Lollapalooza 2017: Don't miss these 8 emerging acts
From Thursday to Sunday, Lollapalooza will invade Chicago's Grant Park with the likes of Chance the Rapper, Lorde, Arcade Fire, Muse and the Killers.
But a significant portion of the 176 Lolla artists are newcomers, some of whom could go on to be marquee names and headliners. Once, long ago, a little-known Lady Gaga played an afternoon set on a small Lolla stage.
Acts like Jain, Sampha and Mura Masa may not be household names yet, but they're among our picks for eight up-and-coming artists you have to see at Lolla this year, listed in order of appearance:
1. Declan McKenna: The only silver lining to the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal was Brazil, a musically breezy, lyrically blistering protest song that kickstarted a promising career for the teen British rocker. (Noon Thursday, Lake Shore Stage)
2. Jain: Turning her globe-trotting upbringing into a one-of-a-kind sound, Jain splices together French electronic music, Congolese rhythms and Arabic percussion. (2 p.m. Thursday, Tito's Stage)
3. Mondo Cozmo: The folk-flavored rocker has been building momentum with euphoric live shows ahead of Plastic Soul, the debut album he's dropping the day of his Lollapalooza set. (1:50 p.m. Friday, Pepsi Stage)
4. Mura Masa: The British producer's addictive, self-titled debut album is dance music to a different beat, incorporating unexpected rhythmic samples into a soulful house sound fit for London's hottest club. (4 p.m. Friday, Pepsi)
5. Blossoms: The Brit band's glossy take on '80s pop rock is the cross between Arctic Monkeys and the 1975 you never knew you wanted. (1:15 p.m. Saturday, Bud Light Stage)
6. Maggie Rogers: Pharrell Williams was visibly shaken listening to Rogers' folk-pop anthem Alaska at her New York University class, making her a literal overnight sensation. (2:30 p.m. Sunday, Grant Park Stage)
7. Noname: Chance the Rapper's blockbuster success has shined a light on Chicago's rich hip-hop scene, and arguably no budding artist in that scene is brighter than his recurring collaborator Noname. (2:50 p.m. Sunday, Pepsi)
8. Sampha: Turns out collaborations with major artists like Kanye West, Frank Ocean and Solange were just the warm-up for this soulful R&B artist, whose debut album Process is destined for many best album of the year lists. (6:30 p.m. Sunday, Pepsi)