Day three of Coachella is a wrap.
Festival-goers trekked to the desert for the final day of weekend one, which was headlined by Frank Ocean. But before the artist, who gave his first live performance in six years on Sunday (April 16), took the main stage, artists such as Kali Uchis, Björk, Willow and Latto performed noteworthy sets of their own. For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so during the fest’s round two April 21-23.
Kali Uchis’ show-stopping performance featured a parade of surprise guests, including her pals Tyler, the Creator and Omar Apollo. She was also joined by her significant other, rapper Don Toliver, to perform “Fantasy” together. The night’s biggest moment was, of course, Frank Ocean, who was originally set to headline the fest in 2020. A huge crowd gathered at the main stage to welcome the acclaimed artist back to the desert after 11 years (he first performed in 2012) — and only those in attendance were able to experience Franks’s nearly 90-minute set, which wasn’t live-streamed.
After fans patiently waited for Frank to take the stage, he finally appeared (almost an hour late) and wasted little time before telling the crowd what they all wanted to know: “I want to talk about why we’re here — because it’s not about the new album, not that there’s not a new album,” he said. There’s hope.
Check out Billboard‘s six best moments from day three of Coachella 2023 below.
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Latto Gasses Up the Girls
It was giving female empowerment at Latto’s Sahara Tent set, from the female rappers she brought up on stage to the messages she shared. “It’s a lotta ladies in here! Where my boss b—–s at? Where my b—–s who pays their own bills?” she asked the crowd. She later introduced her track “P—y” — which she released soon after Roe v. Wade was overturned last June, a historical push against women’s rights that Latto vehemently rapped about protecting — by asking the crowd: “Why would I let a ni–a police my own p—y?” All the while, her backup dancers held their own form of a women’s march right on the stage as pink-hued footage of real-life protests flashed on the center screen, which resembled an antique purple TV box.
Latto, who held a sequined scepter in hand, used her set both for good and… for some downright dirty. During “Nasty Nasty,” she used the mic to mimic fellatio while later asking, “Who wanna come up here and get wet with me?” As for her guests, Latto welcomed TiaCorine to perform her latest hit “FreakyT” (which Latto chimed in with her own verse); Lola Brooke who gave her first major festival performance, delivering her breakout hit “Don’t Play With It”; and last but not least, Saweetie, who joined Latto for the billed act’s own breakout hit “B—h from Da Souf.” After, Saweetie took a moment to give Latto her flowers, saying, “She can rap her ass off! And you look better than me, I know that’s motherf—king right!” She then led the audience in an “I Love Latto” chant before exiting the stage, leaving Latto alone for the big finale of her Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 smash, “Big Energy,” making sure to give Mariah Carey props by letting her verse from the remix play on through. – Heran Mamo
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Kali Uchis Scores Big-Name Guests
Kali Uchis delivered an epic performance on Sunday that featured back-to-back surprise guests. The Colombian-American artist started off strong performing her bilingual hit “Telepatía,” which earned the singer-songwriter her first leader on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in 2021. “How we feeling Coachella? Thank you for having us. My name is Kali Uchis,” she told the crowd. Wearing a two-piece denim piece (bustier and shirt) with matching boots, Kali introduced her first guest, none other than Tyler, the Creator to sing their duet “See You Again.” She then brought out Omar Apollo to perform “Worth the Wait.” For her last guest, Uchis invited rapper (and her significant other) Don Toliver for “Fantasy.”
“Are you guys hot?” she asked the crowd after Toliver left the stage. Things were only about to get hotter when she performed OG reggaeton anthems “Rica y Apretadita” by El General and Don Omar’s “Salvaje.” Most recently, Kali dropped her new album, Red Moon in Venus, which earned her her first top 10 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. During her set, she teased that she’s about to drop a Latin album next. — Griselda Flores
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Christine & the Queens Deliver High Drama
Christine and the Queens’ frontman sauntered on stage in a black trench and angel wings to introduce what would be a captivating and theatrical dusk set. Opening with “Saint Claude,” Chris delivered two more songs before presenting a mini monologue of great importance.
