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System of a Down (formed in 1994) is an American alternative-metal four-piece rock band hailing from Glendale, California, in the U.S.

Prior to forming System of a Down lead vocalist Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian created Soil with other members Dave Hakopyan, Domingo Laranio and Shavo Odadjian. Hakopyan and Laranio however soon left making way for Lebanese-born drummer John Dolmayan and from the ashes of Soil came the light and sounds of System of a Down. In 1995 the band played at the Cafe Club Fais Do-Do nightclub in Los Angeles and released the now highly-sought-after Untitled 1995 Demo Tape.

The band subsequently released three more untitled demo tapes one in 1996, two in 1997 and played a number of notable Hollywood gigs including shows at Whisky-A-Go-Go and Viper Room. This led to System of a Down meeting famed producer Rick Rubin and signing with American/Columbian Records who released their eponymously-titled debut album in 1998. The album was supported by the singles “Sugar” and “Spiders” and garnered significant radio and MTV airplay.

As a result of this success the band secured opening slots for Slayer and Metallica and toured alongside Fear Factory and Incubus, before contributing to the TV show South Park’s “Chef Aid” album.

The band’s follow-up album, the ambitious “Toxicity” debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and Canadian charts, later achieving three-times platinum certification for over 12 million copies sold. It featured the singles “Chop Suey”, “Toxicity” and “Aerials” after which System of a Down toured alongside Slipknot across the U.S. and Mexico. The band’s third album “Steal This Album!” was a response to the lax internet copywriting laws regarding online music piracy, in the same vein as Abbie Hoffman’s counter-culture book “Steal This Book”.

In 2004 System of a Down returned with the two-part album “Mesmerize/Hypnotize” with the help once again of producer Rick Rubin. The first part of the album “Mesmerize” became the band’s second No. 1 Album after “Toxicity” and the single “B.Y.O.B” earned the group a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2005, which questions the integrity of military recruitment in the U.S. The band is well-known for their politically and socially apt lyrics covering topics from bureaucracy to the War of Drugs. The second part of the album “Hypnotize” also debuted at No. 1 putting the group alongside the Beatles and 2Pac for two consecutive No. 1 albums in the same year.

Following a nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance for their song “Lonely Day” System of a Down announced a significant hiatus during which members pursued other bands and solo efforts. In 2010 the band returned playing a number of headlining European shows including Download Festival, Greenfield Festival, Rock am Ring/Rock im Park, and a sold-out show at the Hollywood Bowl in 2013.

Live reviews

The Forum, Inglewood, California

Date of Gig:

Monday 6th Apr '15

By 8.30pm the chants of “System! System!” have grown so loud that you wonder if they can be heard outside the building, perhaps even drowning out the jumbo jets that roar overhead as they come in to land at nearby LAX. With no support band tonight, System Of A Down were supposed to be on now, opening their Wake Up The Souls Tour with a sold out hometown show in front of 17,500 people, but since many of them are still trying to get in, traffic gridlocked, the set has been pushed back, and the anticipation grows and grows.

There's something very special about System Of A Down playing in LA. Hell, there's something special about System Of A Down playing anywhere, but particularly here, where the band began their career some 21 years ago, playing the Whiskey, the Troubadour and the Roxy. Not just that, but there is a huge Armenian population in Los Angeles, and, nearing the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, there is a great deal of emotion in the building, like some vast family has come together. It's kind of hard to explain, but it gives you goosebumps. System Of A Down are gods to the Armenians.

It's nearing nine o'clock when a lucky and terrified looking competition winner is lead on stage to introduce the band, and before they play we watch a short and emotive film about the genocide, part one of three. There's a palpable charge in the air, and then a deafening thunder from the crowd as Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan quietly take to the stage and drift into Holy Mountains. Already this is a monumental gig.

And so, for the next two hours, System Of A Down, this most unlikely of mainstream bands, keeps seventeen thousand people on their feet, mesmerized and indeed hypnotized. Aptly, given the proximity of the airport, Jet Pilot follows Holy Mountains, its first airing since 2005, then a blast of Suite-Pee that has security dealing with a tide of crowd-surfers. Already it's madness in here and the band are only three songs in, but, that said, the band themselves seem to take a couple of songs to get fully into their stride, perhaps aware that the setlist contains songs they've never played live before. The live debut of U-Fig from 2005's Hypnotize follows Prison Song, and that's just five songs into a thirty-five song set!

Like we said, it's one of those nights. Christ, they haven't played Bubbles since 2003, and CUBErt since 2002! They've never played Dreaming before tonight! And along with those rarities come all the classics like Aerials, BYOB, Radio/Video, and the beautiful Lonely Day. The thing about System Of A Down is that, for all their righteous anger, they can touch the human soul, wake the soul on a deeply personal level, even with a crowd of this size. Daron's grandmother would have been 109 years old today, nine when the genocide happened, and she escaped here, as did so many to this sprawling madhouse. Lost In Hollywood, dedicated to her and Daron's family, sends chills down your spine, so lonely in this gigantic crowd, those hustling streets, Hollywood Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard only a few miles from here.

“We've never played this long in our fucking lives!” laughs Serj, with at least a dozen tunes to go. But it's clear they're enjoying every moment, with that spark of friendship far more in evidence. And for all its melancholy and anger, and all the rest of it, there's still that quirky humour about System Of A Down, a mad genius that sets them apart from any other band. Bounce is sheer lunacy, thousands of people all leaping and down, yelling “Pogo! Pogo!” like a sea of jumping beans.

Despite chants of “One more song!” there is no encore tonight. It would be ridiculous to expect one, even with classics to spare. No-one has ever heard this much System Of A Down in one night before, a journey from those days at the Whiskey over twenty years ago to selling out the Forum with ease. Again, please!

Holy Mountains

Prison Song

Soldier Side – Intro

I-E-A-I-A-I-O

Radio/Video

Kill Rock 'N Roll

Lost In Hollywood

Chic 'N' Stu

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SOAD played an amazing show. First time seeing them, and they sounded incredible. One of my all time favorite shows so far. I was in the pit, second row, I waited 7 hours just to see them. I arrived at 3:30 and they didn’t come on until 10:30pm, but they played almost 2 hours so it was fine. I waited in the second row without moving much. Once SOAD came on, the crowd pushed like crazy and got very wild. As a 5’0 female weighing about 115lbs, I thought I was going to suffocate, get squished to death, or get a limb broken. I DO NOT recommend the pit for people as small as me. I was pushing as hard as I could just to get a breathe of air, I was legitimately fighting/pushing to survive/breathe at one point. I eventually was able to grab on to the front row rail and get some air, but even then my body was being pushed up against the rail, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had broken a rib or an arm, because that’s how much pain I was in by being pushed against the rail/people. People did not care if they hurt others and some were extremely rude. People who were barely arriving tried to push/shove their way to the front, trying to get in front of people who had been waiting 7 hours. The crowd was very crazy, people fighting and pushing each other left and right. Dozens of people were taken out by security, either because they were being too pushy/wild or because they were suffocating. I have been to dozens of music festivals ranging from EDM, hip hop, to rock music, no crowd has ever been as bad as this. I expected the pit to be bad, but never imagined that I would be fighting for my life. Overall, system of a down played an unforgettable show, but the crowd unfortunately, greatly ruined the experience for me. Will not be buying a pit ticket again, at least not for a band like SOAD.

