After a couple of years of enjoying our homegrown talent when not in lockdown, Australia has finally opened its doors. We're already being spoilt with slated visits from Jack Harlow, Young Thug, Tove Lo, Kacey Musgraves and more but it's only left us thinking about who else we want to see. Here are some of the artists currently touring the rest of the world that we need to see downunder.

Lizzo

It's about damn time. Lizzo is back with a new album Special and she's announced a big tour in support of it. That tour doesn't include Australia. She last visited Australia in the first month of 2020 before everything went to shit and obviously hasn't been back since. While she hasn't played many shows at all in that time, her Saturday Night Live slot where she premiered two new songs was A+.

Kehlani

Kehlani hasn't toured in Australia since she supported Halsey back in 2018. Since then, she's had two albums 2020's It Was Good Until It Wasn't and the freshly released blue water road. She's been tearing up the festival scene in the US over the past few months with a career-spanning setlist that we simply must see here soon.

Charli XCX

Charli XCX played Laneway Festival in 2020 just before the world shutdown. It's only been two years since then but Ms. XCX moves fast and she's released two albums. During the height of the pandemic, she dropped the personal how I'm feeling now and this year she followed it up with the polished CRASH. Her current US tour is her most ambitious yet, complete with choreo for the first time. It's mostly made up of bangers from CRASH but she's also found room for a few of the hits.

Lil Baby

It's hard to believe that Lil Baby has never toured Australia before but it's time we saw it. He's one of the biggest gets of the US festival season this year, not a surprise given he's one of the most streamed rappers in the world. His Grammys performance last year showed just how captivating a performer he is and his live sets this year have only supported that further. We're ready for Drip Too Hard live in Oz now.

Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo was also part of the final Laneway Festival before the pandemic but a lot has changed for him since then. He released a mini-album Apolonio, scrapped a debut album and then finally released his debut proper IVORY this year. His Coachella set this year was a stunning display of style and substance, expertly showing off the new songs. Invisible and Tamogotchi are two of his best songs to date and we're aching to see them live.

Lil Nas X

Lil Nas X's Montero made him an absolute superstar last year, pulling him swiftly out of one-hit wonder territory. His live performances at award shows are now the most anticipated moment of the night as he mixes shock tactics with genuine skill. This week, he announced a tour in support of the album and we're going to need some Australian dates popping up on that poster pretty soon.

ROSALÍA

Rosalía is one of the most captivating performers on the planet right now. You only have to watch her TikTok performance in support of her new album MOTOMAMI to realise that. Australia has typically shied-away from touring Spanish-speaking artists but it's time that we got with the rest of the globe. Let's start with Rosalía's live show.

The Weeknd

The Weeknd just finished headlining Coachella with Swedish House Mafia and is now preparing to go on his After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour. Since the pandemic started, he's released two album beginning with the chart-storming After Hours and leading to this year's Dawn FM. The hits are so apletny that it's going to be hard for him to put together a concise setlist. Rumour has it that an Australian leg of the tower is already on the cards so we just have to wait for that to materialise.

Doja Cat

If The Weeknd's tour does come here, it's likely that Doja Cat will be in toe as she's supporting. Doja Cat has actually never toured Australia before so it's about time that she brought Planet Her down here. Her Coachella sets were basically headline sets with one of the most elaborate performances of the festival. In the past few years, she's gone from an internet secret to a global superstar with the hits to boot. Right now, she's got to be on the mind of every festival promoter in the world.

Turnstile

Turnstile have toured Australia in the past but 2021 was a breakthrough year for the boundary-pushing hardcore group. Their album Glow On became a critic favourite and introduced them to a whole new audience. Their proceeding tour brought with it crowds who were both ready to get rowdy and in their feelings. It's one of the most electrifying live shows out right now and we reckon they would be perfect in the higher end of the Laneway lineup.

100 Gecs

We were so close to getting a 100 Gecs tour in Australia. They were slated to visit in 2020 but that go cancelled and now the tour is in limbo. They are working towards the release of their second album at the moment with new cuts Doritos & Fritos and mememe while also playing some of the biggest festivals in the US. It's likely that their shows in Australia will be a little bigger than they were slated to be the first time around.