It’s no secret that 2024 has been dubbed the year of the pop girls. This summer, more than ever, audiences seemed to celebrate and revel in both established and emerging women in the music industry like never before. From Chappell Roan’s seemingly instantaneous rise to success that can only be described as meteoric, to Sabrina Carpenter’s acclaimed album Short n’ Sweet deservedly catapulting her decade-long career into global pop sensation territory, music is having a female-forward moment. But while the rest of the world was catching up, All Things Go music festival has been championing women and LGBTQ+ artists since their humble beginnings a decade ago – and their explosive mainstream success is easily attributed to this cultural shift.

In 2014, the inaugural All Things Go festival was held in Washington D.C.’s Union Market, then a modestly-sized food hall, before moving to Yards Park in 2016 and finally expanding to Columbia, Maryland’s 20,000 capacity venue Merriweather Post Pavilion in 2021. Last year, the festival added a second day of performances for the first time, featuring a headlining lineup of Lana Del Rey, boygenius, Maggie Rogers, and more across two stages on both Saturday and Sunday.

To celebrate their monumental ten-year anniversary this year, All Things Go announced a second festival held in New York City’s Forest Hills Stadium the same weekend. Both locations sold out instantly – a testament to their immense growth in a fairly short time. V checked out the festival’s OG location in the DMV, where some of our favorite artists – and V alums – delivered stellar performances.

Reneé Rapp

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

In a particularly-stacked year for rising artists, Reneé Rapp holds her own – her first album, Snow Angel, was the biggest debut by a female artist across all genres in 2023. But she’s much more than commercial success – it’s impossible to witness Rapp perform live and not come away knowing she is a generational talent. Her Broadway background is evident in her effervescent stage presence and the way she commands a crowd, making each audience member feel as if they’re the only one watching. 

Highlights of her ATG set included “Swim” (a standout track from Snow Angel’s deluxe version), “Not My Fault” (her collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion for the Mean Girls movie musical), “In The Kitchen” (with an adorable guitar cameo from her younger brother Charlie), and, of course, “Snow Angel.” Before performing the album’s hard-hitting title track, Rapp went backstage and changed into a floor-length white dress. The simultaneously powerful yet vulnerable ballad always serves as her show-closer, and with good reason – her vocals are other-wordly, and the song’s strong message rings through the audience. 

MUNA

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

Three-member indie-pop band MUNA emerged onto the music scene in 2016, but exploded in popularity thanks to their viral 2021 hit “Silk Chiffon” featuring Phoebe Bridgers, which led the trio to open for artists like Bridgers herself, Kacey Musgraves, Lorde, and most recently, Taylor Swift’s ‘Eras’ Tour. MUNA is also a well-loved returning ATG act – the band closed out the Chrysalis Stage on last year’s Sunday lineup before Lana Del Rey took the main stage. However, the band was not originally slated to play at Merriweather this year. Chappell Roan initially held the spot, but pulled out Friday, citing health reasons. MUNA’s Sunday performance (they were playing NYC’s festival the day prior) was announced on the big screen at Merriweather’s pavilion stage Saturday afternoon and instantly met with cheers. 

Replacing an artist as coveted as Roan last minute would be a tough slot for any other act, but the audience’s love for MUNA was contagious, lasting long after the group left the stage. After performing high-energy tracks like “What I Want,” “Solid,” and “Stayaway,” MUNA paid tribute and sent love to Roan during the acoustic section of their setlist by covering her hit “Good Luck, Babe!” on guitar as the entire crowd sang along. Other memorable moments included lead vocalist Katie Gavin tossing four inflatable horses – all named “Stacy” – into the crowd during their upbeat breakup anthem “Anything But Me” and of course, “Silk Chiffon” as the perfect end to their set.

Janelle Monaé

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

Janelle Monaé is an artist unlike any other. Her critically-acclaimed 2018 concept album Dirty Computer was a difficult act to follow, but 2023’s The Age of Pleasure executed it perfectly. Monaé performed tracks from both albums and closed with her 2010 hit from her The ArchAndroid album, “Tightrope,” as the final act on the Chrysalis Stage on Saturday. The most memorable moment of the set came about halfway through, when Monaé invited several audience members up on stage to dance alongside her as she performed an extended version of “Paid in Pleasure,” immediately followed by a standout in her discography, Dirty Computer’s “Pynk” featuring Grimes. 

Ethel Cain

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

V cover star alum Ethel Cain is nothing short of ethereal – her 2022 concept album Preacher’s Daughter captivates listeners from start to finish. As a returning ATG performer, the crowd welcomed her with excitement, albeit a striking sense of reverence. Despite being a rowdy crowd throughout many other performances, you could hear a pin drop at the Chrysalis Stage during Cain’s more solemn ballads like “Dust Bowl,” “A House in Nebraska,” or “Thoroughfare.” But after taking in her incredible talent, the audience danced and sang along to fan favorite upbeat tracks like “Crush” and “American Teenager,” as well as a stunning cover of Jackie DeShannon’s “Bette Davis Eyes.” But if you can’t get enough of her music, you’re in luck – ATG was Cain’s last show of 2024, and since then, she’s wiped her social media and changed her instagram bio, presumably teasing a new era. 

Maren Morris

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

At first glance, Maren Morris stands out from much of the ATG lineup, but the country star has consistently pushed boundaries and deviated from expectations since her debut in 2017. Most recently, she signaled a shift away from the genre with 2023’s The Bridge and her recent EP Intermission, on which she worked with Jack Antonoff – who performed with his band Bleachers at ATG – and MUNA. Her set was complete with her breakout hit “My Church,” her explosive 2018 Zedd feature on “The Middle,” and special guests Madi Diaz (with whom Morris co-wrote her new track “this is how a woman leaves”) and Hozier (who headlined ATG’s main stage this year and sang his verse on Morris’ hit “The Bones”).

Holly Humberstone

Courtesy of All Things Go / Respective Collective

UK indie-pop darling Holly Humberstone is among the most multifaceted emerging artists of 2024. Like MUNA, Humberstone also opened for Swift’s Eras Tour in London, gaining more visibility as a rising star. Humberstone played ATG’s Chrysalis Stage Sunday afternoon, performing hits like “The Walls Are Way Too Thin” and “Dive” to an energetic and passionate crowd, prompting her to declare this her “favorite show of the year” multiple times throughout her set. She brought out Medium Build, who performed earlier that day, to sing a duet of her track “Cocoon,” and closed her set with fan favorite “Scarlett.”

Discover More