System of a Down, perhaps one of the most iconic names in modern rock have accumulated a cult following since their formation twenty years ago. All fans of rock are encouraged to catch a show for the sheer excitement shared by both fan and artist which is rarely matched by other performers.

Having also had massive commercial success in their homeland, three out of five albums have topped the US Billboard charts so the gigs are full of the loyal followers from the beginning and those slightly later to the party. Either way, the instrumentals and skill of the likes of 'Psycho' and 'Hypnotise' keeps both singing the bands praises well after the show is over.

They are an incredibly well tuned and well practised live band who have an ingenious method of blending tracks from a variety of albums to sit so well beside each other the audience are barely left with time to applaud. There appears to be compensation for this in form of an eruption of adoration during the closing riffs of 'Sugar', the very first of their elusive single releases.

Nominated for four Grammys, a live performance from System of a Down is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser even if you’re not into rock music. Without fail, every time the lights go down at a live show, the crowd erupts into a buzzing, shouting mass of dedicated fans.

The setup of the live performances never ends to amaze me with the ease that they seamlessly flow from rocking tune and into the next. It’s the kind of atmosphere that makes the audience stay on their feet for the duration of the show, swaying and jumping around appropriately. The vocals are always clear, and the famous B.Y.O.B is an ultimate crowd pleaser every single time.

Next time they tour, hopefully with a new album, I will definitely be getting my hands on some tickets, and if you’re a fan of their music, I can’t advise enough how much you will enjoy the gig. The lights, music, energy, it’s all fantastic and put together brilliantly.

Third time seeing them, they have always brought it the other two times and this was no exception, maybe even the best one. Diverse set list, getting a little off each album, sound mix was great. And more importantly they wanted to be there. Shavo and Daron interacting with the crowd, Serj smiling and laughing. John brought his kids on stage and Serj holding them while singing! It was great to see. Serj and Daron sounded great. Serj still has it. Hitting high notes, the weird vocal ticks, and then growling like on the album. Great show, whole group agreed.

System of a Down played on the most exciting, energetic, high voltage concerts I've ever seen live.

One song leading to the next one and an amazing setlist was a sure formula to have everybody jumping around, dancing and singing along. There was a fantantic energy and nobody seemed to care we were all cold and wet from standing for hours in the rain.

The show was incredible my second time

seeing System and man they put on a

show! Molson Ampatheatre was jam pack

with everybody rocking out,singing to

every song just having a blast. For

anyone who hasn't got to go to a

System of a down concert they are a

Nostalgic set list. Serj seemed like he wasn’t feelin’ it. Everyone else had plenty of energy.

The light show was pretty cool. The set moved and reconfigured behind them between each song.

Sound was great from the middle of the floor area.

Excelente energía mostraron desde el inicio... una entrega total al público... musical y vocalmente excelentes! Puedo catalogarlo como mi mejor concierto! Verlos fue un hecho convertido realidad, ojala regresen pronto!

It was perfect one of the best concerts that i have been..unfortunatelly i was a bit disappointed with deftones due to they setlist i almost fall sleep..i"m a huge deftones fan and they could had chosen different songs

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System Of A Down and Korn kick off US co-headline tour and the setlist is a millennial metalheads' dream

Inside the first night of the Korn/System Of A Down co-headline tour - 41 songs, countless singalongs and the live debut of a new single

System Of A Down and Korn kicked off their run of US co-headline shows last night at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The two bands previously played a run of US dates in October 2021 before being forced to postpone their long-awaited Los Angeles stadium shows when SOAD vocalist Serj Tankian contracted COVID. 

In December, an announcement was made that in addition to the rescheduled Los Angeles dates (set for February 4 and 5), the bands would play two further co-headline dates in Phoenix and San Diego, with support from post-metal group Russian Circles. 

Last night (January 31) the bands kicked off this short US co-headline run when they played to 18,000 people in Phoenix, Arizona and the setlists are the things millennial metalheads dreams are made of. We're not drowning amidst an ocean of jealousy, honest. 

A spectacle fit for arenas

Put aside the fact that System Of A Down and Korn were two of metal's biggest commercial forces at the turn of the millennium, both bands also represent the most influential and creative forces in our world for the past three decades. That alone should tell you just how special it is to see them sharing a bill, much less playing to 18,000+ people after a drought of shows that has seen most bands (and fans) go nowhere near a venue for two years plus. 

Fittingly, the visuals from the shows are everything we could want from a massive metal double-header, stunning visuals reminding us just how excited we should be for any arena-size metal gigs in 2022. 

A post shared by Anthony Martinez (@amartadventures) A photo posted by on

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And a combined set that effectively describes the best of millennial metal

With a combined total of 41 songs between them, Korn and System Of A Down weren't mucking about when it came to picking out their setlists. Any double-header that can start with Here To Stay and end on Sugar is one to be admired, but when you consider it also meanders through the likes of Falling Away From Me , Got The Life , Shoots And Ladders , Coming Undone , Freak On A Leash , BYOB, Chop Suey!, Radio/Video, Aerials and Toxicity on the way, jeez. As one fan put it, this setlist is everything. 

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Fans couldn't be more delighted

Considering the many delays to getting fully on the road (System Of A Down's Los Angeles shows were originally planned for summer 2020), there's a sense of relief inherent just to the fact that the shows happened in the first place. That they went off as well as they did however, is an absolute bonus and the reports on social media were glowing. 

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I owe Michelle my life for taking me to see Korn and System of a Down and getting to sit in the smaysmell box suite pic.twitter.com/hqYPxitc1w February 1, 2022

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Korn/System Of A Down was the best concert I’ve been to in a long time. Completely worth only getting 6 hours of sleep this morning because I was so amped afterwards. February 1, 2022

There's nothing purer than seeing people lose their minds to *that* drop in Korn's set

With Korn's new album Requiem out on Friday, we expect there will be plenty of new jams to get stuck into by the time the band's next headline shows roll around. That said, we can't imagine anything whipping the crowd up into a frenzy quite like that drop at the tail-end of Freak On A Leash . God, we've missed that. 

SEEING SYSTEM OF A DOWN AND KORN AGAINNNN MY BAIBES pic.twitter.com/Dj11sQXpX6 January 31, 2022

Korn played 'Start The Healing' for the first time

Put it down to a mad end of year or just the fact time seems entirely arbitrary since the pandemic hit, but it feels like ages since Korn first unveiled Start The Healing - the first single from Requiem . Except, the single actually only came out in November, meaning we've barely had it three months now and last night marked the first time the band played it live. The fact it didn't stick out amidst a tightly-packed 14-song setlist bodes well for the song, Start The Healing already feeling like a crowd-pleaser even before its parent album comes out. 

System Of A Down played 27 songs!

You can't help but feel System Of A Down might have pulled a fast one on Korn, considering their set featured no less than 27 songs in the evening (compared to 14 Korn tracks). While we get SOAD can usually blast through a lot of quick numbers to round out the numbers, that's an obscene amount of idiosyncratic brilliance being brought to bear, particularly when the likes of Prison Song , Cigaro , Soldier Side , BYOB and Toxicity all get trotted out. There's nothing like listening to half of System Of A Down's discography in one headline set to remind you why the band are just so brilliant in the first place. 

