Those who happened to be going through a breakup during the dates of July 31 – Aug. 3, hopefully found themselves at The Marías Sunday afternoon — nothing cures a broken heart more than the feathery voice of María Zardoya.
The American indie-pop made up of Zardoya, Josh Conway, Jesse Perlman and Edward James, gained significant popularity after the release of their 2018 EP “Superclean.”
Combining genres like pop, jazz and soul, the band’s songs explore themes of heartbreak and yearning in a hypnotic combination of lush synths, layered baselines and Zardoya’s sultry vocals.
First performing at Lollapalooza in 2022, the band returned this year to a massive crowd at the Bud Light stage, their growth from their previous Lollapalooza palpable.
Zardoya wore a flowy white skirt that matched her gossamer voice and elusive background instrumentals, the audience breaking out in thunderous cheers every time she moved towards the front of the stage.
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“Real Life” was one of the first songs of the set, immediately setting the stage for the band’s trance-like ambience. Despite the more melodic vibe of their performance, Zardoya still managed to captivate the audience with her fluid movements and enchanting sensuality.
“Thank you,” Zardoya said to the crowd following “Real Life,” her girlish voice lingering in the air. “Alright, let’s dance.”
As the more pop-sounding “Run Your Mouth” began playing, the audience chanted along and danced to the buoyant rhythm, enchanted by Zardoya as she swung her arms around and whipped her jet-black hair around her face.
During “Only In My Dreams,” Zardoya positioned herself nimbly on the ground as little blue bubble-looking balls floated around her. The song’s enchanting instrumentation provided the perfect backdrop for the melancholic lyrics and Zardoya’s gauzy voice.
Following this song, she spoke in Spanish to the crowd, paying homage to her Puerto Rican roots and creating a welcoming environment for her Latino fans.
Zardoya played a few of the band’s Spanish songs throughout the set, allowing the audience to yearn in not just one language, but two.
Later in the evening, Zardoya said something that wouldn’t have been acceptable from anyone else: “I give you permission to FaceTime your ex.”
The band ended its set with the syrupy sweet “Cariño,” Zardoya walking off stage and down to the barricade to allow fans to sing along to one of the songs that catapulted the band’s career seven years ago.
