ACL headliner deep cuts to listen to after the set

Music festivals are notorious for being poor places to see artists if one is attempting to fully immerse themselves in an artist’s discography. With set times ranging from 45 minutes to an hour, it limits performances to headliners’ biggest hits. The Daily Texan compiled a list of tracks from this year’s headliners to listen to after the set.

Charli xcx – Superlove

Released in 2013, the single highlights the BRAT singer’s age at the time. Freshly 21 years old, the 3 minute, 13 second song is deliciously sweet, oscillating between bubblegum pop and a lighter indie sleaze. Clearly not having found the distinctive dirty synths and thrumming bass in the singer’s most recent work, young Charli is reminiscent of MARINA’s Electra Heart, released one year prior.

Kings of Leon – Trunk 

Crooning, dark and somewhat hazy, “Trunk” off of the 2007 album Because of the Times echoes within a chamber. Reminiscent of the 1990 track “She Hangs Brightly” by Mazzy Star, the song’s a strict departure from the indie rock sound found on previously released hits “Sex on Fire” and “Use Somebody.” 

Skrillex – Stranger (with KillaGraham and Sam Dew) 

Armed with a halfway-shaved scalp, long black hair and thick black-framed glasses, Skrillex gave the world a first taste of his creations in his 2014 album Recess. The concise bass and divisive beat drop is both irritating and oddly stimulating, like an aggressive and beefier “Xtal” by Aphex Twin, which was released in 1992. 

Twenty One Pilots – Migraine 

A mixture of Imogen Heap and Simon and Garfunkel, this funky track transitions abruptly from a harmonizing bridge to an upbeat lyrical debacle. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun seek footing and deftly find it within this experimental track, no doubt a building block towards their breakout album Blurryface.

Lorde – Leader of a New Regime

Fresh off of her excursion to the cold and relentless continent of Antarctica, Lorde conceived the warm and welcoming album Solar Power, full of songs radiating happiness and radical acceptance. That choice struggled to find favor with fans who found connection and relatability in the previously released coming-of-age albums Pure Heroine and Melodrama. Nevertheless, “Leader of a New Regime” strikes a chord, despite the 1minute, 33 second length.

RÜFÜS DU SOL – Treat You Better 

Uplifting and energetic, this 4 minute, 33 second track is shorter than RÜFÜS DU SOL’s biggest hit “Innerbloom,” yet it packs the same punch. Exciting yet tranquil, the song demands one thing — to “Treat You Better,” and the invigorating synths and rhythmic bass do exactly that.  

The xx – Lips 

An angelic opening transitions into a whirring and harmonic chorus, leaving listeners haunted in the track off of the 2017 album I See You. Propelled into darkness and intrigue, the 3 minute, 20 second track closely resembles the xx’s breakout album xx. 

​