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Including a few newer tracks

We don't want to come off as greedy or anything, but System Of A Down's Genocidal Humanoidz came out in November 2020 - almost 14 months ago. We understand that it was a 15-year wait before that, but Korn have a new album out on Friday . C'mon lads, step it up. We're being facetious of course, but it is incredibly gratifying to see the newer songs so proudly displayed in SOAD's set, showing just how great that spark of inspiration still is when the mood strikes the band right. 

People still can't quite get their heads around System Of A Down's Sugar

Never mind that Sugar is almost 25 years old (God, when did that happen?), the song remains one of metal's weirdest (but no less wonderful) anthems. That doesn't stop it completely confounding audiences who try to sing along, mind - from spitting the verses until all the words jumble into one or shouting 'sugar!' at the wrong point, its a chaotic mess and we utterly adore it. 

Even from the rafters the show looks spectacular

Its an inevitability of arena shows that somebody has to sit in the nosebleeds, but as the below video shows sometimes that just offers a bird's eye view of something spectacular... 

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We'd quite like System Of A Down back this side of the Atlantic in 2022

Way back in the mists of time, System Of A Down and Korn were both booked for Download 2020. Obviously the pandemic put a hold on that happening, but despite the fact Download has retained mostly the same line-up (Korn are still there, hooray!) the lack of System Of A Down is pretty glaring after seeing all the footage of these shows. But you know what? That's fine - perhaps we can hold out hope of a SOAD headline show or even tour announcement before the end of 2022. It's been 7 years since the band played Wembley Arena and we reckon it's high time we get some more arena dates lined up. Hell, we'd even go for stadiums - Rammstein seem to be doing alright out of it, after all. 

SYSTEM OF A DOWN!!#SOAD #concerts #workingman pic.twitter.com/ou181HIp6B February 1, 2022

Seeing a sea of metalheads *still* gets us insanely emotional

The worst of lockdown might be behind us (we hope!) and live music might have made a return , but it's still been fairly slim pickings for arena-sized rock and metal gigs over the past 12 months. Considering we're still seeing tours cancel or postpone ( Aerosmith , Sabaton ) we're not entirely sure when arena-sized metal gigs will come back to the UK (our fingers are crossed for Ghost , especially after seeing the band's first US date ) but even if we were guaranteed to have some massive shows in the next few weeks, it wouldn't stop us getting a little choked up seeing a full arena gathering to celebrate heavy metal. More of this in 2022, please. 

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Korn Setlist

Korn Setlist Here to Stay Falling Away From Me Start the Healing Got the Life Rotting in Vain Shoots and Ladders Clown Coming Undone Y'All Want a Single Freak on a Leash| It's On! / Trash / Did My Time Twist A.D.I.D.A.S. Blind

System Of A Down setlist

X Prison Song Holy Mountains Mind (Intro) Cigaro Suite-Pee Needles Deer Dance Soldier Side (Intro) Soldier Side B.Y.O.B. Genocidal Humanoidz Suggestions Psycho Chop Suey! Lonely Day Lost in Hollywood Radio/Video Dreaming (Bridge) Hypnotize ATWA Bounce Chic 'N' Stu Protect the Land Aerials Toxicity Sugar

Korn's new album Requiem is due February 4 via Loma Vista. This Thursday (February 3) the band will play a special livestream set in an intimate LA Church to celebrate the album's launch. 

The band play Download Festival on June 12. 

Staff writer for Metal Hammer, Rich has never met a feature he didn't fancy, which is just as well when it comes to covering everything rock, punk and metal for both print and online, be it legendary events like Rock In Rio or Clash Of The Titans or seeking out exciting new bands like Nine Treasures, Jinjer and Sleep Token. 

"It's called Foundations because it's the founding of my musical life." Serj Tankian's forthcoming Foundations EP will include an early unreleased System Of A Down song

'Grateful' Deryck Whibley reflects on 10 years of sobriety and Sum 41's rise back to the top of their game

“If you drop people in these high-pressure environments too early on, you kill them before they’ve had a chance to flourish”: You Me At Six frontman Josh Franceschi on his concerns for the next wave of rock hopefuls

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The 20 greatest System Of A Down songs – ranked

From their 1998 self-titled debut to 2005’s Hypnotize, we rank the greatest songs from System Of A Down.

They might’ve managed only five studio albums in a short seven-and-a-bit year stretch between June 1998 and November 2005, but such is the level of consistent quality, quirkiness and genre-shaping innovation from Los Angeles quartet System Of A Down that it’s truly difficult to narrow their catalogue down to just 20 songs. From 1998’s earthquaking self-titled debut and 2001’s era-defining masterpiece Toxicity to 2002’s pirate-hijacked Steal This Album! and 2005’s towering sister releases Mezmerize and Hypnotize, there was constant cutting-edge evolution, but also a singularity of sound that even their most esteemed peers could never hope to touch.

Across the years since, the band have resurfaced and departed again and again. Vocalist Serj Tankian’s solo work and contributions alongside Tom Morello on Axis Of Justice, bassist Shavo Odadjian ’s AcHoZeN, and guitarist Daron Malakian ’s stunning Scars On Broadway (sometimes featuring drummer John Dolmayan ) have shown flashes of brilliance, but the old chemistry has never fully been rekindled.

Hope endures, but while we’re holding out for that new album to change the game all over again, here’s our definitive Top 20 to keep everyone busy arguing in the meantime…

20 Question! (Mezmerize, 2005)

The second single from fourth album Mezmerize is, at first, a typically impenetrable composition, full of ‘ ghosts ’, ‘ sweet berries ready for two ’ and a swirling chorus of la la las … Dig in a little, though, and its reckoning on the possibility of an afterlife – and how people use religion to come to grips with that sweet hereafter – is actually one of their most profound. That time-signature jumping musicality – switching from whispered acoustic to crashing electric – was some of the most thrillingly dynamic of SOAD's later output.

19 P.L.U.C.K. (System Of A Down, 1998)

Proud Armenian-Americans, SOAD have often been at their most bracing when fuelled by outrage at the Armenian Genocide of 1914-1923 by the Turkish Ottoman government at the time – and the lack of historical acknowledgement in the century after. An acronym for "Politically Lying Unholy Cowardly Killers", P.L.U.C.K. is one of the earliest and most potent examples, with their classic balance of staccato attack and earworm melody deployed to cutting effect. It also contains some of the band’s most straightforward lyrics: ‘ A whole race, genocide / Taken away all of our pride … Revolution / The only solution / The armed response / Of an entire nation !’

18 Kill Rock’N’Roll (Hypnotize, 2005)

This two-and-a-half minute nugget that crops up as the third track on fifth album Hypnotize initially feels like a clichéd throwaway about the perils of the rock'n'roll lifestyle filtered through SOAD’s characteristically surrealist lens. Daron’s explanation of the song casts it in a more tragic/darkly comic light, however. Driving home in the dark one night, the guitarist accidentally ran over a rabbit. Overcome with guilt, he named the furry figure Rock ‘N Roll and decided to write a song in his memory. Gleefully overwrought lyrics like, ‘ So I felt like the biggest asshole ’ and, ‘ Eat all the grass that you want / Accidents happen In the dark ’ suddenly feel a damn-sight more transparent.