“This is a curse I put on myself,” he began. “My life as a man… my life as a very good man. They asked me who I was and I said the guardian of the doors — I am keeping them safe from the disaster of [patriarchy]. Oh please, close your eyes and let me live my life as a man.”
The artist fittingly then performed the declarative “iT” — which features the line “I’m a man now / And there’s nothing you can do to make me change my mind” — and after took a seat to interpolate Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge” alongside his guitarist, part of the artist’s mighty three-piece band.
To end, “If I’m Honest” — the lead single off the act’s upcoming album Paranoïa, Angels, True Love — got its festival debut, for which Chris donned the tench and wings once more. He then leave fans with one final message: “This life is about knowing what your heart is about … Angels of transformation, I am calling upon you.” — Lyndsey Havens
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Willow’s Family Affair
“It’s quite a serendipitous night, if I do say so myself,” mused Willow as she stepped on stage for her set at the tented Mojave stage. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you all know this one.” The star then ripped into “transparent soul” as her parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, proudly looked on from a sectioned off corner within the artist guest section that’s packed with friends and family, including Moises Arias.
“Honestly, I’m so grateful to just be here and rock the f–k out with you guys,” said Willow. And that’s exactly what she did, especially on songs like screamo-rock epics “Falling Endlessly” for which she picked up her guitar, and “Why?”
Yet the standout moment came during “Summertime in Paris,” her collaboration with brother Jaden who joined in on stage — and stuck around a moment to shower his little sister with praise. “Willow, I look up to you. You’re an amazing person. You’re an amazing artist. It brings tears to my eyes as your brother to see you do this. I’m so inspired and happy for what you’re doing in the world and the amount of peoples lives that you’re changing and the music that you’re making.”
And while he remained the set’s only guest — Camila Cabello has been spotted at the fest all weekend long, though didn’t appear for her Willow collab “psychofreak” — she indulged fans with her hit “Meet Me At Our Spot,” on which she played the bass. (Though Initially released in 2020 the song went viral on TikTok the following year, pushing it up to No. 21 on the Hot 100.) “That was splendiferous,” said Willow as her set came to a close — adding that she’s fairly certain it’s a word. — L.H.
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Björk’s Big Return to the Desert
Icelandic artist Björk played alongside an orchestra in her first return to the desert since headlining in 2002. Donning a tinsel outfit, complete with a hoop skirt, tabi platform heels, and a face mask — designed by longtime collaborator James Merry — she began her set with “Stonemilker” and ended with a transformative, strings-based cover of her techno-leaning track “Pluto.”
For the last few years, Björk has played many of her shows with an orchestra, led by Icelandic conductor Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason. Yet, despite the avant-garde costuming and moving arrangements, the set seemed likely better appreciated as a touring performance for fans rather than a festival set that ultimately served as many newcomers’ pre-Frank Ocean entertainment while they stood waiting for hours. — Kristin Robinson
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Frank Ocean’s Long-Awaited Headlining Set
For his first live performance in seven years, Frank Ocean came out of hiding — kind of — to close out the third and final day of the festival. In the hour leading up to his set, the main stage gradually transformed into one giant screen that only left a sliver of its interior visible, which is where Frank remained tucked away for the duration of the one-hour-and-a-half set.
Inside the recording studio-like set-up, the ever-elusive star hunched over a mic to reimagine his most beloved songs, including a stripped-down, acoustic version of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel” and punk-rock remix of “Wiseman.” The headliner later lent his spotlight to DJ Crystalmess, who took a stab at spinning his own discography as she played a Jersey Club remix of “Slide” and a bounce edit of “Pyramids.”
And yes, Frank even performed snippets of new music, at times using his self-proclaimed “inner child” Josiah as a vessel. Despite his ambiguous comment on whether fans can expect new music to be released soon — “I want to talk about why I’m here because it’s not because of a new album… Not that there’s not a new album,” he teased — he did expand on his decision to return to the desert more than a decade later.
“You know, these last couple years, my life changed so much…. My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot,” he reflected somberly about their Coachella memories of watching Rae Sremmurd together. “I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us. I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.” — H.M.
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