SXSW Queens We Loved

Every year, for just short of a week, Austin, TX transforms into a musical wonderland that attracts numbers in the tens of thousands. This eargasm is known to the music masses as South by Southwest (SXSW). The buzz that was #SXSW14 has finally simmered and we are still reeling from its awesomeness.

A few of our favorite female artists graced many of the SXSW stages for performances that will not soon be forgotten. Here are some accounts of the music magic in case you missed it.

Erykah Badu at The FADER FORT

The queen of neo-soul delivered a fiery performance that sent both the crowd and the Internet aflame. Badu performed “The Healer”, a more recent hit from her 2008 album “New Amerykah Part One” that had the crowd vibing and singing along. Ms. Badu also jumped in on FADER FORT final-night headliner Rick Ross’ set to perform  “Maybach Music III”, while adding a soulful flair to the track. Check out Badu’s performance in the video below.

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SZA at iTunes Festival

TDE’s newest member, SZA (pronounced “sih-zah”), has been building her fanbase during SXSW. The hipster-cool artist on Kendrick Lamar’s team jumped into sets alongside labelmates like ScHoolboyQ and Isaiah Rashad. During the iTunes Festival, SZA joined Kendrick for a crowd-pleasing “B*itch Don’t Kill My Vibe” performance. After seeing this New Jersey-bred singer belt out improv notes on stage with top male artists (and slightly stealing the show), we highly recommend you begin listening to her now. SZA is destined to be big.

 

 Kelis at NPR’s Music Showcase

Miss “Milkshake” made a perfect comeback at this year’s SXSW festival by putting on a performance that embodied a brand new Kelis. After cruising the streets in her very own food truck, Kelis hit the stage to perform her new single “Breakfast” for an eager audience at iconic Austin music venue, Stubb’s. The performance (and the food truck delectables) received rave reviews.  No matter what Kelis was serving this year at SXSW, we wanted a second helping.