Eminem, Linkin Park, Camila Cabello, Martin Garrix, Muse, A$ap Rocky, David Guetta, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Russ and several more lit up Saudi Arabia, which is putting itself on the map like never before, possibly in the run up to hosting the 2034 FIFA World Cup
Among the currencies that hold global power is cultural currency. Over time, countries have realized the importance of being portrayed through soft power.
If you don’t know what this means, soft power often involves initiatives in culture, arts and entertainment, where a country shows the rest of the world that they can be cool too.
That’s what’s happening in Saudi Arabia, with MDLBeast Soundstorm. The multi-genre festival – now in its fifth edition – is massive like few others in West Asia, reportedly bringing in 700,000 attendees across three days last year. For their 2024 edition — taking place from Dec. 12 to 14, 2024 — headlined by the likes of Eminem, Linkin Park, A$ap Rocky, Camila Cabello, Martin Garrix and more, it reportedly drew 430,000 people across three days.
It also created a new Guinness World Record, for the largest continuous outdoor LED screen (temporary) at the Big Beast mainstage which hosted the likes of Eminem, Muse, Linkin Park, Calvin Harris, A$ap Rocky Camila Cabello and more. This isn’t even the first record that Soundstorm has created, previously setting the record for the tallest stage in 2021 (135 feet and 5 inches) and most flame projections (and highest flame projections) in 2022.
Without a doubt, the massive undertaking to build a venue dedicated to hosting a gigantic music festival itself is unheard of in several other countries (like India). But then again, it’s not worth comparing. Live music performances got the nod in 2016 in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, when public events were allowed after the establishment of the General Entertainment Authority. Soundstorm started in 2019 and has since been the flagship event for MDLBeast, a multi-pronged music company run with the permission of the Kingdom.
With Saudi Arabia now building up to their 2034 FIFA World Cup, it could be argued that cities like Riyadh are opening up culturally for tourists like never before, similar to what happened a few decades ago with Dubai.
Soundstorm was a great example of seeing this integration in action, triumphs, hiccups and everything in between. Taking place in the locality of Banban outside Riyadh, the festival immediately feels larger than life and also seems to prove, that if you have the resources, anything can built from the ground up and attract a huge audience.
Day One: The Biggest Draws
At 6 pm – an hour before festival programming was scheduled to begin – there were already fireworks going off the glitzy festival grounds. Everything’s bright, bold and big. Using an elevated balcony that’s been built specifically for VIB pass holders, the bridge connects festival-goers to different stages and areas. It’s like walking through a city in the desert.
On the balcony, you can get an elevated view of the stage – although not as close to the Big Beast mainstage as the Box ticket holders (another permanent structure built for Soundstorm) – as well as views of their drone light shows. This year, drones flew, changed color and aligned themselves to create a homage to arcade games like pinball and Snake.
The festival had a false start over at the Down Beast stage, though, with a crowd gathered and chanting for American rapper J.I.D, who later posted to his Instagram Stories that he reportedly wasn’t allowed to get on stage.
As Latto and later on, Tems eventually made their way on there, the Big Beast stage was prepping the Riyadh debut of Linkin Park. Straight from a reunion into their new album From Zero and all the controversy their new vocalist Emily Armstrong attracted, Linkin Park wore their vulnerabilities on their sleeve, at least in their songs, from the “Castle of Glass” intro building into “Somewhere I Belong.” Mike Shinoda didn’t stray too far from the playbook when it came to onstage banter. He did however say, “You’ve made it a spectacular trip for us. It’s so warm and everyone’s been so incredible.”
Linkin Park on the Big Beast stage on day one of MDLBeast Soundstorm 2024. Photo: MDLBeast
From new songs like “The Emptiness Machine” to “Burn It Down” and heavier cuts like “Given Up,” “Two Faced” and “One Step Closer,” Linkin Park balanced their discography well with new members clearly becoming more comfortable, as one might have seen in their body language and interactions. Shinoda walked all the way to one end of the stage for “In The End” and asked “How does it start?” while turntablist Joe Hahn got into filmmaker/photographer mode during the set.
With DJ-producer Steve Aoki in attendance (and getting a shoutout from Shinoda), there was a warmth that radiated in their performance, a sign that Linkin Park have settled in well despite the early outcries and are having fun.
