The name Soulection and a damn good time are synonymous. This is due in large part to the music movement’s decade-plus-long dedication to masterful sonic curation. So, Soulection’s incremental evolution from viral online mixes to in-person programming only made sense.
However, the rate at which Soulection has gone from night raves to outdoor music festivals should (and most certainly will be) studied. At this point, supporters’ sole focus is on experiencing live what is sure to make history books later.
With its birthplace (Los Angeles) comfortably locked down, on July 27, Soulection set out to plant its flag in New York. Back in March, following the 14 Years Of Soulection celebration tour’s Brooklyn stop, the standard was boldly established. For Soulection’s return to the boroughs, the team had to top their Brooklyn Steel appearance, and Soulection In The Park was their ambitious response.
Held within New York City’s fourth-largest park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Soulection In The Park crowned them culture’s consummate cultivators, purveyors of propitious programming, and the future faces of mixed talent festivals. Simply put, Soulection In The Park’s New York debut, featuring performers co-founder Joe Kay, Benji B, Zane Lowe, Descendants (Meedy and Pizzi), 9AM Banger, Gia Fu, Kwn, and Odeal, far exceeded any dizzy daydream one could conjure up. Soulection In The Park was a recalibrating return to the origins of music festivals, a subtle response to anti-immigrant rhetoric, and proof that if you build it, they will come.
The sea of nearly 10,000 attendees served as a thundering testament of Soulection’s grassroots origins. Attendees were in search of good vibes and even better music. In an event market where ticket purchases are used as a bargaining chip for digital social currency. Or even worse, an elitist flex of your socioeconomic status, Soulection In The Park was a refreshing, recalibrating return to why festivals exist–to support the arts. Despite the unstable weather conditions, fans trucked it out to Queens for their favs. Handheld fans, polyethylene rain ponchos, sunglasses, and combat boots seemed to be the day’s official dress code, but by the time festivalgoers reached the main stage, none of the elements mattered, and clothing was optional.
In fact, opener Gia Fu used the day’s occasional cloudy overcast to her benefit. Fu’s set, which was dominated by Afro-Latin music staples, allowed crowds to dance salsa, merengue, or hell, even a solid two-step under the comforting shade. Without uttering a word, Gia Fu spoke to the audience through each track, acknowledging the cultural richness of Latin people and music, which festivalgoers deeply appreciated.
9AM Banger picked up where Gia Fu left off, bringing things into present day–dembow, reggaeton, and Latin trap. As attendees proudly waved their flags, others gloriously threw ass. Gia Fu and 9AM Banger’s set spoke to a subtle mission of Soulection In The Park. Today’s political powers are actively attempting to brand immigrants as public enemy number one. Through Soulection In The Park’s carefully curated lineup and hosting location, Soulection is here to debunk that narrative.
Although DJs remain the bread and butter of Soulection, as seen on Joe Kay’s debut EP If Not Now, Then When?, Soulection has begun to incorporate vocal musicians into their mix. Soulection In The Park was filled to the brim with international turntable assassins. However, its two featured recording artists also drew in a massive crowd. Fresh off the release of their respective debut projects, Odeal’s The Summer That Saved Me (with LVRN) and Kwn’s with all due respect (on RCA), the London singers leveraged their performances to lock in future US bookings.
Odeal used his 30-minute slot to serenade the crowd, but he didn’t deviate much from the party atmosphere thanks to songs like “Blame U,” “Miami,” and “London Summers.” Although Odeal has previously performed in New York (2024 headlining show at SOB’s), Soulection In The Park served as his first festival appearance in the region. Impressed by the crowd’s reception to him, Odeal jumped off-stage to meet festivalgoers where the vibes were. Yes, Odeal thrives in a small room. But he certainly held his own on the big stage.
On the other hand, Kwn’s set appeared to have been drastically reduced from what was promised. Still, Kwn managed to make it count. Although her highly anticipated New York debut was short, Kwn’s charisma did not waver. As Kwn quickly worked through “eyes wide open,” “do what i say,” “back off the club,” and “worst behavior,” she showed that With All Due Respect Tour ticket holders are in for something special this winter.
Between Odeal and Kwn, Zane Lowe momentarily came out of retirement. Typically, outdoor events start with a land acknowledgement; for Soulection In The Park, Zane Lowe’s set served as such. Known as one of the most knowledgeable music minds, Zane used his time to educate festivalgoers on Queens’ contribution to hip-hop, where every trailblazer, including A Tribe Called Quest and Nicki Minaj, was a lesson.
Soulection In The Park’s sweet spot came during Descendants and Benji B’s performances. Sometimes words can get in the way. Descendants and Benji B eliminated that threat with sets packed with mixes of electronic sounds from around the world. No country was left unexplored. No groove was too small to ride. There was no casual swaying along to either set; attendees were commanded to surrender. Minor movements transformed into widespread spontaneous choreography from the soul. Each featured act brought a unique dish to the potluck (Soulection In The Park), yet attendees admitted that if seconds were an option, Benji B was in for a long night.
To close out the evening, head honcho Joe Kay stepped in to do what he does best: merge music’s many multiverses. Taking it back to Soulection’s start, Joe Kay threaded connections between R&B, rap, and EDM. No reliance on special guest appearances or the push from an out-of-touch venture capitalist, Joe Kay stuck to Soulection’s founding principle, ‘connecting people through music.’ Joe Kay’s work, including the forthcoming Leon Thomas III collaboration he teased onstage, is his stamp of approval. Joe Kay validates himself, and the people follow. Joe Kay’s headlining set was proof that if you build it, they will come. For Soulection In The Park, that meant tens of thousands of music lovers.
Even with all of the day’s thrilling sets onstage, Soulection In The Park was not immune to missteps offstage. The most glaring oversight of the day was the staff’s muddied enforcement of tiered access. While the VIP village (which included some of the most lavish porta potties I’ve ever seen) was guarded like Fort Knox, the wristband filtering system seemingly didn’t exist near the main stage. Both standing room sections nearest the stage were filled with general admission and VIP attendees, which caused a few arguments once performances began. Although both areas provided the same sight lines, festivalgoers weren’t pleased to be behind rows of lower-tiered attendees for Odeal and Kwn.
To indulge in a brief moment of self-aggrandizing, the same mix-up occurred with approved media. Even with proper tags, freelance photographers and videographers were barred from entering Soulection In The Park’s sole press pit access point, forcing folks to miss out on capturing Gia Fu’s set. But by the time 9AM Banger’s took over, things were worked out. In all fairness, considering how quickly Soulection’s live programming has scaled, these minor logistical errors are par for the course.
All in all, Soulection In The Park’s New York debut at Flushing Meadows Corona Park far exceeded any dizzy daydream one could conjure up. The festival was a necessary recalibration of live programming, a subtle response to anti-immigrant rhetoric, and proof that if you build it, they will come.
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Do you want more of Joe Kay? Connect with Joe Kay online on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook. Joe Kay’s new EP If Not Now, Then When? is out on digital streaming platforms now. Click here to stream the project.
