This week, the Student Associatio Programming Board announced the four performers for this year’s OzFest, held on May 10. The choices are already causing excitement for students and showing signs of a big crowd at the end-of-year celebration. 

Ella Mai, a Grammy-winning English rhythm and blues singer-songwriter, Gunna, a rapper touring in support of a top-five album and single, Mahalia, an English singer, songwriter and actress, and Daydream Masi, an emerging young rapper and pop artist, will perform as part of the concert series in the evening portion of OzFest, beginning at 7 p.m.

The performers were chosen by SAPB from the results of a student survey that went out in the fall 2018 semester, and Gunna and Mai were among the top 10 performers requested below big names, like Beyoncé, that the school cannot afford, said Ryan Rodriguez, director of SAPB from April 2018 to January 2019. 

“Those are the people the students want to see,” Rodriguez said. “[Ella Mai] was very relevant at the time the survey came out, and then her album came out. … And Gunna, same thing. They’re just two both very, very relevant people right now.”

Taylor Griffin, current president of SAPB, said the artists’ schedules worked out so that the concert could feature the students’ top choices, which is an encouraging result SAPB does not often see.

“In the past, we don’t always get that lucky,” Griffin said. “It’s not for any reason other than dates or some little logistical things with the artists that they couldn’t come. And we got really lucky that these are the artists that were specifically requested by our students, so we are expecting to sell more tickets than we did last year.”

Micheal Oxley, hip-hop director for WNYO, said what made Mai and Gunna so appealing for Oswego State students was their growth in popularity thanks to big album releases in 2018. 

“For some reason, people just love [Gunna’s] vibe. He’s calm and has a nice voice,” Oxley said. “[Mai is] R&B, so it brings in a different crowd as well, not just a hip-hop-based, rap-based crowd. It also brings in the people that love R&B.”

They and the other artists are part of the three most popular genres right now with students in their 20s: hip-hop, rap and R&B. Griffin said the performers also match what OzFest is all about – an end-of-the-year celebration of students’ hard work in a fun way that everyone can enjoy.

“OzFest, every year, has been something to celebrate the end of school and sort of a way to thank the students for everything they have done throughout the year, to give them a reward for working so hard and to give them a day to basically have fun,” Griffin said.

Oxley said the selection of artists that are relevant to students are a good pull for the celebration in the way that some of the daytime events are not.

“I feel like there’s nothing that brings people together more than music,” Oxley said. “I think that everybody just comes together and they just have a good time without being judged for feeling like somebody’s pressuring them to do something – you know, just have fun.”

Oxley said he has seen a lot of excitement for this concert because of the performers, and he thinks OzFest will be a good opportunity for students to get away from the stress of classes and tests to enjoy a day with friends.

“I feel like, as we get older, we don’t have as much fun, so we’re just trying to break out of our shell and have as much fun as we can this semester and just in general be around a lot of people and just have a good vibe,” Oxley said.

Griffin and Rodriguez both said they have seen an overwhelmingly positive response from students about the performers, which is an indication that this year’s OzFest will be among the most attended. In just the few days after the artists were announced, SAPB sold over 150 tickets for the concert, Rodriguez said, which is an encouraging sign.

“The spirit of OzFest is hype and energy,” Rodriguez said. “It’s something that every year, we’re always going to remember.”

The tickets for the concert are now on sale and selling for $15 for Oswego State students and $20 for the general public. Free daytime events for OzFest include a pre-concert by WNYO, and more activities will be announced as May approaches.

Graphic by Maria Pericozzi | The Oswegonian