Coachella
Page: 12
It’s been seven years since the ever-elusive Frank Ocean stepped onto a stage. But despite his booking as the third and final headliner for Coachella 2023, fans still felt unsure if he would actually show. Signs that read “NO FRANK OCEAN MERCHANDISE” were plastered across the merch tent, and the official Coachella livestream on YouTube excluded his performance. And yet, at 10:55 p.m., almost an hour after he was scheduled to perform, the main stage lights finally dimmed and the show no one expected officially began.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The fact that it happened wasn’t the only surprise, though, as Frank had the stage transformed into one giant screen. As a result, only a small square of space was hardly visible, but that’s where all of the action took place for the following hour and a half — until Frank abruptly announced from backstage, “Guys, I’m being told it’s curfew, so that’s the end of the show.”
The highly anticipated show came three years after Frank, Travis Scott and Rage Against the Machine were slated to take over the 2020 edition of the festival, which was postponed due to COVID. As the only performer who remained at the top of the bill since (as promised by Goldenvoice CEO and Coachella’s co-founder Paul Tollet in a 2021 interview) Frank delivered an unbelievable (for more reasons than one) if not unorthodox set, that had fans grasping on to every moment. Because after Sunday night, who knew when we might see him again.
The “Met her at Coachella” line from set opener “Novacane” hit different in the desert, which served as Frank’s backdrop whenever the camera showed his POV from the center of it all — until he chose not to be.
Check out the five major takeaways from Frank Ocean’s Coachella 2023 headlining set below.
The Set-Up Was Deceptively Intimate
Despite performing in front of tens of thousands of people, Frank and his team meticulously designed his headlining stage to resemble a recording studio, with Frank hunched around a mic in the center while a live band tinkered around behind him and studio hands respected his every request. Yet despite the intimate setup, he would still occasionally pull up the hood of his blue puffer coat and cover his black durag and the majority of his face, his full beard solely poking out. The reclusive star was giving an incredibly rare glimpse into his creative process, even giving fans a taste of new music. And while fans couldn’t really see what was happening or where Frank even was, the high-definition video feed helped to fill in some gaps, supplemented with gritty and at times incredibly shaky footage that played out like a one-night-only, live documentary that could only be consumed in the moment.
He Reimagined His Most-Beloved Songs
Between Frank’s 2011 debut mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra and his 2016 magnum opus Blonde, the artist faced every performer’s two-fold issue: 1) What songs should I play? and 2) How do I make them special for this audience? He solved the dilemma by performing his classic hits in ways fans had never heard them before, including a stripped-down, acoustic version of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel,” a punk rock remix of “Wiseman” and many more. Yet none of those favorites closed out the set; instead, Frank dug deep into his discography to pull out his cover of Aaliyah‘s 1994 track “At Your Best (You Are Love)” that was featured on his 2016 visual album Endless.
There Was a Rave Intermission… And It Worked
Toward the end of his set, Frank shined his spotlight on DJ Crystalmess. “You can’t even see Frank Ocean but you get a little rave mix in the middle of the show,” Frank said, describing her set within a set. She strung together her own reimagining of Frank’s songs, like a Jersey Club remix of “Slide,” which Calvin Harris performed the night before on the same stage, as well as a bounce edit of “Pyramids” that left one scene-stealing security guard twerking like there’s no tomorrow — all of which was captured and shown as part of Frank’s live feed. The rave also brought out the only guest of the night: The lime green robotic baby doll Frank brought as his little date to the 2021 Met Gala.
“Back in 2020, I was just starting to throw parties in little clubs in New York that were just getting started before sh– started shutting down,” Frank recalled. “And I was having such a good time playlisting music and listening to so much new music and encountering DJs who were up and coming and who were really on their sh–. It’s become such a part of my practice now with my new weekly thing, with [Apple Music 1’s] Homer Radio that we’ve been working on…. It’s good that it’s not always about me.”
He Sort of Debuted a New Song
The phrase “Inner Child” started circling around a screen within the stage as a young boy named Josiah — meant to represent Frank’s own inner child — began playing piano and lip-syncing along to Frank singing a new song. Josiah’s little braids were poking out from underneath a black durag similar to the one worn by Frank, who introduced Josiah to the Coachella crowd as swiftly as he was dismissed in the short, but sweet moment.
