On May 23, Red Bull SoundClash, the music battle of the year, returns to Romexpo for its 6th edition. Two stages face to face, two artists representing completely different musical genres, only one winner chosen by the public. Connect-R is the first confirmed artist of this year's edition. The second artist, who will complete one of the most unexpected musical clashes to date, will be revealed on March 26.
Adrian Despot will once again be the MC of the event, and ZDA will be at the DJ booth. Early Bird tickets are available on redbull.ro/soundclash.
Connect-R is a complete artist, he constantly reinvents himself, composes, produces and is a veteran of Romanian music, moving easily from hip hop, to R&B, dance, pop, reggae and trap over time. In 1997 he took his first step into a studio and recorded his debut track, “Observ”, with his then-band, Giants. Two years later, “Operation Pe Suflet Deschis” was a smashing success and ranked 2nd in Radio Contact's top 50. The participation, together with Anda Adam, in the National Selection for Eurovision in 2010 with the song “Surrender” and the establishment of the production house Rappin' On Production represented significant moments in the evolution of his career.
He continued to win hearts with superhits like “Ring the Alarm” and “Take it Slow” in 2011, and in 2012, “Summer I Don't Sleep” became a true musical phenomenon. Seven years later, “Back to Zero,” “I've Got That Sauce,” “Karaoke Singers,” along with his summer 2021 collaboration with Smiley on “Rita” have conquered the charts. It was followed by “Lasă-mă Să Te…”, with Raluka, which enjoyed resounding success, being number 1 in all the music charts. In the same year, he also released “Băieți Deşeptți”, together with Johny Romano, a song from the soundtrack of the film of the same name, as well as “Vise la plic”. All this does nothing but confirm his talent and consolidate his leading position in the Romanian music industry.
The two scenes of the Red Bull SoundClash duel
“I know the history of Red Bull SoundClash and obviously I wanted to be a part of it. I saw some of the matches and I was very happy when the proposal came to me, because Red Bull SoundClash is a bit elitist when it comes to artists and it's natural for me to be happy. My favorite audition is The Clash, where we have to play three of our own songs in different styles – I think versatility is something I was born with and it suits me. We have already started to prepare, it is a teamwork, first of all, with arrangements, with instrumentalists, with the screenwriter (we also have a small script there). We took everything as seriously as possible and I think we are somewhere with the show at 80%. You must not miss the event, because what I will do there will be unique, once in a lifetime, I will not repeat it again! It's only for Red Bull SoundClash”Connect-R said.
Face-to-face, on two stages separated by fans and a decibel meter recording every shout and clap, for the combatants, Red Bull SoundClash is more than just a concert. It is a real challenge that leads them to reinvent themselves during 4 rounds of fire, a tough match played in front of the most demanding jury: the public.
Four rounds, one winner
ROUND 1: THE COVER – The artists interpret in their own style, one by one, the same international hit.
ROUND 2: THE TAKEOVER – Connect-R starts a piece from his personal repertoire, and the opponent picks it up halfway through and continues it in his own style. Then the roles are reversed, for 4 plays.
ROUND 3: THE CLASH – The artists perform 3 own songs in 3 different musical styles.
ROUND 4: THE WILDCARD – The most anticipated test of the duel, where each combatant pulls an ace up his sleeve, that is, throws a surprise guest on stage, which can completely change the dynamics of the final result.
At the DJ booth, ZDA, and the MC, Adi Despot. PHOTO: Red Bull
Who will be Connect-R's opponent, the artist with whom he will “duel” in the 4 rounds, on May 23? We will find out the answer from ZDA and Sebastian Coțofană, on March 26, from 20:00, on the @redbullro Instagram account. The two, guided by Connect-R, will participate in a game that will reveal the second artist to take to one of the two stages at Red Bull SoundClash.
“About my opponent I can say that he is a legendary name, with a very good sound, which impressed me since I heard him for the first time. We have one element in common, a well-known Bucharest underground music club, which we used to frequent at one time. I can't wait to see it all live, but as much respect as I have for my opponent, I'm coming to win”says Connect-R.
In 2017, at the first Red Bull SoundClash in Romania, CTC beat Carla's Dreams in a sold-out show. In 2018, Grasu XXL won a bloody match against Loredana. In 2019, Vița de Vie drew a stunning draw with Subcarpathia, an absolute first in the history of the global event. In 2022, Irina Rimes and Spike went viral with their electrifying moments, and Spike won by a whisker. Last year, Vama and Killa Fonic had an intense musical confrontation, which resulted in an incredible score of 397.6 vs. 397.5 for Customs.
For 18 years, Red Bull SoundClash has been bringing fans artistic duels with enormous emotional stakes. The first edition took place in the Netherlands, and since then it has traveled around the world on five continents, in more than 50 duels. Who will Connect-R face at Romexpo? Stay tuned on Instagram @redbullro and find out soon.
Red Bull SoundClash is an event that feels at maximum intensity, especially in the ring, between the 2 stages. Early Bird tickets are available at redbull.ro/soundclash.
The minimum age to participate in the event is 18 years.
