Predicting ACL 2019: Shazam

The idea for this post popped into my head one day when I was trying to get into the brain of the two ladies who handle most of the ACL booking.  Where do they find out about the next big band?  How do they spot Twenty-One Pilots in 2015 or Maren Morris in 2016, before either of those had really hit the big time?  I know they have contacts with loads of agents and Live Nation and all of that, so there are many that are likely fed to them through those channels, but if someone wanted to figure out what is hot right now in music, seems like Shazam is the right spot.

If you don't know what Shazam is, we are talking about an app you can put on your phone that will identify whatever song is playing within a few seconds of listening.  Its kind of amazing.  So, if you are in the car or in a restaurant or at a party, and you hear a song that slaps, and you want to know what it is, you just fire up the app and let it listen for a little bit and it will tell you what is up.  I probably use it about 5 times a year, usually for some killer indie rap song playing on KUTX.  Then Shazam keeps that data to create Top 100 lists for different locations, so you can pretty easily see what the new hot shit is out there in the wild.

Right now, here is the top ten for all of the United States:

1. Lil Nas X - Old Town Road.
2. Lil Peep & ILoveMakonnen with Fall Out Boy - I've Been Waiting
3. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
4. Post Malone - Wow.
5. Lauren Daigle - You Say.
6. J. Cole - Middle Child.
7. 50 Cent - I'm The Man (Remix)
8. Mustard & Migos - Pure Water.
9. Sam Smith & Normani - Dancing With a Stranger.
10. Khalid & Disclosure - Talk.

Huh.  Who knew that Fiddy was still out there making music?!  Also, if those are artists on our poster, then I'm screwed.  Shazam might skew a little too young for the crowd that I am expecting at ACL.  This might be a better gauge for the I Heart Radio festival or something.  Let's look at Austin-only.

1. Lil Nas X - Old Town Road.
2. Lil Peep & ILoveMakonnen with Fall Out Boy - I've Been Waiting
3. Dean Lewis - Be Alright
4. Post Malone - Wow.
5. Kiana Lede - Ex.
6. SHAED - Trampoline.
7. 50 Cent - I'm The Man (Remix)
8. Halsey - Without Me.
9. Post Malone & Swae Lee - Sunflower.
10. Khalid & Disclosure - Talk.

What in the hell are these things?  At least Austin has Vampire Weekend at #20 right now, Tame Impala at #27, and Lizzo at #42.  We aren't all pop hounds.

Also, it looks like the data can be manipulated somewhat, as there are famous people on Shazam with blue checkmarks, and you can follow them to see what music they are Shazam-ing.  Trying to make this a social thing...  And of the top several, Ariana Grande is Shazaming herself, Halsey is Shazaming herself, and Camila Cabello is Shazaming her track with Machine Gun Kelly.  So they are padding their own stats.  Post Malone recently Shazamed Green Day's "Basket Case," which is cool in that he was interested in that track, but sad that he didn't already know what it was.

Buuuuuuuut, what does this mean?  I'll look at some of these artists, but there is no way that I believe all of these pop ass things are going to be named to the ACL poster.

• Lil Nas X.  The only reason I first heard of this guy is that some Texas Tech students were jamming this song after the flipped over a car in Lubbock and were dancing on it to this song.  In the video, everyone there knew the words to this bum ass song that I had never even heard before.  Then I heard more about it because of Billboard yanking it from the country chart and Billy Ray Cyrus appearing on a remix (because everything is hell now).  As far as I can tell, this guy is not touring because he is a viral sensation who doesn't even have an actual album.  No.  Also, because the world is terrible, my eight year old literally sang this song this morning as she got ready for school, using a heavy Texas twang as she sang along.  Death.
• Lil Peep.  Super no.  Dude is dead.  I just read a whole article about his death in Rolling Stone - very sad stuff.  Also, ILoveMakonnen has zero tour dates on his calendar, so he's not coming.  (also, this song sucks ass.  I just tried it and its horrible).
• Dean Lewis.  Also not familiar with this guy.  But, he's playing Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, and Lolla Germany.  Huh.  His touring is over by Sept. 8, so sure, I'm going to say he's on the ACL poster.  Love me some Dan Lewton.  Yes.
• Post Malone - Probably.  Already ran through this one for the International Lolla discussion.  He played real Lolla last year, is playing International Lollas this year, no Texas dates this year on his tour, and his tour peters out in late August.  Feels legit.  Yes.
• Lauren Daigle.  Another I've never heard of.  But, she has shows that could fit ACL perfectly into the space, with a stop in Tulsa, OK on the Friday of first weekend, then a date in Southaven, MS on the Thursday before weekend two.  So that would put her in the "area" right around the time she could show up here for Sunday shows at both weekends.  I'm trying out her top single right now and its not bad.  Sort of sounds like a song from The Greatest Showman or something.  Sure, I'll go with yes.
• J. Cole.  Nah.  Playing San Antonio in August, then has Canadian dates for his tour on each night of weekend one, then in Boston for weekend two.
• 50 Cent.  I mean, how does he have a top ten song right now?  Huh, even weirder, that track is from 2016?  Maybe they used it in a commercial or movie or something that people are seeing and Shazaming?  Only one show is listed online, and its a June show with Snoop and Ludacris.  Not coming to ACL.  No.
• Halsey.  She only has two shows on her schedule, end of May and start of June, so I have no reason to think that she is going to tour or show up in Austin.  No.
• Disclosure.  Playing Red Rocks in May, which would be pretty sweet.  Tour dies out in mid-August after a bunch of minor festival shows.  I see no reason to expect them here.  No.
• SHAED.  Normally, I'd say what the hell is this and no, but they are playing Lolla, so I bet they are coming to Austin as well.  What if this is one of the bands that supports my theory from last year that the radio stations get notice of the lineup and start playing the artists early to hype people up about the poster?  Makes sense, people have never heard this, but Austin radio is just starting to pimp it, so they are using Shazam to find the artist, but this song isn't in the top ten nationally because only Austin radio stations are pimping it.  I'VE SOLVED THE ALGORITHM!!! Anyway, I'll go with yes.
• Kiana Lede.  But then this one comes along, and the same could be said for her, she is in the Austin list but not the national list, but she isn't playing Lolla and no tour stops after May.  Going to go with no on her.

So, let's see - I think Post Malone, Dean Lewis, Lauren Daigle, and SHAED are going to come, out of this method for hunting for artists.  That would be one top 15 artists and then a handful of others below the fold.  So, meh.