He Honored His Late Brother Ryan
“It’s been so long…. But I have missed you,” Frank admitted to the audience, before vaguely addressing the elephant in the desert. “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 then hushed over zealous fans so he could explain what did make him return to the festival he first performed at over a decade ago. “You know, these last couple years, my life changed so much…. My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot,” he said, speaking of his late brother Ryan Breaux who died in 2020 from a car accident at only 18 years old.
“I feel like I was dragged out here half the time because I hated the dust out here, I always left with a respiratory infection, or what have you. So I would avoid coming, but I would always end up here. One of my fondest memories was watching Rae Sremmurd on I don’t know what that stage is called with my brother. And Travis [Bennett], I don’t know if Travis/Taco is here, but we was just dancing in that tent to their music, and 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.”
Even during two of his beloved tracks, “Nikes” and “Nights,” Frank opted out of performing them live, rather prancing around the stage and playing in front of the camera, flashing a sincere smile that showed off a grill on one of his front teeth.
Maybe he needed this just as much as we did.
The second day of Coachella delivered its own set of surprise guest appearances, like Rauw Alejandro and Billie Eilish — the latter of whom live debuted her “Never Felt So Alone” collaboration with Labrinth during his set. Plus, the day included Jai Paul‘s first-ever live performance as well as BLACKPINK‘s historic headlining set.
Saturday’s stacked lineup also included performances by Charli XCX, Rosalía, boygenius, The Kid LAROI, and Calvin Harris, who officially “returned to the desert,” according to his billing.
For those at home, YouTube streamed live from all stages of the festival — and will continue to do so throughout this weekend and during the fest’s round two April 21-23. On Sunday night, April 16, Frank Ocean will close out the festival with his highly anticipated headlining performance and first live performance in six years.
As for BLACKPINK’s headlining performance, the beloved foursome reflected on the beginning of their Coachella journey in 2019, when they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the U.S. festival when they were booked over at the Sahara Tent. Fast forward four years later and global superstars Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa were taking over the main stage and making history as the first Korean act to headline the festival. Almost two hours later, Calvin Harris returned to the main stage for the first time in seven years to bang out the hits and, by a “Miracle,” play a new one with an old friend, Ellie Goulding.
Check out Billboard‘s eight best moments from day two of Coachella 2023 below.
Charli XCX’s Sexy Set
Even though the day had gradually cooled off by the time Charli XCX hit the main Coachella Stage, she unabashedly dialed the intensity all the way back up. While donning a studded black leather bodysuit and matching knee-high boots, Charli asked the audience, “Who’s getting sexy this weekend?” before launching into “Baby.” After performing “Beg For You” sans Rina Sawayama, Charli led a “We’re really, really hot! I’m really, really hot!” chant as her way of “begging” Troye Sivan to come out for their “1999” collaboration — which he gladly did.
But it was her performance of “Track 10” that was especially electrifying, as it offered a hyper-pop escape from the heartbreak. To really drive it home, the singer gyrated at the same frenetic pulse of the music before crawling across the stage in a beautifully bizarre manner that captured her vulnerability and passion all in the name of love. Only the chilling whisper of her own name could resurrect her body that by now was sprawled out on stage, as she revved herself back to life in time for “Vroom Vroom.” — Heran Mamo
Rosalía & Rauw Alejandro Are Couples Goals
Rosalía brought out her fiancé Rauw Alejandro to perform “Beso” and “Vampiros” off their recently-released joint EP. “How many of you have already listened to RR,” the Spanish star asked the crowd. “Four years ago, I came to Coachella, and I came alone. Not this time around.” A few seconds later, the Puerto Rican hitmaker joined his lover onstage where they sang, kissed and twerked. “Qué dice Coachella? Where’s my Latin people?” he asked the roaring crowd. Rauw’s surprise appearance was one of the best moments from Rosalía’s emotional and riveting set, during which she performed music from her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami. — Griselda Flores
Jai Paul’s First-Ever Live Performance
Major anticipation culminated during Jai Paul’s set in the Mojave, where the mysterious experimental singer-producer played the first show of his 12-year career. Known for his 2011 debut track “BTSTU,” the artist recently returned from a seven-year hiatus with a pair of singles “Do You Love Her Now” and “He.” And ahead of his historic set, he released his project of unfinished demos, Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones), on vinyl for the first time following its infamous leak 10 years ago.
