NEWS
LETSGETFR.EE unveiled the lineup for its inaugural festival on Tuesday (March 1), and it includes Missy Elliott, Wizkid, Jhené Aiko and more.
The fest, which organizers are calling “a conscious carnaval,” will take place Aug. 20 and 21 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York. Additional performers on the lineup include Jorja Smith, Major Lazer Sound System, Anderson .Paak and the Free Nationals, Ozuna, Kali Uchis, Flatbush Zombies, Beenie Man, Tiwa Savage and more, with additional artists to be announced soon.
“Carnaval is the world…And the world resides in Queens. Get ready for a real diverse lineup and show that breaks the mold,” LETSGETFR.EE captioned the post announcing the lineup and revealing the colorful poster on Instagram.
According to a press release, the mission of the event is to “close the equity gap for Black, Brown, Asian, and other underrepresented people in the entertainment industry, with the aim of achieving a diversified workforce across all levels in the industry by 2030,” as well as to “drastically shift and empower the advancement of the next generation of…thinkers, artists, activists, and innovators.”
Tickets for the two-day festival go on sale to the general public March 9 at 10 a.m. ET via ticketing platform DICE. Meanwhile, local residents of Queens can register for an exclusive pre-sale beginning March 1 through the event’s official website.
Back in December, Timbaland teased that he was working with Elliott on a new album, which would serve as the artist’s first full-length studio set since 2005’s The Cookbook. Wizkid, meanwhile, is also set to take part in the in-person return of The Roots Picnic this June with Mary J. Blige, Kirk Franklin and more.
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