As we were ushered out of the media pit upfront, Eminem wasn’t going to give us that kind of access. Out in the VIB section, though, you could see he was drawing the biggest crowd at Soundstorm. Performing as part of three shows in the region – Abu Dhabi and Bahrain were his previous gigs – Eminem had a dedicated merch counter next to a two-level exhibition showcasing his music (complete with his album names written in Arabic).
Famously stepping out of a coffin that’s raised up to the stage with a chainsaw and mask that’s a nod to his latest album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce), Eminem was putting on a macabre spectacle with “Lucifer” and “Kill You” early on.
The other famous part about the set was joking about being “Salim Shady” in West Asia with MC Mr. Porter aka Denaun Porter (part of early D12). About 233,000 were in attendance on day one according to festival sources, so it was no surprise to hear Eminem say it was possibly the biggest crowd he’s ever seen.
Between talk of moving to Riyadh (“Can I sleep on your couch, Riyadh?” Em asked at one point) and banter with Mr. Porter and bringing out the fantastic Skylar Grey for songs like “Stan,” “Love The Way You Lie,” “Temporary” and “The Monster,” Eminem just brought the hits in quick succession.
From blazing through “White America” to gigantic songs like “Sing for the Moment” and “Rap God,” Eminem’s set was a journey down memory lane as well as a reminder that he can still be a top-notch performer (now, if he toured more extensively, there’d be fewer complaints).
Eminem makes an entrance during his headline set at MDLBeast Soundstorm 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: MDLBeast
For the final stretch, there were the hits everyone wanted — “My Name Is,” “Without Me” and “The Real Slim Shady” (a song that still lives in R-rated infamy, now being performed in the otherwise conservative Saudi Arabia – a contrast we didn’t see coming) to “Houdini” and “Not Afraid.” As people shuffled out not expecting much else, he came back out for one last hurrah with “Lose Yourself,” which meant few would have any complaints about this era-spanning setlist.
While EDM star Martin Garrix and Akon were also big draws, it’s safe to say you can’t really catch it all running between stages that are pretty far apart. Other stages like the Dance Tent (more like a massive warehouse) had incredible energy from Gordo, while the UG (underground) stages were packed for the likes of Black Coffee.
Local Arabic acts held their own as well at Soundstorm, from Hassan Abouelrouss’s dance-friendly jams to Kuwait-origin Khaliji act Miami Band playing to a huge crowd at the Down Beast stage.
Day Two: Ragers from A$ap Rocky, Muse and DJ Snake
Lebanese pop star Elissa started off the Big Beast stage, a charming draw with the elegance of a seasoned Arabic pop artist. Over at the Down Beast stage, homegrown hip-hop artist Asayel didn’t get the best opening crowd but she rolled with a swagger. Much later in the night, Marwan Moussa had the same charisma and mystique. They’re among the newer voices representing Saudi Arabia, there’s innovation and freshness that proves that Arabic rap isn’t at all far behind the international standard.
It took a while before A$ap Rocky got on stage, although some of the Soundstorm schedule was running slightly late. Setlists get replaced, and it’s a full half an hour later that Flacko comes on and tells the crowd there were technical difficulties that have plagued the set. From the media pit, however, there’s very little evidence of any issues. It helps that A$ap Rocky – joined by his A$ap Mob members including A$ap Lou – was all energy on stage. Coming on to rage to “Riot (Rowdy Pipe’n)” and “Highjack,” Rocky wasted no time before performing one of his newest hits, “Tailor Swif.” He prefaced it by telling the crowd, “If the Grammys don’t give me the Grammy I need you to boycott that shit.” It’s up for Best Music Video, and he’s hoping he finally clinches the much-elusive Grammy.
A$ap Rocky on stage at MDLBeast Soundstorm 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo: MDLBeast
There were a few surprises that made Rocky’s set top-notch, including the unreleased song “American Sabotage” (which the rapper had a T-shirt for) and a section where he just wanted to rock out to his favorite songs, from Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” to House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” He incited moshpits, and joked a bit about how he didn’t want to rouse the crowd into using any explicit language. At one point, he told A$ap Lou, “If you keep cursing, they’re gonna arrest us.”
Speaking to the crowd in a more direct way just like Eminem did the previous day, there was something endearing about how much Rocky was appreciative, although that emotive side was kind of heard in his mind-melting performance of “Love$ick,” “Sundress” and “L$D.”
He returned to hardcore tunes like “Everyday” and “Wild for the Night.” Especially after that Nirvana homage, he’s proof that rappers are born rockstars. Finishing in just under an hour, Roc
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