Billboard to Bring First-Ever Hot 100 Music Festival to Jones Beach This Summer | See Full Lineup
Pop music fans rejoice. Billboard has just announced the first-ever Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival, which will take place August 22 & 23 at Jones Beach just outside of New York City. The two-day inaugural festival will be produced in partnership with LiveNation and will feature over 30 artists across three separate stages.
The festival has officially released the 2015 lineup, and it’s nothing short of incredible. Headliners include The Weeknd, Skrillex, Nicki Minaj, and Lil Wayne, and there will be a “special guest performance” by Justin Bieber. Take a look at the full lineup listing below, with details on every performer from the big headliners to the little up-and-coming acts.
2015 Lineup
The Weeknd
The Weeknd is the stage name of Canadian alternative R&B musician Abel Tesfaye. He surfaced in 2011 with his nine-track mixtape House of Balloons, and he was soon championed by superstar rapper Drake, which increased his popularity tremendously. His series of mixtapes were received favorably by critics and his debut album Kiss Land arrived in 2013. In the few years that he’s been in the spotlight, The Weeknd has collaborated with such big-name artists as Drake, Ariana Grande, and Wiz Khalifa. Now only a few years into his career, he’s risen to headliner status at major music festivals in 2015.
Justin Bieber
Love him or hate him, Justin Bieber is one of the biggest celebs in the industry right now. Starting his career as the babyfaced protégé of Usher when he was just 15 years old, he released his first single, “One Time,” in 2009. The track featured a guest appearance from Usher himself and ultimately went platinum in both Canada and the United States. Soon, the young Canadian pop star became an international sensation with his 2010 hit single “Baby,” quickly amassing an army of mainly preteen fangirls called the Beliebers. Biebs has since grown into quite the troublemaker, leaving his clean image behind in favor of bad behavior. Nonetheless, he’s still got plenty of fans out there, and remains a highly in-demand performer.
Skrillex
Skrillex is the stage name of DJ, producer, and six-time Grammy Award winner Sonny Moore. Formerly the lead singer of the post-hardcore band From First to Last, Moore left the group in 2007 to focus on his solo career, leaving the rock genre behind in favor of electronic dance music. It’s safe to say that it was a good career move, as Skrillex has without a doubt become one of the biggest names in EDM. He won three Grammy Awards in 2012, and another three the subsequent year in the same categories, proving himself as a groundbreaking force in the electronic music sphere.
Nicki Minaj
When Nicki Minaj put out her debut album Pink Friday back in 2010, she instantly rose to superstar status, breaking records in the process. She quickly became the first female solo artist to have seven singles charting on the Billboard 200 at once, including her multi-platinum breakthrough hit “Super Bass.” Now arguably the biggest female in the rap game, Nicki has performed at every star-studded event from the Grammys to the Super Bowl and has even forayed into acting in the last few years. In 2014, she released her latest album The Pinkprint, after which she embarked on a headlining international tour.
Lil Wayne
One of the biggest rappers in the game, Lil Wayne, just dropped a new record earlier this month, called the Free Weezy Album. The New Orleans-based rapper has stated that he will retire at 35 (that’s just over two years from now), and his career will culminate in the release of his Tha Carter V album, which after multiple delays has not yet been given an official release date. Given that information, it’s possible that there won’t be many more chances to see Weezy live in concert, so I’d recommend seeing him now while you still can.
Kygo
Kygo is a Norwegian DJ and record producer best known for his insanely popular track “Firestone.” He initially built up his popularity through the internet by accumulating over 80 million views on his Soundcloud and YouTube pages. His internet fame soon attracted the attention of big-name artists like Swedish DJ Avicii and Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Since 2013, Kygo has had 3 singles reach #1 in Norway, and he is gaining more and more international fame each year.
