Loyolapalooza Headliner: Ravyn Lenae

April 30th, 2026 by Allison Shulman

Review by: Yukesh Aryal (’28)

Loyolapalooza 2026 ended with a total banger this year, and it was all thanks to Ravyn Lenae. She gave her absolute all on that stage, bringing her signature “celestial” presence to our university. As a fan since 2018, this was a peak experience for me, and I honestly don’t think any other concert will ever match. 

The vibe was high from the start. She opened the set with “Sticky,” which was the perfect choice to get everyone’s energy up. From there, she took us on a journey through her whole career, playing everything from her number one hit, “Love Me Not,” all the way back to her 2015 roots with tracks from “Moon Shoes EP.” Seeing the crowd lose it to “Skin Tight” was also a highlight; the atmosphere was so unexpected, and everyone was just vibing and dancing. 

The moment that really got to me, though, was when she started talking about “One Wish.” I’ve always loved that song but hearing her explain the meaning behind it in person about her on-and-off relationship with her dad and how it felt when he missed her 10th birthday made it hit so much harder. You could see the raw emotion on her face, and listening to it live made me so emotional. It felt like she was sharing a real piece of her soul with us. 

She also kept us on our toes by mentioning her new track “Reputation” with Dominic Fike, which I’m already obsessed with. But the real treat was when she performed a completely unreleased song. The beat, the lyrics, the tone; everything about it was perfect. My friends and I were on our feet the entire time, just swaying and soaking it all in. 

Ravyn is such an amazing artist. Her setlist captured everyone’s attention and brought a vibe to the campus that I’ll never forget. If you weren’t there, you truly missed out on something special.