North West stormed onto the stage at Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash 2026 in Chicago on Friday, June 12th, unleashing a frenetic energy that electrified the crowd. The 12-year-old daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian marked a major milestone in her music career with a blistering solo festival debut, showcasing a potent setlist that included the 2024 collaboration 'Talking' with her dad, as well as tracks from her debut EP 'N0rth4evr', released just last month.
The buzz around North's performance was palpable, with both her parents going to town on social media. Kim Kardashian and Ye shared clips of their daughter's set on Instagram, highlighting the momentous occasion. It's been a gradual build-up for North in recent years, but now she's undeniably making waves in the music industry.
Her Summer Smash set featured tracks from her EP 'N0rth4evr', which has already generated interest with fans and critics alike. Earlier this year, North teased a new collaboration with Ye, 'Piercing On My Hand (Ye Version)', where she drops bars like 'No friends, just filter, you wouldn’t understand / Shopping in Japan, that’s where I always stand / Went to school for two days, then I got banned / Skipping school, yeah, I do it on the daily.'
North's musical CV is already packed with impressive credentials. She was featured on FKA Twigs' track 'Childlike Things' from the album 'Euxesua', where she showed off her linguistic skills by singing in Japanese – a nod to her father's global influences, no doubt. Last year saw her take to the stage at a live production of 'The Lion King' at the Hollywood Bowl, performing 'I Just Can’t Wait To Be King'. And just when you thought that was enough, she announced work on her debut album, 'Elementary School Dropout', a clever nod to Ye's 2004 classic 'The College Dropout'. She even joined her dad for a live rendition of 'Talking' at an arena show in Paris last year.
While North's music is widely available on major streaming platforms in the UK, there's still no word yet on any UK chart recognition or industry awards. But with her parents' high-profile status comes a built-in audience, ensuring that every move she makes receives attention from fans and critics alike – creating an intriguing dynamic for this young artist.
Kim recently shared a heartwarming anecdote, revealing that Queen's iconic 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was playing when North was born. It's a sweet reminder of the musical heritage that runs deep in this talented family.