America’s Sphere Residency Wish List: Who Should Be Next?

As U2’s Sphere residency comes to an end, rumors about the next big act are echoing throughout the country. Will ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ Bon Jovi rock the dome, or will Lady Gaga return for another Vegas residency? Perhaps the British heartthrob, Harry Styles, will steal the spotlight! Regardless, the nation is buzzing with speculation. 

While the current rumor has it that Dead & Company might be the next Sphere residents for the summer, it left us thinking…’Who does America really want?’ We decided to take matters into our own hands by surveying 3,000 Americans who were willing to spill the beans on their Sphere residency wish list; and the results may surprise you.

Key Findings:

• Out of the list of current rumored artists or band: Lady Gaga secured #1 for America’s Sphere residency hopes
• America votes Dead & Company last, despite current 2024 summer residency talks 
• Outside of the rumored artists and bands: Taylor Swift dominates as the #1 Sphere residency pick from Spotify’s 2023 top-streamed artists list
• Americans voted pop as the preferred music genre to headline The Sphere

Time to end the rumors: America’s ideal Sphere residency lineup

Let’s cut to the chase and roll out the red carpet for Lady Gaga. Our nationwide survey reveals it loud and clear, as Lady Gaga takes the crown as the most-wanted artist from the rumored residency list. No surprise here, given her stellar performances in past Vegas residencies and chart-topping hits like ‘Shallow’, ‘Bad Romance’, ‘Paparazzi’, and more! Plus, name a better Vegas touch than Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ song – the perfect casino anthem fit for The Sphere! 

Who runs the world? Beyoncé! Time to put your hands up as Beyoncé claims second place in our most-wanted Sphere residency list amid the rumors. Like Lady Gaga, she’s a Vegas residency veteran, where she graced Wynn Casino Las Vegas back in 2009 with her ‘I Am…Yours’ shows. Fresh off her Renaissance tour and blockbuster movie (raking in a cool $21 million in its opening week), America is clearly head over heels, and crazy in love with Queen Bey.

Landing in third on the rumored Sphere residency lineup, Coldplay secures its spot in America’s residency wishlist. Picture this: ‘Yellow’ is playing as the dome saturates in a sea of mesmerizing yellow lights. With other hits like ‘Viva La Vida’, ‘Fix You’, ‘The Scientist’, and more, Coldplay would in fact, be the perfect band to take the stage in Vegas’s entertainment dome. 

Contrary to the current buzz about Dead & Company in talks for The Sphere’s 2024 summer residency, our data paints a different picture…as they’re voted last overall. It seems that America isn’t exactly in agreement with their turn in The Sphere, either signaling their disinterest or little enthusiasm for the rock band. 

Other prominent artists to consider for the future of The Sphere

We opened up the floor to our 3,000 US respondents and asked them the following question:

‘Considering Spotify’s top 2023 most listened-to artists and the rumored residency contenders, who would you prefer to headline The Sphere’s upcoming residency?’

Securing the top spot (as she does) is America’s pop royalty, Taylor Swift. As Taylor dominates the year 2023, she shattered records and achieved more awards than we can count. While she’s currently ruling the music industry with her global Eras tour until the end of 2024, we’ll (unfortunately) have to bid our time for a few more years before she even considers a Sphere residency. 

Even with over 50-top streamed artists in the mix, Lady Gaga still finishes strong, as she secures second place overall. This strong vote definitely hints at America’s profound wish for the actress-singer-songwriter to retake the stage in Vegas – but now, in a more captivating setting. Snagging third place is none other than the rizz-king himself, Bruno Mars. With his current Vegas residency and chart-toppers like ‘24K Magic’, ‘That’s What I Like’, ‘Lazy Song’, and ‘Uptown Funk’, this collective vote is a total no-brainer! 

To finish off the top-streamed 2023 residency wishlist: Eminem (4th), Paul McCartney (5th), Beyoncé (6th), Eagles (7th), Bon Jovi (8th), Coldplay (9th), and Billie Eilish (10th).

Speaking of all things-future, we also asked our respondents the following question:

‘Which genre should The Sphere feature in the next residency?’ 

In the grand scheme of musical preferences, pop takes the lead as the top-ranked genre, as voted by our nationwide survey. Following behind, rock secures second place, hip hop claims third, metal/punk rock in fourth, and R&B grooves into fifth place overall. 

To finish off the music genre list: ‘other’ (6th), EDM (7th), country (8th), K-pop (9th), jazz (10th), and rap (11th).

Methodology

In January 2024, we surveyed 3,000 US residents to gather insights on their preferences for the next Sphere residency. Our list included the most speculated artists for the upcoming residency. For the second question of the survey, we utilized Spotify’s most listened-to artists of 2023 list. 

The average age of respondents was 40.4 years old. The representative sample comprised of 53.7% female, 44.4% male, 1.2% non-binary, 0.6% transgender, and 0.1% other. 

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