17 Psycho (Toxicity, 2001)

‘ PSYCHO, GROUPIE, COCAINE, CRAZY !’ The 13th track on Toxicity features one of System’s most instantly recognisable intros, building from a low rumble into a rampant schizoid pogo and towering Serj chorus. Interpretations of the lyrics have seen the song either as a broad reckoning on the inherently broken nature of the human condition and the need to escape (‘ So you want the world to stop / Rushing to watch your spirit fully drop …’) or a narrow message that groupies don’t need to trade sex for access to bands (‘ So you want to see the show / You really don't have to be a ho …’). The beauty is that it’s both of those things and so much more.

16 Needles (Toxicity, 2001)

Opening with an appropriately needling guitar motif before exploding into a full-blown heads-down attack, the second song on Toxicity is 3:13 of clobbering volume and dissonant intrigue. Interpretations have varied wildly, from the obvious understanding that it’s a lament of the self-destruction caused by substance abuse to the more abstract reading that it’s about the assassination of South African Prime Minister Hendrik Verwoerd in 1966. With its metaphorical description of a controlling parasite (‘ My tapeworm tells me what to do You / My tapeworm tells me where to go …’), we’d bet they’d been reading Irvine Welsh’s grubby classic Filth, released just three years earlier.

15 Suite-Pee (System Of A Down, 1998)

The first track on System Of A Down’s self-titled debut was an early benchmark for their schizoid sound, their progressive politics, their unbending conviction. Performed live, the song has been preceded by the quick quip, “Here’s a song about absolutely nothing!” That “nothing” is a reference to organised religion, and the imagined authority figures by whose rule so many people lead their lives. ‘ Lie naked on the floor ,’ Serj sings, ‘ And let the messiah / Go all through our souls / Die, like a motherfucker !’ Wilfully abrasive and caustically controversial, it is the sound of angry young men willing to be offensive in the face of a societal status quo that offended them.

14 Chic ’N’ Stu (Steal This Album!, 2002)

Named after famed Los Angeles Lakers broadcasters Chick Hearn and Stu Lantz, the opening track to third LP Steal This Album! plays on Hearn’s catchphrase that a game in control was “in the refrigerator” but actually unfolds as a potent anti-consumerist message. Comparing the ability of advertisers to create an artificial need for their product (in this case, the infamous ‘ pizza pie ’) to the baseless compulsions of addicts looking for their next fix, it has become emblematic of their ability to smuggle socially relevant messages through their ostensibly absurdist lyrical treatments. ‘ Pepperoni and green peppers / Mushrooms, olive, chives ’ never sounded so unappetising…

13 Prison Song (Toxicity, 2001)

The balls-out opening track (and unofficial airplay-only single) to Toxicity finds the band at their most ostentatiously political, picking up the baton dropped when their friends in Rage Against The Machine had disbanded the year before. A bludgeoning, juggernaut riff gives way to storming vocals challenging the American prison industrial system, and pointing the finger at a government largely responsible for the domestic proliferation of drugs yet whose prison system is half-populated by drug offenders. In case there was any doubt, they nail in concise factoids (‘ Nearly two million Americans are incarcerated / In the prison system, prison system of the U.S. ’, ‘ The percentage of Americans in the prison system has doubled since 1985 ’, ‘ All research and successful drug policies show that treatment should be increased / And law enforcement decreased while abolishing mandatory minimum sentences …’) to solidify a righteous statement right at the outset of their triple-platinum career-high.

12 War? (System Of A Down, 1998)

The landmark eighth track from System’s debut LP is an anti-war anthem that casts the military-industrial complex (and broader political advocates for armed intervention) as members of an inevitably self-destructive death cult. Loaded with mistrust and xenophobia, Serj’s lyrics ramble and roll like the charismatic teachings of some false prophet as an incendiary composition explodes and settles like a bomb run and the ringing quiet of its aftermath. ‘ Was it the riches, of the land / Powers of bright darkness / That lead the noble, to the east / To fight the heathens .’ Those words might’ve been written several years before the War On Terror and second Iraq conflict, but they still painfully perfectly skewered the jingoistic American mindset that would shape the first decade of the 21st century.

11 I-E-A-I-A-I-O (Steal This Album!, 2002)

With a title that draws the vowels from "idealization", "illegalization", "liberalization", and "internalization", the eighth track from Steal This Album! could have been a relatively straightforward rebuke of the systemic structures that keep us oppressed, but actually unfolds as SOAD's most mind-boggling three minutes. ‘P eter's pecker picked another / Pickle bearing pussy pepper, Why / Meeting John at Dale's Jr / Winked an eye and point a finger … A former cop, undercover / Just got shot, now recovered, Why / Fighting crime, with a partner / Lois Lane, Jimmy Carter !’ Fans and critics have found hints to occult figurehead Aleister Crowley, the Ku Klux Klan and Knight Rider’s Kitt in there, but the song is best enjoyed as System’s most explosively abstract masterpiece.

10 Holy Mountains (Hypnotize, 2005)

System’s second fully-fledged reckoning on the Armenian Genocide (following 1998’s P.L.U.C.K.) marked their maturation both as songwriters and as political minds. The holy mountains of the title refer to the Armenian Highlands, which border Armenia and Turkey. Mount Ararat, on the Turkish side, is considered the "holy mountain", and a stark reminder of the genocide for many Armenians. The sombre undertone speaks of a people still longing for justice. When System hit the road for 2015’s Wake Up The Souls tour – marking the centenary of the slaughter – this was their opener every night.

9 Sugar (System Of A Down, 1998)

System’s first-ever single remains one of their most gleefully unhinged offerings. ‘ I'm not there all the time you know ,’ Serj sings. ‘ Some people, some people, some people / Call it insane, yeah they call it insane (sugar) / I play Russian roulette everyday, a man's sport / With a bullet called life, yeah, mama, called life (sugar) .’ Married to a spring-loaded riff and delivered by face-painted outsiders, the song was inevitably pigeonholed into the rampant nu-metal subgenre, but from the one-of-a-kind delivery (spoken word rolling through barking rage and into outright death-growls) to the leftfield message ("Aspartame kills!") to Nathan Cox’s wildly politicised music video, it was evident to anyone with a head on their shoulders that these lads were something else.

8 Violent Pornography (Mezmerize, 2005)

One of System’s greatest talents was to rough-ride the changing times, remaining relevant without ever giving up their individuality. Violent Pornography was a key display of that in the Mesmerize/Hypnotize era, proving that they had transcended the nu-metal genre while also tapping into fears and doubts around the fledgling internet age. On face value, the song is a critique of the trend of the commodification of sex and increasingly brutal sexual depictions, struggling to keep up with the self-perpetuating demand stoked by online access to nightmare imagery. (Indeed, Hypnotize’s Vicinity Of Obscenity deals with just that.) On a deeper level, it’s about the role of TV, the internet and the demands of overwhelming consumerism in keeping the masses ignorant and docile. That it’s become a rock club favourite in the years since adds a further layer to its perverse brilliance.

7 ATWA (Toxicity, 2001)

If ATWA had cropped up on any album other than the packed-to-the-gills Toxicity, it would’ve surely been a hit single. Distilling everything great about SOAD into two minutes and 56 seconds of turbulent sound, we get one of their prettiest intros (‘ Hey you, see me, pictures crazy / All the world I've seen before me passing by …’) running into a sledgehammer chorus (‘ You don't care about how I feel / I don't feel it anymore !’) before the composition builds to its towering crescendo. Hell, there’s even a little mystique in there, with the title being an acronym for the Air, Trees, Water, Animals environmental movement headed by cult leader and convicted murderer Charles Manson .

6 Lost In Hollywood (Mezmerize, 2005)

Borrowing a song-title from Rainbow’s 1979 album Down To Earth, Lost In Hollywood is a twisted love/hate letter to the band’s hometown. Written (and largely performed) by guitarist Daron Malakian, it imagines a conversation with a newcomer to La La Land, warning them of the ‘ phoney peopl e’ and worn-down ‘ maggots smoking fags out there on Sunset Boulevard ’. Its soft-picked guitars and Serj’s woozy backing vocals make it one of the band’s most memorably haunting tunes. Stylistically, it also signposted the direction in which Daron would head with his excellent follow-up project Scars On Broadway. Proof that even those who’ve made it pack some poignant cautionary tales about the City Of Angels.

5 Toxicity (Toxicity, 2001)

In many ways, the music of System Of A Down has often felt like the aural equivalent of ADHD. The title-track of Toxicity is the ultimate example of that: an impulsive, over-energised, scattershot reaction to ‘ the toxicity of our city, of our city ’. Daron’s circumspect guitar line is detonated by John and Shavo’s maniac rhythm section, with Serj’s virtuoso vocals taking us through gentle lulls and passages of outright mania. The heads-down riffage of the closing movement is some of the most uncompromising in their whole catalogue, with the closing declaration ‘ When I became the sun / I shone life into the man's heart ’ feeling like an audacious kiss-off from avant-garde artists stepping into the brightest of spotlights.

4 B.Y.O.B. (Mezmerize, 2005)

After the world-conquering success of Toxicity, the lead single from Mezmerize was pivotal in proving that System could reach deeper and further than even their most ardent fans had imagined. An openly politicised anthem B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Bombs), confirmed that they weren’t going to shy away from big questions (‘ Why don't presidents fight the war? / Why do they always send the poor ? ’ ) even as they were reaching for superstardom. More importantly, it drew more disparate blends of influence – pop, punk, R&B and extreme metal all at play – and combined them for what’s arguably their most commercially-palatable (and successful) track. Not bad for a banger with an opening verse as odd as ‘ Barbarisms by Barbaras / With pointed heels / Victorious victorious kneel / For brand new spankin' deals !’ The 2005 Best Hard Rock Performance GRAMMY duly followed.

3 Aerials (Toxicity, 2001)

The third and final single from Toxicity (the album’s closer) was an extraordinary, understated masterpiece chock-full of philosophical complexity and creeping insidiousness that went on to become their first U.S. Mainstream Rock number one. A vocal showcase for Serj, the frontman’s existential observations are allowed to roll over a relatively minimalist, largely ambient composition that’s often been compared to Metallica 's The Unforgiven for its waves of emotion. ‘ Life is a waterfall ,’ he sings. ‘ We're one in the river And one again after the fall .’ Identity, ego and individuality are all dissected, reaching a powerful conclusion that perhaps it’s best to let go, into the flow. ‘ When you lose small mind you free your life .’ Indeed.

2 Spiders (System Of A Down, 1998)

System’s second-ever single was proof that – even from the start – they were capable of more than the chaotic schizo-metal that had drawn so many fans to their cause. A softer, but far more treacherous version of their vision, Spiders’ haunting melodies and skin-crawling motifs whiplashed listeners from the incomprehensibly spring-loaded agitprop of Sugar into a more cerebral, unsettling soundscape. Serj’s beguilingly poetic lyrics (‘ The piercing radiant moon / The storming of poor June / All the life running through her hair / Approaching guiding light / Our shallow years in fright / Dreams are made winding through my head …’) had worked their way under your skin before their subject matter (internal unrest, mind control) became apparent. The track’s selection for the Scream 3 soundtrack was an early sign of their ability to infiltrate the mainstream with even the darkest, most challenging sounds.

1 Chop Suey! (Toxicity, 2001)

Utter genius so often sounds like absolute gibberish. On first listen, the lyrics to System’s signature song could feel utterly farcical. If not, of course, for the runaway momentum that leaves if feeling like a heavier, post-millennial version of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody or any number of tripped-out Beatles tracks. Originally titled Self-Righteous Suicide, it still managed to deliver its edgy, self-destructive references as the hit single while the world slipped into turmoil immediately post-9/11. Daron has since explained that the song is a hectic examination of the changing views on public figures when they pass away (the “deserved” death of an addict compared to the “heroic” acts of a martyr) but that’s now of far less consequence than it’s genre-leaping, mainstream-levelling appeal. Fast approaching a billion views on YouTube, this remains the crossover metal anthem of the 21st century, still as unattainably influential today as it was back then.

Read this next:

• Every SOAD album ranked from worst to best
• A deep dive into SOAD's Chop Suey! video
• A love letter to nu-metal beards

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Here’s System Of A Down’s epic Sick New World setlist

System Of A Down just played their first show in almost a year, headlining Sick New World in Vegas (for the second time). And they delivered one hell of a setlist…

SOAD and Deftones are playing a very special co-headline gig

Whoa! System Of A Down and Deftones have just announced a one-night-only co-headline date at the historic Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Hear Serj Tankian on Bear McCreary’s “massive, aggressive” new single, Incinerator

Composer Bear McCreary has unveiled a huge new track, Incinerator, featuring System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian on vocals…

Serj Tankian has announced a memoir, Down With The System

System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian will be releasing his “accidentally hatched philosophical memoir” next May in hardback, audio and e-book via Headline Publishing Group.

Here’s the unbelievable line-up for Sick New World 2024

System Of A Down and Slipknot are headlining next year’s Sick New World, while the one-day mega-fest also features Bring Me The Horizon, Alice In Chains, Bad Omens, Sleep Token, BABYMETAL, A Perfect Circle and so many more.

SOAD, Bring Me The Horizon and A Perfect Circle tease Sick New World 2024

There’s a Sick New World announcement on the way, and it looks like System Of A Down, Bring Me The Horizon and A Perfect Circle have all signed up for next year.

Hear Eartheater’s magnificently unique cover of System Of A Down’s Chop Suey!

Ahead of the release of her new album Powders, Eartheater has shared a song from the record: a beautifully different cover of Chop Suey! by System Of A Down.

Watch: Serj Tankian appears on BBC News to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh

System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian was interviewed on BBC News, shedding light on the blockade of the Lachin corridor and the subsequent humanitarian crisis that Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh are facing.

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System Of A Down

System of a down song list.

