Producers: Various 

As the viral hit “Greedy” keeps climbing up the charts, Canadian pop singer Tate McRae is striking while the iron is hot with her second studio album Think Later. McRae’s music shines when she embraces her bold persona and dynamic melodies in tracks like “exes” and “run for the hills.” Woefully, the songwriting relies heavily on radio-friendly and stereotypical tropes that don’t help her stand out amongst her pop peers. 

Producers: Various 

Colombian-American songstress Kali Uchis honors her heritage by masterfully blending fiery Spanish and English production for her fourth studio album Orquídeas. Uchis’ versatility dazzles as the first half features her signature low-tempo soul sound and progresses to interesting bolero and dance influences in tracks like “Te Mata” and “Dame Beso Muevete.” The musical features, including “The Igual Que Un Ángel” with Peso Pluma and “Labios Mordidos” with Karol G, are also a must-listen. 

Producer: Various

Hailed as the queen of rap, Nicki Minaj is protecting her throne with Pink Friday 2—a sequel to her acclaimed debut. The album is celebration of Minaj’s rap creativity and ambitiousness. Although it relies heavily on samples, including Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over,” that can be a hit or a miss. Minaj’s best work comes when she speaks from the heart, from the tragic loss of her father in “Last Time I Saw You” to her growth as an artist in “Just The Memories.” – Jacqueline Naranjo

The festival featured more than 60 artists performing across four stages in the stadium parking lot: Rockero, Las Clásicas and Te Gusta El Pop? and Beso Stage.

The sounds of Latin rock and punk filled the Rockero Stage as it featured artists including Natalia Lafourcade, La Ley, Caifanes, Maldita Vencidad and Molotov. The stage was headlined by rock en español icons Maná. The band is no stranger to the LA area as they have an ongoing residency at the Kia Forum in Inglewood. The band had the biggest set of the night – two hours. They also had the biggest crowd of the night as they performed all their greatest hits including “Labios Compartidos,” “Mariposa Traicionera,” and “Oye Mi Amor.” Maná also performed rock-infused covers of "Bésame Mucho" in honor of the festival and of the late Mexican icon Vicente Fernández.

Other notable acts included Mexican rock pioneers Café Tacvba who have become staples of the Besame Mucho Festival. They performed last year and have been announced as performers for the Texas version of the festival. Argentinian rock group Enanitos Verdes are still going strong after the loss of their frontman, Marciano Cantero who died in 2022, the band has a lot of love for performing and wonderfully honoring their bandmate's musical legacy.

For people who wanted a break from the music, the festival featured an array of food from local and Mexico-inspired eateries - from tacos to churros to esquites, the options were endless. The festival grounds also featured a large variety of photo op opportunities and was decorated with beautiful Día de los Muertos inspired installations.

The Las Clásicas stage featured classic Latin music from musicians with a multigenerational legacy including Grupo Niche, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Ramón Ayala, Banda El Recodo and Pepe Aguilar. Musicians like Paquita La Del Barrio and Alejandro Fernandez got huge love from the crowd. Before Paquita La Del Barrio hit the Clásicas stage the crowd was chanting her name. She's a beloved musician as she pushed the movement of female empowerment anthems in Mexican music with hits like "Rata de dos patas" and "Las Mujeres Mandan." Alejandro Fernandez gave one of the liveliest performances of the night, accompanied by a big group of musicians. With his strong powerhouse vocals and catchy tunes, it's no wonder he's one of the best-selling Latin music artists. Back together again after 25 years, Los Bukis headlined the Las Clásicas stage. Nostalgia soared through the crowd as the band serenaded us with their love ballads including “Tu Carcel" and "Navidad sin ti."

The Te Gusta el Pop stage featured notable pop acts including Kumbia Kings, Amanda Miguel, Camila, Jesse & Joy and Reik. Gloria Trevi was the biggest lure of the night as she stole the show with her entertaining dances sequences and costume changes. A true pop icon as the crowd went wild during the songs "Gloria, ""Pelo Suelto" and "Todos Me Miran."

Lastly the Beso stage featured intimate performances from acts including Band Machos, Los Caminantes and Bomba Estéreo. Besame Mucho festival delivered another fantastic event filled with wonderful performances from heavy-hitters and icons in Latin music.

Producers: PinkPantheress and Mura Masa

Following the chart-topping viral success of “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” with Ice Spice, British singer-songwriter PinkPantheress’ long-awaited debut studio album Heaven Knows is a triumphant progression of her signature dynamic downtempo and hyperpop sound. Her sweet whispery vocals carry strong through addictive choruses and atmospheric bass production. Highlights include the playfully addictive tune “The aisle,” the harp-driven Shakespearean track “Ophelia” and the melodic R&B choruses of “Feel complete.” 

