After touring on former Disney star Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz Tour, Sky Ferreira’s synthpop and indie rock style hit the mainstream. At 8 p.m., the singer-songwriter will take to the stage at Foellinger Auditorium for the first time. 

Star Course, a Registered Student Organization that brings some of the best obtainable artists in music to campus, is hosting the under-the-radar star.

The nonprofit RSO, sponsored by the University Concert and Entertainment Board, is kicking off the semester with its first show tonight. Tickets are $15 for students and $25 for the public and will also be sold at the door starting at 7 p.m as well as online. 

In the past, Star Course has brought mainstream artists such as John Mayer, the Black Eyed Peas, Lupe Fiasco and Relient K. Though Sky Ferreira isn’t exactly a long-time mainstream artist herself, she is breaking out of the underground category. 

Sky Ferreira made a name for herself after releasing her long-overdue debut album, “Night Time, My Time,” in late October last year. Rolling Stone listed it as the fifth-best debut album of 2013. She’s made appearances on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” and “The Late Show with David Letterman,” and her official music videos on YouTube have reached well over a million views each.

While on Miley Cyrus’ Bangerz World Tour in February, the 22-year-old from Los Angeles performed her own music for audiences. Both of the artists showcase similar themes of rebellion, insecurity and teenage romance. 

Jaini Shah, sophomore in Business and Illini Media employee, is planning to go to the show after she heard about it through Star Course and became a fan of Sky Ferreira’s music. This will be her first time attending a concert on the University campus. The genres of music she normally listens to are indie rock, indie pop and alternative. 

“I’m looking forward to seeing her allective style on stage,” Shah said. “I love music, and I think this will broaden my perspective.”

Shah said Ferreira is a mix of Lily Allen and Katy Perry, but that’s not to say she isn’t unique and doesn’t have her own sound.

“She’s still pop, but I guess you would call it indie pop,” said Hannah Ahn, one of the senior managers at Star Course and senior in Engineering. “She’s just got a very different kind of personality compared to what we’re used to seeing in mainstream pop.”

As one of the senior managers at Star Course, Ahn sees through the booking and contracting of artists and, overall, making sure that Star Course is up and running. When asked about how the RSO decided on bringing Sky Ferreira, Ahn talked about a poll within Star Course that focused on the question, “Who do you want to see Star Course bring next year?”

“This poll has been out over the summer and a lot of people replied with Sky Ferreira along with other bands like Mac DeMarco and so we looked into it,” Ahn said. “Everything we do is for the students. We went and checked with Sky Ferreira, and Sky was within our budget. And so with our middle agent, he helped us book Sky.”

Ahn said that some of the reasons why the shows are held at Foellinger Auditorium are because it’s a familiar venue to Star Course and it has a higher capacity than others. The lineup following Sky Ferreira, which includes Mac DeMarco, Hoodie Allen and Bo Burnham, will also be performing in Foellinger. The show has not yet been sold out, but Star Course is looking forward to a good turnout for its first event of the fall semester. 

Becky can be reached at [email protected].