In a unique merger between technology and music, OnePlus is bringing some of the biggest international acts under one roof to India. Their first festival promises to be an immersive experience and a joyous moment for pop music lovers. Their line-up is bling-y and Hollywood-esque with Katy Perry and Dua Lipa announced as their headlining acts. Homegrown talents Ritviz, Amit Trivedi, The Local Train and aswekeepsearching round up this stellar line-up.
It’s a big moment in the Indian music scene not only because we will have two artists of international renown on stage, but they’re both women, reputed for being headstrong, fourth wave feminist icons- brazenly owning their appeal and charisma to sell themselves as a brand, and both Perry and Lipa are known to have sung numerous songs with sexual undertones, unabashedly and unapologetically.
Katy Perry, billboard chart topper and Grammy winner who rose to fame almost a decade ago, continued to maintain her celebrity with continuous hits and relevance in the media circus. Dua Lipa is current songstress and millennial darling, with a very British disposition whilst also with plentiful Albanian pride. She is also the proud winner of numerous Brit and Grammy awards.
Both stars will bring enough glamour and razzmatazz to India for a year! However, it is left to see if this one-day festival will live up to its expectations and create enough panache to not just ride on the success of these very talented artists but also create an experience for its attendees. The thing about bringing pop stars to an event is about creating a moment that relies on more than the performance of it celebrities, especially since this is only a day-long event. The point is to create an occasion for the people who want more than a Saturday night out with friends- pop songs are played everywhere all the time, judiciously and indiscriminately, enough times that they become part of our vernacular.
Let’s also hope that these Hollywood stars aren’t perturbed by the warm climate of our country- who can forget the profusely sweating, lip syncing disaster that was Justin Beiber last year. And while we admire both Perry and Lipa, neither is known to have full albums of work that are as worshipped as their hit singles. Perhaps they will prepare a set list of songs that are safe and sought after, in favour of heart and soul. Let’s be honest, we’ve had bands like Mutemath, Coldplay, Metallica, Alt J, whose entire albums we could sing along to. (We’re not even bringing up the underground music subculture for comparison).
No matter, we look forward to how this might turn out to be- whether it is an event that creates an experience or just built on the weight of the names it curated. The buzz however also surrounds Indian artists like Ritviz, Amit Trivedi, The Local Train and aswekeepsearching who have always offered unique musicality to the growing needs of Indian ears. They’re also powerful as performers on stage, known to have amassed thousands at their gigs, a big feat in a country that places value on the White Western popular artist.
No matter, the billing is a big deal and an even bigger deal is that all of them are slated to perform on one day. Perhaps this will be one of those festivals that is free of the problems of illegal drug consumption, common at every merry-making event, because people will have an entire day to be high on just the excitement of this line-up. Tickets are out, and honestly a bargain at Rs. 3000 onwards per head (VIP and super fan tickets are yet to go live). Catch this extravaganza in our very own city of dreams, Mumbai, at D.Y. Patil Stadium on 16 November (good news for Gen Z, this festival’s target demographic, because Saturdays are days off from Uni and schools). Festivities begin as early as 2 pm.
Originally published at https://warpcore.live on September 17, 2019.
Article link: https://warpcore.live/2019/09/17/a-celebration-of-popular-music-the-oneplus-music-festival/
