Chicagoan of the Year for Pop Music: DJ and musician Ariel Zetina always has her hometown in mind

Ariel Zetina was always meant to be a star. And 2023 proved to be a pivotal star-making year in her career. After the successful fall 2022 release of her debut album “Cyclorama” and spots on many “best of” lists, Zetina spent 2023 connecting with newfound fans around the world.

With the world fully opened up post-COVID, Zetina — a DJ, musician and playwright — made headway at clubs, performance spaces and festivals alike, racking up more than 40 live appearances in major U.S. cities like Los Angeles, New York and Seattle, as well as on the other side of the world in places like Berlin, London and Amsterdam. From May to September, Zetina said she spent every weekend traveling.

“As much as I didn’t like airports before I started traveling so much, there is something Zen and nice about being in new places all the time and having this be my schedule,” said Zetina in a phone interview. “Somebody asked me, ‘Could you see yourself doing this when you’re older? Like 20 years now?’ And it’s like, honestly, yeah.”

Part of what helps Zetina is maintaining rituals. Those include not going out the night before a big set, taking the CTA Blue Line to her local gigs, listening to podcasts, watching “Law & Order” reruns on cable and using the same method of packing for out-of-town trips.

One of Zetina’s biggest gigs of the year was the Pitchfork Music Festival in July. Attendees lucky enough to see the set witnessed a real treat, one that saw Zetina do more than just DJ her songs. Instead, she imagined a new and special show, one crafted both for the one-of-a-kind experience of a music festival and for the emotional and sonic heft of “Cyclorama.”

Later that same day, Zetina achieved another performance milestone, opening for Beyoncé during one of her two shows at Soldier Field as part of the Renaissance World Tour. Some of Zetina’s family members (like her mom, who she joked was “finally impressed”) were in town and were able to see her play before Beyoncé's set.

“I had to open for, literally, the most famous woman in the world before my mom was impressed,” Zetina said with a laugh. “That moment really meant a lot to me. Making my mom proud was amazing.”

Yet, despite her global appeal, Zetina still managed to call Chicago her home base. As a resident at beloved dance music club Smartbar, Zetina’s transformative techno can be heard regularly as part of Diamond Formation, her ongoing club night where local and international acts regularly play sets.

But many of Zetina’s most beloved sets can be heard during her Ariel’s Party club night. Venues both traditional (The Hideout) and offbeat (the newly transformed California Clipper) have served as the backdrop for Zetina’s party. Warm and unique, Ariel’s Party hearkens back to Zetina’s roots as an up-and-coming performer in Chicago. And like any of her DJ sets, it also welcomes a largely fun and inviting audience uninterested in any potential airs of other nightlife events.

After a bit of a dry spell, the city’s nightlife options continue to expand, with Zetina emerging as an influential leader for how aspiring musicians and DJs can balance global ambitions while staying true to their creative roots.

“I think there’s something so nice about just being in a room, dancing together. For me, it was so, so powerful. And I’ve had such, almost religious experiences on the dance floor this year. And I really want to take that intention and that energy into (2024). I think so much of the time DJ’ing can feel so like, popping bottles at the club and like the way it sort of depicted in sitcoms is so douchey and hype beast-y. And that’s what I really appreciate about being in Chicago. I think it changes the way you interact with music because there’s so much of a history to it and a way of life.”

Audiences can immerse themselves in Zetina’s world as she plays Metro and Smartbar’s New Year’s Eve party, “QUEEN! of Diamonds.”

Zetina is proof artists don’t have to sacrifice one goal for the other, and can instead make a name for themselves by carving out a distinctive path informed by a personal ethos. This year, Zetina’s charm and unique brand of musicianship and community among her peers has made her a standout Chicagoan for the present and for the future.

Britt Julious is a freelance critic.