Until recently, the delicate trust between audience and artist has been severed.
From disrespectful audiences who dehumanize their favorite artists, to inconsiderate musicians who either cancel shows or deliver half-baked performances, it seemed as if a concert was nothing more than a transaction.
After a surge of stadium tours, people yearn for interactive, intimate, and energetic shows. Stadium tours provide all spectacle, no substance. They take the connection and kinship of music and turn it into a product sold for hundreds of dollars, complete with frequent medical scares and stiff crowds.
Whether it's the transcendent Rosalía listening party at the Museu Nacional d'Arte de Catalunya, Barcelona, or Geese's stripped-back free performance in Banker's Anchor Public Plaza, an artist's job is to make intentional choices about how their music is presented. However, these elements are useless when presented to an audience unable to immerse themselves in the experience, a topic covered in Tyler the Creator's newest album, Don't Tap the Glass.
The relationship between the audience and the artist is symbiotic and requires mutual trust. During a show, the artist's job is to cultivate a safe space for the energy in their music to linger in the air and possess the crowd. Artists accomplish this through how they choose to incorporate design elements like set, dancers, and lighting into their live shows.
This year, that connection was rebuilt. We are relearning to put the phone down and engage with art in a meaningful way. In this first edition, Together Outrageously covers our favorite intimate moments and albums of 2025.
CLICK TO FIND OUR ZINE AND READ UP ON OUR FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2025. WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR TOGETHER OUTRAGEOUSLY AOTY PICK IS? PLAY THE BRACKET ON THE BACK!
Read our staff's Top 3 Album Reviews by clicking the images below!