Jason Derulo
Though he already had a successful career penning songs for popular artists like Diddy, Pitbull, and Lil Wayne, Jason Derulo eventually stepped out from behind the scenes to become a mainstream solo artist in his own right. By 2009, he already had a hit on his hands with “Whatcha Say,” which featured an R&B-tweaked sample of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek.” Derulo’s sleekly autotuned brand of R&B caught on with the masses, and he’s churned out hit after hit since then. Earlier this year, he released his fourth studio album, titled Everything Is 4, which features the number one single “Want to Want Me.”
American Authors
Brooklyn-based indie pop band American Authors formed when its members met while attending Berklee College of Music. After spending their formative years in Boston, vocalist Zac Barnett, guitarist/banjoist James Adam Shelley, bassist Dave Rublin, and drummer Matt Sanchez relocated to Brooklyn, where they later signed with Island Records. They released their debut album, Oh, What a Life, in 2014, and soon had a hit on their hands with their song “Best Day of My Life,” which performed well on both the mainstream Top 40 and alternative rock charts.
Betty Who
Betty Who is the stage name of Australian-born singer/songwriter Jessica Newham. She moved to the United States as a teenager and eventually attended Berklee College of Music in Boston. Newham released her debut single as Betty Who, titled “Somebody Loves You,” in 2012, garnering immediate praise and comparisons to pop stars like Katy Perry. She released her debut EP, The Movement, in 2013, followed by a second EP titled Slow Dancing>/em> a year later. Betty Who’s debut full-length, Take Me When You Go, dropped in October 2014.
Cold War Kids
Cold War Kids formed in 2004 in Southern California. Two years later, they released their major label debut, Robbers & Cowards, which included their bluesy, bass-heavy hit single “Hang Me Up to Dry.” Now almost a decade later, the band is still making great music and selling out tours, and just released their fifth studio album titled Hold My Home in 2014.
CRUISR
Formed in 2012 in Philadelphia, CRUISR specializes in upbeat indie pop with influences of surf pop and ’80s new wave. Originally the solo project of vocalist Andy States, CRUISR has since grown into a four-piece, with guitarist Bruno Catrambone, bassist Kyle Cook, and drummer Jon Van Dine joining in. Though they haven’t yet released a full-length record, the band has shown promise by playing at major festivals like Hangout and Firefly, and opening for bands like Bleachers, Joywave, and Imagine Dragons.
The Chainsmokers
The Chainsmokers is a production duo based in New York City consisting of Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall. They came to attention last year with their EDM hit single and ode to the modern day club scene “#Selfie.” The Chainsmokers have not yet released a full-length album, but they have issued a number of original singles as well as plenty of remixes.
The Faint
The Faint is an indie rock band from Omaha, Nebraska. The group has undergone many lineup changes over the years, and in its founding days included Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. Today, the lineup consists of vocalist Todd Fink, guitarist Dapose (real name Michael Dappen), keyboardist Jacob Thiele, and drummer Clark Baechle. Over the years, The Faint has released six studio albums. Their latest, titled Doom Abuse, came out in April 2014.
Fetty Wap
Fetty Wap is the stage name of rapper Willie Maxwell, best known for his platinum single “Trap Queen,” which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 earlier this year. At this point in his career, Fetty Wap has released two mixtapes and is signed to NYC-based independent record label 300 Entertainment.
Fight Clvb
Fight Clvb is a DJ trio from New York City, and yet another group jumping on the “Vs in place of Us” trend popularized by Chvrches. Relatively new to the EDM scene, Fight Clvb makes music in a unique style they’ve dubbed as “jungle terror.” The group consists of three producers: SAV, Carly M Burns, and Mystereo.
Halsey
Halsey is the stage name of New York’s Ashley Frangipane. In true hipster fashion, the New Jersey native took the name of a Brooklyn L train stop to use as her musical alias. She self-released her first single, “Ghost,” and based on the strength and popularity of that song she signed a deal with Capitol Records-owned electronic/dance label Astralwerks in 2014. She released her debut EP later that year.
Holy Ghost!
Holy Ghost! is the Brooklyn-based synthpop duo of musicians Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel. They debuted in 2011 with a self-titled record, and followed that two years later with their sophomore album Dynamics. In addition to their original music, Holy Ghost! has also done remix work for artists like Moby, Phoenix, Katy Perry, and MGMT.
