With more than 45,000 students attending MSU, an award-winning student radio station and hundreds upon hundreds of musicians, East Lansing still only has a few hot-ticket concerts every year. Last year, MSU hosted rapper Mac Miller, and this upcoming April, students can see Carrie Underwood at Breslin Center. Why more musicians don’t include East Lansing on their tour stops completely dumbfounds me. If I could have it my way, there are a few musicians I would love to visit East Lansing.
Lana Del Rey and Azealia Banks
At first glance, these two musicians might seem completely unrelated. Although Lana Del Rey is an up-and-coming indie artist and Azealia Banks has gained the attention of fashion designer Alexander Wang and the likes for her expressive hip-hop style, the female artists’ sounds compliment one another almost effortlessly. If you don’t believe me, check out the Smims and Belle remix of Rey’s “Blue Jeans” featuring Banks. Rey’s low-pitched and almost slurred lyrics are a refreshing contrast against Banks’ enunciated and punchy rap. This female power-pair should perform in East Lansing because Spartans could benefit from a dose of originality in female musicians.
Boyce Avenue and The Script
Boyce Avenue is just one example of a YouTube success story. The acoustic band began posting videos of its cover songs in 2007, and between guys appreciating the band’s guitar technique and girls melting over frontman Alejandro Manzano’s warm and smooth vocals, the band has gained international popularity. The acoustic rock and romantic-riddled music corresponds well with the similar sound of The Script, which gained popularity with its radio-favored song “Breakeven.” The bands should come to East Lansing for those of us who prefer acoustic harmonies over house drops.
Kid Ink and Big Sean
Ticket sales certainly would not be an issue for this show. Although Kid Ink’s rap lyrics might not be as suggestive as Detroit’s own Big Sean, his hooks are arguably just as catchy. Kid Ink’s music, including his single “Like a G” featuring Travis Porter, would be just the right adrenaline-raising, party-starting hip-hop to get Spartans ready for Big Sean’s equally exciting show. The two should make an appearance in East Lansing because students are constantly on the hunt for an excuse to let loose, and would certainly appreciate hearing the music that would otherwise be blasted out of lower-quality, blown-out speakers.
Calvin Harris
In the past year, Calvin Harris has made quite the name for himself as a disc jockey. His single “Feel So Close,” was closely followed by a collaboration with pop-queen Rihanna. He then topped his year off with a performance on MTV’s Video Music Awards. Harris learned the proper balance between pop and techno that successfully draws the attention of the masses. If he
chose to come to East Lansing, those masses would include MSU students eager to don their favorite neon and jump to the rhythm of
his synthesizer.
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