CHICAGO — Renowned blues artist Shemekia Copeland is celebrated for her electrifying performances in the Windy City.

Next week, she will return to Chicago to headline the city’s riverfront festivities, helping locals and visitors alike usher in the New Year.

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To Copeland, Chicago is more than just a destination; it’s her emotional home.

“Back in my early 20s, I made the move from New York to Chicago,” Copeland shared. “The warmth and acceptance I experienced there were beyond anything I had ever imagined. It truly felt like they welcomed me with open arms,” she added.

Chicago is synonymous with the blues, and now, the name Shemekia Copeland is becoming just as integral to that identity.

“I’m a proud blues singer, and I have been my whole life. And Chicago is the ultimate blues city,” Copeland said. “I really, really want to say something and use my voice in a positive way and ‘Blame it on Eve’ was just that for me. It was all about women’s rights for me when I made this record. And so that record, and it did really well, three Grammy nominations.”

Copeland has a lot of influences in her sound.

“There’s no limit for me. I would. I love to challenge myself in every type of way. And I dabble in all roots music because I feel like we’re all cousins,” she said. “Happy new year, it’s going to be a wonderful one in Chicago, cannot wait.”