Written by Aleisha F. & Caitlin F.
Flash flood warnings and slippery mud pits couldn’t stop Lollapalooza attendees from making the most of their weekend at the Windy City’s iconic festival, held from July 30 to August 2. Korean music made its mark once again this year, with both veteran and rising K-Pop stars gracing the stacked lineup of the Chicago festival. For the fifth year in a row, a K-Pop artist held the honor of headlining the festival, with JENNIE of BLACKPINK making history as the first female Korean soloist to ever headline the long-standing festival. Other established artists, such as Lorde, Charli XCX, and The Smashing Pumpkins, joined the lineup of headliners, drawing crowds of approximately 115,000 people per day.
The second, third, and final days of Lollapalooza were showered with intermittent rain and exhilarating K-acts alike. Attendees trudged through the muddy fields of Grant Park to catch i-dle, CORTIS, and aespa as they made their Lolla debuts. Many fans also sought out the best spots to see popular artists like Zara Larsson, Olivia Dean, Tate McRae, The xx, and The Chainsmokers while exploring the festival grounds to check out various brand activations and pop-ups that offered unique experiences and free swag to attendees.
i-dle Brings Their ‘Queencard’ to Lollapalooza Day 2
Lollapalooza’s second day was cloudy and gray, compared to the bright sun and heat from the day before. But the threat of rain didn’t dampen the energy of i-dle and their devoted fandom, Neverland, as they kicked off the day as the first act at the T-Mobile stage.
i-dle’s stage began with a cinematic VCR that transported attendees back in time to ancient Greece, a la The Odyssey. The audience was enraptured as they watched an arrow take down a giant stone warrior and the surrounding civilization be consumed by fire. The video revealed an i-dle flag flying above the remaining rubble. As the video came to an end, an army of dancers marched onto the T-Mobile stage. i-dle members Soyeon, Miyeon, Minnie, Yuqi, and Shuhua followed, dressed in white feathered jackets before striking a Wonder Woman-esque pose.
The dramatic entrance, which included impressive pyrotechnics, set the stage for “Super Lady,” a female empowerment anthem that sees i-dle as tougher than any man. The group continued their path of destruction with fierce performances of “Revenge,” “VILLAIN DIES,” and “LION.” The theatrical arrangements of the songs were enhanced by strong electric guitar riffs, courtesy of i-dle’s live accompanying band. By this point, it had begun to drizzle lightly, which added unintentional cinematic flair to their stage. The group closed the first portion of their set by shedding their feathers and cooling things down with “Gimme Dat Love,” a summery Afrobeats-inspired track.
After nearly twenty straight minutes of performing high-intensity choreography, i-dle took a moment to introduce themselves to Lolla attendees and those watching the livestream at home. This short pause was no break, however. As soon as the members finished greeting the crowd, Yuqi called on the audience to get hyped with them. She had the band drop the beat and encouraged the audience to put their hands in the air.
Jumping right into “Good Thing,” the group followed up this sassy ode to confidence with one of their most recognized songs. Fans went wild when the familiar opening bassline of the iconic “Queencard” started to play. While i-dle put on a whimsical performance of the song, it was the sight of fans matching the choreography move-for-move that made “Queencard” a fun highlight of the set.
A live debut of “Morning,” from i-dle’s latest album We made, followed. Minnie’s opening line, “Hello, it’s a lovely morning. The weather is so nice today,” gave audience members a chuckle, given the misty conditions; but the song’s message of positivity and making the best out of every day perked up the crowd. i-dle followed with “Wife.” This fan favorite track playfully critiques the labor imbalances in relationships and allowed the girls to put their rap skills on display after a lineup of vocal-centric songs.
Switching gears a bit, the group took their positions behind mic stands as vibrant chords played by the guitarist created a happier, less cynical atmosphere for “Fate,” a B-side track from i-dle’s album 2 that shot to popularity in 2024.
i-dle’s performance of “Crow” was a memorable one. While their previous songs emphasized the group’s dynamics and synchronicity, “Crow” allowed each member to fully showcase their individuality and star power with dedicated, uninterrupted verses and solo stage time, before coming back together as a group for the song’s conclusion. Other highlights of idle’s set included a performance of the beloved track “TOMBOY” and a cover of “POP/STARS” by K/DA, the virtual K-Pop group from the game League of Legends, to which Soyeon and Miyeon lent their voices.
With i-dle’s set coming to a close, Soyeon spoke in Korean on behalf of the quintet to thank the audience for coming to watch their Lollapalooza set before switching to English to preface their final song.
