10 Artists Who Had Standout Debuts At The 2024 Met Gala

One of fashion’s most highly-anticipated events of the year is here: the Met Gala.

In case you didn’t already know, the Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. Historically chaired by Vogue’s Anna Wintour, this year’s gala was co-chaired by music personalities like Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez, alongside actors Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth. This year’s honorary chairs include Shou Chew, the Chief Executive Officer of TikTok, and LOEWE’s Creative Director Jonathan Anderson. Together, they curated this year’s Met Gala theme: “Garden of Time.”

With music being a prominently shared background among the co-chairs and honorary chairs, it’s no wonder that the 2024 Met Gala marked the first time many musicians attended the event. From Stray Kids to Laufey, here are some of the musicians that have officially made their Met Gala debut.

Stray Kids

Stray Kids made history as the first-ever K-pop group to attend the Met Gala. Decked out in custom red-and-black Tommy Hilfiger suits, Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han, Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. definitely turned heads as they walked the red carpet. In an interview with Vogue, Felix shared, “Representing Tommy Hilfiger as eight members for the first time on the Met Gala carpet is truly a rare and honorable moment for us.”

Tyla

Afrobeats artist Tyla made a splash in 2023 with her breakout single “Water.” But for this year’s Met Gala, she was a stunner in a “sands of time”-inspired ensemble designed by Balmain. The dress, which is adorned in sand-like features, seems to be to a custom fit for her body. To top off the sandy look, she brought along an hourglass clutch.

Raye

British hitmaker Raye made her debut with a fringe, floor-length, silver gown from Fendi. She is best known for her songs, “Prada” and “Escapism,” both of which have over hundreds of millions of streams.

Shakira

It’s almost unbelievable that it’s only this year that Shakira walked the Met Gala carpet. For her first appearance at the event, she was clad in a red hot colored gown designed by Carolina Herrera. The detached sleeves feature a billowy effect that match with her long, fiery train.

Karol G

Billboard’s very own 2024 Woman of the Year honoree Karol G is one of the many stars that are making their fantastic debut at today’s event. She went for the fantasy approach on “Garden of Time,” as she sported elf ears and a sheer yet embellished gown.

Laufey

Jazz-pop singer Laufey looks utterly bewitching in this regal gown from Prabal Gurung. The addition of a veil adds to the princess look, making her look straight out of a fantasy medieval novel.

Ed Sheeran

Veteran singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran’s debut on the carpet was marked by a Stella McCartney baby blue suit. He attended the event together with McCartney’s party, which includes Met Gala regulars Cara Delevigne and FKA Twigs.

Sam Smith

Sam Smith, together with their partner Christian Cowan, played on a matching black-and-white outfit designed by Cowan himself. In an interview with Vogue, Smith shared, “I couldn’t have dreamed of a better companion for the occasion. I think of the Gala as fashion Christmas — just as fabulous and just as serious, given the incredible work done at the Met.”

Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo’s suit was designed by none other than LOEWE’s Creative Director Jonathan Anderson, a brand that the singer-songwriter is an official ambassador for.  “This look is actually inspired by one in LOEWE’s most recent womenswear collection,” he said to Vogue. “Jonathan had shown me a preview of the collection a couple days before the show and I remember it standing out to me. So when we started conversations with Loewe for the Met and I reviewed the sketches from Jonathan, I immediately recognized the look and knew it was the one.”

Queen Latifah

For her debut look, Queen Latifah sported a birds-of-paradise moment designed by Thom Browne. She was joined by her longtime partner Eboni Nichols, who was also decked out in custom Thom Browne. A representative of the designer explained Queen Latifah’s design to Vogue, saying, “The delicacy of each individual piece coming together through buttons, clasps, hand-sewn details, and intricate embellishments plays to the idea of fragility that you’ll see in Monday’s exhibit.”