Let the speculation begin. Most every year there is many artists at Lollapalooza that bring out special surprise guests ranging from big names to not so big names. There is usually always speculation from the very moment the lineup is revealed to what possible special guest artists will be brought out by the headliners, as well as the other performers during the three-day festival.
With Lollapalooza celebrating it’s 25th Anniversary as a whole festival this year during it’s main stop in Chicago, it has been expanded from there days to four. Which means a lot more performers than usual and more possibilities on what artists will be brought out by this year’s performers, which range from Red Hot Chili Peppers to J. Cole, Radiohead, Major Lazer, Ellie Goulding, Vic Mensa, Future, St. Lucia, Vince Staples, Big Grams and Snakehips to name a few of the hundreds of acts set to perform at the end of the month from July 28th-July 31st in Chicago’s heralded Grant Park.
Some artists that have been brought out in the past include A$AP Rocky bringing out his very own A$AP Mob and Chicago’s very own Vic Mensa last year, Eminem bringing out his Bad Meets Evil groupmate Royce Da 5’9”, as well as Rihanna just a couple years during his headlining set. R. Kelly being brought out by Chance the Rapper for his own headlining set just a couple of years ago is also one of the more legendary ones.
Two names that really come to mind a lot and I wouldn’t be to surprised to see making special guest appearances during one or two sets over the weekend are Tinashe and Chicago’s very own aforementioned Chance. Both artists have collaborated with U.K. electronic/R&B duo Snakehips on their very popular hit single, All My Friends, and it would not surprise me in the least bit to see the duo bring out both Tinashe and Chance during their Sunday set on the Pepsi stage as one of the final performances of the whole weekend.
Though they haven’t officially collaborated, Tinashe’s music has been remixed by A$AP Ferg on his debut mixtape, Ferg Forever back in 2014 on the song, Thug Cry (Tinashe Mix), which samples the hook, bridge and instrumental of Tinashe’s song of the same name from her debut album, Aquarius. She has worked with many members of the A$AP Mob, including A$AP Rocky and seems to have a real good accord with the whole crew and why it wouldn’t surprise me to see her possibly even brought out by Ferg during his set on July 29th. I could also see Vic Mensa possibly bringing out Chance during his headlining set on July 30th with all of the collaborations the two have had over the years and the two being such great representatives of the great Hip-Hop coming out of Chicago right now. Ironically enough both Ferg and Mensa’s sets will also be performed on the Pepsi stage. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see J. Cole even bring out Chance during his headlining set on the Samsung stage that Thursday July 28th. As the two recently collaborated on Donnie Trumpet and The Social Experiment’s critically acclaimed debut album, Surf, which was released last year.
Actually after looking at the schedule again too, other then that I don’t see a whole lot of special surprise guests being brought out by any of the performers throughout the weekend unless it’s other performers that are also performing that weekend. With the biggest possibilities of cross-performances happening over the weekend being Cole bringing out Bas, Cozz and Omen during his headlining set and/or one of them bringing out Cole for their afternoon set on the Lakeshore stage that Thursday afternoon. Though there is also the possibility of Future being brought out by A$AP Ferg during his set or vice versa on that Friday. As both have performances that day and have most recently collaborated on Ferg’s latest single, New Level, which was released back in December. With it also being Ferg’s highest charting single to date by reaching number 90 on the Billboard 100.
Whether any big name guest surprises are brought out it should be a really good and jam-packed Lollapalooza, which I’m sure me and many others will be looking forward to a lot no matter what.