By, Emily Rumsey, Staff Writer
With the popular Firefly festival happening this weekend, I thought it only right to make it this week’s theme for Jasper Jams. This year, the festival lasts four days spanning one weekend starting Thursday, September 23rd. The line-up includes a diverse range of artists, the headliners being Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Tame Impala and — your mom’s favorite band — The Killers.
I Didn’t Change My Number – Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish was the Thursday night headliner. She was originally supposed to headline the 2020 Firefly Music Festival, but it got cancelled due to the pandemic, which makes this the first time she has ever played the festival. Her appearance at Firefly comes after the release of her second studio album Happier Than Ever. “I Didn’t Change My Number” is the second song on the album. The song seems to have heavy R&B influence, which in my opinion matches the tone of Eilish’s voice quite well.
Jenny Was A Friend of Mine – The Killers
Headlining the second night of Firefly will be The Killers. The Killers are a Firefly favorite, performing at the first Firefly Music Festival back in 2012, and then returning three more times after that in 2015, 2018 and then this year, 2021. I chose “Jenny Was A Friend of Mine” because not only is it one of the lesser known hits from The Killers, it also is a great song to blast in the car and it’s super easy to get lost in the vibe. I highly recommend it as a karaoke choice also, because once you know the words it’s a super satisfying song to scream to with your friends.
Borderline – Tame Impala
Tame Impala was the Saturday night headliner, and is making his second appearance at Firefly. He performed at the festival once before in 2016. I chose this song because every time I hear it I always think of my roommate, since she used to play it all the time during our freshman year, and now wakes up to it as her alarm tone. Despite this, I can’t seem to get tired of it! Tame Impala always strikes me with strong bass lines that really add to the distinct sound that he is known for. This song features a groovy bass, with a satisfying drop and a funky pop vibe the whole way through.
Rumors – Lizzo (feat. Cardi B)
Lizzo is the final headliner for the weekend, taking over Sunday. This is also Lizzo’s second time performing at Firefly, her first time being in 2015. “Rumors” is her most recent release, dropping just over a month ago on August 13th, and is her first release in over two years. The song features Cardi B, and is a wonderful combination of humble brags, shut downs, and jabs towards past rumors and scandals experienced by both singers. “Rumors” is Lizzo’s clapback after running the online gauntlet during the release of her album “Cuz I Love You”.
Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked – Cage the Elephant
Cage the Elephant is one of the many performances happening over the four day festival. They are also Firefly veterans, performing at the festival in 2014 and 2015. I chose their most popular song for this play- list because it is a classic. The guitar is gritty and the lyrics have a great rhythm that keeps you engaged throughout the length of the song. I personally love this song because it was one of the 15 songs on the iPod Nano I had as a kid.
I Don’t Want It At All – Kim Petras
Kim Petras is performing at Firefly Music Festival for the first time this year. I chose her debut single for this playlist because it is the perfect introduction to Kim Petras’s electro bubblegum pop sound. The song went viral in 2017 and the music video featured a cameo from Paris Hilton. Petras then went on to feature on a track with Charli XCX shortly after the single was released. “I Don’t Want It At All” is a boppy, upbeat track that is sure to get you hype.
Liz – Remi Wolf
Remi Wolf is another Firefly first timer. She has only recently broken out on the scene, with her song “Photo ID” going viral on Tik Tok. I chose her song “Liz” however, because it shows a different side of Remi Wolf. One of my co-workers showed me this song over the summer, because the cool bartender that worked with us was called Liz. The song has a more slow jam vibe, and is a story about an on and off again relationship with a girl who is bad for Wolf, but she can’t seem to get over her. If you’re just finding out about Remi Wolf, or maybe just haven’t heard this song by her before, I definitely recommend you check it out.
Hot Girl Bummer – Blackbear
Blackbear is performing at Firefly for the very first time this year. He is not a new artist, however, as he just released his sixth studio album last year. I had heard of Blackbear around 2017 when his sophomore album digital druglord started gaining popularity. I chose a more recent song from him, the lead single on his album everything means nothing, released August 2020. “Hot Girl Bummer” is a song that was released a little before the pandemic, which is when I found the song, so the hot girl summer/bummer word play was hitting home. It was definitely on my walking playlist in those early pandemic months.
I Think I’m OKAY – Machine Gun Kelly (feat. YUNGBLUD, Travis Barker)
Machine Gun Kelly is appearing at Firefly for the first time this year. I am honestly surprised he hasn’t performed at the festival before. But he is performing at the festival about a year after releasing his album Tickets to my Downfall, the first of his albums to be fully rock based. He will be performing at Firefly along with longtime friend blackbear, and his upcoming tour opener carolesdaughter. This song was recommended to me by my roommate, who puts it on every single time we get ready to go out because she thinks it is one of the best hype songs.
Put Your Records On – Ritt Momney
Ritt Momney is a young singer-songwriter who recently broke out on the musical scene
after his cover of Corrine Bailey Rae’s 2006 hit “Put Your Records On” went super viral on TikTok. He is performing at Firefly for the first time this year. His spoonerism name is what caught my eye first, but after listening to some of his other songs I actually ended up liking his style. The cover is a great representation of his style, and he did a very good job making it his own. He did receive Twitter backlash after the song went viral, as it was written by a Black woman about loving her hair, and makes a lot of references to Black culture. Ritt released a statement on Twitter agreeing with the criticisms, apologizing and promising to do better in the future, which I think is a good look for him.