ILoveMakonnen
Makonnen Sheran, a.k.a. iLoveMakonnen, is a hip hop artist from Atlanta, Georgia. He entered the spotlight in 2014 when superstar rapper Drake remixed his song “Tuesday” from his self-titled EP. The track is now certified platinum and has almost 60 million plays on SoundCloud and over 90 million views on YouTube. iLoveMakonnen recently signed with Drake’s label OVO Sound.
Justin Baron
NYC-based musician Justin Baron makes unapologetic pop music with retro influence. Though an up-and-coming performer, Baron is no stranger to the industry, and his recent credits include co-writing a track on John Legend’s latest album and opening shows for artists like Jason Derulo, Ariana Grande, and Jennifer Lopez.
Kiesza
Born in Canada and based in Brooklyn, Kiesza is a pop singer whose music combines elements of dance, house, EDM, and R&B. After attending Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship, she moved to New York in 2010 to focus on her music career. She started out as a folk singer, but eventually found herself more drawn to dance music and gravitated towards that genre. In 2014, she released the hit single “Hideaway,” along with an impressive music video filmed in a single take. She followed that up with her debut full-length, Sound of a Woman.
Lights
Lights is the stage name of Canadian singer-songwriter and electropop musician Valerie Poxleitner. She first came to attention in 2008 when her debut single “Drive My Soul” became a hit on the Canadian charts. Having launched her career and gaining popularity in Canada, she earned a spot on the Vans Warped Tour and went on to tour with acts like Owl City and Taking Back Sunday, getting herself more international recognition. Her latest album, Little Machines, came out in 2014.
Lindsey Stirling
Violinist and performance artist Lindsey Stirling got her start as a YouTube star, with a series of popular choreographed performance videos that garnered millions of views. In addition to her YouTube fame, she gained further recognition as a finalist on the fifth season of America’s Got Talent in 2010. Her unique music style combines classical violin with genres such as hip hop and EDM. Stirling released her self-titled debut album in 2012, followed by her sophomore record, Shatter Me, in 2014.
Little Mix
English girl group Little Mix is comprised of Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards, Leigh-Anne Pinnock, and Jesy Nelson. The quartet was created for the eighth season of Britain’s “The X Factor” in 2011 and became the first-ever group to win the competition. The next year, they released their debut album, DNA, which broke the Spice Girls’ record for the highest debut chart position in the U.S. by a British girl group. As of 2015, Little Mix has sold millions of albums worldwide and has had several singles top the U.K. charts.
Main Attrakionz
Hip hop duo Main Attrakionz is made up of rappers M.A.N. and Squadda B. Coming to attention with a series of mixtapes beginning in 2009, the Oakland-based rappers are now known as big figures in the “cloud rap” movement.
The Maine
Pop punk heroes The Maine formed in 2007 in Tempe, Arizona. They released their debut album Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop in 2008, and have since released four more. Their latest record, American Candy, came out in March of this year.
Markam
Los Angeles’ Markam is a four-piece band featuring lead vocalist Justin Benlolo, guitarist Ivan Peck, bassist Julian (Jules) Tomarin, and drummer Jaydon Bean. Listen to their EP here.
Matoma
Matoma is the stage name of Norwegian DJ Tom Lagergren. He emerged from obscurity relatively quickly, and now has millions of plays on his Soundcloud page. His most popular track is a remix of The Notorious B.I.G.’s “Want That Old Thing Back,” which he shortened to “Old Thing Back.” The remix became a huge internet hit and propelled Matoma to fame.
Michael Brun
Haitian DJ Michael Brun blends typical EDM with Haitian styles like rara and kompa. He has released singles on prominent labels like Hardwell’s Revealed Recordings and Sony Music subsidiary S2 Records. He has also remixed for artists like Calvin Harris, Dirty South, Armin van Buuren, Charli XCX, and Childish Gambino.