Those songs filled his Coachella set, of which he said in a pre-show statement, “I always wanted to do something like this, but yeah, I’m not gonna lie, I am absolutely sh-tting it.” The U.K. artist came onstage 15 minute late, wearing a wig and sunglasses — perhaps part of a plan to put him at ease. He didn’t look entirely comfortable in the spotlight (and his mic could’ve been turned up louder), but he powered through a show that opened with “Higher Res” and later included “BTSTU” — a must for any fan, casual or otherwise. And though the show didn’t entirely dissolve his mystique, the crowd — which included Justin Bieber, Channel Tres and Kaytranada — finally got a sense of what Jai Paul can do. — Katie Bain
Boygenius Supporting Trans Rights
Earlier in the week, supergroup boygenius — Phobe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus — warmed up for Coachella with a performance in Pomona, treating fans to a celebratory set of new music off its debut album, the record. While their stellar songbook was the focus of the band’s festival set, Baker took the opportunity to also voice support for trans rights. “I want to say before we keep going, I don’t know if you’ve been checking the news and seeing the tomfoolery that’s going on in Florida, Missouri, and so many other places. But trans lives matter, trans kids matter,” she said. “We’re going to fight it, and we’re going to win.” — Lyndsey Havens
BLACKPINK’s Historic Headlining Set
“So… let me start off with, four years ago, we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara Tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” BLACKPINK’s Rosé affectionately told the crowd. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”
In 2019, BLACKPINK — composed of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa — became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella — a set that also marked the foursome’s first full U.S. concert. And tonight, in 2023, the global superstars became the first Korean act to headline the festival.
“We are so so happy to be back here,” adds Jennie. “It’s crazy within the four years we made it from Sahara to main stage …. We love you Coachella.” Throughout the set, which featured hits old and new like “Pink Venom,” “Kill This Love,” “Whistle,” “BOOMBAYAH” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” each song felt like a grand finale in its own right. The act used the additional set time and main stage prominence to make their distinct personalities and voices known, dedicating time for each artist to perform their solo work. Jennie went first with “You & Me” featuring a new rap verse, followed by Jisoo, who performed her debut single “Flower,” followed by Rosé, who delivered “Gone / On the Ground,” and ending with Lisa’s set (which was introduced using her birth name Lalisa) of an explicit version of “Money.”
The historic and celebratory set tapped into what Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa do best together as BLACKPINK: making Blinks feel seen. And by allowing each member a moment of their own to shine, they allowed their individuality to be seen, too. — L.H.
The Kid LAROI’s Tribute to Late Friends and Special Message For Justin Bieber
“I’m very, very blessed to be on this stage,” echoed The Kid LAROI’s voice throughout the Sahara Tent in the middle of his performance. It was a sincere moment of gratitude considering some of his dearest friends are no longer here, like fellow rappers Juice WRLD and Saiko, whom he honored while performing a new song “about loss and about losing people,” he somberly told the crowd. “It’s very personal to me and very vulnerable.”
The 19-year-old artist’s mature rebranding wasn’t just about cutting off his golden, boyish locks or dropping “The Kid” from his moniker when he introduced himself to the audience. It involved diving deeper into what pains him — in this case, lost loved ones — with piercing lyricism. While crouched atop a beaten up pickup truck, he sang about reflecting on the words he wish he had said to his friends.
And he stuck to his word when he praised his “Stay” collaborator Justin Bieber, who LAROI said was watching from the crowd (immediately shutting down any hope of a surprise onstage appearance; he did, however, later bring out Fivio Foreign, who performed their Far East Movement-sampling pop-drill collaboration “Paris to Tokyo”). “You’re such a special f—king human being…. Everybody here’s gotchu, bro,” he said speaking directly to Bieber. “Thank you for being not only an incredible musician and a collaborator, but thank you for being my f—king friend.” — H.M.
Labrinth and Billie Eilish’s Live Debut of “Never Felt So Alone”
Ahead of Labrinth‘s upcoming album, ENDS & BEGINS, the experimental artist treated fans to songs old and new — including his latest single “Never Felt So Alone,” which features Billie Eilish. His best treat of all? Bringing her out to live debut the song together. “She’s so f–king talented,” Lab said of the star as she exited the stage. “Billie, forever I f–king love you.” Elsewhere in the set he played Euphoria hits like “I’m Tired” (which features Zendaya, who did not come out during the set) and “Still Don’t Know My Name,” among other fan favorites — all of which showcased his stellar vocals, proving just how much of a powerhouse he is both in the studio and on the stage. — L.H.
Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding’s Live Debut of ‘Miracle’
While other sonic trends blow in and out on the desert winds, dance music is a foundational element of Coachella, with nearly every style of the genre spread across every single stage. This year sets by U.K. icons The Chemical Brothers and Underworld — who both played the first Coachella in 1999 — felt as thrilling and relevant as ever. James Murphy did the lord’s work while DJing Despacio, low key Coachella’s best dance space, and Eric Prydz dazzled on the Outdoor Stage with his technical/sonic masterpiece of a show, HOLO.
But while dance music was everywhere, it’s marquee look was Calvin Harris’ set on the main stage. BLACKPINK was the night’s headliner, but Harris in fact came on after them and played to a crowd as massive and sprawling as nearly any we’ve seen assembled there over the years.
But what does an EDM titan do on this stage a decade after the EDM heyday (and seven years since his last Coachella main stage appearance)? He bangs out the hits, baby — but gets kind of weird, too. Indeed,, Harris throttled through his insane catalog, hitting all the highs — “One Kiss,” “This Is What You Came For,” “Slide,” “Feel So Close,” “Sweet Nothing,” “Summer” — with the audience heard chanting along en masse whenever the Scottish producer turned his volume dial down.
But, unsurprisingly given Harris’ recent forays into acid house and adjacent styles, he also veered off into harder and way ravier territory, with some of these moments not sounding all that different than what Underworld had done hours earlier — demonstrating a throughline across eras of dance music and Coachella lineups.
Interestingly, Harris’ set entirely avoided anything from his most recent album, last summer’s Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 2, thus bypassing appearances by any of the massive stars on it. Instead, a resplendent Ellie Goulding helped Harris close the show with the first-ever live performance of their recent hit, “Miracle,” itself a trance throwback anthem. — K.B.
Coachella quickly became Motochella when Rosalía set foot on the festival’s main stage on Saturday (April 15).
The Motomamis and Motopapis assembled when they heard motorcycle engines roar. It only meant one thing: Rosalía was close to arrival. Wearing a black and white helmet, black leather pants, and a flowy pink robe over a black bra, Rosalía took the spotlight for her highly-anticipated performance on day two of the three-day event.
“Buenas noches, Coachella? I feel very happy to see you all here today,” said Rosalía, who was accompanied by a troupe of fierce dancers. “You fill my heart with your presence. I come from Barcelona, that’s why this stage is so special. It’s because of you that I’m here.”
For the special set, Rosalía brought her Motomami Tour concept to the desert, built upon a minimalistic white canvas with multiple cameras live feeding content from multiple angles. The tracklist spanned her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami, including hits like “Saoko,” “Bizcochito,” and “La Fama.” For the lattermost, she hopped off stage with a hand-held camera in selfie mode to capture the crowd taking turns on the mic.
“Are there many Motomamis here tonight? I see you all,” she declared soon after. She went on to sing “La Noche de Anoche,” “Despechá,” “Hentai,” “Motomami,” and “Candy” before unveiling her big surprise of the night.
“How many of you have already listened to RR,” the Spanish star asked the crowd. “Four years ago I came to Coachella — and I came alone. Not this time around.” Seconds later, her fiancé (and superstar in his own right) Rauw Alejandro joined Rosalía onstage where they oozed love. “Qué dice Coachella? Where’s my Latin people?” the Puerto Rican hitmaker asked the crowd.
The couple, who announced their engagement last month, performed “Beso” and “Vampiros” off RR, the joint EP they dropped March 24. After singing, kissing and a little perrero, they both stepped off the stage and shared a sweet kiss before going their separate ways. Rosalía made her way back to the white canvas for her last few songs., including an emotional cover of Enrique Iglesias’ “Héroe,” as well as “Chicken Teriyaki,” and “CUUUUuuuuuute.”
Coachella is part of Rosalía’s 20-date festival tour, which kicked off at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 17. It follows her Motomami world tour, which grossed $33.7 million and sold 443,000 tickets worldwide, landing her at No. 7 on the year-end Top Latin Tours list, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
In 2016 BLACKPINK debuted. By 2019 the act — composed of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa — became the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella — a set that also marked the foursome’s first full U.S. concert. And tonight, in 2023, the global superstars became the first Korean act to headline the festival.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“So… let me start off with, four years ago we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts,” Rosé affectionately tells the crowd. ”I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you.”
