Four fantastic artists worth finding at Lollapalooza

For four days music festival Lollapalooza lived in Chicago's Grant Park from July 31 to August 3. From headliners with massive followings to up-and-coming musicians building their careers, it was a chance to showcase their skills in front of hordes of listeners waiting to be entertained.

This opportunity was not lost on the artists and many of them gushed about the honor of playing at the iconic outdoor venue.

First set of the day on Friday at Tito's Handmade Vodka Stage had Sudanese-Ethiopian singer Alemeda returning to Chicago. She was born in the Windy City, but her family moved away after four months. She talked about her musical journey in life, “Growing up in the early 2000s, I loved pop and punk music like Paramour and Arctic Monkeys. I used to cry to Coldplay for no reason!”

Before being paired with Rachel Chinourir for “Chameleon” and a tour, Alemeda stated she was a fan of her work for years.

In her lyrics to “Gonna Bleach My Eyebrows” she talks about buying a new car and house which she did in real life just after she was signed to Warner Records. She moved to LA when she was 19 years old and grew up in Arizona. Her new EP is slated to be release this fall and described the music as her becoming more vulnerable as an artist. She explained, “This is angry pop music from a Black woman's perspective.”

Zinadelphia started her artistry in Philadelphia, hence the name, in 2022. She began to play shows locally and eventually landed at Lollapalooza on The Grove Stage. Before her Friday afternoon set she exclaimed, “I can't believe I am here and it feels awesome!”

She went on to say, “I want to create a cinematic experience for people who come to see my live concerts. It can be a challenge for me because I am an independent artist and I don't have money for a grand show yet. I can't do everything I want to do, but it's cool to DIY and work with the little budget I have. It makes for some fun and interesting moments at my shows. I am going to shake it up every time.”

Safe spaces are an important part of this curation for her and she said, “I am grateful for the people in my fanbase and everyone talks about how they make friends at my shows. Many of them dress in a '60s style and are very mod at my concerts. I love it!”

Zinadelphia was most excited to see DJO perform at Lollapalooza and is a fan of his entire album.

BMI presented Bo Staloch on Friday and this transplant from Austin, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee, is in the process of cultivating a unique career geared towards country music. He began telling sonic stories when he was young and said, “I really started songwriting in my freshman year of high school and was in a rock band program with my buddies my senior year. We sang covers, but at the same time, I was falling in love with writing my own songs. That came together in a glorious way and I fell in love with the songwriting process.”

Influences have been “stomp and hollers” over the years with bands like Mumford & Sons and The Lumineers. He described his work as an artist as someone with “honesty and vulnerability.” He confessed, “Being human is very important to me. I mess up onstage and forget words or trip. I write about real things and my music is relatable.”

His first headlining tour happens later this year and has him returning to Illinois in Evanston at Space on October 15. Another Nashville artist, Emma Ogier, opens for him on that date and he described the tour as “a really big friend group out on the road together!”

Rachel Grae hails from New Jersey and captivated the crowd on the BMI Stage on Saturday with her first festival appearance. Her powerful song “Raised by a Woman” is about men respecting women after being brought up by their mothers. Her new track “Safe With Me” is also about empowerment and she said backstage, “Everyone feels the lyrics and chimes in with a singalong when I perform it.”

She tours with a new album this fall and describes her artistry as “soulful pop music with lyrics that sound like a journal entry. I want my listeners to feel whatever they like but know they are not alone.”

Watch these four talented individuals as their careers blossom and grow in the future.

Socials: @alemeda, @bostaloch, @rachel.grae, @zinadelphia