2021 Headliners

[Bisque]

43 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

I’ve found that he really struggles with interviews now...

He might just be knackered from work.

[Matt42]

Been thinking about this the past few days. In my view here is where things stand with new/modern headliners. I see a lot that there are “no new acts worthy of headlining Glastonbury”, but I just think this is a load of rubbish. I’ve broken it down into these categories.

Ready to headline now / could headline / could headline on their next tour:

Lady Gaga
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
The 1975
Dua Lipa (if the festival wanted to take a chance)
Drake
Travis Scott
Rihanna (if she returns to music)
The Weeknd

One album / successful comeback single away from headlining. Could be booked prematurely like Stormzy was...

Dave
Lizzo
Dua Lipa (if the festival wants to wait a bit)
George Ezra
Lewis Capaldi
The XX

Unless I’m missing anyone I think there is a long list here of new acts and potential first time headliners.

 

And no Foals have not made this list  an act booked to sub TRNSMT will not be headlining Glastonbury 
 

[FloorFiller]

23 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Been thinking about this the past few days. In my view here is where things stand with new/modern headliners. I see a lot that there are “no new acts worthy of headlining Glastonbury”, but I just think this is a load of rubbish. I’ve broken it down into these categories.

Ready to headline now / could headline / could headline on their next tour:

Lady Gaga
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
The 1975
Dua Lipa (if the festival wanted to take a chance)
Drake
Travis Scott
Rihanna (if she returns to music)
The Weeknd

One album / successful comeback single away from headlining. Could be booked prematurely like Stormzy was...

Dave
Lizzo
Dua Lipa (if the festival wants to wait a bit)
George Ezra
Lewis Capaldi
The XX

Unless I’m missing anyone I think there is a long list here of new acts and potential first time headliners.

 

And no Foals have not made this list  an act booked to sub TRNSMT will not be headlining Glastonbury 
 

Gonna reiterate what I said over in the Dua Lipa thread:

None of that second group are gonna headline Glastonbury, some at all, some any time soon.

Dua was booked to headline Other, so saying she could headline the Pyramid is dumb.

Billie ain't gonna headline any time soon. She needs a new album, and even then I don't think Glastonbury would be driven to give her the call at this stage in her career.

I doubt Drake or Travis Scott have even entered the organisers minds. Money driven artists who don't need what Glastonbury is giving. Far more likely to do Reading/Leeds or their own massive tours for the big bucks.

The Weeknd is another I just don't see Glastonbury bothering with. I don't think he's even done a UK festival since back when he was starting out, and if he ever were to, I doubt it'd be Glastonbury.

[Kalopsia]

33 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Been thinking about this the past few days. In my view here is where things stand with new/modern headliners. I see a lot that there are “no new acts worthy of headlining Glastonbury”, but I just think this is a load of rubbish. I’ve broken it down into these categories.

Ready to headline now / could headline / could headline on their next tour:

Lady Gaga
Ariana Grande
Billie Eilish
The 1975
Dua Lipa (if the festival wanted to take a chance)
Drake
Travis Scott
Rihanna (if she returns to music)
The Weeknd

One album / successful comeback single away from headlining. Could be booked prematurely like Stormzy was...

Dave
Lizzo
Dua Lipa (if the festival wants to wait a bit)
George Ezra
Lewis Capaldi
The XX

Unless I’m missing anyone I think there is a long list here of new acts and potential first time headliners.

 

And no Foals have not made this list  an act booked to sub TRNSMT will not be headlining Glastonbury 
 

I like this list! 

I thought last year when watching Billie Eilish that she is probably going to headline in the next 2-3 years and she's only gotten bigger it feels. 

I'd be tempted to add Tame Impala to the second list, if they can come out with another album like Currents (plenty of hits) in the next 3-4 years I think they could do it. Other than that I'm not sure, I used to think Royal Blood could get close but they seem to have plateaued recently. 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Kalopsia

[dentalplan]

What about Lorde?

[Kalopsia]

2 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

What about Lorde?

Another good shout, hopefully she releases another great album. I was a big fan of Melodrama. 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Kalopsia

[priest17]

18 hours ago, FloorFiller said:

 Evanescence 

Great shout from the floor filler, sign em up

[FloorFiller]

8 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

I'd be tempted to add Tame Impala to the second list, if they can come out with another album like Currents (plenty of hits) in the next 3-4 years I think they could do it. Other than that I'm not sure, I used to think Royal Blood could get close but they seem to have plateaued recently. 

I think Tame Impala headlining Other pretty much sealed their fate at never headlining the whole thing (not that they were ever that likely). They've pretty much found their level now and aren't gonna get any bigger.