“We are so so happy to be back here,” adds Jennie. “It’s crazy within the four years we made it from Sahara to main stage … we love you, Coachella.”
Despite an early technical issue that pushed the start time back, by 9:24 fans’ light-up bracelets started to glow pink, alerting them the show would in fact soon begin. By 9:28, a single “BLACKPINK” echoed throughout the speakers. And by 9:30, the stage went dark. It was finally time.
“Taste that pink venom, get ‘em get ‘em get ‘em,” the girls demand as they opened with the biting “Pink Venom” as their loyal Blinks eat up every word. “Kill This Love” comes next, featuring heavy pyro and sparks followed by “How You Like That.” Each song feels like a grand finale in its own right — and that same energy carries throughout the entire historic set that snakes through BLACKPINK’s tight discography of an EP (Square Two – EP) and three full-lengths, BLACKPINK IN YOUR AREA, THE ALBUM and last year’s BORN PINK.
After a high-energy string of hits like “Pretty Savage” (for which the famous “prrr” was met with thunderous cheers) and “Kick It” during which the girls strutted down the runway, Rosé couldn’t help but make an observation: “It is getting… absolutely… hot. I think it’s because of the Blinks, it’s so hot because of you guys.”
The foursome then dives into “Whistle” — its debut song and a No. 2 hit — while making their way back to the stage. They each subtly disappear during the dance break that follows, signaling both the end of the set’s intro and beginning of its next phase: highlighting each member’s burgeoning solo careers.
Jennie performs first, rocking sky-high pigtails with a top draped in diamonds and pearls as she sings a remixed version of her single “You & Me” with a new rap verse. Next up: Jisoo, who’s wearing a red asymmetrical dress made of plastic flowers and matching elbow length red gloves — a fitting look to perform her debut single “Flower” in. As confetti finishes falling from the sky, the next performer’s name flashes across the screen: ROSÉ. Wearing a chain metal dress, she switches things up by performing from the middle stage, seated with her legs dangling down, swaying as she sings “Gone / On the Ground.” Her performance ends with an explosion of streamers, which touched ground as the fourth and final member gets ready to take the stage. For Lisa’s set (which is introduced using her birth name Lalisa) she sports a structured mirrored metal bodysuit with matching gloves to deliver an explicit version of “Money,” closing out this chapter of BLACKPINK’s set on an energetic high.
Another quick dance break allows the girls time to change back into relatively matching fits before stepping back out for “BOOMBAYAH,” their first No. 1, for which they request a sing-along — as if the crowd hadn’t already been doing just that all night long. And for “Lovesick Girls,” rainbow streamers color the night sky.
What follows is a rapid fire session of hits including “Playing With Fire,” a Burlesque-inspired “Type Girl,” “Shut Down” and “Tally.” The second to last song of the night is one of BLACKPINK’s earliest sensations, “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” while the true finale is the sentimental and uplifting “Forever Young,” which the girls perform first from the middle stage on a platform, engaging with as many Blinks as they can one last time, before ultimately ending at their rightful place front and center on the main stage as fireworks explode behind them.
Throughout the historic and celebratory set, Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa tapped into what they do best together as BLACKPINK: making Blinks feel seen. And by allowing each member a moment of their own to shine, they allowed their individuality to be seen, too — and on one of music’s biggest stages, no less.
Super-producer Metro Boomin embarked on a star-studded hero’s (and villain’s) journey during his Coachella performance Friday night (April 14).
Metro feels like he naturally sits at the intersection of Marvel and music, inviting his interconnected web of friends (who are chart-topping rappers) into a comic book world of his own design. “In this life, we all must make a choice, to be a hero or a villain. But let this be a warning: When Metro appears, you better know damn well which side you’re on,” narrated Morgan Freeman, with comic illustrations of Coachella and Metro’s thrilling arrival projected on the screens before plumes of smoke cleared them and descended on the stage.
It’s no wonder he was tapped to work on the soundtrack for the forthcoming film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. But across festival grounds at the Sahara Tent, Metro assembled his own Avengers for his self-proclaimed “Trochella,” and even saluted the ones who couldn’t physically be there like A$AP Rocky, whose pre-recorded audio of him officially introducing Metro boomed from the speakers. He emerged from a black cloak at the top of the stage, a full orchestra accentuating his sinister presence. But Metro’s not the villain in this story, as he brought out Future for a haunting yet victorious rendition of “Superhero (Heroes & Villains).”