It’s tough to fill the shoes of one of the greatest voices of our generation, but Lambert delightfully captures and celebrates the essence of Freddie Mercury. His vocal range is dynamic and robust, he's great at belting and hitting those tough high notes that enable him to sing most of the difficult Queen songs pretty flawlessly. Lambert has the flamboyant rock-star energy of Mercury and works very well with rock ‘n’ roll legends Brian May and Roger Taylor. 

For being in their 70's, May and Taylor show no signs of slowing down. May plays the guitar with enormous charismatic energy and Roger's drumming rhythm is top-notch. May and Taylor are commanding presences, each getting solo time on stage. May also played an acoustic rendition of “Love of My Life” which featured a touching and surprising cameo from Mercury. While Taylor gave a wonderful rendition of David Bowie’s part during “Under Pressure.” 

The band spared no expense to the show's production, every song featured interesting special effects and set pieces. Lambert emerged from underneath the stage on a motorcycle for “Bicycle Race," for "A Kind of Magic" May magically shot fireballs out of his guitar, and we were treated to a mesmerizing and euphoric light display during "Who Wants to Live Forever." Queen's music is timeless, their catalog features an enormous array of anthems that are still popular to this day. The band performed all the big hits including "Another One Bites the Dust," "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love." Tributes to Mercury's legacy were also placed throughout the show. For one of their most iconic song "Bohemian Rhapsody,” the band disappeared into the darkness as the music video of the iconic operatic passage appeared through the screens. His vocals were also trinkled inbetween songs, a touching reminder of the iconic career Mercury left behind. 

Fittingly Queen + Adam Lambert ended their set with an encore performance of "We Will Rock You," "Radio Ga Ga" and "We Are the Champions." It's hard to believe it's been more than 10 years since Adam Lambert joined as the frontman, he has become a vital part in helping May and Roger keep Freddie Mercury and Queen's legacy alive and thriving. 

Music rang through the venue as the curtains went down revealing a decorative and elaborate stage adorned with flowers, an homage to the tropical visuals of the album. Musicians and dancers filled the stage one by one vibing to the music. Monáe made her grand entrance last to the track "Float," wearing a flower outfit similar to the iconic flower outfit Florence Pugh wore from Midsommar. This is not the first time Monáe has worn the outfit, she wore a similar outfit when she hosted the Oscars in 2020. The setlist included a nice variety of all her projects and was split into 5 chapters: A Thousand Versions of the Self, Now or Never, (T)high Vibration, Paradise Found and Surfing on the Sun. The beginning focused on her newest project as she performed the bold and in-your-face track song "Champagne Shit and "Haute. Rapper Doechii made a surprise appearance for their duet "Phenomenal."

Monáe's a natural performer, she's very charming and cheeky. Similarly, her music is a reflection of her personality. It's fun and pushes the boundaries of self-love and sexuality in a unique way. The night was all about having a good time as Monáe invited fans up on stage to dance to the tune "Paid in Pleasure."

The show felt very theatrical, with interesting choreography and costume changes. One of the biggest highlights of the night was when she performed "Pynk." She and her backup dancers wore pink pants that, when opened, reveal layers of ruffles that mirror vaginas - a nod to the music video for the song. The unforgettable guitar riff of "Make Me Feel" vibrated through the venue as Monáe' delighted us with her funky dance moves and powerful high notes. All night Monáe energy was never ending, dancing and signing with every beat. A triumphant end to her tour.

Going from a fictionalized band in a telenovela to a record-breaking musical act is a one-of-a-kind phenomenon. RBD was formed from Televisa's telenovela Rebelde, which ran from 2004 to 2006. The group is composed of Anahí, Dulce María, Maite Perroni, Christopher von Uckermann, Alfonso Herrera and Christian Chávez. RBD smashed all expectations in the early 2000s becoming one of the most influential Latin pop acts to come from Mexico. The disbandment of the band in 2009 crushed the hearts of fans from around the world as many of us grew up listening to and seeing them on our television screens. Now more than a decade later, the group (with the exception of Alfonso Herrera) has reunited for a one-off tour titled Soy Rebelde Tour. The announcement sent excitement through their fandom and most of their dates sold out in minutes.

