Amaarae Will Headline Princeton’s Fall 2025 Lawnparties

Princeton University has announced that Ghanaian American singer and songwriter Amaarae will be the main performer at its Fall 2025 Lawnparties, scheduled to occur this Sunday, September 7, 2025 near the Frist Campus Center.

Student band Casual Riot will kick off the main stage before Amaarae takes centre stage. Princeton’s biggest student traditions include twice-yearly lawn parties. A day-long festival will include a main performer, acts hosted by Prospect Avenue’s eating clubs, food stalls, outdoor games, and other campus events.

Amaarae’s music, which combines elements of pop, R&B, alté, and Afrobeats, has seen a steady increase in international recognition. She made history in April as the first Ghanaian artist to perform a solo set at Coachella, having been born in the Bronx and raised between Atlanta, New Jersey, and Accra, Ghana. Her latest album, Black Star, was released in August, receiving more than 5 million streams and further solidifying her position as one of the genre’s most diverse vocalists. She is arguably most famous for her hit 2020 song Sad Girlz Luv Money, which gained international success following a 2021 remix that included Kali Uchis.

Amaarae’s selection marks a genre shift for Lawnparties, which has primarily focused on rap headliners in recent years. Amaarae is the inaugural Afro-Pop artist to perform on the main stage, as per Apple Music’s classification system.

Her public profile is significantly smaller compared to past Lawnparties headliners. Lil Tecca, who headed the Spring 2024 roster, boasts more than 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, outstripping Amaarae, who ranks lower than other headliners since 2021. Organisers think her artistic talents are more convincing than statistics.

Amaarae’s entire image, in Misa Mims’ opinion, is visionary, said Misa Mims ’27, a member of the Lawnparties planning team. She is an artist with a unique style, and her music is highly contagious.

Her innovative work as an artist goes far beyond the realm of music. Amaarae has frequently incorporated her view of gender as a fluid concept into her songwriting. Her lyrics sidestep fixed gender categories, using variable pronouns and conveying universal expressions of closeness.

Campus administrators further emphasized the significance of integrating varied viewpoints. “I’m genuinely thrilled that we’re welcoming Amaarae, a pioneering Afrobeat musician, to Princeton this year,” said D’Schon Simmons ’27. “At this moment, it’s more crucial than ever to bring attention to diverse perspectives and display the depth of Black culture within our university community.”

The announcement was made with only four days’ notice, the briefest time since Fall 2021. Amaarae is set to take the stage at 3:00 p.m., despite previous headliners frequently beginning their performances late.

This semester’s festivities will showcase a variety of food options, including popular choices like Nomad, Tico’s, Rita’s, Taco Bell, and Cheesecake on a Stick, as well as newer vendors including Alfalfa, Jammin’ Crepes, and Silver Line Wings. Kosher alternatives will be available as well. Guests are advised to dress in bohemian attire and opt for lighter earthy shades.

Amaarae’s performance, boasting a fresh sound and bold artistry, is poised to be a pivotal moment for this year’s Lawnparties and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many Princeton students to see an artist at the beginning of their ascension.