Pop’s best-loved bad girl is heading to Seattle on her latest massive tour.
Rihanna — the second most-popular artist in the world, according to Spotify’s statistics — will headline KeyArena at 7:30 p.m. April 24.
An early protégé of Jay Z, the Barbados-born singer hit it big about a decade ago with early hits like “Pon de Replay” and “Umbrella.”
Since then, her star power’s wattage has only grown, with her latest album, “Anti,” hitting No. 1 upon its release in January, in part thanks to her latest No. 1 single, “Work.”
Her new tour promises to include her signature blend of well-crafted hits and sex appeal, as she performs a decade’s worth of hits.
Tickets are $26.50 to $160 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
Another chart-topping act will play the WaMu Theatre at 8 p.m. April 28, as the 1975 head to town.
The group hails from Manchester, England, the latest in a long line of big-name acts hailing from that city that also includes the Smiths and Oasis. The 1975 has a bit in common with both those acts. Like Oasis, the 1975 deliver bombastic swagger, and like the Smiths, their sound is straight out of the 1980s.
The group’s self-titled debut won fans with hits like “Chocolate” and “Girls,” while its follow-up, the unwieldly titled “I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It,” topped the charts earlier this year.
Expect to hear the group’s latest single, “The Sound,” along with those other hits, during its Seattle stop.
Tickets are $36.95 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
The unlikely success story of Pentatonix will keep the WaMu Theatre busy during its show at 8 p.m. April 27.
The five-person a cappella act won the TV singing competition “The Sing Off” in 2011. The group became a quick success with its tuneful covers of pop hits like “Cheerleader” and the aptly titled Daft Punk medley, “Daft Punk.”
Now the group is touring behind its self-titled album, which featured all-new compositions instead of covers and medleys. The disc, which hit No. 1 last year, included the single “Can’t Sleep Love.”
Tickets are $32 to $82 at ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.
The Showbox SoDo, meanwhile, will host its own pair of shows, with Dej Loaf hitting its stage for a show at 9 tonight, April 22.
Billed as the rapper’s first visit to Seattle, the show will find the Detroit emcee showcasing the rhymes that have helped her win approval from big names like Drake.
The productive performer has been cranking out material the past two years, including two mixtapes and a six-song major label EP. The latter release featured her best known song to date, “Back Up,” which climbed the charts last year, thanks in part to a guest spot from rapper Big Sean.
Tickets are $40 to $50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Then James Bay will head to the SoDo, playing the venue at 8:30 p.m. April 28.
The soulful Englishman has a sound a little bit like his better-known countryman Hozier: tuneful and heartfelt songs that are delivered like anthems.
He’s touring behind his own debut, “Chaos and the Calm,” which featured two big hits for the singer, “Hold Back the River” and “Let It Go.”
Tickets are $32.50 at showboxonline.com or 888-929-7849.
Cloud Cult also will run through Seattle, playing the Neptune Theatre at 9 tonight, April 22.
The group has always trafficked in slightly experimental and artistic displays, even going so far as to make paintings on stage during its shows. Meanwhile, its slightly precious and ornate songs have won it comparisons to acts like the Decemberists.
Now, the Minnesota-based orchestral indie rock group is touring behind its new album, “The Seeker.”
Tickets are $18.50 at stgpresents.org or 877-784-4849.
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