westerns. As the injustices against African Americans continue, he feels the only way to resolve these catastrophes is by shooting back. “The Last” furthers the dire message by adding the elements of the pandemic and systematic inequality.

“Troubles” encompasses all the struggles everyone goes through at a milestone in their lives. It’s a short catchy track featuring the auto-tune legend T-Pain. Both men share stories, hustling to fix their situations. “Ain’t No Way” is a collage of different rappers collaborating. Featuring Rico Nasty, JID, and 6LACK singing the chorus, all the talent give solid verses stating there’s no way they’re coming up empty-handed. The instrumental change for each artist which is great to hear. First starting trap to match Rico Nasty’s energetic verse, calming down for 6LACK soft-spoken chorus before JID and Curry finish off the track.

“X-Wing” is a solid follow-up track as Curry doubles down on the previous message alone: “All these beats go dumb in the stereo, but I’m just too smart for the radio. Masked up like a young Rey Mysterio, mask off when I’m back in the studio.” He then lists the harsh reality of legendary rappers Tupac, Biggie, and Mac Miller not making it to 28 and Curry’s dire need to become rich. 

“Zatoichi” feels like a spiritual journey that awakens the listener with its faster pace. On this track, Curry takes the role of Zatoichi, a fictional blind swordsman. With frenetic drums kicking in the background, Denzel rapidly shoots out metaphors, especially in the distorted chorus like throwing stars or a katana slaying foes. Lastly, he wraps up the album with one of the best tracks, in my opinion, “The Ills”. It’s another throwback hip-hop song with good DJ scratches and piano keys. Giving shootouts to rappers from the 90s, Curry consistently changes up his flow with every other line he delivers.

Melt My Eyez See Your Future is a fantastic album for any hip-hop enthusiast to vibe to. The highly anticipated album provides thought-provoking lyrics that you’ll want to return to again and again. Making listeners yell “Woo!” Curry shows maturity with the concepts he takes on. Showing his growth as an artist but more importantly showcasing a young man’s determination to make it despite obstacles testing him.

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