“Whether you’re right, left, East, West, straight, gay, it doesn’t matter here!” she declared.
The group then went right into “mono,” their collaboration with British rapper and producer skaiwater. The song, a celebration of self-expression, encouraged listeners to live authentically, a message that resonated with the crowd. Wrapping their set on such a high, i-dle set the bar high for the rest of the weekend’s K-Pop acts.
CORTIS Sets Day 3 of Lollapalooza in ‘Motion’
The third day of Lollapalooza had attendees waiting anxiously throughout the day for updates on the festival’s continuation. Flash flooding and muddy fields delayed door openings, forcing festival organizers to push back set times by hours and cancel certain performers altogether. CORTIS fans, known as COER, lined the streets near Grant Park, apprehensively awaiting news on whether or not the rookie boy group would still be putting on their highly anticipated set.
Some lucky COER had the opportunity to see the five-member boy group the day before at their sold-out Aftershow, held at Chicago’s House of Blues. The group delivered a high-spirited performance in the intimate venue, offering fans a more personal opportunity to preview their Lollapalooza set up close. The space was packed to the brim with COER, who matched the members Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho’s energy perfectly as they screamed and jumped along to every song. Feeding off the crowd’s energy, which was so high it literally shook the building, CORTIS members kept the energy up as they bounced across the stage, hyped by their DJ, DJ Ankle Sandwich.
Coming off the high of the previous day’s Aftershow, the uncertainty of Lolla‘s day three lineup had COER playing a very stressful waiting game. With many other artists scheduled for the day already announcing cancellations, the question over whether or not CORTIS would perform left many fans on edge. After a nerve-wracking few hours, fans finally received the news they were waiting for: CORTIS was still performing, launching the festival into its third day as the first performers to take the T-Mobile stage. At 3PM sharp, waiting fans were let through the gates of the festival, making the “Lolla sprint” to the tune of the Star Wars: A New Hope theme song, from the main entrance all the way to the T-Mobile stage, to secure a good spot for the 3:40PM set.
COER lined the long barricades surrounding the stage, not letting the splashing mud and muggy weather dim their excitement at witnessing CORTIS’ Lollapalooza debut. Despite the uncertain changes in the day’s scheduled lineup, fans crowded the field en masse, a diverse and colorful sea of COER, donned in outfits of green and red, many rocking baggy jeans and CORTIS’ exclusive Lollapalooza bandana.
With no time to waste, DJ Ankle Sandwich made his way onto the stage, immediately working the attendees by starting a chant of the group’s name while throwing in sound effects from his board. As fans bounced along to his beat, he took the time to introduce the group, calling them the “best boyband alive.”
As the giant screens of the headlining stage glowed with the group’s name and logo, the faint beginning notes of the group’s smash hit, “GO!” began to play. The moment COER had been waiting for had finally arrived. Martin, James, Juhoon, Seonghyeon, and Keonho ran onto the stage with an infectious energy from the get-go, clad in casual outfits that fit their youthful vibe. Free from choreography, the boys took to the extended stage to leap and dance wildly as they rapped the plugg track to immense excitement from the crowd. When the final chorus of the song arrived, the members took to the main stage to perform the viral choreography that catapulted the group into international fame.
Without a single break, CORTIS dived straight into their debut song, “What You Want.” Prompting the audience to put their hands in the air and wave them to the beat. The boys again took the time to just vibe on stage and interact with fans until coming together for the last chorus to perform the song’s choreography as COER recited the accompanying fanchant.
The members then took time to introduce themselves and their DJ, and address the audience while catching their breath before the next song.
“It’s lit!” Martin, the leader, expressed.
“It’s great to start our Lollapalooza at the one and only– Chi Town!” James added, prompting fans to make some noise.
After introducing DJ Ankle Sandwich, Seonghyeon cheekily teased the next song. “Since we’re talking about sandwiches, let me get some tomatoes, man!”
“It’s time for that REDRED!” the DJ responded, spinning the beginning notes of the track to a roar from the crowd.
“REDRED,” CORTIS’ latest title track, another instant chart-topping success with catchy choreography, had COER dancing along. The boys delivered the choreography effortlessly, with an air of nonchalance that almost made it seem like they were just vibing along to the beat and happened to be doing the same dance moves. Keonho, despite having an injury in both of his hands, maintained synchronicity with the rest of the members and somehow made having two casts look cool.
