Backstage Pass
Ivan Cornejo prepares his show before his sold-out show at the Palladium Times Square in September. The anticipated performance is part of his Terapia tour, which kicked off in Chicago this August.
Ivan Cornejo prepares his show before his sold-out show at the Palladium Times Square in September. The anticipated performance is part of his Terapia tour, which kicked off in Chicago this August.
Before the show, Cornejo enjoyed a batch of specially made Ivan Cornejo cookies, decorated to look just like the young singer-songwriter.
Before taking the stage, the 19-year-old singer-songwriter got ready and practiced a bit with members of his band. The show in Times Square filled up early, with fans lining up hours in advance.
The crowd that showed up at Cornejo’s New York City show made it clear that they’re true fans: They came hours in advance, hoping to catch a glimpse of the singer. Then, they sang every word along with him and threw flowers onto the stage.
“Hitting the road again has been quite surreal,” the singer-songwriter tells Rolling Stone. “This time, we’re playing bigger venues, and they are sold out, so it’s even crazier.”
Onstage, Cornejo often reps Mexico, where his family is from. He pulls out the flag and also performs covers from time to time, reflecting the music he grew up on.
“I’m grateful to have such a devoted fan base,” Cornejo says. “It gets me every time I get up on that stage.”
Cornejo has become a pro at live shows, playing multiple festivals during this tour. Recently, he hit Lollapalooza. “Our time slot was late afternoon, and we got a ton of rain. I was nervous, but again, the fans showed up.”
“To see thousands of people singing my music from all different races, cultures, and ages was one of the coolest and most thrilling things for me.”
Cornejo got his start playing his guitar and posting his melodies on TikTok. Slowly, his fan base grew. Eventually, he told his parents he wanted to pursue music, even though he was in his teens.
It took a while before Cornejo shared videos that showed him singing, but as his songwriting developed, he started to demonstrate his abilities to write his own songs. His music became massively popular on TikTok.
Cornejo looks out into the crowd as his New York fans sing every word.
Cornejo trades off between singing, playing guitar, and doing a few covers during his nearly two-hour set.
In between his tour dates, Cornejo has made time to keep writing and has even gotten in the studio with a few different artists. He has more music expected out soon.
A fan hands Cornejo a boquet of flowers, which quickly piled up as the night went on.
Fans pulled out their phones and sang every word with Cornejo.
Cornejo and his bandmates take a bow after ending the show, even as fans screamed for an encore.