Devilpalooza, ASU's biggest annual festival, felt a little different this year — with diverse music from multiple genres, the event encapsulated the essence of Arizona's music scene.
Thousands of students took to the Sun Devil Fitness Complex fields Saturday to see headliner Tinashe, the multiplatinum singer, songwriter and dancer. Many also left with a new favorite local artist.
The festival, hosted by the Programming and Activities Board, brings premier artists to Tempe for Sun Devils to party together under the stars.
This year featured a lineup that might've felt mismatched at first, but paid off for its unexpectedness. Each act had something unique to offer and supported the others in building hype for Tinashe's performance.
In a world full of EDM festivals, it was refreshing to see various genres celebrated. Elisabet Cortez, a sophomore studying secondary education, said the crowd was much more receptive to new music than last year.
Some students enjoyed the sets from the vantage point on top of the Ferris wheel, while others danced right up against the barricade. PAB also provided food trucks, activities, giveaways and more.
After winning Battle of the Bands, My Upside Down brought emo pop-punk to the Devilpalooza stage.
The band drew in students as the event began and set the scene for those arriving.
Covers of Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance had Sun Devils reminiscing and singing along. My Upside Down paid homage to bands they find influential, while adding an original twist on emo.
LISTEN HERE: State Press Play: The My Upside Down episode
After some confusion regarding what genre they actually are, three-piece band Belgium Tree took the stage.
The Arizona-based trio is made up of Dace Santa Cruz, Keanu Klepfer and Jhasiel Mora. They experiment with electronic, hip hop, pop, rock and indie to create music that Mora described as "charcuterie."
"If you put all of music on a landscape, we still don't fully fit anywhere," Klpefer said.
Belgium Tree called this their "redemption show" at ASU after performing once before with AMP. They brought a playful energy that felt ironic yet extremely serious at the same time.
READ MORE: 'Art, music and poetry': AMP bridges gap between ASU, the local music scene
The trio prepared their setlist by adding songs they knew students would enjoy, with high-energy pop and samples of "Clarity" and Tate McRae. Santa Cruz added that his preparation was eating an entire box of toaster strudels.
"It's hard to find a bill that makes sense to put us in," Santa Cruz said. "But that's kind of an awesome thing, and the fact that Devilpalooza is leaning into it is very, very crazy."
After joking about getting booed, Belgium Tree's set culminated in the crowd chanting for one more song.
"It was very, very eccentric, very outgoing and perfect for the college life," Cortez said.
As the sun set, Phoenix-based DJ Javin brought energy with house remixes of beloved songs.
"I love DJ Javin because, usually, when I hear DJs, there's not much Latino music," said Maya Hill, a freshman studying communication, said. "I love that (DJ Javin) included some of that, because it was really fun to hear different a language."
Javin's DJ set was universally palatable. The music represented all elements of pop with fun and upbeat remixes that got the crowd moving.
Throughout the night, attendees also stopped by the silent disco to check out 11 ASU student DJs in between sets.
The silent disco offered three options for students to toggle between and choose which DJ matched their vibe. Some offered dubstep or techno, while others played Drake or traditional house beats.
Sparky even got behind the DJ booth and could be found joining students on the dance floor. The silent disco gave students a sample of ASU EDM, representing new and experienced DJs.
After much anticipation, Sun Devils rushed toward the stage to watch Tinashe.
"She was an amazing performer," Hill said. "She really knew how to get the crowd pumped up and hype."
Tinashe's setlist was the pinnacle of pop music and sensual R&B. She found some moments to bring the energy down, but captivated Sun Devils with performances of her hit songs "No Broke Boys" and "Nasty."
Tinashe's music showcased her signature dreamy instrumentals as well as noteworthy vocal performances. Her confident energy felt right at home at ASU and seemed to resonate with Sun Devils.
"I really like the diversity, because it was really something for everyone," Hill said. "Even if (someone) didn't really like crowded spaces, they could go to the silent DJ, or there's different alternative indie music that is not really heard much on big stages."
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Senna James and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at ajanusee@asu.edu and follow @lexijanusee on X.
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Lexi Janusee is in her second semester with the State Press. She is a freshman studying Journalism and Mass Communications with a minor in Theatre. Lexi also works for Blaze Radio, and is an on-air host for Open Mic.
