Pitchfork Setting the Standard for Female Representation in 2019
Photo Credit: Mark Peckmezian
The renowned Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park has released the 2019 lineup, with more than a few prominent artists. HAIM will headline on Friday for a rare 2019 performance, while Saturday celebrates The Isley Brothers with their 60th anniversary. Finishing off the weekend on Sunday is headliner Robyn, an iconic Swedish pop artist who has performed and shaped the scene since her debut album in 1995. The singer-songwriter and producer has experimented in everything from electro-pop to synth-pop to R&B. The three-day festival runs Friday, July 19th through Sunday, July 21st.
Other distinguished acts include indie rock artist Snail Mail, fronted by nineteen-year-old musical talent Lindsey Jordan, as well as Kurt Vile, artist and producer from the band The War on Drugs. Alternative pop artists will also be present, including Charli XCX— well known for her enflaming performance and stage presence— and Sky Ferreira— who released new music for the first time since 2013’s Night Time, My Time.
This year’s Pitchfork presents genres across alt-rock, indie, pop, and soul, including up-and-coming in turn with well loved, plus various artists that fall somewhere in-between. More than the outstanding lineup is the gender diversity, setting a new rising standard for prominent music festivals. Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel explains, “This summer’s festival will be my first as editor. It’s exciting that it also features such an inclusive lineup. More than half the artists performing are women, including modern pioneers of indie rock and hip-hop, legends of soul and R&B, and a headlining set by the dance-pop icon Robyn. For a national festival that’s so important to a larger music community, the scope of this year’s booking feels especially meaningful.”
Representation in the music industry is still a pressing issue in 2019, when— at times— 100% of headliner or top acts on a bill can be entirely male, such as 2018’s Lollapalooza, Bunbury, and Sasquatch. It becomes extremely apparent in lineups for historic festivals, as they influence future demand and the visibility of artists to new audiences.
Tickets for Pitchfork Music Festival are currently on sale here. Be sure to check out the full lineup below.
FRIDAY, JULY 19
HAIM
Mavis Staples
Earl Sweatshirt
Pusha T
Sky Ferreira
Low
Soccer Mommy
Julia Holter
Grapetooth
Rico Nasty
Valee
Standing on the Corner
MIKE
Great Black Music Ensemble
SATURDAY, JULY 20
The Isley Brothers
Belle & Sebastian
Stereolab
Kurt Vile
Jeremih
Parquet Courts
Freddie Gibbs
Amber Mark
Jay Som
Cate Le Bon
Tirzah
CHAI
Ric Wilson
Lala Lala
SUNDAY, JULY 21
Robyn
Charli XCX
Whitney
Khruangbin
Clairo
Snail Mail
Neneh Cherry
Ibeyi
Amen Dunes
JPEGMAFIA
Flasher
Black Midi
Dreezy
Tasha
