Is Roblox The Next Big Concert Venue?

Online games and virtual concerts had a wild year together in 2020. Remember when Travis Scott hosted a concert on Fortnite in April? What seemed like a silly gimmick generated astronomical results. Over 120 million fans attended the show and the official clip holds over 126 million views on YouTube. After a concert of this caliber, it’s no surprise that the massively popular gaming platform Roblox threw their hat in the ring. In September of last year, we saw Ava Maxhosting a launch party for her album Heaven & Hell on the platform, and according to reports, had 1.156 million players show up for the event. In November, Roblox held its first official virtual concert featuring Lil Nas X that racked up a whopping 33 million views. Following the success of Roblox’s collaboration with musical artists, Warner Music Group has contributed an investment of 8 figures, bringing the platform’s valuation to $29.5 billion (according to Billboard).

Although this sudden shift may seem unexpected, it isn’t if you have been following the platform’s sudden rise of users during the pandemic. According to ABC, Roblox saw usage surge to 40% in March of 2020, and in April of last year, Roblox reported that two-thirds of kids from ages 9 and 12 in the U.S. were using its platform.  Considering the popularity of the platform (and the painfully enduring nature of this pandemic), it’s certain that 2021 will be a substantial year for virtual concerts on Roblox.

The latest artist/Roblox collaboration includes American singer and songwriter Natalie Mering, AKA Weyes Blood. Mering’s 2019 album Titanic Rising marked a high point in her career, leaving listeners anxious to hear what she did next. In 2020, she reappeared backing up Tim Heidecker for his latest record Fear of Death. In 2021, it looks like she’s returning to her Titanic Rising days, partnering with Roblox Titanic to release the new track “Titanic Risen.” The track is an outtake from the Titanic Rising sessions. It’s also featured alongside a few more of the album’s songs on Roblox Titanic. To access the game and check out the tracks, follow this link.