Future zoomed through his hits — including “Wicked” and “Mask Off” — before Metro sent Young Thug a remote moment of hope in the midst of his RICO trial in Atlanta by playing “Metro Spider.” Don Toliver then graced the stage while donning sunglasses that resembled a mask, playing into the motif of Metro’s latest Billboard 200-topping album, Heroes & Villains, and playing “I Can’t Save You (Interlude),” “Too Many Nights” and “Around Me” off the project.
Thick clouds of smoke covered the stage once more, creating even more mystique around Metro’s set. “Legendary s— only!” he bellowed while praising fellow producer Mike Dean on the synths. He rolled out the red carpet for his beloved collaborator 21 Savage as they ran through fan favorites from their Savage Mode days and other beloved 21 tracks, such as “Bank Account” and “Knife Talk.” But there was one person who received a special dedication from him.
“Long live my mom Leslie Wayne… She with me right now, Lord Jesus, she with me right now,” he bellowed before leading the rowdy crowd in a sobering moment of silence in honor of his late mother, who died last June.
Suddenly, Dean cued the chaos back up with a dizzying array of green strobe lights before a faint, yet very famous falsetto caused an uproar for none other than The Weeknd. He performed “Faith,” “Escape from LA” and “Heartless,” which were all produced by Metro from The Weeknd’s fourth album, After Hours. With help from his close collaborator Dean, The Weeknd executed the same genius transition from “Heartless” to “Low Life” he debuted at Coachella just last year, when he co-headlined with Swedish House Mafia. Now, he comfortably assisted a billed act and shared the spotlight with other A-listers like Future, who joined him for “Low Life.” But when he got a moment to himself again, The Weeknd treated fans by performing a brand new song.
“Temperature rising, bodies united, now that I tried you in my arms. No need to fight it, no need to hide it, now that I’ve seen what’s in your heart,” he sang before letting his vocal runs synch up with the electrifying synths and Dean’s sexy saxophone.
21 Savage eventually returned for the first live performance of “Creepin,” which is No. 4 on the April 15-dated Billboard Hot 100. The remix’s guest Diddy made for another major surprise guest on the already star-filled night, which could very well have been just an average day in the studio for Metro Boomin.
Becky G’s debut as a billed Coachella act was a long time coming, but good things come to those who wait. While the Mexican-American artist was at Coachella last year, when she joined Karol G to sing their hit song “MAMIII,” Becky G hadn’t had a solo performance at the festival.
“What’s up Coachella?” she asked a sea of festival-goers who had stationed themselves at the main stage for her 45-minute set after immediately being hooked with her reggaeton banger “Mayores.” “You’re looking mighty beautiful from up here,” she briefly said after performing her first song. “I’m so happy to be here with you guys today.”
Becky was a woman of a few words and let her music do the speaking instead. With a Luis Barragán-inspired set as her background, she stepped out in a dark blue denim three-piece and white sneakers to perform “Fulanito,” “Cuando Te Besé” and “Bailé Con Mi Ex” back-to-back before transitioning into a special segment that paid tribute to her Mexican roots.
“México en la casa! I’ve been working on my regional project and it’s been so beautiful,” she expressed. “I’m proud to be Mexican-American. And I couldn’t come to Coachella and not share the stage. Who else did we invite to the carne asada (cookout)?” she asked her DJ.
With a tuba in tow, Marca MP joined Becky — who wore a tejana for this part of her set — to sing “Ya Acabó.” But that was just the first artist of a parade of acts who joined the star. Following MP, Jesús Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida took her side to sing “Te Quiero Besar.” Paz stayed to sing Becky’s “favorite” song of his, the cumbia-powered “Bebe Dame.”
The third surprise guest was an artist who is relatively new to performing in front of crowd, let alone a festival of this magnitude, but fans went crazy when corridos up-and-comer Peso Pluma appeared on stage to sing his collab w Becky, “Chanel.” The surprise guests didn’t end there. Becky, who by this point had changed into a sparkly blue mini-dress, brought out bestie Natti Natasha to sing their girl-power track “Sin Pijama.” The two shared a friendly kiss with Becky after singing together.
