India is far from a stranger to pop music. In most cases, the country usually stands at the forefront of making songs go viral, from Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ to Camilla Cabello and Shawn Mendes’ ‘Señorita,’ and every bop that has ever bopped, in between.
We all obviously want to catch our favorite pop stars live in action. Even exorbitant ticket prices cannot get in the way of us watching some of these artists in person. While it can be quite difficult for promoters and festivals to pull this off (considering the massive production costs and fees for such artists that need to be met), the Indian market has recently really opened up to creating incredible live entertainment experiences. Right now, there is much hope to bring some stellar acts down.
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In lieu of the upcoming Backstreet Boys 2-city tour in India this May, we thought of putting together a wish list of artists we want to tick off our bucket lists soon. Tell us if you agree, and drop a comment if we’ve missed out on anyone! This list is not in order of importance.
Billie Eilish
Rattling the pop music industry by the roots with her debut at a mere 14 years of age, Billie Eilish has, since, doled out hit after successful hit, alongside her brother, FINNEAS. Over in India, Billie has fans by the hundreds of thousands, all in awe of her voice, her music, and importantly, her stage presence.
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Countless viral clips continue to circulate of Billie tearing it up to ‘bury a friend,’ infecting audiences the world over with the kind of energy that makes for a world-class performer. With India having recently hosted its debut Lollapalooza festival edition, we can’t help but think of this historically massive festival as the ideal place for Billie to make her India debut. Attendees are sure to swarm by the hordes; cost of tickets, a faraway thought!
BTS
They’re unstoppable, and you’re sorely mistaken if you think K-pop doesn’t have a following in India. The purple hearts will hit comments by the hundreds as they have for the past 5 years, and a BTS performance is assured to bring thousands of people flocking to any festival or standalone concert that has the chance to host them. With the global rise of K-pop, BTS is surely at the fore of the movement, and the most popular K-pop boy group out there!
Harry Styles
The amount of reels we’ve had on ‘As It Was’ cannot be equivalent to how many words you could use to describe the love for Harry Styles. Spanning across age groups, the ‘Watermelon Sugar’ star, who was formerly a part of the English boy band One Direction, is currently one of the most globally sought-after artists. He would make an incredible debut in India if that ever happens in the near future.
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Cardi B
She’s made a name for herself in hip hop and pop music, and it’s tough not to notice how hilarious her interviews get. Cardi B has her voice ringing in club bangers on Saturday nights and is an artist you’d really want to watch in person because of her chart-busting tracks, and well, because of how outspoken she is. Any large-scale festival should aim to get her down to India soon.
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Miley Cyrus
How can we forget Miley? A whole generation of kids who were buried in the fandom of Hannah Montana are now ready to throw money at any ticketing page that even whispers Miley’s name (because we’ve all grown up and earn now). We’ve seen Miley since she was a little kid, followed her life through all her ups and downs, and now, we’re here, just waiting to watch this incredible singer and performer live. Just once, please!
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The Weeknd
This chart-topper doesn’t need an introduction. Whether you’re a musician or a listener, or even if you turned the radio on in the evening, you will catch a glimpse of The Weeknd‘s music everywhere. His mesmerizing style has taken us through heartbreaks, really high moments, and brought back memories through extensive works of art – his albums. The Weeknd would be able to pull through a wide variety of listeners from different walks of life. Time to get him to India. Promoters, are you listening?
Drake
Hip hop fans would be in for a treat! This sensation has been making waves ever since his Young Money days and has only grown to have some of the biggest collaborations, with hit songs that stay in top Billboard spots for weeks in a row. Having experimented with house music on ‘Honestly, Nevermind,’ Drake has shown different dimensions to his music and career, which is why he remains one of the most popular artists in India. We only hope the tickets don’t turn out too high for a gig hosting Drake!
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Taylor Swift
From a teenage girl to one in her early 30s, Taylor is another artist who has related to Indian audiences, and how! Her blend of country and pop music has grown many Swifties over the years, and she’s another artist many of us have grown up listening to. We can only pray the next time there’s a massive world tour in the works, that there’s hope for her to add a date in India to the list!
Eminem
If you’ve ever spoken to hip hop fans over two generations, there will always be a person in the room who says ‘Eminem changed my life’ or ‘Eminem saved me.’ The hip hop artist rose globally because of how amazing he is as an artist, and he’s one of the most skilled rappers and clever lyricists of our time. A true storyteller, he worked his way up and for many, he still holds the same ground he used to back in the day. Fans would kill to see Eminem in India, no doubt. We need to make sure of a HUGE venue to accommodate a gig for an artist like him.
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Beyonce?
One of pop music’s queens, Beyonce? is the love of every generation alive today. From stunning live performances to a massive discography to her name, Beyonce? has been one of the most unstoppable forces in music and culture worldwide. Beyonce? fans will manifest to any location in the country you can call them too, because the queen can conjure an audience at any time. For singers, dancers, and fans across three generations, Beyonce? will get everyone out of their homes to watch her.
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Ariana Grande
Ariana has been nothing short of explosive in the past decade. Her versatility, wonderful voice, and amazing live performances have fans around the world raving for more. Ariana was born to be a chart-topper because of how talented she is, and her appeal to many age groups. We’ve followed her online so much, watching videos of her impressions, guest appearances on shows, and stylish music videos, that we can’t wait to watch her live in person!
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Nicki Minaj
The true queen of hip hop, Nicki will bring hip hop heads from the country and even neighboring ones! Nicki has inspired many female rappers in India to start and continue what they’re doing. Recently also a label head, Nicki has shown the world she’s nothing short of a boss-woman, and her catalog speaks for itself. Fans would be more than thrilled if they could catch a Nicki Minaj concert in India. This is one artist festivals and promoters really need to consider getting down.
Bruno Mars
If you haven’t felt the 24K Magic without owning any gold, you’ve really missed out on Bruno Mars! Catching him onstage with his full band and backing singers is a stellar experience, or at least what we’ve been able to get a glimpse of from the innumerable videos on the internet. His fantastic voice, funk roots and overall charming demeanor make him one of the most wanted artists in many parts of the world. But instead of playing to the same crowds and arenas, maybe hop on over to India sometime soon? We need a Bruno Mars concert!
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Selena Gomez
Would you go over to Waverly Place to eat a sandwich if Selena Gomez still worked there? I thought you would! Another star we grew up with like Miley, Selena Gomez’s career has flourished in the past decade with many hits. The actor-turned-singer is one of the most sought-after pop stars among Indian audiences because, well, we tend to get really nostalgic and feed on the happiness that comes from it! A few days ago, she also made history as the first woman to hit 400 million followers on Instagram, so let’s not even get started with the popularity bit. Can someone please get her to India already?
Cover image is courtesy of Wikimedia Commons and Wikipedia for BTS, Miley Cyrus and Eminem. Nicki Minaj still taken from the ‘Freedom’ music video.
