On Wednesday, April 15, the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) and Worthstock Committee announced that rapper, singer, and songwriter CupcakKe would headline the 2026 Worthstock performance. Cupcakke, best known for her sexually explicit songs — including “CPR,” “Deepthroat,” “Squidward Nose,” “Vagina,” “Spider-Man Dick,” “Juicy Coochie,” “Whoregasm,” “Fist Me,” “Doggy Style,” “Cum Shot,” “Best Dick Sucker,” and “One of My Bedbugs Ate My Pussy” — will be performing alongside Chiddy Bang on May 3. CupcakKe has around 2.2 million monthly streams on Spotify.
Following the announcement, many students expressed confusion as to how this year’s decision was made. Justin Hohn ’26 expressed that he was “absolutely” surprised at the choice: “I didn’t think [a Cupcakke performance] would ever be shown at a university.”
In email correspondence with The Phoenix, Rebecca Weintraub-Barth, director of student activities at OSE, explained that the Worthstock Committee is composed of members of the Student Government Organization (SGO)’s Student Life Committee, as well as student representatives from Olde Club, Swaudio, and ENLACE chosen by OSE. The committee decides on all Worthstock activities, including the external artists. The student band openers will be the winners of this year’s Battle of the Bands: Horse in Hospital and Shopping Cart.
The artist selection is guided by student interest and budgetary restrictions. While Weintraub-Barth initially mentioned that the decision was influenced by general student feedback, she clarified in a later email that “most of the student body feedback came through word of mouth through the committee. We generally get a lot of feedback about the genre of music students like, and then we go from there.”
Imelda Ramirez ’29, chair of the Student Life Committee, explained that the Worthstock group is given a budget for the entire event, including specific allotments for the headliner and opener. The committee is also provided with a list of price-appropriate artists. Together, the students narrow down the list to around 30 artists ranked by committee preference and send it back to OSE. Ben Shalk, assistant director of student activities and leadership, then contacts middle agents to discuss logistical details and finalize the artist.
While Weintraub-Barth declined to disclose the exact Worthstock budget, she did mention it has remained steady for the past few years. However, she notes, “The costs of artists and the equipment/staging necessary to support artists continue to rise, though, so we anticipate continuing to think strategically about increasing costs and thoughtful spending over the next few years.”
While Ramirez said that CupcakKe was the committee’s top choice for Worthstock’s main artist; she mentioned that other contenders included Laundry Day; Slaughter Beach, Dog; Destin Conrad; and Kaliii.
The content of CupcakKe’s music has sparked debate within the student body. While some students are excited to see an artist who embraces her sexuality, others are uncomfortable with the decision.
Hohn admitted CupcakKe wasn’t his first choice for Worthstock. Still, he views the performance as potentially beneficial for the college community. “We really need to embrace our hypersexuality at Swarthmore, and I think CupcakKe is a perfect opportunity to really get to the root of the cause. We’re lacking an embrace of our sexual orientation and sexuality — this is the wake-up call.”
Daniel Peterkin ’29 disagreed: “I will admit, I’m not fully familiar with who CupcakKe is, but from what I’ve heard about their lyrics and their kind of music … It’s not my style. Also, I don’t particularly agree with that particular style of writing.”
Other opinions centered around the quality of music that the college is bringing to campus. Kavi Grab ’29 was disappointed with the choice and felt that Swarthmore had had better artists in the past.
“I do not want this. We had Nirvana in the ’90s. We had Galaxy 500 play their last show here. And no shade to CupcakKe; I’m sure she’s a lovely, kind-hearted woman, but [her act is] funny. I want good.”
While Doja Cat was slated to perform in the cancelled Worthstock of 2020, Swarthmore Worthstock artists in recent years have tended to be much smaller than those that perform at larger institutions’ spring concerts. This year, Zara Larsson is slated to perform at Yale University, Tufts University, and Pennsylvania State University. Flo Rida recently performed at the University of Pennsylvania. Like Swarthmore, many other small liberal arts colleges don’t have the capacity to bring in larger artists. For example, Williams is bringing in Snow Strippers as their Spring Fling headliner, and Amherst’s spring concert will feature Kyle.
However, Swarthmore has a rich history of musicians coming to campus. Perhaps most well known is Bruce Springsteen, who debuted his song “Born to Run” in the Scott Amphitheater in 1974. Other artists include Joni Mitchell (1968), Carole King (1984), The Roots (2007), and Childish Gambino (2012).
Ramirez noted that she’s seen mixed reactions, but that many students seemed “shocked” at the choice of artist. However, she emphasized, “We’re a very, very diverse student body with a wide range of interests. It’s hard to please everyone.”
One other change to Worthstock this year is its location. Due to construction work, the concert could not be held in Worth Courtyard, its namesake. Instead, it will take place in the DuPont Parking Lot. Ramirez acknowledged the move “was definitely a bit of a bummer compared to years prior. But that’s just way out of our hands.” OSE is hopeful that Worthstock will return to the courtyard in 2027.
