SeaWorld’s Summer Concert Series has been an unexpected viral hit this year. The lineup has leaned heavily into throwback names that defined the early 2000s — Yin Yang Twins, Waka Flocka Flame, and most recently, the Diamond Princess herself, Trina. Social media clips from these performances have been shared thousands of times, with fans debating if the park has tapped into a brilliant new lane or strayed into questionable territory for a family destination.

Tyler Carter, SeaWorld’s park president, says the vision has been clear from the start — bring people together through music that means something to them. “Nostalgia is something our audience really cares about, in music and in attractions,” Carter explains. “We want to bring them back to a better time in their mind and revive those memories.”

The inspiration came from Carter’s own soundtrack growing up, music his parents also loved and passed down. The idea was to create a cohesive theme so guests would want to return week after week, not just pop in for one artist. The results have been undeniable: packed crowds, buzzing social media engagement, and even up-and-coming artists reaching out for a shot at the SeaWorld stage.

Last Saturday (August 9th), that stage belonged to Trina. Fans of every age showed up and showed out at the Bayside Amphitheater for Trina’s set. She ran through classics like Nann, I Got A Thang For You, Da Baddest B**ch, and Look Back At Me, owning the stage like it was 2008 all over again. Trina kept it real with the crowd, throwing down a dance contest from the stage, bumping tracks by Pluto and YK Niece, and had nobody sitting — the energy was nonstop. 

Yes, most of the artists from this year's summer concert series are explicit, but consider that the theater is a separate space with clear warnings, so it doesn’t interrupt the family vibe of the park. I see the vision, and I’m here for it.

The Miami icon admits she was surprised when the booking came through. “I was ecstatic,” she says. “I didn’t really understand it at first… I was like, this is where the kids go to look at the animals. But then they sent me videos, and it looked amazing.”

She smiled, recalling her soundcheck moment, stepping onstage and realizing she was ready to “rock this out.” The only hiccup came when PETA reached out to her team, asking her not to perform due to the park’s animals. “They were writing my publicist, saying not to do it… I understood where they were coming from, but we were just here to entertain. It’s a safe environment, it’s beautiful out here, and I was just happy to be part of it.”

As for her current chapter, Trina calls it simple: happy. “I’m in a place where I can do whatever I want to do,” she says. “I’ve been doing music for 25 years, and now I’m working on production, about to produce a movie, and I’m really excited about that. I’m not in a lane where I have to worry about charts — I can pick and choose what I want to do. I worked hard to be in this space, and it works for me.”

Trina is picking her projects and making moves that last, and the SeaWorld stage is just one of the places she’s owning her space.