• A.T.W.A. (2001)
• Aerials (2001)
• Arto (2001)
• B.Y.O.B. (2005)
• Boom (2002)
• Bounce (2001)
• Bubbles (2002)
• Chic 'N' Stu (2002)
• Chop Suey (2001)
• Cigaro (2005)
• Deer Dance (2001)
• Dreaming (2005)
• F--k The System (2002)
• Forest (2001)
• Genocidal Humanoidz (2020)
• Highway Song (2002)
• Holy Mountains (2005)
• Hypnotize (2005)
• I-E-A-I-A-I-O (2002)
• Kill Rock N' Roll (2005)
• Lonely Day (2005)
• Lost In Hollywood (2005)
• Mr. Jack (2002)
• Needles (2001)
• Old School Hollywood (2005)
• P.L.U.C.K. (1998)
• Peephole (1998)
• Prison Song (2001)
• Protect The Land (2020)
• Psycho (2001)
• Question! (2005)
• Radio/Video (2005)
• Science (2001)
• Shimmy (2001)
• Soil (1998)
• Soldier Side (2005)
• Spiders (1998)
• Stealing Society (2005)
• Sugar (1998)
• Suggestions (1998)
• Suite-Pee (1998)
• Toxicity (2001)
• U-Fig (2005)
• Vicinity Of Obscenity (2005)
• Violent Pornography (2005)
• War? (1998)

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Neil Young And Crazy Horse Kick Off Love Earth Tour 2024: Here’s The Setlist

N eil Young’s highly-anticipated Love Earth Tour just kicked off with Crazy Horse in San Diego, California yesterday at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre. As always, Young puts on one hell of a show and hasn’t slowed down at this point in his six-decade career.

[Buy Tickets to See Neil Young and Crazy Horse Live in 2024]

Young performed some of his greatest hits, including “Cortez The Killer” and “Heart Of Gold” to fans’ delight. He performed a couple of deep cuts as well.

Young and Crazy Horse killed the performance, and it’s clear that both the legend and the band have quite a bit of pent-up creativity. They’ve just put out a new collaborative album as well, FU##IN’ UP , which was released just a few days ago on April 20. An all-format version will be released tomorrow, April 26.

Neil Young’s Love Earth Tour Setlist

Curious about what you can expect from Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s current tour? Here’s the setlist from last night’s show:

1. “Cortez The Killer”

2. “Cinnamon Girl”

3. “Scattered (Let’s Think About Livin’)”

4. “Don’t Cry No Tears”

5. “Down By The River”

6. “The Losing End (When You’re On)”

7. “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere”

8. “Powderfinger”

9. “Love And Only Love”

10. “Comes A Time” (Solo/Acoustic Performance)

11. “Heart Of Gold” (Solo/Acoustic Performance)

12. “Human Highway” (Solo/Acoustic Performance)

13. “Don’t Be Denied”

14. “Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black)”

While fans shouldn’t expect Young’s setlist to be exactly the same for all of the Love Earth Tour’s upcoming dates, last night’s show in Cali gave a pretty solid preview of what fans can expect from the rest of the trek.

Young and Crazy Horse will perform another set tonight at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre before traveling to Arizona, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and onward towards Canada.

Photo courtesy of Warner Records

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The post Neil Young And Crazy Horse Kick Off Love Earth Tour 2024: Here’s The Setlist appeared first on American Songwriter .

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Footage From Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’ Rehearsals Hint She’s Adding ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ Songs 

Taylor Swift might be gearing up to hold a Tortured Poets Department board meeting in the middle of her European Eras Tour concerts.

Swift, 34, uploaded a video of her tour prep to YouTube Shorts on Thursday, April 25, with the caption, “A fortnight till Paris.” In the clip, Swift practiced her setlist alongside her backup dancers.

While eagle-eyed fans noticed that Swift had run through performances of the likes of “Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince” and “Karma,” they also noticed snippets from a few numbers that had seemingly never been seen on stage.

In one instance, Swift played a white guitar and fans clocked that ivory hue matches the iconography of her new album , The Tortured Poets Department . There also appears to be a desk positioned on stage at one point in the video that could be another reference to the department. In another clip, Swift — wearing her now-viral PopFlex Active skort — leaned against a railing with white letters in the center. Fans have speculated the letters spell out “TTPD.”

Related: Breaking Down Taylor Swift’s Remaining ‘Eras Tour’ Schedule

“That’s the TTPD logo on the railing,” one user pointed out via X. “Omg TTPD is getting her own set at The Eras Tour !”

Swift also wore black lace-up heels as she posed on the railing, which other social media users compared to the similar Victorian-inspired pumps she sported in her “Fortnight” music video with Post Malone . (“Fortnight” is also the lead single off of TTPD.)

Another moment in the YouTube clip shows Swift surrounded by her backup dancers, the latter of whom are wearing circus-inspired top hats. Fans believe it is teeing up a TTPD performance of “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?” because of the big top lyrical reference, “I was tame, I was gentle ’til the circus life made me mean / ‘Don’t you worry, folks, we took out all her teeth.”

Another social media fan speculated: “Why do I feel like these are definitely rehearsal pics for TTPD songs ‘cause when have we ever had the dancers with hats and sticks.”

A selection of Swifties even think that they figured out the entire TTPD set that will be added based on an Instagram post by Pandora. The streaming station posted a “What song are you listening to next from The Tortured Poets Department?” graphic, specifically naming “Fortnight,” “The Alchemy,” “But Daddy I Love Him” “Down Bad” and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart.” Swift’s official fan account, Taylor Nation, reshared the upload onto its Instagram Story page on Thursday.

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One of Apple Music’s Swift-themed playlists, aptly titled “Taylor Swift Essentials,” has since been updated to include “Fortnight” and “Down Bad,” which other fans think further tease setlist plans. Apple’s official Eras “Setlist” playlist, however, has not been updated to include any TTPD hits.

Swift kicked off her Eras Tour in March 2023, traversing the United States and Central America to perform her sold-out show before beginning the international leg. Following overseas shows in Japan, Australia and Singapore earlier this year, Swift has currently been on a month long hiatus.

The Grammy winner’s next show is in Paris on Thursday, May 9, but she has not publicly revealed if or how the set list is changing to accommodate TTPD . It is also possible that the newly released tracks could pop up during her acoustic “surprise song” section .

In this article

Taylor Swift

More stories.

Taylor Swift's 'Tortured Poets' is hauntingly brilliant, even the 15 surprise songs

Taylor Swift ’s vulnerability is her superpower.

From the glorified diary entries of her 2006 debut to her 2024 album of the year Grammy winner “Midnights," she has proudly worn her heart on her sleeve.

That heart is bloodied and battered, but ultimately beating on “The Tortured Poets Department,” Swift’s 11th studio album that she surprise announced while collecting the first of two more Grammys in February.

Then came a bigger surprise when, at 2 a.m. Friday, Swift declared that "TTPD" was really a double album, with "The Anthology" tacked onto the the title and the addition of 15 songs to join the initial 16.

These 31 pensive pop tracks are the antithesis to “Lover.” Heartbreak and misery wrapped in melody. Rainbows faded into sepia tone. An era endured not enjoyed.

"TTPD" is bookended with a prologue – a poem by Stevie Nicks – and an epilogue framed as Swift’s summary report as the chairman of The Tortured Poets Department (Chaos, “leads the caged beast to do the most curious things,” she writes).