To close her set with a bang, Becky sang her Karol G-assisted “MAMIII,” which she ended with the iconic wailing part of “Killing Me Softly.” And to end with a trip down memory lane, she performed her first hit single “Shower.” “Let me take this in for a second,” she said before leaving the stage. “It has truly been an honor.”
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
It had all the makings of a headlining set: the reunion of a beloved band, a hits-filled discography and thousands of fans all belting along.
And yet, the highly anticipated set from Blink-182 filled the sundown slot at a much-too-small stage. It made it all the better.
On Thursday evening (April 13), when Coachella finally revealed on Instagram its weekend one set times, the caption read: “Take off your pants and jacket.” Fans of the band immediately knew it signaled the good news that Blink had been added to the lineup at the last minute.
In October, the legendary pop-punk band announced it would reunite with its original lineup of Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker and Tom Delonge. On Friday (April 14), the band delivered its first show since. (Blink was originally scheduled to kick off a South American tour in March, but had to cancel due to Barker’s finger injury).
The band fittingly entered to the Star Wars theme song (with noted U.FO. researcher DeLonge wearing a shirt that read, “To the stars”) and selected “Family Reunion” as their celebratory opening song. As DeLonge basked in the roars for his return to the band, he couldn’t help but smirk as he held up a middle finger, later telling the crowd how much they’re loved.
After performing “Anthem, Part Two,” Hoppus said something so simple yet staggering: “Hi, we’re Blink-182 … Welcome to Coachella 2023.” The fact that the ’90s-formed act is just as much of a force today as in its heyday is a testament to its catalog and staying power — particularly at a time when pop-punk has returned to center stage. And in the case of Blink, the band brought its boyish sense of humor along for the ride, with Hoppus and DeLonge trading quips about everything from UTIs to testicles throughout the set.
As Barker’s wife, Kourtney Kardashian-Barker, and her sister Khloe watched from the stage, the band tore threw hits like “Rock Show,” “Feelin This” and “What’s My Age Again,” which welcomed a sing-along worthy of the Guinness World Records as a mosh pit formed. And before live debuting their newest single “Edging,” which arrived with the original lineup’s reunion announcement, DeLonge confessed with a laugh, “There’s a lot of testosterone in this s—.”
Minutes past the set’s scheduled end time, Hoppus noted that the band had blown right past it — and that they weren’t about to stop. He said there were three more songs to get through, and they were naturally some of the bands biggest hits to date, closing with an epic hat trick of “I Miss You” into “All the Small Things” into “Dammit,” for which Hoppus interpolated a bit of TLC’s “No Scrubs” for good measure.
But it was Hoppus’ Instagram post that summed up the experience better than any one song could. “Chemo to Coachella,” he captioned a photo of himself on stage with the soon-to-be-packed field behind him. “Very much in my feelings today.”
Bad Bunny first performed at Coachella in 2019, a then-emerging reggaeton and trap artist. On Friday (April 14), the Puerto Rican hitmaker returned to the desert as a global superstar to make history as the first Spanish-language artist to ever headline the festival.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Latinos have been rompiéndola (killing it) for some time now,” he said with pride. “I just did a tour last year that I never imagined I’d be able to do. I’ve been out for some time but [I’m back] and it feels cabrón to be here tonight and that you’re all here with me.”
The past four years have been pivotal for the Grammy-winning artist, who has redefined what it means to be a Latin artist today with two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 (including his latest Un Verano Sin Ti) and a record-breaking tour.
So, when he took the stage at exactly 11:35 p.m., he was received as the icon that he is. A roaring crowd went crazy when Bad Bunny, who wore a colorful puffer jacket and chunky diamond necklaces, appeared on top of a rectangular box. His two-hour show — one of the longer Coachella headlining sets in recent memory — included special guests such as Jhayco, Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, plus Post Malone (who’s appearance was overshadowed by mic issues). The set also, most notably, featured a passionate speech by Bunny who assured his zealous fans that, “People think they know the lives of famous people — but they don’t.”
Here’s what went down during Bad Bunny’s history-making performance.
He Expressed His Gratitude
Before Bad Bunny sang literally all the hits, those in attendance heard a pre-recorded video of the Grammy-winning artist expressing the significance of this moment. “The sun and the moon have witnessed epic moments, magical nights. Artists have found their purpose, their inspiration, the answer to all their questions, that perhaps weren’t questions in the first place. Here, history has been made thousands of times. My head is spinning. It’s incredible to see the list of all the other artists that have performed on this stage. So many of them, but no one like me,” he said entirely in Spanish. “It’s the first time a Benito closes the festival. It may be the first time, but perhaps not the last time.”