Same for Royal Blood, really. I can't see what a new album could do for them to boost them any further. I thought Reading/Leeds would've given them the bump up on their second album but they even only subbed that, so I think that's about where they'll stay.

[Kalopsia]

Just now, FloorFiller said:

I think Tame Impala headlining Other pretty much sealed their fate at never headlining the whole thing (not that they were ever that likely). They've pretty much found their level now and aren't gonna get any bigger.

Same for Royal Blood, really. I can't see what a new album could do for them to boost them any further. I thought Reading/Leeds would've given them the bump up on their second album but they even only subbed that, so I think that's about where they'll stay.

Royal Blood subbing R&L last year confirmed they wouldn't get near it for me. 

I still think Tame could if they have a couple more popular hits, The Slow Rush hasn't really helped with that. 

[Matt42]

13 minutes ago, dentalplan said:

What about Lorde?

I think Lorde is a bit too niche. She will get a big slot if she brings out another smasher though.

 

16 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Gonna reiterate what I said over in the Dua Lipa thread:

None of that second group are gonna headline Glastonbury, some at all, some any time soon.

Dua was booked to headline Other, so saying she could headline the Pyramid is dumb.

Billie ain't gonna headline any time soon. She needs a new album, and even then I don't think Glastonbury would be driven to give her the call at this stage in her career.

I doubt Drake or Travis Scott have even entered the organisers minds. Money driven artists who don't need what Glastonbury is giving. Far more likely to do Reading/Leeds or their own massive tours for the big bucks.

The Weeknd is another I just don't see Glastonbury bothering with. I don't think he's even done a UK festival since back when he was starting out, and if he ever were to, I doubt it'd be Glastonbury.

I really don’t get your reasoning behind this at all. If Glasto was this restrictive they’d run out of headliners extremely fast.

In what way would Emily not bother with Billie Eilish? She has gone on about her relentlessly since they booked her, included her in the Glasto 50 book, and has labelled her as one of her highlights of 2019. She’s right up Emily’s street for a bump up.

[Matt42]

17 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

I'd be tempted to add Tame Impala to the second list, if they can come out with another album like Currents (plenty of hits) in the next 3-4 years I think they could do it. Other than that I'm not sure, I used to think Royal Blood could get close but they seem to have plateaued recently. 

Not happening imo. They can’t even sell out APE. They are a great band but they are not gunning to headline Glastonbury at all. There is no monentum.

I think they will return to headline the other stage / sub the pyramid every few years. Or Kevin will come back for the occasional solo ventures.

[FloorFiller]

2 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

I really don’t get your reasoning behind this at all. If Glasto was this restrictive they’d run out of headliners extremely fast.

In what way would Emily not bother with Billie Eilish? She has gone on about her relentlessly since they booked her, included her in the Glasto 50 book, and has labelled her as one of her highlights of 2019. She’s right up Emily’s street for a bump up.

I just don't see them rushing to give her the headline slot this early in her career. If she continues to stay at this level further down the line, then sure, why not, but one or two albums in? Nah.

Plenty of American acts have had similar trajectories as her and not been instantly thrown to the top of the Pyramid - they were just lucky enough to have her booked to play last year before she properly took off.

[Miyn]

Would be interesting to know what acts people think they might call back to headline again in the next 5-10 years. Excluding Coldplay.

[lighthouse]

12 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

The Slow Rush hasn't really helped with that. 

Lost In Yesterday is pretty big too. 

I'm always surprised by the amount of streams this band has on the likes of Spotify. A band like Arcade Fire can only dream of popularity like that. 

[Matt42]

12 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

I just don't see them rushing to give her the headline slot this early in her career. If she continues to stay at this level further down the line, then sure, why not, but one or two albums in? Nah.

Plenty of American acts have had similar trajectories as her and not been instantly thrown to the top of the Pyramid - they were just lucky enough to have her booked to play last year before she properly took off.

It’s only in the past ten years that most major festivals have actually booked major pop acts to headline. It’s only in recent years that major pop acts have actually seen the merit in playing festivals.

It’s not rushing at all, it’s how the music industry has changed. No longer do artists need 3 albums and a stadium tour to be considered viable. In the streaming generation artists can build fanbases much quicker. Billie is a record breaker who has managed to become a worldwide festival headliner with her debut album. It would be a fantastic business decision for Glastonbury to book her while the momentum behind her is strong. She would be the youngest pyramid headliner in the history of the festival, and also she is a woman. Also it’s not even giving her a leg up, she’s there already. Anyone who disagrees is wilfully ignoring facts because of preconceived notions of what a festival headliner is.

It is totally within the festivals interest to take a chance on new comers. It’s what Glastonbury have always done. I know there was a brief gap between Mumford & Sons and Stormzy, but the festival market between 2013 and 2019 was pretty strong. As time goes on it will become clear that festivals are running out of legends and acts who haven’t done it before, they aren’t immune to it.

 

I know I’m ranting but I know I’m right on this one. She has every credential that Glastonbury could possibly ask for. The only people that would have a problem with it are those stuck in their old ways.

 

Edited July 1, 2020 by Matt42

[Matt42]

6 minutes ago, Miyn said:

Would be interesting to know what acts people think they might call back to headline again in the next 5-10 years. Excluding Coldplay.

Arctic Monkeys
Adele
Blur
Radiohead
Mumford & Sons (as evidenced by this year)
Beyonce
U2
Bruce Springsteen
Jay-Z maybe?
Kanye (hopeful)
 

Whether any would say yes is another thing but I can’t see Glastonbury never bothering with any of these again.

[FloorFiller]

1 minute ago, Matt42 said:

Arctic Monkeys
Adele
Blur
Radiohead
Mumford & Sons (as evidenced by this year)
Beyonce
U2
Bruce Springsteen
Jay-Z maybe?
Kanye (hopeful)
 

Whether any would say yes is another thing but I can’t see Glastonbury never bothering with any of these again.

Mumford & Sons were booked in a special guest sub slot (we assume) this year - surely that indicates that they aren't gonna be booked to headline again more than anything?

[sisco]

2 minutes ago, FloorFiller said:

Mumford & Sons were booked in a special guest sub slot (we assume) this year - surely that indicates that they aren't gonna be booked to headline again more than anything?

So we’re The Killers and they headlined again subsequently.  They’re also very close to the festival.

You could certainly update Florence and the Machine to the list too

[Avalon_Fields]

28 minutes ago, Kalopsia said:

 

I still think Tame could if they have a couple more popular hits, The Slow Rush hasn't really helped with that. 

I've given up with Slow Rush. Should I try again or is it really as boring as several plays suggested to me?

[FloorFiller]

1 minute ago, sisco said:

So we’re The Killers and they headlined again subsequently.  They’re also very close to the festival.

You could certainly update Florence and the Machine to the list too

Eh, maybe I'll eat shit on this but I saw the Mumfords booking as a 'look lads, you aren't gonna headline again, but we'll bill you as a special guest and you can play before Swift this year' more than a nod and a wink to them being in favour to headline again in the near future.

[FloorFiller]

5 minutes ago, Avalon_Fields said:

I've given up with Slow Rush. Should I try again or is it really as boring as several plays suggested to me?

I know people who've come around to it, but for me it always just turns in to background music a third of the way through. Listened to it a fair few times now and from track 5 onwards might as well just be the same song on repeat. 

[nikkic]

21 minutes ago, Matt42 said:

Arctic Monkeys
Adele
Blur
Radiohead
Mumford & Sons (as evidenced by this year)
Beyonce
U2
Bruce Springsteen
Jay-Z maybe?
Kanye (hopeful)
 

Whether any would say yes is another thing but I can’t see Glastonbury never bothering with any of these again.

In my opinion...

Arctic Monkeys - Only a matter of time 
Adele - Won’t happen again, nailed it first time round
Blur - In 5-10 years
Radiohead - In 5-10 years
Mumford & Sons - In their dreams 
Beyonce - Hopefully on her next album 
U2 - Unfinished business 
Bruce Springsteen - Nope 
Jay-Z - Nope 
Kanye - Nope 

 

[jparx]

8 minutes ago, nikkic said:

In my opinion...

Arctic Monkeys - Only a matter of time 
Adele - Won’t happen again, nailed it first time round
Blur - In 5-10 years
Radiohead - In 5-10 years
Mumford & Sons - In their dreams 
Beyonce - Hopefully on her next album 
U2 - Unfinished business 
Bruce Springsteen - Nope 
Jay-Z - Nope 
Kanye - Nope 

 

Don't see why Beyonce would if Jay-Z, Kanye, Bruce and Adele wouldn't? Beyonce nailed it as much as any of them and seems equally as one and done I think.

[FloorFiller]

Just now, jparx said:

Don't see why Beyonce would if Jay-Z, Kanye, Bruce and Adele wouldn't? Beyonce nailed it as much as any of them and seems equally as one and done I think.

I agree. Seen a few people on here argue that her best work came after headlining Glastonbury and that she's hit a whole other level now, but that only adds to the reasoning for her not doing it again for me. I'm sure in her mind it's ticked off and not something she's particularly bothered about repeating.

[zeppelin]

So watching The Chems headline set from 2000 and it got me and my brother thinking. Are Daft Punk realistically the only dance act that could headline the Pyramid now?