Michael Woods
English producer Michael Woods rose to fame in 2000 with a series of club hits that were popular in the U.K. Since then, he has put out a steady stream of original club tracks, and has remixed tracks by Lady Gaga, Calvin Harris, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna.
MisterWives
MisterWives is an indie pop band based in New York City. They have garnered a lot of buzz lately, and have opened for acts like Twenty One Pilots, Bleachers, and American Authors. They released their debut EP, Reflections, in 2014 on the New York indie label Photo Finish Records, followed by their first full-length record, Our Own House, in early 2015.
MKTO
Pop/hip-hop duo MKTO consists of actor/musicians Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller. Kelley and Oller met while they were both starring in the Nickelodeon television series “Gigantic,” during which they struck up a friendship and decided to make music together. They released their eponymous debut album in January 2014.
Natalie La Rose
Dutch R&B singer Natalie La Rose moved to Los Angeles when she was 20 years old to pursue a career in music. She soon signed a record deal with Flo Rida’s International Music Group, and later earned a contract with Republic Records, a division of major label Universal Music Group. Early this year, she released her debut single “Somebody,” featuring Jeremih. The single reached the top ten in the U.S. and the U.K., signaling La Rose’s breakthrough as an artist.
New Politics
Originally formed in Denmark in 2009, New Politics’ lead vocalist David Boyd and guitarist Soren Hansen moved to New York City after signing with RCA. Now a Brooklyn-based band, they recruited American drummer Louis Vecchio to form the high-energy trio they are today. Their latest album, A Bad Girl in Harlem, came out in 2013 and produced the alternative radio hits “Harlem” and “Tonight You’re Perfect.” While their music is good, their live shows are even better, as frontman Boyd is known to show off his impressive breakdancing skills onstage. New Politics’ third album, titled Vikings, is expected to drop in mid-August.
Party Thieves
Party Thieves is the solo alias of New York-based artist Jared McFarlin. He’s made his mark in the world of EDM with both remixes and original tracks, earning the support of artists like Skrillex, Diplo, RL Grime, and Flosstradamus along the way.
Ryn Weaver
Ryn Weaver is the stage name of American singer and songwriter Erin Wuthrich. She released her debut single “OctaHate” in June 2014, which boasted collaborators like Charli XCX and Passion Pit’s Michael Angelakos. With these big-name connections, the song quickly rose to popularity and Weaver later released her debut EP, Promises, in August of 2014. Earlier this summer, she dropped her debut full-length, titled The Fool.
Santigold
Vocalist Santi White made her musical debut to the world as Santogold with a self-titled album in 2008. Santogold was the subject of much critical acclaim, and the album received rave reviews from publications like Entertainment Weekly, Spin, and Rolling Stone. Catchy singles like “L.E.S. Artistes” and “Lights Out” helped make her a huge commercial success. The next year, she changed her name to Santigold due to potential legal issues and released her sophomore album, Master of My Make-Believe, in 2012.
X Ambassadors
Brooklyn’s X Ambassadors was originally formed by brothers Sam and Casey Harris and their childhood friend Noah Feldshuh in upstate New York. Once the trio moved to the big city, they joined up with drummer Adam Levin to form the four-piece band they are today. The group released their debut EP, Love Songs Drug Songs, in 2013, followed by a second EP titled The Reason a year later. This summer, the band dropped their first full-length album, VHS.
ZZ Ward
Zsuzsanna Ward, otherwise known as ZZ Ward, is a singer-songwriter who has been making waves in the last few years with her interesting and genre-defying blend of blues rock, hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Her breakthrough came in 2012 with the release of her debut album Til the Casket Drops, which was incredibly successful and reached the top 10 on the iTunes Alternative chart. Since then, the previously unknown singer was in obscurity no more, making appearances on late night television, playing major music festivals, licensing her music for film and TV, and selling out 40 dates of her 2013 tour. Later this year, Ward is expected to release a sophomore album titled This Means War.
Who are you most excited to see at the Billboard Hot 100 Music Festival? Let us know in the comments section below.
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