Now in its 12th year, The Governors Ball, running June 9 through 11 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens, New York, will feature headliners Kendrick Lamar, Lizzo, and Odesza as well as dozens of other artists over the three-day festival.
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Along with this year’s headliners, Diplo, HAIM, Lil Uzi Vert, PinkPantheress, Ice Spice, Finneas, Suki Waterhouse, and Girl in Red are some of the other artists taking over the three stages during the weekend fest.
Following its move from Citifield, where Governors Ball was held since 2021, Corona Park — home of the iconic World’s Fair and the annual U.S. Open Tennis Championship — is also easily accessible for attendees with several mass transit options, including the MTA 7 subway line and Long Island Railroad.
This year, the festival is showcasing a collection of rising artists from Remi Wolf, KayCyy, Tai Verdes, Alexander 23, and many more.
Here’s a look at 10 artists performing at Governors Ball 2023 that deserve a deeper listen.
1. Zolita
In between touring with Bebe Rexha and releasing her new single, “Grave,” Zolita has already earned more than 300 million streams around her pop-ridden LGBTQ+ and human stories. Zolita recently released the EP Falling Out / Falling In with singles “Crazy Ex,” “20 Questions,” “Ashley,” and “Ruin My Life,” a follow-up to her 2020 debut album Evil Angel.
The singer, songwriter and filmmaker, recently showcased her cinematic chops with the release of the self-directed viral 2022 video “Somebody I Fucked Once.”
2. Alexander 23
The past year has been a whirlwind for Alexander 23. He opened for John Mayer and released his debut album Aftershock. The project features stand-out singles “Hate Me If It Helps,” co-written with Olivia Rodrigo, and the more grieving “The Hardest Part.”
Since releasing his first batch of EPs in 2019 and 2021, the Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has already collaborated with a collection of artists, including Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez, Tate McRae, Jeremy Zucker, Laufey, David Kushner, Noah Kahan, Role Model, Reneé Rapp, and Kenny Beats.
3. The Amazons
British alt-rockers The Amazons have had a steady trajectory since releasing their eponymous debut in 2017. Along with the release of their third album, How Will I Know If Heaven Will Find Me? in 2022, the band has unabashedly crossed Americana, country, arena rock, pop, and more in their new collection of songs.
4. Remi Wolf
In a turn of events, singer Omar Apollo backed out of his performance at Governors Ball, leaving an open spot for Remi Wolf. In 2019, Wolf debuted with her EP, You’re A Dog!, then released her debut album, Juno, in 2021. Most recently, she left followers — and the yet-to-be converted — in a soulful spin with her latest single “Prescription.”
The song will be featured in the upcoming Amazon Prime comedy series I’m a Virgo.
5. KayCyy
Grammy Award-winning producer, Kenyan-American rapper KayCyy (Mark Makora Mbogo) has worked as a songwriter and vocalist for Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, and Travis Scott, among others. Mbogo co-wrote the tracks “Keep My Spirit Alive (pt 2),” “Praise God,” “Hurricane,” and “24,” off West’s 2021 album Donda, which earned him a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year. He also won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance for contributing background vocals on “Hurricane.”
KayCyy recently released his seven-track project, TW2052, executive produced by Gesaffelstein, a follow-up to the duo’s first collaboration in 2022, TW20 50.
6. Lovejoy
In 2023, British indie rocker Lovejoy released their new EP, Wake Up and It’s Over, their first release since Pebble Brain in 2021. The new EP features their breakout single “Call Me What You Like,” which hit the top 20 on Alternative Radio and pulled in more than four million views on YouTube and nearly 30 million Spotify streams.
Since their 2021 debut, Are You Alright?, Lovejoy has grown a dedicated, fanbase, who continue to help them sell out shows worldwide.
7. Tai Verdes
Right in the middle of the COVID pandemic, singer and songwriter Tai Verdes transitioned from a job at Verizon to hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Emerging Artist chart, along with landing his first-ever headlining tour.
His 2021 debut album, TV, boasted a number of pandemic-inspired viral hits, including “A-O-K” and “Stuck In The Middle,” which earned him more than one billion streams. Verdes, who released his second album, HDTV, in 2022 with the single “lastdayonearth,” has also appeared on The Today Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!
8. Charlie Burg
So far, Governors Ball is the only show singer/songwriter Charlie Burg has penciled in this year. Following a collection of mixtapes, EPs, and singles released since 2015, Burg released his 2022 debut album, Infinitely Tall, showcasing a poetic blend of R&B and indie rock. Burg followed it all up with a live version of the album Infinitely Tall Live from The Tea Factory.
9. Sarah Kinsley
Backed by three EPs to her name —The Fall, The King, and Cypress — Sarah Kinsley is not done sharing all her dreamy soundscapes, all while studying music theory at Columbia University since 2020.
The classically trained artist first broke through when her 2021 single “The King” went viral on TikTok with more than 39 million streams to date.
10. Maude Latour
Maude Latour’s latest EP, Twin Flame — out opening day of Governors Ball on June 9 — features her recent singles “Heaven,” “Lunch” and “I am not the sun.” It follows up her previous EP 001. Latour, who was born in Sweden and graduated from Columbia University in 2022, started writing songs when she was 15 and didn’t stop. She eventually released her debut EP, High School, in 2018. Her 2020 breakout single, “One More Weekend,” has hit more than 37 million streams on Spotify.
Photo: Jade DeRose / Courtesy of Press Here Publicity
Be part of the Governors Ball 2024 excitement! Take hold of your Governors Ball 2024 tickets now for a weekend of non-stop music, good vibes, and unforgettable memories.
