Returning to Lollapalooza for the third time was FINNEAS — however, this was his first time under his own name, a moment that signals how far he has come in his career.
FINNEAS got his start in the music industry by helping his sister, Billie Eilish, produce her debut album and hit “Ocean Eyes.” Since then, he has established himself as an artist independent of Eilish, and his appearance at the festival exemplifies this.
“Thanks so much for being here, thanks so much for showing up,” FINNEAS said.
He launched his first solo Lollapalooza performance with “Lotus Eater” off of his 2024 album, “For Cryn’ Out Loud!.” The songs driving drums and upbeat keys made this a high-energy beginning to grab the attention of his audience at the Lake Shore stage.
FINNEAS’ discography is a mix of somber ballads and more upbeat low-fi songs, which blend together, creating a very relaxed concert experience. Some artists produce songs that the audience can jump to, and others produce songs meant to be swayed to, and FINNEAS falls in the latter category.
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This was shown as he transitioned seamlessly from high-energy with quicker tempoed songs to those like “Angel,” in which his vocals drip over a melodically subdued instrumentation. With other artists, it’s evident that the audience does not want a slow song at a music festival, but “Angel” received thunderous applause and cheers of approval from festivalgoers who danced and sang along to the beautiful, lilting melody.
Again, FINNEAS slowed things down with “Break My Heart Again,” a powerful song about loving someone enough to let them hurt you twice. Raw emotion oozed from FINNEAS’ vocals, creating a moving experience for the audience. As the song built up, it turned melancholy into power as the bass line became stronger, eventually transforming into a rock ballad.
Shortly after this emotional performance, FINNEAS struck up another one of his hits.
Immediately, the audience’s energy changed as the piano started striking the opening chords of “The Little Mess You Made” by The Favors, a band composed of FINNEAS and Ashe. As quickly as the song started, the screens changed from only displaying FINNEAS’ name to display The Favors, and out strutted Ashe.
Festivalgoers screamed and cheered as the duo launched into their emotional debut single. Once they wrapped the song, FINNEAS reminded festivalgoers that he and Ashe are releasing an album, “The Dream,” on Sept. 18.
“Hi Lollapalooza!” Ashe shouted to an eruption of cheers.
To end Ashe’s appearance, The Favors performed “Till Forever Falls Apart,” one of the duo’s more popular tracks that garnered many hollers from the audience.
Ending his dynamic set with “For Cryin’ Out Loud!,” FINNEAS showcased the wide range of genres he has the talent to produce and perform. His strong performance leaves no question in the audience’s mind that he belongs on stage, even independently from his beginnings.
