NEWS
On July 25, GloRilla returned to Memphis not just as a rising star, but as the city’s new cultural cornerstone.
The inaugural Glo Bash at a sold-out FedExForum, the 26-year-old rapper turned her birthday into a full-scale hometown celebration. A spectacle of defiance, pride, and Southern rap supremacy.
The event revived a tradition cemented by her CMG label boss and mentor Yo Gotti, whose Birthday Bash concerts once defined the Memphis summer. From local theaters to sold-out arenas, Gotti’s annual shows united generations of Southern hip-hop fans. His retirement from the stage in 2022 left space for a new torchbearer—one GloRilla has stepped into with conviction.
The lead-up to Glo Bash wasn’t without headlines. Just days before the show, the rapper—born Gloria Hallelujah Woods—was arrested on felony drug charges in Georgia after police responding to a break-in at her Atlanta-area home allegedly found a large stash of marijuana.
But instead of shrinking from the attention, she capitalized on it. At the concert, fans snapped up limited-edition merch featuring her mugshot, flipping controversy into branding with savvy irreverence.
The show itself was pure theater. Opening with a biographical short film, GloRilla rose from a two-story platform in a black-and-gold ensemble, her energy electric from the first bar. Over the course of 20-plus songs, she delivered a performance as sharp as it was celebratory, commanding the stage with a mix of grit and charisma.
A parade of high-profile guests turned the concert into a Southern rap summit. Kodak Black, Rob49, and BossMan Dlow brought raw intensity. Muni Long slowed the pace with a duet on “Don’t Deserve.” Sexyy Red ignited a frenzy with “Whatchu Kno About Me,” while Big Boogie and Moneybagg Yo anchored key moments with Memphis pride. In the finale, Yo Gotti emerged for a blistering rendition of “Pull Up,” passing the torch in real time to his most dynamic protégé.
Glo Bash wasn’t just a birthday concert—it was a coronation. In a city that birthed legends, GloRilla now commands the main stage. Her voice is bold, her vision clear, and her moment is now.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