He Performed All The Hits
Guessing which song Bad Bunny would start with was no easy task. Surprisingly, he kicked off with “Me Porto Bonito” — a bold move to some as the banger could just have easily closed his set .”Coachella, quieres perreo? Before I keep going with my show, what do you prefer? Me talking in English or español? You decide.” The unanimous decision was, of course, español. And once he resumed, it was almost like he didn’t want to stop. The first half of the show featured a stacked setlist including hits from albums released since he was last at Coachella: “Moscow Mule,” “Neverita,” “Si Veo A Tu Mamá,” “La Difícil,” “La Santa,” “Estamos Bien” and “Te Boté,” among other anthems.
He Set the Record Straight
Mid-set, Bad Bunny took a moment to make one thing very clear: “Humbly speaking, people think they know the lives of famous people but they don’t,” he said categorically. “They don’t know what we feel, what we live through. They will never know what a heart can feel. Don’t believe everything you hear. You won’t get to know the real me through a video on Instagram, an interview or a TikTok. If you really want to get to know me, I invite you to my home. My name is Benito Martinez Ocasio,” he stated. “I’ve met good people, I’ve met bad people. You learn from both. I know who I am, what my purpose is and I promise you I will see it through. Don’t worry about me, I’m ok.”
He also addressed a quote of his from a recent interview he gave, in which he said he didn’t feel strongly about the lyrics to one of his songs. “I don’t regret anything. I don’t even regret my errors because you learn from your mistakes. The last thing I’d regret is writing this song,” referring to was “El Apagón,” which he performed right after this heartfelt speech.
He Welcomed Both Expected and Unexpected Guests
Bad Bunny would have had no problem filling 120 minutes on his own. But the more the merrier. The chart-topping artist brought out OG reggaetoneros Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow to perform the perreo anthem “Safaera” from Bunny’s 2020 set YHLQMDLG. It’s safe to say that his next guest was the least expected; as Bad Bunny made his way to another part of the stage out in the middle of the crowd, he was joined by Post Malone who played guitar renditions of “La Canción” and “Yonaguni.” But after a few tries, his mic never cooperated and Bad Bunny ended up singing the two songs a cappella (he even briefly tried holding a second microphone to the then unplugged guitar). “Something happened to el cabrón cable,” he said visibly upset.
But technical difficulties didn’t stop him from continuing his show. Instead, he jumped on a jet ski as frequent collaborator Jhayco rode one beside him to perform their euphoric duet “Dákiti.” And yet, there was still more. Bunny ended the set back on the main stage — and on his own, performing hits “Callaíta,” “Me Porto Bonito” and “Después de la Playa” as a final lengthy round of fireworks exploded behind him.
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
The Weeknd creeped in a performance of a brand new song toward the end of Metro Boomin’s Coachella set Friday night (April 14).
With Metro’s blessing and an assist from frequent collaborator Mike Dean, who whipped out the saxophone, The Weeknd treated fans to a new track he had previously teased on Instagram. In the 17-second clip, he and Dean were in the studio prepping an orchestral arrangement. “THE IDOL VOL. 1. coming soon (double fantasy & jealous guy just a taste),” read the caption, leading fans to believe the new song The Weeknd performed just two days later could be called “Double Fantasy.”
For the live debut, Dean’s saxophone rumbled through the Sahara Tent while the crowd was blinded by The Weeknd’s fluorescent, all-white ensemble, along with the lights he once sang about. “Temperature rising, bodies united, now that I tried you in my arms. No need to fight it, no need to hide it, now that I’ve seen what’s in your heart,” he sang before letting his vocal runs synch up with the electrifying synths.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The Weeknd also united with Future for “Low Life” from the latter’s 2016 album EVOL and later joined the rest of Metro’s all-star avengers — 21 Savage and Diddy — for the first live performance of “Creepin.” The song, from the producer’s Billboard 200-topping album Heroes & Villains, is currently No. 4 on Hot 100.
Ice Spice teamed up with Nicki Minaj for a remix of ‘Princess Diana’, Kelly Clarkson releases a powerful double single, Post Malone drops a pop track in ‘Chemical’, and more. We break down the things you must see at Coachella 2023, Lil Mosey reveals his favorite Seattle slang and more!