EXCLUSIVE: Swae Lee to Headline at Spring Fling on Foss Hill, Rock Band Friko to Open

The Argus received exclusive intel from the Concert Committee that rap superstar Swae Lee will be headlining this year’s Spring Fling, which will take place on and around Foss Hill on May 7. Opening for Lee will be up-and-coming indie act Friko.

Inglewood-born rapper Swae Lee is perhaps best known as half of legendary rap duo Rae Sremmurd, which he fronted alongside his brother Slim Jxmmi. Hit shuffle on Rae Sremmurd’s Spotify, and you’ll be shocked: The hits keep coming. “Black Beatles,” “No Type,” “Come Get Her,” “Swang,” and “This Could Be Us” are all decade-defining bangers that should make a whole crowd of Spring Fling–goers nostalgic. The brothers defined a genre with club-ready beats and hard one-liners, creating musical moments that topped both the charts and our hearts. 

Outside his work with the duo, Swae Lee is a bona fide hitmaker who has collaborated with a litany of fantastic artists, from Ellie Goulding to Travis Scott to Madonna. His biggest hit, “Sunflower,” which features Post Malone, was the song of the summer in 2018 due to its memorable inclusion on the “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” soundtrack. When that one comes on, get ready to do your own thing.

Despite his longstanding prominence in the music industry, Swae Lee dropped his debut solo album Same Difference on Apr. 3, backing it with electric mainstage performances at Coachella. When Lee hits Middletown, prepare to swang.

This year’s Spring Fling’s opener, the Chicago-based band Friko, might not be a household name yet, but that won’t last long. Their first record, Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here, got rapturous love from critics, including raves from Pitchfork, Paste, NME, Stereogum, and Rolling Stone.

“Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here isn’t just a throwback,” Pitchfork wrote. “It carries the spirit forward, reaffirming that indie rock, as a style and ethos, can still feel like the most exciting thing a young person could be into.”

In other words, someone hearing their music for the first time on Foss Hill might just find a new favorite band.

We’re lucky to be getting them when we are; the band’s follow up to Where We’ve Been, Where We Go From Here is set to be released on April 24, so expect their energy to be high on the thrill of putting out what is being flagged as one of the year’s most anticipated releases. With the popularity of bands like Geese and Wednesday, it’s undeniable that we’re experiencing an indie rock boom, so buy Friko stock now and brag to your friends later that you saw them at Spring Fling.

On top of these two amazing acts, be prepared to see some of the University’s finest musicians starting the day’s festivities with a bang. Those acts will be announced this week, following tonight’s Battle of the DJs, taking place in Psi U at 9 p.m. We couldn’t be more excited about this year’s Spring Fling, and we hope to see you all on Foss then!

Louis Chiasson can be reached at lchiasson@wesleyan.edu.