Five songs that marked us at Sónar Lisbon 2024

Once again this year, we had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand one of the most impactful festivals on the world’s electronic music scene.

Sónar continues to consolidate itself in Lisbon. The festival held its third edition at the Pavilhão Carlos Lopes between Friday 22 and Sunday 24 March, bringing together 19,500 people from more than 50 countries. This multiculturalism was also reflected in the music on offer, with 54 performances by artists from 16 countries who showed the best of Lisbon to the world and presented Lisbon with the sounds that make the city tick.tendencia a nivel mundial.

At HIGHXTAR. we had the opportunity to travel to the Portuguese capital to live in first person the experience proposed by Sónar Lisbon and see why it has become an essential date in the annual calendar of festivals. Hundreds of songs were played last weekend. The selection was difficult, but here are the 5 songs that made the biggest impression on us.

SEVDALIZA – Nothing Lasts Forever (with Grimes)

The electro-chanson idol Sevdaliza once again demonstrated at Sónar Lisbon her stage power. The Iranian presented an innovative and captivating new AV show in which she uses artificial intelligence to question preconceived ideas about gender and identity. In addition to the thrilling ‘Human’, the breakthrough track ‘Ride or Die‘ with Villano Antillano or the world-renowned Afterlife show ‘Samsara’ (where she brings the vocals and futuristic visuals to life), Sevdaliza gave it all with her latest song with Grimes, ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’, whose music video featured deepfake-approved appearances from celebrities such as Madonna and Julia Fox. Another guest star, but in the audience, was Björk, who didn’t want to miss Sevdaliza‘s show.

TOMMY CASH – X RAY

One of the most anticipated shows at Sónar Lisbon was undoubtedly that of Tommy Cash. The Estonian rapper never leaves the audience indifferent thanks to his unique and charismatic flow, which fuses sounds ranging from hip-hop to trap, experimental electronica and hyperpop, all under a constant provocation. His effervescent and energetic live show made us feel part of the cult that appears in the video for ‘X-RAY’, a 2018 track that takes us back to the trance and rave of the 90s, with Caroline Polacheck, among others, credited with the composition.

SHYGIRL – TASTY (BOYS NOIZE EXTENDED DUB)

Zengxrl played one of the most vibrant and eclectic sets of Sunday. Raised on the outskirts of the Portuguese capital, the DJ maintains her Angolan roots and connects them with an amalgam of global sounds. During her set we could hear mixes of classics like Madonna‘s ‘Hang out’, Destiny’s Child‘s ‘Say my name’ or Amerie‘s ‘One thing’, as well as tracks ranging from afrobeat to house combined with peak time breaks, like the extended Boys Noize dub of ‘Tasty’, a song by Shygirl, who we could also enjoy at Sónar Lisbon. A track that raised the temperature at Sónar Village by Repsol on Sunday afternoon.

ADULT. – HAND TO PHONE (CARL CRAIG REMIX)

It was hard to choose between the performances at Sónar by night. Marie Davidson, Helena Hauff b2b Imogen, Tiga & Hudson Mohawke or DJ Gigola made us not want to leave the Sónarclub. For the unprecedented, we will keep the incredible show by 2manydjs with Erol Alkan and Éclair Fifi. A two-hour set of pure hedonism and enjoyment that the Dewaele brothers have accustomed us to. None of their performances is the same, but the one at Sónar Lisbon was (once again) memorable. Together with veteran Erol Alkan and the incombustible Éclair Fifi, they created a wild, euphoric and eclectic set: from the Catalan electro of Dark Vektor with ‘Hoy tengo ganas’ to the dance-punk of The Raptures with ‘House of Jealous Lovers’. We’re left with the last song of their show, Carl Graig‘s remix of ADULT‘s ‘Hand to Phone’, a track that goes straight into our favourite playlists.

After this successful edition, Sónar Lisbon will return in 2025 with its fourth edition, whose pre-registration for advance sales has already been opened. To date, Sónar has organised more than 100 festivals in 35 cities around the world. From 13 to 15 June it returns with a new edition to its home, Barcelona, with a dream line-up.