M.I.A. Unveils Lineup For Her Meltdown Festival
Every year, London’s Meltdown Festival brings in a major artist to curate and headline; in past years, heavyweights like David Bowie, Patti Smith, Ornette Coleman, Morrissey, Yoko Ono, and David Byrne have done it. This year, it’s M.I.A. doing the honors, and she’s just announced the first round of names at this year’s festival, which comes to venues around London 6/9-18. M.I.A. herself will play a closing-night show 6/18 at Royal Festival Hall, and the list of artists she’s chosen to share the bill is fascinating.
For her iteration of the festival, M.I.A. has lined up shows from Crystal Castles, expressive trip-hoppers Young Fathers, Brooklyn street-rap goon Young M.A, club-rap chameleon Mykki Blanco, dance hall stars I Wayne and Dexta Daps, former Le Tigre member JD Samson, depressive Swedish rap weirdo Yung Lean, Awful Records newcomer Tommy Genesis, and African rappers Afrikan Boy, MHD, and Mr. Eazi. There are more artists on the way, and M.I.A. has asked Radiohead to perform, so we’ll see if anything happens with that. Check out all the relevant details here.