13 January 1 - 7, 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents 5. BAK Jay FBG Murda may be the face of Dallas Drill, but Fort Worth’s BAK Jay has become the genre’s biggest star. Although the music is chaotic, it has proven to be irresistible to rap fans. In 2025, Jay released one of the biggest songs in North Texas, “Pop Shii,” which garnered over 23 million streams on Spotify. When Jay wasn’t generating millions of streams on his solo tracks, he stacked his re- sume with collaborations from NLE Choppa, 1900Rugrat, DeeBaby and NoCap. He spoiled fans with a joint album link up with FBG Murda (Youngest In Charge) and two solo al- bums, One of a Kind and Letters I Never Sent. 4. Montana 700 Montana 700 was the first artist of the New Dallas movement to sign with record label 300 Entertainment. He and Zillionaire Doe made the movement a hot commodity with their magnetic hustler music, while Montana drew the biggest music labels to North Texas. Whether on tracks or visuals, Montana has an undeniable presence, one that is dis- played through his tenacity and persuasive charisma. The 2025 albums 700 Reasons and The Greatest of All Traps inspire everyday people to daydream of being kingpins. 3. Zillionaire Doe 2025 began with one of the year’s biggest moments: Zillionaire Doe signing with Yo Gotti’s CMG Records. As the face of New Dallas, he has shared stages with GloRilla, Rob49 and Loe Shimmy. He is one of the most sought-after rising artists in hip hop, collaborating with Rico Da Yung Og, Big Boogie and 4Batz. The release of mixtapes like D Boi Dreams and Mr. 14 Months are among the best of hustler music. What made Zillionaire Doe the hottest new rapper in 2024 was his originality, which again translated in 2025, as he and his New Dallas movement became one of the most-watched sub-genres in all of hip-hop. 2. Bashfortheworld The Observer’s 2024 Best of Dallas recepient of the Best Rapper category only got better in 2025. He ends the year with a victory lap in the form of over 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone and two sold-out shows with LiveNation. “MVP,” the lead single off Migo in America, reached over 34 million streams. The album features four hits, including “On The Map,” “Death B4 Dishonor” and “Bout It Bout It.” Bash also provides exposure to fellow North Texas acts, collaborating with Roadrun CMoe, Oodaredevil and Slummy. 1. BigXThaPlug Billboard’s 2025 Innovator of the Year be- came the biggest hip-hop star in 2025 with the multi-platinum success of his sophomore album, Take Care. He took on the largest names in country music with his first album in the genre, I Hope You’re Happy, which made the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart. Making his late-night debut with Jimmy Kimmel, performing with Drake in London and working with Lil Wayne on The Carter 6 are merely some of his accomplishments in 2025. “BigXThaPlug is one of Dallas’ greatest success stories in the modern era,” we wrote when we named X’s hit song “Texas” among the 50 best Texas rap songs. Happy New Year for Concerts Lady Gaga, Doja Cat, The Wallflowers and more promise a happy new year for North Texas music fans. By Preston Jones and Simon Pruitt A mid the flurry of end-of-year reflections, lists wrapping up the albums and songs of the year nearly concluded, atten- tion turns to what will be passing across the stages, large and small, across North Texas in 2026. While summing up the full breadth of the artists and genres which will be heard across the dozens of venues here in the com- ing months would be a small novel unto itself — seriously, the ini- tial list for this article numbered more than 50 possible concerts — it’s worth whittling down that mass to consider a few perfor- mances we’re most anticipating as the calendar turns to a fresh set of months. Here, in chronological order, are some of the biggest concerts we’re looking forward to in the first few months of 2026. Aimee Mann Feb. 27, Longhorn Ballroom The acclaimed singer-songwriter does not often make her way to our neck of the woods. This appearance at the Longhorn Ballroom will mark Mann’s first headlining set in North Texas in eight years. Expect an abundance of sharply observed songs, wry humor and intricate melodies. PJ Lady Gaga Feb. 28-March 1, Dickies Arena Mother Monster is bringing her Mayhem Ball to North Texas for a two-night stand. Lady Gaga is making her first tour stop here in four years in Tarrant County for her second consecutive tour. PJ Nine Inch Nails March 3,American Airlines Center This will be an encore of sorts for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose blistering industrial rock laid siege to Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena in 2025. Nine Inch Nails will thrash the sensibilities of its Dallas fans as part of its ongoing Peel It Back tour, which is sched- uled into mid-March. PJ The Format April 7, House of Blues After a nearly 20-year absence from touring and recording, former fun. frontman Nate Reuss and songwriting partner Sam Means re- vived their old pop project, The Format. 2026 will mark a full- blown comeback, complete with a nationwide tour and a new album, Boycott Heaven, set to arrive on January 23. The record will also be the first new material from Reuss since his 2015 solo album, Grand Romantic. SP Robert Plant March 18, Majestic Theatre The immortal voice of Led Zeppelin has, over the last several de- cades, steadfastly followed his muse over the hills and far away from anything resembling the cranium-rattling crunch of that ep- ochal rock band. His latest foray into a more folky, bluesy register comes in the form of Saving Grace, Plant’s latest solo album, which finds him collaborating with vocalist Suzi Dian, who’ll be on hand as Plant makes his first solo appearance in Dallas in eight years. PJ The Last Dinner Party March 28, The Bomb Factory British rock quintet The Last Dinner Party made a splash with its 2024 debut album, Prelude to Ecstasy, and followed that work in short order with this year’s sophomore effort, From the Pyre. The buzzy group is returning to the venue where it last sold out in 2024, armed again with its whip-smart, senses-throttling songcraft. PJ Fatboy Slim April 10, SILO Dallas The man born Norman Cook was, up until a year ago, a scant sight on the decks in Dallas clubs. But that changed when Fatboy Slim was drafted to help open the doors of now-essential club SILO Dallas. His return, just over a year after he christened the space, is a verita- ble rarity in his touring history here. Seize the opportunity to watch a master at work in a comparatively (for him, anyway) cozy spot. PJ Tyler Childers April 23, Dos Equis Pavilion A fast-rising star in the Americana genre, singer-songwriter Tyler Childers will headline one of his largest Dallas shows to date next year, in support of the Kentucky native’s recently released LP, Snipe Hunt. PJ PinkPantheress April 23, Southside Ballroom With signature electronic-inflected vocals, sub-two-minute songs and a sarcastic personality, PinkPantheress is the perfect pop star for the digital age. But don’t think of her as just a fad. Layering those tight pop melodies over breakbeat instrumentals sounds fan- tastic and legitimately fresh. SP Leon Neal/Getty Images Raye performs at the Glastonbury festival in 2025. >> p14
