FKA stands for “Friends of Kacey” and was founded by Kacey Musgraves in 2015. The fan club is dedicated to supporting the musician and her career. Musgraves released Home To Whoopsie Bay in May 2017, and although it was a commercial disappointment, it did okay on streaming services and received mostly favorable reviews. FKA released an EP, titled Trouble, last year that consisted of four new songs. In 2017, FKA played a variety of festivals and venues, including the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee, and the Austin City Limits Festival in Texas. Musgraves is also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Love, Simon, which came out in June 2017. She performed the movie’s theme song “Higher” at the 2017 MTV Movie Awards. In August 2017, Musgraves released a new single, “Slowheart”, and will be performing on The Late Late Show with James Corden in London next month.
Robert Pattinson
It’s been a rough ride since the Twilight starlet released her memoir, Breaking Dawn in November 2011. His film adaptation of the book hit theaters in July 2012, and although it was a huge success at the box office, it was panned by critics. Most people assumed that the media backlash was because of Edward Cullen, the vampire hero of Breaking Dawn, and his two undead sons, who portray the movie’s villains. During his media tour for the movie, Robert Pattinson refused to speak on camera, and he was eventually dropped by his agency, Select Model Management, a few weeks after the movie’s premiere. Since then, Pattinson has mostly stayed out of the public eye, with the exception of a 2013 series of candid photos taken by Tyler Shields that were published by Penta Magazine. These photos helped launch Pattinson’s comeback, and the actor has since appeared in several movies, including X-Men Apocalypse, The Lost Art of Reading Arablum, and The Rover, which was released last month. He also returned to his roots and played Woodstock in Nightingale, a film about the legendary singer-songwriter.
Even though he’s kept a low profile, fans of Twilight have continued to show up at movie theaters to see Pattinson on screen. His latest movie, The Lighthouse, was released in September 2017, and although it wasn’t as highly anticipated as his previous projects, pre-release reports suggest that it’s going to be a financial success. On Dec. 21, 2017, Pattinson will be seen in theaters across the country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Twilight.
Kacey Musgraves
Musgraves first came to fame as the vocalist for country band Electric Ladyland, which had several Top 40 country hits in the 2000s. After her band broke up in 2010, she released two EPs, including the Grammy-nominated Pageantry, which was inspired by the 1992 presidential election. She toured as a solo artist in 2015 and 2016, and in November 2016, she released her major-label debut album, Growler, which featured several Top 40 country hits, including the single “Follow Your Heart”. She won the prestigious 2016 Grammy award for Best Country Album for Growler, as well as the award for Best Country Song for “Follow Your Heart”. She will be performing at several festivals and venues this summer, including the Country Music Awards in Nashville on June 12 and the European Country Music Festival in Bydgoszcz, Poland, on July 2. In addition, she will be playing a few select shows on the North American leg of Kenny Chesney’s The BIG Revival Tour this summer.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
The members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers have been around for a long time, and although they’ve never been truly “famous”, they’ve certainly been well-known. They released their first album, Chili Peppers, in the early 1980s and have gone on to sell millions of records worldwide. Their unique blend of genres has made them popular with music fans, and they’ve headlined several big music festivals, including Coachella, Sasquatch, and Bonnaroo. They continue to tour and will be playing festivals and venues worldwide this summer. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album, The Getaway, was released in October 2016, and it’s a good mix of old and new tunes. The band will be playing “The Getaway” in full at their upcoming concerts, so audiences will have the chance to hear it live.
Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga is one of the most famous faces in the world today, and she’s become equally as famous for her outlandish fashion choices as she has for her music. Born Stefani Ann Majors, the performance artist and singer changed her last name to Gaga after she decided that it would be easier to be addressed as “Lady Gaga” rather than “Stefani Ann Majors”. She began her career in 2006 with the release of her debut album, The Fame, which was a huge critical and commercial success. She has since released a string of successful studio albums, including Born This Way, Artpop, and Artistry, with several chart-topping singles, including the international hits “Born This Way”, “Au Fence”, and “Perfect Illusion”. She has also become a fashion icon, setting trends and influencing celebrities with her outlandish fashions and performances, which frequently include strange makeups and elaborate costumes. Lady Gaga has become a cultural phenomenon and will be playing various festivals and venues this summer. She has also been seen in recent months wearing designer jewelry by Bulgari.
Honorable Mentions: