On Thursday night in Brooklyn, all the young rock fans were tucked under the Kosciuszko Bridge watching Turnstile’s new album release show. On Saturday, swarms of Gen Zers came to see Olivia Rodrigo headline Governors Ball in Queens. I can’t attest to how much overlap there was in the crowds, but even if the audiences were diametrically different, the message was similar: guitar music is alive with the kids.Rodrigo doesn’t fall into the same category as Turnstile, of course, nor would many argue she’s the heir to Gov Ball rock alumni like The Killers, The Strokes, or Jack White. Her performance was arguably closer to them, however, than Lizzo, Billie Eilish, or other pop acts who have topped the fest’s bill.
Headlining her first major US festival and the first of the new-gen “pop girlies” to be booked in such a slot (Sabrina Carpenter headlined Outside Lands 2024, but as a fill-in for Tyler, the Creator after her spring/summer “Espresso” explosion), the Sour superstar exemplified the modern form of the festival headliner. She’s booked a number of similar spots around the world all summer, from Lollapalooza to Glastonbury. While it’s not the sort of billing that portends a night of head-banging, old-heads disgruntled at the lack of rock acts closing out multi-genre festivals have reason to be encouraged.
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Related VideoWhere your typical pop headline will bring elaborate stage constructions and/or intricate dance routines, Rodrigo brought a full band and pyro. Her set mirrored any number of classic rock acts: two ramps on either side of the stage, and a runway into the crowd. On “love is embarrassing,” she was joined by her two guitarists and bassist at the front, and they traded off taking post on those ramps, running about and screaming towards the hyped-up crowd.
Yes, it was all quite choreographed, but plenty of rock bands have the same pre-determined positions. Besides, as a nominal pop star putting on rock aesthetics, Rodrigo leaning into this simple yet trademark iconography still earns respect.Olivia Rodrigo, photo by Ben Kaye
And as a rock star, Rodrigo ate. Crawling towards her guitarist on “pretty isn’t pretty,” basking in the solo; strapping on an axe herself during opener “obsessed” as fireworks exploded behind her. When she came out for the encore with “brutal,” it turned into a metal show, all pummeling riffs and screens filled with flames.
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She ate as a pop star, too, to be fair. Her banter was sweet and sincere (“I kinda think of my life as before and after this song, which is kinda crazy,” she said before “drivers license”), and softer turns like “traitor” saw her taking center stage with an acoustic guitar.
The big moment for older attendees was the arrival of David Byrne toward the end of the main set. Dressed in red overalls to match Rodrigo’s own two-piece look, the New York City icon and the young starlet did a duet of Talking Heads’ “Burning Down the House.” She clearly was getting a kick out of the kooky, Byrne-ian choreo, and even if a large portion of nearby youth was confused by the elder musician’s presence, it all added to Rodrigo’s bona fides.
The lasting impression was that of a rock musician — more No Doubt Gwen Stefani than Love. Angel. Music. Baby. No one is going to confuse Rodrigo with Joan Jett or Karen O or a Deal sibling, but perhaps she’s not far off from a Hayley Williams. Williams, incidentally, made a guest appearance at that Turnstile show on Thursday. And while we’re talking about it, Rodrigo had The Breeders open for her previous four-night headlining stint at Madison Square Garden. That kind of nod to alternative rock canon shows Rodrigo is not just borrowing rock aesthetics — she’s actively curating a rock-forward experience for her fans.
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For an older generation of fans, maybe seeing Olivia Rodrigo headlining so many bills this year is another sign of the landscape shifting away from the festival experience they grew up on. That’s not invalid, but in a time when Turnstile is being championed for turning kids onto guitar music again, then an act like Olivia Rodrigo bringing her pop version of rock to the masses like this deserves flowers as well.
Maybe in another generation, the major festival rock headliners will be owing their inspiration to her — the pop star who performed like a rock star.
See a full photo gallery of Olivia Rodrigo’s Governors Ball headlining performance below.

Chappell Roan performed a thrilling rendition of Heart’s “Barracuda” during her headlining set at Primavera Sound in Barcelona on Saturday night. Watch the replay below.Just after singing “HOT TO GO!” Roan launched into her cover of the classic rock track. The Midwest Princess has covered “Barracuda” before, including at Austin City Limits 2024 during her last tour, describing it as one of her favorite songs. The rest of her set at Primavera Sound included performances of “Naked in Manhattan,” “After Midnight,” and “My Kink is Karma,” before she closed out with “Pink Pony Club.”
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Chappell is back on tour this August, playing the festival circuit across Europe and the UK (get tickets here). As of now, her final show of the year is this November, headlining Corona Capital in Mexico City.
Related VideoChappell Roan released her debut album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in 2023. Since then, she’s followed it up with the Grammy-nominated “Good Luck, Babe!” and the country influenced Song of the Week pick “The Giver.”
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Earlier this year, she won the Grammy for Best New Artist, and used her speech to make an impassioned plea for label heads to pay artists livable wages and provide access to healthcare.
Meanwhile, Heart just kicked off their own tour across North America running through the end of summer. Get tickets here. And listen to Nancy Wilson break down the origins of “Barracuda” during a recent appearance on The Story Behind the Song.chappell roan performing a cover of ‘barracuda’ by heart at primavera sound barcelona pic.twitter.com/SX3RVmP9m5— best of chappell roan (@bestofchappell) June 7, 2025

During Air’s set at We Love Green Festival in Paris on Saturday, the French electronic pop duo brought out special guest and superfan Charli XCX to perform their Talkie Walkie track “Cherry Blossom Girl.”Charli joined Air on stage to sing vocals on their psychedelic track, framed by a neon green LED display reminiscent of the chartreuse from her brat album artwork. Later that night, she expressed her gratitude on Twitter, writing, “Dreams come true

Olivia Rodrigo burned down Governors Ball with the help of David Byrne. During her Saturday night headlining set at the New York City music festival, the pop star brought out the legendary Talking Heads frontman to perform “Burning Down the House.” Byrne wore red overalls to match Rodrigo’s red top and pants, and it was clear the two had rehearsed made a point to rehearse their choreography before the show. Watch footage of the performance below.Rodrigo will spend the summer on the festival circuit (get tickets here). Byrne, meanwhile, recent joined TikTok to preview new music.
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Jared Leto was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in a report published by Air Mail on Saturday. Nine women, including model Laura La Rue, shared their alleged experiences with Leto dating back to 2006 in interviews with Air Mail senior editor Elena Clavarino. The accusations range from inappropriate text messages with underage girls to incidents where Leto allegedly exposed himself to a 17-year-old girl and an performed an explicit act in front of an 18-year-old. Leto’s behavior has “been an open secret for a long time,” one of the woman told Clavarino.In a statement to Air Mail, a representative for Leto “expressly” denied all of the allegations. You can read Air Mail’s full report here.

Here’s a fun piece of trivia: Until his current tour, Bruce Springsteen had never played a concert in Liverpool, England. So it was only fitting that when he and the E Street Band finally took the stage at Anfield on Saturday, they were welcomed by one of Liverpool’s most beloved sons — none other than Paul McCartney.McCartney made a surprise appearance during the concert’s encore, joining Springsteen and co. for renditions of The Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love” and Little Willie Littlefield’s “Kansas City.” Watch fan captured footage below.
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McCartney’s cameo wasn’t entirely unexpected; just the day before, he and Springsteen spent time meeting with students at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).
Springsteen and McCartney have shared the stage many times over the years — including during Macca’s headlining set at Glastonbury in 2022, when The Boss joined him for performances of “Glory Days” and “I Wanna Be Your Man.”
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