As she grapples with blame for the fizzling of a six-year relationship, she isn’t worried about pride. Former boyfriend Joe Alwyn is the obvious unnamed antagonist in most songs ("My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys"), though Swift shoulders plenty of culpability ("The Tortured Poets Department" title track).

With these songs, Swift pulls listeners into the depths of misery catalyzed by a public breakup while she staged the biggest concert tour in history. It's an exploration of extremes told with intimate details. Is this her “Tapestry" ? Her “Blue" ? Her “Like A Prayer" ?

Maybe the old guard still isn’t ready to anoint Swift to the echelon of Carole King and Joni Mitchell (Madonna? Absolutely). But “TTPD” springboards off Swift’s vibrant storytelling on “Folklore” and “Evermore” and spotlights the open-hearted confidence she presented on those musically minimalist albums.

Swifties can exhaust themselves excavating lyrical clues in the F-bomb-dropping “Down Bad” (“If I can’t have him, I might die”) and surmise if “But Daddy I Love Him” is funny or cruel (“I’m having his baby. No I’m not, but you should see your faces”), but it hardly matters.

Like the most successful artists in history – The Beatles and Beyoncé, perhaps – Swift is untouchable. Critic proof. Adored whether she unveils a masterpiece or a stopgap collection of songs.

“TTPD” falls closer to masterpiece territory, if not musically – similar cadences and production from Jack Antonoff and Aaron Dessner coat many songs with the same sheen – then lyrically.

It’s a bonafide headphones album, best experienced in the quiet to fully absorb the sadness and exasperation in Swift’s voice when she sings in the resentful “So Long, London,” (“I’m pissed off you let me give you all that youth for free”) and her ache on the melancholy piano ballad “Loml,” which will make your heart feel raked over with nails.

What guests does Taylor Swift have on her new album?

Post Malone is dancing closely to the fire known as "Call John Legend For a Feature" with his high-profile drops not only on Swift’s album, but Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter.”

While he offered a pedestrian contribution with Beyoncé, Posty fares better on “Fortnight,” the opening song on “TTPD” which he co-wrote with Swift and Antonoff.

A gentle thrumming in the background cushions Swift's darkly funny lyrics (“I was a functioning alcoholic ‘til nobody noticed my new aesthetic”) while Post Malone dips into the mesmerizing rhythm with some sweet vocals.

It’s also one of two songs to namedrop Florida. But the second, “ Florida!!! ,” co-written by and co-starring Florence Welch, is the standout, with Swift and Welch trading vocals over a stomping backbeat that is both cinematic and purposeful.

More: Taylor Swift name-drops Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas on new song. Here’s why

While it’s impossible to out-lyricize Swift, Welch nudges impressively close with her self-penned contribution: “Barricaded in the bathroom with a bottle of wine, well, me and my ghosts had a hell of a time.”

These two are ideal companions, musically and philosophically.

‘I Can Do it With a Broken Heart’ is one of Swift’s best Trojan horses

Synths flutter, an electro-pop beat pulses and the melody is structured as one of Swift’s trademark glistening pop gems.

But then the lyrics of “I Can Do it With a Broken Heart” kick in and Swift travels through the most potent psychological exploration of “the show must go on” since Smokey Robinson and The Miracles described “The Tears of a Clown” in 1967.

“I’m a real tough kid,” Swift sings, defiant as ever. “They said baby, gotta fake it til you make it … and I did.”

With humor and grace, Swift unfurls the anguish she hid while remaining very visible the past year, including blasting through an awe-inspiring three-hour show several nights a week on her world-spanning Eras Tour. But the song achieves liftoff with the dichotomy of Swift’s honeyed voice and her chant-singing, “I’m so depressed, I act like it’s my birthday, every day.”

It’s a clever entry into the complexity of mental health, and Swift, she of limitless ambition, flips her sorrow into something constructive, a Superwoman unbowed by pesky things like misery.

“I cry a lot but I am so productive,” she chirps, tongue firmly in cheek. “It’s an art … you know you’re good when you can do it with a broken heart.”

The capper is Swift declaring, “I’m miserable and no one even knows it!” as she laughs through the end of the song. But after recognizing what she’s endured, even her giggles lacerate.

More: All 11 of Taylor Swift's No. 1 songs ranked ahead of her 11th album release

Who is Clara Bow?

One of the most intriguing songs on “TTPD” is named for a 1920s-era silent film star and the layers run deep (paging all excavating Swifties!)

Is the choice of an actress who was seen and not heard on film a metaphor for her life with Alwyn, a cornerstone of which was privacy?

Or, as Swift sings from an observational post, does she merely resemble the alluring dark-lipsticked 20 th century star?

The wispy ballad finds Swift mimicking the words she (possibly) heard in her upstart years, such as “You look like Stevie Nicks ,” before the storyline comes full circle with a new rookie being told, “You look like Taylor Swift … you’ve got edge, she never did.”

It’s meta, yes, but Swift often subscribes to glancing back to lunge forward – always saturated in poetic sensitivity.

What is ‘The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology’?

The 15 additional songs Swift dropped a mere two hours after providing an emotional wallop with the first batch include four of the tracks already announced as bonuses: “The Manuscript,” “The Bolter,” “The Albatross” and “The Black Dog.”

Among the others, Swift is especially pointed on the gently swelling acoustic guitar-based “Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus,” a song that seemingly references her fling with Matty Healy (she laments being unable to save someone who “needed drugs” and was always just out of reach).

Her strongest vitriol, however, is reserved for “Thank you, Aimee,” which fans surmise digs into her feud with Kim Kardashian . But Swift is bold and forthright when schooling “Aimee” about her success in spite of criticisms – a familiar, if still welcome, page from Swift’s playbook.

A trio of “name” songs – “Cassandra,” “Peter” and “Robin” – are all winsome ballads couched in pretty piano melodies. “Peter” is especially endearing with its waltzing rhythm and Swift’s warm vocals on this ode to a childhood friend (“The goddess of timing once found us beguiling,” she sings).

But a highlight is the bouncy “So High School,” which finds Swift singing and strumming guitar with the breezy glow of ‘ 90s-era Sheryl Crow. Is her focal point current paramour Travis Kelce ? Lyrics including “You know how to ball, I know Aristotle” and “I feel so high school every time I look at you,” are significant indications. But more importantly, the song pulls Swift out of the sludge and into the sun.  

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• Kenny Chesney
• sun goes down tour

Kenny Chesney’s Sun Goes Down Tour: Setlist, Tickets, and More

by Em Casalena April 22, 2024, 10:03 am

Kenny Chesney has just kicked off his Sun Goes Down Tour and just played a lively set in Tampa, Florida at Raymond James Stadium this past weekend. With a couple of tour dates down, we’ve got a pretty good idea of what fans can expect from the country star’s setlist for this tour. And if you haven’t gotten your tickets yet, we’ll help you score last-minute seats as well.

