Bringing a stripped-down version of her SOS Tour to the grounds outside Dodger Stadium on Sunday night, SZA closed out Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival — the two-day music festival curated by Tyler, the Creator — with a stylish and soulful flourish. The performance was a victory lap of sorts for the singer-songwriter born Solána Imani Rowel, her first since her nine Grammy award nominations, a record this year, were announced on Friday.
Pulling from her critical and commercial 2022 smash album SOS, her 2017 debut CTRL, and various other sources, SZA delivered a captivating performance. She included her 2018 Black Panther soundtrack duet with Kendrick Lamar, “All the Stars,” along with covers of Dojo Cat’s “Kiss Me More” and Drake’s “Rich Baby Daddy.” Her voice was as strong as ever as she writhed in giddy delight, even mounting a silver ball suspended in the air for her rendition of “The Weekend.”
Peering out from the headlining Camp Stage at the sold-out crowd of 40,000, peacefully gathered in the name of good tunes and good vibes, the 34-year-old artist acknowledged the event was much larger than she had imagined in her mind. Its chief creator, Tyler, the Creator, stood similarly in awe just 24 hours before, when he followed his set opener of “Lemonhead” with a heartfelt acknowledgment of gratitude to the fans who’d returned to the event.
“COVID messed things up for us. It didn’t leave a towel, didn’t call to see if we made it home safe, just messed things up. But three years later, y’all still care to come, and this truly means the world to me,” the 32-year-old rapper-producer said before launching back into a raucous performance which involved flame throwers and a junkyard set of stacked auto wrecks.
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Saturday’s festivities included appearances by breakout Ice Spice on the Flog Stage — a spirited set hampered by sound issues — and Kevin Abstract, who wore a T-shirt that said “I Love Someone Who is HIV Positive.” Colombian-American artist Kali Uchis delivered a Las Vegas-worthy show featuring an elaborate, two-level set bathed in rose hues and an appearance by her “Worth the Wait” collaborator Omar Apollo.
But the big draw that night was the debut performance of The Hillbillies, consisting of Kendrick Lamar and cousin Baby Keem, which included many of Lamar’s solo hits (“Humble,” “M.A.A.D City”). A deliriously happy Tyler, the Creator joined them on stage for an impromptu hoedown. A Hillbillies merch booth on the carnival grounds offered $180 hoodies and a $400 soccer jersey — being a hillbilly ain’t what it used to be.
Elsewhere on the grounds, Flog Gnaw revelers rode classic carnival rides like the Yo-Yo and Himalaya and shopped at the Golf Wang store — Tyler’s clothing line, aka the words Flog Gnaw backwards — for special festival merch, most of which was sold out by Sunday night. There was a palpable sense of excitement and community as fans enjoyed the performances and activities, coming together for a weekend of music and fun.
Overall, Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival provided a platform for both established and emerging artists to showcase their talents. The festival served as a celebration of music, art, and community, bringing together people from diverse backgrounds to share in the collective experience of live performance and creativity. As SZA’s performance marked the culmination of the event, her soulful and stylish flourish left a lasting impression on the audience, capping off a weekend of memorable performances and shared moments.
