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With Lollapalooza only days away from taking over Grant Park in Chicago, the only concerns on your mind should be “What am I wearing?” and “Are you sure Todd is okay with sleeping on the floor of the Airbnb without a blanket?” No need to stress over what acts you should be seeing, because we have you covered with 12 acts you will not want to miss at Lollapalooza 2023. These are our 12 ones to catch while you eagerly await to cry your eyes out to Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, and so much more.  

Isabel LaRosa

Lollapalooza may mark Isabel LaRosa’s debut festival appearance but the breakout artist has spent the better part of the last year honing her live performance on the road with Nessa Barrett. With a sound that’s equal parts ethereal and ominous, it’s little surprise that LaRosa’s music has found widespread success on TikTok and beyond. It’s the soundtrack to teenage rebellion and confusion, and it’s exactly why we made her our latest cover star. 

NewJeans

If you’re unfamiliar with NewJeans, then I am deeply sorry, but do not fear, it’s never too late to familiarize yourself with one of the best K-pop acts absolutely lighting up the scene right now. Comprised of Minji, Hanni, Danielle, Haerin, and Hyein, NewJeans’ unique brand of K-pop pulls from the lovestruck euphoria of pop and the energy of youth to present a sonic vision that is nothing short of infectious. With streaming numbers that continue to break records, NewJeans will also make history as the first female K-pop act to perform at Lollapalooza. 

Holly Humberstone

Holly Humberstone’s music is nothing short of haunting. The rapidly rising British star paints shifting, evolving portraits with heart heart-wrenching lyricism and emotive production directions, speaking both to the pantheon of singer-songwriters that came before her while charting her own path forward. Humberstone’s Lollapalooza performance arrives ahead of her highly-anticipated debut album, Paint My Bedroom Black, set to release October 13, and we’re certain it will be one not to miss. 

brakence

brakence originally broke into the scene as a purveyor of the at-the-time bubbling hyperpop genre, crystallizing an energetic and emotive sound into a breakout moment. In the years since, the “glitch pop perfectionist” has outgrown those early hyperpop origins to present a sound that could only belong to brakence. His major label debut album, 2022’s hypochondriac, arrived as a daring effort pulling from digicore, midwest emo, and more to reconstruct brakence as a truly genre-pushing artist whose creative limits no know bounds. 

BAND-MAID

There are few thins as exciting as a genuine moment of musical discovery. In preparation for this year’s Lollapalooza, I was listening to every act that graced the lineup when I stumbled upon BAND-MAID, “an impossibly hard-rocking, all-female rock band.” Pairing hard rock with the aesthetic of Japanese maid cafés, the five-piece act is inarguably one of the most unique acts to take the stage at Lollapalooza this year. And make no mistake, BAND-MAID is no novelty act. Take one listen to their music, and you’ll know why this is one set you won’t want to miss. 

Ari Abdul

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Ari Abdul’s dark pop music casts a spell over you. Taking influence from the shoegaze bands that informed the sound of her city’s underground years before the rising artist took the stage and the reverb-heavy pop mysticism of Lana Del Rey and The Neighbourhood, Abdul’s sound is uniquely familiar yet engrossing. Her sound can be heard in full in her debut EP Fallen Angel, which features the breakout hit “Babydoll,” a hypnotizing, inescapable slowburn.

EKKSTACY

Pulling from new wave and post-punk, EKKSTACY’s sound is instantly recognizable yet enthralling nonetheless. It’s an unmistakable sound that speaks to every mall goth of yesteryear, every outcast who found solace in The Cure CDs or Lil Peep’s discography, and those still searching out a sound that speaks to an aesthetic not found in mainstream pop radio. This sentiment takes form in EKKSTACY’s misery, his 2022 project which we hailed as one of our favorite albums of the year. There’s no mistake about it—EKKSTACY is 1/1. 

Sarah Kinsley

There’s an understated magic to Sarah Kinsley’s seemingly effortless brand of pop. Lush, cinematic, and simultaneously intimate and expansive, the New York-based artist weaves together lyrics and living, breathing soundscapes with a poise well beyond her years. It’s a testament to Kinsley’s innate penchant for captivating songwriting. This songwriting gift fully crystallizes in her larger-than-life 2023 EP, Ascension, which plays out like a waking dream sequence. Safe to say that it would be a dream come true to see Kinsley live.

Beauty School Dropout

Finding fans in the likes of blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, Beauty School Dropout is clearly a rising alternative act you need to keep a close eye on. Over a course of explosive singles, including the jxdn-assisted “FREAK,” the trio time and time again proves they know how to encapsulate a stadium-ready sound into blistering bouts of sonic catharsis. It also doesn’t hurt that they recently finished a string of stadium shows opening for none other than blink-182. 

DPR IAN + DPR LIVE

Co-founders of Korean label Dream Perfect Regime, DPR IAN + DPR LIVE are set to bring their expansive collection of emotive, perfect-for-the-summer hits to Lollapalooza. The respective projects of Seoul-born Hong Da-bin and Syndey-bred Christian Yu, the duo will have more than their fair share of songs to pull from, gracing fans with a setlist that is sure to be the best of both worlds. Trust us when we say, when you’re caught in the sweltering sun, there’s no better soundtrack than DPR IAN + DPR LIVE.

hemlocke springs

First making waves with the TikTok-assisted single “girlfriend,” hemlocke springs has broken out into scene as a pop tour de force quite like no other. Eccentric, radically playful, and utterly infectious, springs’ music seamlessly blends iridescent ‘80s pop and modern-day songwriting sensibilities to delightful effect. In singles like “sever the blight” and “gimme ur luv,” the rising star conjures a left-field, Kate Bush and Fiona Apple-evoking charm. hemlocke springs is an indie star in the making. 

Clinton Kane

The term pulling at one’s heartstrings feels almost designed for Clinton Kane. Both a storyteller and songwriter, the Australian singer-songwriter stirs up emotions that will have you reeling over a heartbreak that wasn’t even your own. It’s a testament to his music that unfurls with an understated power, whisking up cinematic whats ifs and moments of heartbreak from one single to the next. If you need a good cry or a hand to hold at Lollapalooza, look no further than Kane’s set.