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The setlist for Chesney’s Sun Goes Down Tour contains your typical medley of his best hits, but the “I Go Back” singer got a little creative this time around. In addition to the major hits, Chesney included some lesser-known tracks that are perfect for singing along, as well as a couple of covers. The setlist is as follows:

• “Living in Fast Forward”
• “Beer in Mexico”
• “Keg in the Closet”
• “Here and Now”
• “Reality”
• “Til It’s Gone”
• “Summertime”
• “Save It for a Rainy Day”
• “Big Star”
• “No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems”
• “Somewhere With You”
• “I Go Back”
• “Get Along”
• “Never Wanted Nothing More”
• “Take Her Home”
• “When the Sun Goes Down”
• “Drift Away” with Uncle Kracker (a Mentor Williams cover)
• “Come Monday” (a Jimmy Buffett cover)
• “All the Pretty Girls”
• “Young”
• “The Good Stuff”
• “American Kids”
• “Setting the World on Fire”
• “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”
• “How Forever Feels”

Chesney also came back for an encore performance of “Don’t Happen Twice”.

The next stop on the Kenny Chesney 2024 Tour will be on April 27 in Charlotte, North Carolina at Bank of America Stadium. The tour is expected to close on August 25 in Boston, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kenny Chesney (@kennychesney)

If you want to score last-minute tickets to this hefty North American tour, you’ve got a few different options. To start, you can get your hands on tickets directly from the singer’s website . There are also a ton of tickets available for different tour dates over at Ticketmaster . All of the presale events for this trek have since ended, so everything that is available is for general sale.

If those two avenues don’t work, you can always try Stubhub . We push Stubhub for tours like this because the platform usually has tickets available to high-profile concerts and tours just like this one. Plus, if your tour date is sold out, you might be able to find last-minute tickets on Stubhub after the fact. It’s worth at least taking a look to see what’s available!

Get your tickets to see Kenny Chesney live this year before they’re gone completely!

Kenny Chesney 2024 Tour Dates

April 27 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium

May 4 – Minneapolis, MN – U.S. Bank Stadium

May 9 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Wood Mitchell Pavilion

May 11 – Arlington, TX – AT&T Stadium

May 16 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live

May 18 – Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium

May 25 – Landover, MD – FedExField

May 30 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater

June 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – Acrisure Stadium

June 6 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center

June 8 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field 

June 13 – Maryland Heights, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

June 15 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field

June 20 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center

June 22 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Field

June 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater

June 29 – Cincinnati, OH – TQL Stadium

July 6 – Kansas City, MO – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium

July 11 – Boise, ID – Ford Amphitheater

July 13 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field

July 16 – Sandy, UT – American Frist Field

July 18 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre

July 20 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium

July 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater

July 27 – Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High Stadium

August 3 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium

August 8 – Columbus, OH – Historic Crew Stadium

August 10 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

August 15 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion

August 17 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

August 23 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium 

August 24 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium 

August 25 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium 

Photo by Erika Goldring

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3 Controversial Rock Songs That Artists Have Shelved

© 2024 American Songwriter

System Of A Down

Release Date: June 30, 1998

Label: american.

• Suite-Pee Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Know Music- Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Sugar Music- Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Suggestions Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Spiders Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• DDevil Music- Odadjian, Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Soil Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• War? Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Mind Music- Odadjian, Malakian, Tankian / Lyrics- Tankian
• Peephole Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• CUBErt Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian, Malakian
• Darts Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian
• P.L.U.C.K. Music- Malakian / Lyrics- Tankian, Malakian
• Sugar (Live)
• War? (Live)
• Suite-Pee (Live)
• Know (Live)

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What Taylor Swift's new album means for her $1 billion fortune

• Taylor Swift's new album, " The Tortured Poets Department ," is almost guaranteed to be a bestseller. 
• But no matter how well it does, it won't be the way Swift earns most of her money this year.
• The remaining leg of her Eras Tour is expected to add much more to Swift's billion-dollar fortune.

Taylor Swift released her new album, " The Tortured Poets Department ," at midnight, and, in what should be no surprise to anyone on this planet in the year 2024, it caused a scene.

Her album garnered millions of streams within hours. There's almost no doubt it'll top the Billboard chart like the 13 Swift albums before it.

But no matter how many platinum certifications it collects or streams it racks up on Spotify, "The Tortured Poets Department" won't be Swift's biggest money-maker this year.

The remaining leg of her Eras Tour — kicking off in Paris next month and running through December — is instead expected to be what contributes most to her fortune, which Bloomberg estimated to be $1.1 billion last year.

"Live music is the engine of the global music business," Clayton Durant, an adjunct professor at NYU Steinhardt's Music Business Program who's the founder of CAD Management, told Business Insider. "Her tour is probably going to earn 10 to 15 times more than her streaming."

Swift's Eras Tour brought in more than $1 billion in ticket sales last year over its 66 dates. By the end of this year, she's set to have played another 86. Swift's cut is unknown, but based on industry standards, she'll surely earn nine figures in 2024 from ticket sales.

Concerts don't only bring in money from ticket sales.

Pollstar estimates that Swifties spend an average of $40 a head on merch at her concerts — that adds up to about $175 million in gross merch sales last year. Swift's camp keeps the majority of that.

Bloomberg estimated that between box office and merchandise, Swift pocketed $225 million, pre-tax, from her first 57 Eras Tour dates. Career earnings from ticket sales and merchandise account for 34% of her total net worth, while earnings from music streaming and sales account for 18%, Bloomberg estimates.

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Swift isn't alone in making money on the road.

In 2021, the last year Billboard made a list of music's top earners, seven out of the 10 top money makers earned more than half of their income from touring.

But the music industry didn't always function this way. Before the advent of streaming, musicians made most of their fortune selling CDs, cassette tapes, and vinyl records .

"Physical music sales made up the bulk of artists' revenue pre-streaming, and that revenue was what enabled artists to tour. These days, the equation has flipped," Tatiana Cirisano, a senior music-industry analyst at MIDiA, told BI over email.

Streaming made listening to recorded music much cheaper. For less than the price of one CD — or for free, illegally or with ads — people could get all the songs they wanted.

"The moment Napster hit, it changed the paradigm, and it really honestly diluted the value of music," Durant said.

To be sure, Swift is still making tens of millions, if not more, on streaming and record sales each year — more than almost any other artist on the planet.

Streaming services such as Spotify pay out artists on a pro-rata model: There's a pot, made up of subscription and ad revenue, paid out to artists each year. Those with the biggest share of the platform's total streams get the biggest piece of it.

But "if you're an individual artist, you have to have a pretty massive audience to be able to earn a meaningful share of that revenue — which is paid out to you after your label gets its cut," Cirisano said.

Last year, Swift was the most streamed artist on both Apple and Spotify. One of every 78 songs streamed in the US last year was a Swift song, according to the music-data firm Luminate. She'll probably rank at or near the top again, between " The Tortured Poets Department " and a streaming lift from the second leg of her Eras Tour.

Swift is also set to earn more than most artists from physical music sales. Last year, she was responsible for one out of every 15 vinyl records sold, according to Luminate. Cirisano said Swift's rabid followers saw physical records as "a symbol of fandom" and a way to support Swift.

That said, without Eras, Swift would just be a poor centimillionaire.

Watch: Artsy CMO, Everette Taylor, tells Insider that the online art marketplace is more inclusive, and lucrative

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