red lights


concert reviews	basement tapes	cd reviews	interviews	features

Halsey leads B96's list of girl power,
boy bands and pop's future

B96 Pepsi Summer Bash
Allstate Arena
Rosemont, IL
June 23, 2018

Alessia Cara

Dua Lipa

Halsey

Story by Kathryn Randall
Photos by Andy Argyrakis

As summer's ultimate pop music event in Chicagoland, the B96 Pepsi Summer Bash gets the pick of the litter when it comes to headliners and newcomers with the 2018 installment once again turning up the heat at a crowded Allstate Arena. Leading the lengthy bill was Halsey, the confident mega-star-in-the-making who knows the building well, though this third time though within the span of a mere year may have very well been the charm.

That's because her latest long player "Hopeless Fountain Kingdom" is absolutely unstoppable, making her continuously extended tour a sell out nearly everywhere on earth, bolstered locally by B96 listeners who can't get enough of her singer/songwriter sensibilities set against a backdrop of synthpop and hip-hop. "Now Or Never," "Colors," "Closer" and "Bad At Love" were a few of the many singles that lent themselves to scream-a-longs, while her deeply personably lyrics proved just as entertaining as they were relatable.

The girl power continued with "Best New Artist" Grammy-winner Alessia Cara, who used her R&B-infused indie pop to showcase attention-commanding vocals, self-esteem affirmations and candid reflections, including the brand new "Growing Pains." Fellow blue-eyed soul singer Meghan Trainor continued the positivity and sheer fun, reminding everyone that it's "All About That Bass," plus previewing bouncy new tunes from "Treat Myself."

After racking up a series of songwriting credits for Eminem & Rihanna, Selena Gomez and Nick Jonas, Bebe Rexha branched out with equally delectable solo selections and collaborations, including a twist of country throughout "Meant To Be" (featuring Florida Georgia Line on record). But the lady who's especially on the rise right now is the eclectic, rhythmic Dua Lipa, who may have stopped by the B96 Pepsi Summer Bash last year, but has since racked up the additional smashes such as the Calvin Harris collaboration "One Kiss," "IDGAF" and "New Rules," all of which are defining this season.

As for the guys, R&B troubadour Bazzi was a standout well beyond "Mine," while the returning Liam Payne kept the hits coming even without One Direction. Speaking of boy bands, Why Don't We followed in those feverishly-adored footsteps, while current Billboard 200 chart-toppers 5 Seconds Of Summer (now 5SOS) made the most of its rebranding from scrappy pop/punk to a more mature and sleeker sound.

With nine acts and immediate transitions between each, the B96 Pepsi Summer Bash was a generous but tight night that served as the perfect pop sampler of who's arrived and what's to come. Just be sure to keep a look out in December for the B96 Pepsi Jingle Bash's return to town, which if Taylor Swift, the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears from the last two years alone are any indication, is bound to be another massive blast.