To ring in the next performance, Martin asked, “What time is it, Chicago?” to which Seonghyeon replied: “It’s time to Acai!” Thus, the booming bass of the playful track “ACAI” began, providing a perfect showcase of Martin’s powerful rap skills and James’ precise dancing.
“MOTION” came next, becoming the first live performance of the song, which was released just a day earlier. In a surprising turn of events, Juicy J, who is featured on the track and also served as a mentor to the group before their debut, came out as a guest to rap the song along with the members, hyping up the crowd with his iconic producer tag “Shut the fuck up!” as the song began. The performance highlighted CORTIS’ close relationship with the rapper and the influence he has had on their music and style, calling him “a legend and the GOAT.”
“Since pre-debut,” Martin explained, “Since before we were in the scene, he was there for us, working on projects, working on music in the studio. He’s a real one, y’all!”
For the next track, James took the time to play with the crowd: “When I say ‘joy’, you say ‘ride!” getting COER to chant along with him until he tricked them into saying “ride” with no prompting. “I didn’t say joy!” he chuckled. “But let’s go on a ride!”
With that, “JOYRIDE” began, showing a more chill and relaxed side of the group. With fans waving their hands in the air, side to side, the group was able to highlight their smooth vocals as they harmonized together.
The mellow vibe didn’t last long as the group transitioned straight into “Mention Me,” another bass-heavy rap track that was featured on the soundtrack for the animated film, GOAT.
The self-aware anthem “YOUNGCREATORCREW” followed, expressing their pride in working as self-producing idols and rejecting the labels that may be imposed on them. The members’ energy never died as they rapped; at one point, James stood atop the DJ table as the boys headbanged to the beat of the track. The most notable part of the performance was the thunderous yodeling of COER in the audience during the chorus that echoed through Grant Park.
“Wassup,” a dreamier hip-hop track, came next, letting the boys wind down a bit from the rambunctious energy of the previous performance. Choreography returned for “TNT,” another powerful performance that had members James, Juhoon, and Seonghyeon walking down from the stage to interact with the crowd, with nothing but a metal barrier between them. Festivalgoers lucky enough to be at the barricade were able to dance and sing along with the few members as they ran up and down the aisles, truly blowing up Lollapalooza with their dynamic spirit.
It seemed the five boys couldn’t run out of stamina as they immediately went into “FaSHioN,” the alternative rage-rap track from their first EP. Although repetitive, it seemed that COER couldn’t get enough of the chorus, chanting along with fervor to the mantra and even starting a mosh pit.
As the music faded, CORTIS took their final bows, taking the time to thank attendees and their crew and promising to come back to Chicago.
“No matter the weather! Thank y’all so fucking much. Y’all are amazing!” Martin praised festivalgoers, to an eruption of screams. “Remember us!”
Despite limited choreography and no backup dancers, CORTIS brought crazy energy to the T-Mobile Stage in a fiery display of passion for music and entertainment. With barely any breaks from movement, rapping, and singing, the rookie group proved that they are definitely ones to watch.
JENNIE Unveils Her Next Chapter
Lollapalooza Day 3 started with K-Pop and ended with K-Pop, as BLACKPINK member JENNIE closed out the Bud Light stage in her final stateside festival appearance of the summer. Fans and curious festivalgoers alike had high expectations for JENNIE’s historic set, given the generally positive reception of her prior festival performances and her star power as part of one of the world’s biggest girl groups. Despite some heavy competition for attendance with popular acts like Olivia Dean, Disco Lines, and DJ Trixie Mattel playing simultaneously, JENNIE still drew a massive crowd.
JENNIE’s performance began similarly to her Governors Ball set with a ruby red velvet curtain hung at center stage. Fans waited with bated breath, chanting her name in anticipation of her imminent arrival. Finally, a dramatic instrumental overture began to play, and bright pyrotechnic effects gave the audience the illusion that the curtain was being burned to the ground. JENNIE, bathed in orange and red lights, was elevated to the top of a pyramid-like stage as the crowd cheered. She gave off an aura of edge with a little sweetness, wearing a cropped white military jacket, baggy leather pants and a soft, angelic white feather crown to kick off her set with “Filter,” the “Just JENNIE” version of “Damn Right,” and “Mantra.” JENNIE’s outfit, along with her army of dancers flanking her on each side, solidified her role as the commander of the stage.
