Bonnaroo 2023 Artist Spotlight: paris jackson

Bonnaroo Artist | paris jackson
Bonnaroo History | Newbie
Stage & Time | Saturday | Toyota Music Den (Plaza 2) | 2:00-2:45pm || Sunday | This Tent | 12:45-1:30pm

Like we’ve been doing for many years now, we’re making it our mission to help you get acquainted with many of our favorite acts from Bonnaroo‘s 2023 lineup. After roaring back to life last summer, after two years off due to Covid and weather, this year marks Bonnaroo’s 20th installment (and 22nd anniversary), boasting not only another great and varied lineup, but also more changes and improvements then we’ve seen in years, with more flexibility in ticketing and camping, a reimagined “Outeroo” campground area, new activations, and further new ways to Roo. Back once again in its usual June 15-18 timeframe, we’re counting down the days until another great weekend on the farm.

As we dig through the entire schedule, we’ll highlight a spread of performers spanning across genres and stages, big and small, new and old, to bring you some of the most interesting, lesser-known, and most highly-recommended among this year’s crop of artists. And as our time at ‘Roo approaches, we’ll also be bringing you some special features and full list-style daily lineup guides, to help you plan your weekend ahead of the fest. While these previews won’t span every artist, and might omit some more obvious must-see acts, we hope they’ll serve as a way to help you navigate Bonnaroo’s gargantuan lineup, and to make the most of your busy weekend at the fest!

Grab your tickets right here if you haven’t already, and read on for our Bonnaroo Artist Spotlight!

LEARN

The only daughter of late pop megastar Michael Jackson, actress, model, and singer Paris Jackson (who stylizes her stage name all lowercase for her music) has spent the last several years forging her own path as an artist, finding her own voice and niche in music and entertainment apart from her father’s immense shadow. Only 11 at her father’s sudden passing, Jackson’s teen years were understandably tumultuous, as she battled drug addiction, feelings of depression and suicide, and abuse at the hands of a behavior modification boarding school. Coming out the other side, around the time she turned 18 Paris began to model and then act, landing roles over the years in films like Gringo and Habit, and shows like Scream, American Horror Stories, and recent Donald Glover project Swarm. Her first professional foray into music came when she formed duo The Soundflowers with singer-songwriter Gabriel Glenn, but not long after Jackson inked a deal with Republic and began to release music as a solo artist, beginning with her first single, “let down,” in 2020, and her debut album, wilted, soon after. Produced and written with composer and Manchester Orchestra frontman Andy Hull (who has appeared on her songs, as has his beloved indie rock group), the LP adopts a distinctly indie folk and pop ethos, with echos of alt rock in the vein of Radiohead or Cage the Elephant. In the few years since, Paris has continued to appear in the aforementioned acting roles while also performing at fests and on late night television and she further hones her live show, and released another record, the lost ep, last year, in addition to singles like the recent “bandaid,” a more propulsive and atmospheric alt rock tune than some of her earlier work. It is, of course, impossible to escape the legacy of your father when he’s someone as hugely famous and influential (and, unfortunately, infamous) as Michael Jackson, but Paris is an artist who, if you played for us blind, we’d still be big fans of- that artistic taste, talent, and individuality is clearly genetic. And not only can you see her kick off the last day of ‘Roo at This Tent, but you also have a chance to see her in the more intimate Toyota Music Den in Outeroo (the new name for the campgrounds) on Saturday!

WATCH | “Let Down” (Official Video)