The night began with the band descending from the top of the stage to the dance track "Tras de Mí." The fans' enthusiasm was deafening, the whole venue vibrated with applause and chants. "Bienvenidos una vez más al Elite Way School" screamed Christian Chávez -- welcoming everyone to a night of pure pop nostalgia. It was a real treat to see the band perform all their popular hits from across the years for the first time in 15 years. The set began with the high-energy "Un Poco de Tu Amor," followed by their new single released in August "Cerquita de ti" and the fan-favorite "Aún Hay Algo." The band had the biggest smiles on their faces as the crowd sang along to each and every song. This was followed by a fun medley from the women of the group (Anahí, Dulce María and Maite Perroni) who harmonized to the mix of "Así Soy Yo," "Cuando El Amor Se Acaba," and "Fuego." The chemistry and love between the three was sweet to see. The men also took a turn to entertain the crowd to the songs "Futuro Ex-Novio" and "Qué Fue del Amor"

The band did exciting solo performances through the night. Uckermann performed the romantic piano ballad "Inalcanzable," dressed in a pink charro outfit Chávez performed "Tu Amor," fittingly Dulce Maria sang her solo ballad "No Pares" from Live in Hollywood, Perroni entertained the crowd with a fun dance to "Empezar Desde Cero" and Anahí ended with one of the most beloved songs from their catalog "Sálvame." Each used their time to say thanks for the support through the years and to preach about peace and love. RBD had one of the biggest fan bases in the early 2000s, their fans would go crazy with every project they did. It's nice to see them embracing that era in their life on stage in front of people who idolized them.

Their two hours and a half set went by in a flash. And as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Dramatic music rang through the stadium as the iconic red uniform blazers from the telenovela appeared on stage. The band teased the crowd with a choreographed dance as they put the infamous jacket on. The iconic titular track "Rebelde" was saved for last. Not a dry eye in sight as the performance ended with a sweet montage of the band's career through the years. A fitting end to the reunion tour.

Opening for Joji that night were rappers SavageRealm, Lil Toe (Ammo), and DJ Kenny Beats who helped rile up the crowd with their anthemic music and fun personalities. Joji began his set in dramatic fashion appearing on the venue’s screens next to a banner of his show teasing his arrival. Joji opened the night with "Sanctuary'' standing on top of high columns in the middle of the stage alongside his band. These columns were LCD screens that created a cinematic ambience to the night. 

Joji's set list consisted of a mix of all his albums (Ballads 1, Nectar, Smithereens) and mixtape (In Tongues). It's easy to connect to the music as it's filled with relatable topics of love and heartbreak. The whole crowd was singing along to every lyric with emotion - especially on the catchy tracks like "YEAH RIGHT" or tender ballads like "Like You Do."

Joji’s personality shined all night as he blended his love of comedy and music. This setlist included small skits – like Joji going on his pee break and SavageRealm (who did double duty by opening and DJing Joji's set) sharing his favorite viral videos. The chemistry between Joji and SavageRealm was entertaining to watch as they bickered and cracked jokes through the night. 

Towards the end of the night Joji took another pee break and came back with his team as the DJs group Yebi Labs. The atmosphere was club-like as they played electronic mashups of his music while hyping with the crowd. Joji used this time to sign autographs and throw items to the crowd. After the DJ set Joji returned for chilling performances of “Die for You,” “Like You Do” and “Gimme Love.” His voice is soft yet powerful. The inclusion of having a full band on stage also helped create a more dynamic sound. He ended his set with “Glimpse of Us, ” the perfect song to end as this song is his first single to debut in the top 10 of the US Billboard Hot 100.

Set List:

Sanctuary

YEAH RIGHT

NIGHT RIDER

Will He

Daylight

YUKON (INTERLUDE)

Pretty Boy

worldstar money (interlude)

I Don't Wanna Waste My Time

Attention

Ew

Die for You

Like You Do

Afterthought

Can't Get Over You

Plastic Taste

Gimme Love

Encore:

Slow Dancing in the Dark

Glimpse of Us

Arctic Monkeys began the night with dark "Sculptures of Anthing Goes" the perfect introduction to the world of The Car. As the years have gone on, Arctic Monkeys have truly embraced their love for orchestral rock and jazz, focusing all their energy on their dynamic sound.

Frontman Alex Turner is a confident leader, guiding and guiding his bandmates like an orchestral conductor through the melodies of each track. He treated fans to his expansive vocal range from whispery to vibrant high tones. Turner also never stood still the entire night -- playing the guitar all night and dabbling at the piano during "505." He did it all.  

The setlist was surprisingly expansive. Hearing their spin on new tracks like "Body Paint" and "There'd Better Be a Mirrorball" was a real treat. It's often difficult to seamlessly blend upbeat hits with their more mellow tracks, but Arctic Monkeys figured out the perfect formula - using dynamic guitar riffs and drum beats. The band are true musicians, highlighting the music and delivering great harmonies. The band's most popular album AM got the most attention for the night, as they played 5 tracks from the album including "Snap Out of It," "Why'd You Only Call Me When You're High?, "Arabella" "Do I Wanna Know?" and finishing their set with "R U Mine?"