With Bacchanal fast approaching, campus is abuzz with excitement over the announcement of this year’s headliner, JID. It’s especially delightful news for avid JID fans like Erick Cifuentes (CC ’25), who has incorporated JID into his music diet since his freshman year of high school, when his cousin and brother introduced him to the highly acclaimed single “Never” from JID’s first album, released in 2017, The Never Story.
“Midterms weren’t bad all of a sudden,” Erick said, in reference to learning that one of his favorite artists would be this year’s Bacchanal headliner. Soon after, Erick began surmising a likely setlist in his downtime between studying for exams. According to it, JID would open with “Never” and “Dance Now” and close with “Surround Sound,” the latter of which are from JID’s 2022 album The Forever Story.
For Rohan Soni (CC ’25), who has been a fan of JID since 2018 and also hails from the rapper’s hometown, Atlanta, the word of JID’s headlining is doubly meaningful. Upon hearing the news, Rohan scrambled to Depop and eBay to purchase two 2002 Atlanta Falcons jerseys — augmenting his already expansive collection of Atlanta merch — in anticipation of JID’s arrival. “This means so much to me,” Rohan said. “Atlanta is where I grew up and is why I am the way I am.”
Many, like Erick and Rohan, think JID embodies the kind of artist to headline Bacchanl. “JID is the best pick we’ve had for a headliner in my time at Columbia,” Rohan remarked. “His energy and popularity fits the perfect ideal of what Bacchanal is and should be.” Jini Mukherjee (SEAS ’25), meanwhile, is glad that a great many of her peers, it seems, are already somewhat acquainted with his music, and expects this will make for a more lively concert experience: “He’s a great pick for Bacchanal — everyone I know has listened to ‘Surround Sound’.”
Jini, like other juniors and seniors, is also looking forward to her first Bacchanal during which COVID is not a pressing community issue. “I think the vibes this time around will be better,” Mukerhjee said.
Janya Utkarsh (BC ’27) is also looking forward to a great environment at her first Bacchanal. “I hope the concert is super lively and people have a positive vibe,” Janya told me. As a singer herself, Janya is particularly fond of JID’s incorporation of melody and singing into his rapping, in such songs as “151 Rum” and “Kody Blu 31.”
The surprise announcement of JID as the headliner, despite the hints posted on the Bacchanal Instagram page, caught many off guard. Dairyn Diaz (BC ’26), was the only person in the comment section of the post featuring the Lacoste logo to correctly guess JID (her method: she perused the Lacoste Instagram page, then found a Reel featuring JID). Dairyn doesn’t consider herself a JID fan, but is nonetheless excited to hear him perform.
“I have high hopes. He’s a really talented guy” Dairyn said, who is also excited to hear Chandra and the supporting artist, who, according to Dairyn, will be AG Club. In preparation for April 6, Dairyn told me, she will be learning the lyrics to the artists’ most popular songs.
JID’s upcoming appearance is, in a way, prescient. In one of his latest tracks, he says, “On a connecting flight to Atlanta, leaving LaGuardia.” In due time, he’ll be on the returning flight in order to perform on Low Steps. As April 6 edges closer, the Bacchanal buzz on campus will be building steadily. Spring break will shake off those midterm blues — then a couple of weeks after that, it’s showtime.
WOOOO