Unfortunately, sound mixing issues and fluctuating microphone volume throughout the night made it hard to focus on JENNIE’s performance. These unexpected technical issues, on top of windy and humid conditions, seemed to affect her energy and morale as she made her way through the set. It also caused the dancers’ choreography and JENNIE’s vocals to sound flat and out of sync with the live band and backing tracks that accompanied her performance at times. The distractions and unstable sound also seemed to dampen the mood of fans who were closest to the stage. A few fans at the barricade voiced their disappointment, some even choosing to leave mid-set, but many others did their best to cheer JENNIE on.
JENNIE kept the audience hyped with solo versions of hits like “Handlebars,” and “Love Hangover.” Unfortunately, the sound issues made the latter two songs (which originally featured Dua Lipa and Dominic Fike), along with the other collaborative tracks that JENNIE performed on her own, such as “ExtraL” (originally featuring Doechii) and her featured verse on “Dracula” by Tame Impala, feel one-dimensional. Many fans in the crowd had been speculating on whether any of the featured artists would make a surprise appearance for JENNIE’s set, the way other Lollapalooza headliners did for their own sets; however, none did.
In spite of the tech setbacks, JENNIE continued. She used the Lollapalooza stage as a vehicle for unveiling new music, teasing fans with glimpses of what her next era would sound like. Much of the audience was already familiar with “Less Than a Lover,” which, despite being released only a week before, had already been performed at prior festivals. However, the upbeat track “Lock It Down” and power ballad “Heaven,” which have yet to be released, captivated the audience. JENNIE also debuted two new unreleased tracks: “Sweet Tooth,” a fun and nostalgic dance-pop track, and “Fallen Angel,” a slower indie-pop song that was fitting for her costume change into a feathered vest. While fans were excited to be some of the first to hear JENNIE’s new music, the rough sound mixing caused the mic’s autotune effect to overpower her vocals.
Luckily, things seemed to stabilize for the finale of JENNIE’s set. Performing “ExtraL,” “with the IE (way up),” and “Starlight” brought the crowd’s attention back to familiar bops and appeared to re-energize JENNIE as well. The field surrounding the Bud Light stage echoed with the sound of fans singing along to each of the songs at the top of their lungs.
JENNIE couldn’t leave without playing her most anticipated track, of course. After the cheeky intro (“Chicago, it’s gonna be fuckin’ hard!”), the band jumped into a rock arrangement of the EDM remix of “like JENNIE,” causing fans to scream in excitement. Although it took a while to gain momentum, the loud chorus of audience members rapping along, combined with JENNIE’s confident attitude as she strutted down the catwalk, proved that she could command the stage as a headliner. JENNIE’s artistry and influence were especially clear as her junior K-Pop idols and fellow Lolla performers, Winter and Ningning of aespa, along with Miyeon, Minnie and Yuqi of i-dle, were spotted supporting her set.
aespa Takes Lollapalooza Day 4 to the “Next Level”
After three days of inconsistent rainfall, the final day of Lollapalooza gifted festivalgoers a warm sun and drier fields. Taking the Allianz Stage at the end of the night were the futuristic, concept-bending stars, aespa. In the six years since their debut, the four-member girl group’s ascent to the top of the K-Pop industry has never stalled, which made their fated Lollapalooza set one of the most anticipated K-Pop acts of the festival.
Although they were set to perform at the end of the night, aespa fans, known as MY, did not waste any time claiming their spots in front of the Allianz stage as soon as gates opened at 11 AM. Sprinting from the main entrance of the park, MY took up the first, second, and third rows of the audience, with more and more MY filtering in as the festival went on. The ambiance was thick with anticipation as fans got to know each other, sharing social media to connect and taking photos of their elaborately decorated lightsticks.
Before aespa’s momentous performance, Allianz Stage hosted a star-studded lineup of artists throughout the day, treating fans to a diverse range of genres and vibes. Indie-rock singer Squirrel Flower opened the day with mellow tunes that had festivalgoers swaying; Destin Conrad graced the audience with his smooth R&B vocals and Jazz tracks, and despite initial technical difficulties, Amber Mark put on a stunning performance with disco-inspired elements and stage decor. Former Little Mix member Jade wowed the audience with her dance-pop sound and elaborate choreography, honoring her roots with a nostalgic Little Mix throwback medley that had the audience shouting and jumping along.
Fresh off the high of hearing Jade’s throwback songs, the moment MY had been waiting for had finally arrived. As crew members set up the avant-garde stage for the group, fans were instantly transported into another dimension, with a neon yellow sign donning their name and what looked to be a silver portal. MY buzzed in the crowd as the sun set, chanting the group’s name with fervor as the clock ticked closer to showtime.
Finally, a hard rock intro began playing as the mantra “We Are The Aespa” was displayed on the LCD screens, prompting an eruption of screams from festivalgoers. Bathed in purple lights, Karina, Winter, Giselle, and Ningning strutted onto the stage to a cacophony of cheers, accompanied by backup dancers and a live band. The girls stood out against the dark stage, donning high-fashion yet futuristic black and white outfits that utilized contrasting textures and patterns. The first few notes of their debut track, “Black Mamba,” began. The girls instantly commanded their stage with vocals, confidence, and synchronized dance moves; pyrotechnic effects brought the intro stage to a stunning close, emphasizing just how lit a set aespa had ahead of them.
A rock version of their breakout hit, “Next Level,” came next and had the audience dancing along to its iconic choreography. For the track’s interlude, Giselle cheekily replaced the lyrics with “Chicago, calling,” leading to a roar of cheers. “Rich Man” followed and featured an extended outro containing elements of their track “Drama.” An instrumental interlude introduced the groovy song “Can’t Help Myself,” which gave the members a chance to show off their smooth vocals as they performed with standing microphones.
The girls got a chance to catch their breath and introduce themselves as the band played a funky beat behind them.
“Thank you for being here tonight!” Giselle exclaimed. “Let’s make it a wonderful time.”
“Bubble,” a quirky B-side track off their second studio album, Lemonade, began. The girls were able to interact with the crowd and each other as they were free from choreography, walking up and down the stage, playfully dancing with each other as they sang. The dreamy female empowerment anthem “To The Girls” followed, which had Giselle playfully adding “to the girl (and boys)!” when she serenaded the audience.
“Lollapalooza, I can feel your energy!” Ningning gushed with a grin.
“It means a lot for us to be here today. So we prepared a lot!” Karina added.
Backup dancers returned for the fan-favorite track, “Armageddon.” Ningning and Winter both treated fans to clear high notes as the stage came to a close, bringing aespa’s Lollapalooza set to its halfway point.
The members vacated the stage, but the energy didn’t waver as their dancers came out for a dance interlude to a mashup of the group’s “Dirty Work” and “Dark Arts,” leading to the intro notes of “WDA (Who Different Animal),” which saw the members returning to the stage. This time sporting sunglasses, Giselle recited the opening speaking parts of the song, looking effortlessly cool.
“Supernova” succeeded, with MY in the audience singing along to every lyric. The EDM track with R&B influences, “Switchblade,” highlighted the members’ intense aura and poise, their expert facial expressions keeping attendees thoroughly engaged. Ty Dolla $ign shocked festivalgoers as he made a surprise appearance to perform his featured rap. The rapper and members kept festivalgoers hyped as they went back and forth on the stage, jumping up and down while prompting fans to sing along with them.
The girls took time to thank Ty Dolla $ign. “We collaborated on this song. We never expected to actually be performing on stage together. So thank you Ty, again, for being with us. And thank you all for all your energy!” Giselle praised.
aespa kept the momentum for their last few moments on stage with “Shakin’’’ and a remixed version of their standout single, “Hold On Tight,” which appeared on the soundtrack for the film Tetris. The first few notes of “Whiplash” began straight after, another crowd-pleaser that had MY singing along at the top of their lungs. The four members ended the energetic stage by striking a fierce pose as the spotlight shone on them.
To conclude their already powerful set, aespa closed off the night with their latest title track, “Lemonade.” Karina and Giselle flaunted their seamless rap skills while Ningning and Winter impressed with smooth high notes. All four girls proved their prowess with stable vocals despite the intense choreography.
Unfortunately, the show had to come to a close, despite MY’s pleas for an encore. The members took the time to give kudos to their band, DJ, and dancers, as well as express their gratitude to those who came to watch their set.
“Chicago, you guys are amazing!” Ningning raved.
Finally, the members took their last bows, waving to MY in the audience, making their way backstage as audience members continuously cheered and applauded them.
aespa did not skip out on making their Lollapalooza debut an amazing show for both established fans and casual listeners alike. Their stable vocals, electrifying stage presence, and harmony as a group made this performance one to remember.
Rousing performances from aespa, i-dle, CORTIS, and JENNIE rounded out another year of K-Pop in Lollapalooza’s lineup. Whether rookie or veteran, it was clear that K-Pop is continuing to draw new attendees to the diverse festival. Fans are already eagerly awaiting the announcement of which stars Lollapalooza will tap for 2027.