A Female Artist Fall
design: Miranda Fournier
There is no better time to be a concert-goer than now.
by CHLOE RUDNICK ★ AUGUST 11, 2024
Girls run the world now more so than ever, especially in the music industry. Female artists are setting records, filling massive venues, and building dedicated fan bases like never before. Fans have eagerly awaited their favorite artists' tours, and everything is finally falling into place. Starting in September, top-tier artists like Sabrina Carpenter, Billie Eilish, Gracie Abrams, Chappell Roan, and Charli XCX are hitting the road. Here’s the inside scoop on who’s going where and how you can be there.
Sabrina Carpenter
She’s working late, because she is in fact a singer, who has everyone wrapped around her finger. It’s a Sabrina Carpenter summer, but it’s not ending just yet. Following the announcement of her upcoming album “Short n’ Sweet,” Carpenter announced she will set out on her first arena tour beginning September 23. Hosting three different openers (Griff, Amaarae, and Declan McKenna), this show is one you don’t want to miss. With over 80,000 people queuing to buy tickets to Madison Square Garden and a 20,000 capacity venue, tickets sold out fast. This, of course, all before anyone has even heard the album. Though we don’t know much about the music itself, we do know that after her 1950s noir film-themed Coachella and Gov Ball sets, this old Hollywood vibe is a glimpse into what the tour and album might be like.
Billie Eilish
Billie’s back and is probably the coolest 22 year old… ever? She released her newest album “Hit Me Hard And Soft” in May and shortly after announced a world tour. In celebration of the release, Billie and her brother Finneas rented out Barclays arena in Brooklyn and The Forum in LA the following night to host a listening party. After filling the room with energy by simply playing new songs via speaker, we can only imagine what witnessing a live performance is going to be like. The world is anxiously awaiting their turn to embrace Eilish, and soon they will get the chance to. Beginning on September 29 and ending in July, Billie will be making her way from America, to Europe, the UK, and Ireland. Deviating from her typical sound, the release of this new album featured several dance tracks, upbeat melodies, and something quite uncommon in her writing: a happy song (“Birds Of A Feather”). With this body of work, Billie is continuing to do things her own way, and once again proving it works.
Gracie Abrams
The secret is out. After her highly awaited song “Close To You” broke the internet, and her other single “Risk” perfectly encapsulated the feeling girls everywhere embody — being in love with someone you’ve never met — Gracie’s sophomore album “The Secret of Us” dropped.
The album just debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and has skyrocketed her to a new level of fame. Last tour was in small club-like venues, but this time around, she will be setting out into theaters and amphitheaters, checking off two bucket list items: headlining Radio City Music Hall and The Greek Theatre in her hometown of Los Angeles. Not only was she successfully able to sell out both of these venues, but due to high demand, she faced the choice of upsizing to an arena. Instead, she added (and sold out) two additional shows in each location.
Role Model will be joining her as the supporting act. The tour begins September 5 and wraps up on October 10. Just eight days later, Abrams is set to re-join Taylor Swift on the Eras tour to open for her final leg. Previously, when she opened for Taylor during the summer of 2023, Gracie was one of three openers per show. Now, she will be the single opener. Oh, and she also just released a song called “us.,” featuring Taylor on her album. No big deal (we’re freaking out).
Chappell Roan
You’ve seen her all over TikTok and heard her all over the radio — she’s everywhere. From opening for Olivia Rodrigo on the GUTS tour, playing major festivals like Coachella, Gov Ball, and Lollapalooza, to scoring her first Billboard hit, we are witnessing her explosion of success with much thanks to her two songs “Good Luck, Babe” and “HOT TO GO!” (we know you know the dance). Though she has not announced her own tour, Roan is setting out on a festival run all over the world, stopping in several US states, along with Canada, Ireland, France, Amsterdam, Berlin, and the UK. The festival run will end at Austin City Limits. There’s something intriguing about being different from the rest, and by dressing in drag for her performances, fans never know what to expect next.
Charli XCX
Debuting at number three on the Billboard 200, Charli XCX recently released her newest album “Brat” and certainly did not disappoint. It is her highest charting and most unskippable album yet. With 15 songs and 41 minutes of deep, though profoundly alternative, pop songs, she has a seemingly careless yet controlled compilation of songs that everyone is eager to dance to. For the first time, she completely sold out her arena run planned to begin on September 14 and end in the UK in early December. She will be co-headlining the “Sweat” tour with Troye Sivan, with support from SHYGIRL as the opener. Though the concept of a co-headlining tour is fairly new to fans, we won’t be too bratty about it… just double as excited to see what she has in store.
These are just five names out of many artists hitting the road. Let’s not forget those who will be touring at the same time: Adele will be finishing up her Vegas residency, Taylor Swift will be ending The Era’s tour, Tate McRae will be continuing her arena run, and Olivia Rodrigo will be concluding the GUTS tour. Really, there’s someone for everyone, and there’s no time like the present to secure your tickets! Whose will you choose…?