BST Hyde Park announces full line-up for SZA headline show

American Express presents BST Hyde Park is excited to welcome phenomenal, groundbreaking, genre-bending artist SZA on Saturday 29 June. The full line-up for the first Saturday of BST Hyde Park’s three weekends has been revealed: including Elmiene, No Guidnce, Sekou, Hope Tala, Fabiana Palladino, Nia Smith, and Jessy Blakemore. They join previously announced special guests Sampha and Snoh Aalegra. Tickets on sale now, available at www.bst-hydepark.com

With a voice that’s truly undeniable, Elmiene has been called on for his sweetly soulful style ever since his monumental debut - where his first single ‘Golden’ went on to form the soundtrack of Virgil Abloh’s final show for Louis Vuitton, taking on an entirely new cultural gravitas. Since then, Elmiene has graced Lil Silva’s critically-acclaimed Yesterday Is Heavy project and Stormzy’s This Is What I Mean, and released his debut EP EL-MEAN, produced in part by cult British folk-soul artist Jamie Woon. His current EP Marking My Time sees his impressive pool expand further, with collaborations from Sampha, Jim-E Stack, BADBADNOTGOOD, James Vincent McMorrow and more. Elmiene’s sound resurrects the theatrics and vocal chops of old-school R&B, with a refreshingly modern production prism of jagged synths, metallic chords and soaring strings, he manages to create something entirely new and compelling.

Emerging stars No Guidnce are resurrecting the golden age of R&B. London’s newest prodigal boy band released their first EP Is It A Crime? just last year, after going viral on TikTok and catching the attention of artists like Anderson .Paak, Labrinth and more. No Guidnce has mastered the art of sounding timeless - and they’re bringing that sound to BST Hyde Park for the very first time.

Expect the unexpected with breakout artist Sekou. In 2023, his anticipated single 'Better Man' debuted at BBC Introducing's tent at Glastonbury, showcasing his vocal range and heartfelt songwriting. Following the song’s success, Sekou released the up-tempo track 'Forgiving Myself,' demonstrating his artistic breadth. After selling out a headline show at London's Outernet, he released his debut EP, Out of Mind, solidifying his rising star status in the UK music scene.

Also announced today are hypnotic vocalist Hope Tala, pop-star-in-the-making Fabiana Palladino, soulful storyteller Nia Smith, and “hood folk” artist Jessy Blakemore.

A distinct force in contemporary R&B, SZA has set herself apart with a vulnerable and casually poetic songwriting style and a voice conveying a multitude of emotions with subtle twists and turns. She established herself with a trio of spaced-out EPs and collaborations with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna, and continued her ascent with Ctrl (2017), a Top Ten album that resulted in five Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. These accolades proved to be no fluke, as SZA earned almost as many Grammy nominations the next year by assisting Kendrick Lamar with ‘All the Stars’, a Top Ten hit, only one in a slew of platinum singles she has scored as a headliner or featured artist. Her rich and complex second album, SOS (2022), went straight to No.1 on the Billboard 200, produced four Top Ten pop singles – including the chart-topping revenge fantasy ‘Kill Bill’ – and earned the artist three Grammy awards. On 2 March, SZA was also crowned ‘International Artist of the Year’ at the BRIT Awards 2024.

Last June, as part of her international SOS tour, SZA performed four back-to-back nights at London's O2 Arena, as well as nights in Glasgow and Manchester, to an incredible critical reception, with many highlighting SZA’s vocals and the stunning set design. Now, the acclaimed US R&B superstar is making a triumphant return to the capital for her BST Hyde Park debut, and we are counting down the days…

Sampha and Snoh Aalegra are also announced for this unparalleled show. From UK breakout star to global icon, Sampha has left an indelible mark on contemporary culture. The south London singer, songwriter, and producer boasts a career marked by era-defining records like the breakthrough Dual EP (2013) and the Mercury Music Prize-winning debut album Process (2017). He’s equally known for collaborations with artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Drake, Solange, Frank Ocean, and Alicia Keys.

Iranian Swedish-born singer Snoh Aalegra, celebrated for her soulful sound influenced by icons like Stevie Wonder and Whitney Houston, has garnered multiple GRAMMY nominations. Mentored by Prince for two years, she has collaborated with music heavyweights like Drake and Common. Her album - Ugh, those feels again debuted as the #1 R&B album on iTunes, earning critical acclaim for exploring themes of self-love, independence, and hopefulness.

The lineup for American Express presents BST Hyde Park 2024 is set to be truly spectacular, with headliners SZA (29 June), Kings of Leon (30 June), Morgan Wallen (4 July), Andrea Bocelli (5 July), Robbie Williams (6 July), Shania Twain (7 July), Stevie Nicks (12 July), Kylie (13 July) and Stray Kids (14 July), with the full line up for each day to be announced, and All Things Orchestral on 28 June