State Champ Radio Coachella
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Benson Boone made a memorable Coachella debut on Friday (April 11), lighting up the main stage with surprise guest Brian May for a powerful rendition of Queen’s iconic 1975 hit “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Wearing a white-and-blue outfit reminiscent of Freddie Mercury’s classic look, the 22-year-old singer delivered a high-energy set complete with his signature backflips. Midway through the performance, Boone sat at the piano to begin “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and moments later, May emerged dramatically from the top of the stage, guitar in hand, to join him.
The legendary Queen guitarist stuck around for Boone’s final song, “Beautiful Things,” adding signature Queen-style riffs to the emotional track, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2024.
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“It has changed my life this year and I hope you enjoy it,” Boon said prior to hit set, which was filled with fireworks and pyrotechnics.
May had teased the surprise appearance by posting a photo of himself and Boone on a plane headed to Palm Springs. “Look who I bumped into – on the way to the fabled Palm Springs,” May wrote on Instagram. “Maybe something will happen ?!”
Boone replied with a playful comment: “What are you doing with Pedro Pascal.” P!nk also joined in, commenting, “Perfect combo right here.”
During his set, Boone also announced that his second album, American Heart, is dropping on June 20. He premiered the title track and revealed the cover art, which shows him standing in front of an American flag.
Coachella’s opening day was packed with standout moments, including sets from Lady Gaga, Tyla, LISA, Mustard, and more. Catch Billboard’s full recap of day one here.
Almost a decade ago, in 2017, Lady Gaga headlined Coachella — but not on purpose. The superstar stepped in to replace Beyoncé, who had then-just revealed her pregnancy to the public. Beyoncé returned to headline the festival in 2018 but tonight, on the first night of Coachella 2025, it was Gaga’s turn. And this time, everything was intentional.
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On Friday, April 11, Gaga celebrated “Mayhem In the Desert” — as her own on-site merchandise pop-up teased — with a spellbinding and ominous set. Titled “The Art Of Personal Chaos,” the two-hour show may have been disguised as a concert, but what took place was nothing short of a carefully crafted commentary on fame and performance – and the toll of keeping both up.Or, as two Gagas from different eras said on screens bookending the stage, staring at one another but speaking to the masses: “This is the manifesto of mayhem.”
It’s a fitting concept for a headlining show that follows an album of the same name; Gaga’s Mayhem arrived in March and debuted atop the Billboard 200. And for an artist like Lady Gaga, it’s a concept that is rich in inspiration. It seems she was so inspired, in fact, that the only way to clearly organize and present her ideas was through five distinct acts, including an anticipated finale — but all seamlessly woven together thanks to stunning and challenging choreography from Parris Goebel. And, of course, Gaga’s catalog.
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Her set naturally leaned heavy on new matieral — especially since her Coachella gigs across the festival’s two weekends unofficially kick-off her upcoming The Mayhem Ball tour. But the way in which Gaga reimagined or perhaps recontextualized some of her older hits made them feel impressively fresh and forced fans to reexamine the idea of fame – all the while spotlighting Gaga’s genius.
Fame is a concept that has long fascinated the artist — hell, she named her debut album The Fame. And it featured breakout hit “Paparazzi.” It doesn’t get more on-the-nose than that. While Mayhem dives back into the familiar subject, it does so in an unfamiliar fashion by bringing a gritty and industrial edge to Gaga’s electro-pop.
That sonic universe came to life on Coachella’s main stage, with an expansive set design that depicted an opera house — though it looked just as much like a medieval castle hosting a demonic rave (feeding into another of Gaga’s taglines for the weekend: “Dance or die”).
The entire performance felt like a living, breathing entity — in large part because Gaga wore a headset, which captured each and every controlled breath she took. But also because of the storyline, which across its five acts revisited various Lady Gagas of the past — all of whom, as the show proved, are still very much alive in Gaga despite being dormant. Or, in the case of this performance, despite being left for dead.
In Act 1: Velvet and Vice, fans are greeted by present-day Gaga wearing a black bob. And yet, she opens with “Bloody Mary,” a song off 2011’s Born This Way. The rest of the act continued to balance old and new, sandwiching “Judas” between Mayhem tracks “Abracadabra” and “Garden of Eden” before ending with The Fame standout “Poker Face.” For the lattermost’s performance, Gaga simulated a high-stakes chess game — one that felt reminiscent of the infamous Wizard’s Chess scene from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Only here, Gaga is playing against herself — and its present-day Gaga who prevails.
After declaring, “off with her head,” to a fallen blonde Gaga of decades past, her vision for this show snaps into focus as the acts that follow examine the darker sides of fame. In Act 2: And She Fell Into a Gothic Dream, the slain blonde Gaga is seen buried among skeletons — only she’s very much alive. Both she and the corpses next to her slowly come alive — including another past Gaga, this one from 2009 wearing a red lace bodysuit reminiscent of the one she wore to the Video Music Awards that year.
Act 2 fittingly opens with “Perfect Celebrity,” which is followed by “Disease” and a stunning, stripped back rendition of “Papparazi” that serves as the emotional arch of the entire set – sensing the theme? “Sometimes I feel like I went into a dream when I was 20 years old…and I didn’t know if I wanted to wake up, because what if you weren’t there?” Gaga asked of her fans, still as her blonde self.
Her question begged another: Is fame the byproduct of a co-dependent relationship between artist and fan?
Enter Act 3: The Beautiful Nightmare That Knows Her Name. Accompanied by Mayhem collaborator Gesaffelstein, Gaga ripped into “Killah” and “Zombieboy,” tossing in a condensed “Die With a Smile” (her chart-topping collaboration with Bruno Mars) before returning to more recent releases with “How Bad Do U Want Me.” In Act 4: To Wake Her Is To Lose Her, Gaga returns to her new form, black bob and all.
Before performing the lively “Born This Way” – which felt like it could be the finale, complete with a firework display – Gaga told the crowd: “You are who you choose to be, you always will be.” And as Gaga showed all night long, each and every version of herself got here where she stands today – they are all her. And they always will be. But that doesn’t mean she chooses them any more.
As a parting gift, for a set that prioritzed new music and storytelling over the hits, Gaga performed the soaring “Shallow” alone at the piano, positioned at the end of the stage’s runway. As she surveyed the packed field, she mused, “As far as I can see, there’s people everywhere….I hope one day I’ll just vanish right into you.” She then performed “Vanish Into You” while walking alongside fans pressed against the barricades, stopping to hold hands and even sing into their faces as she made her way back to the stage. And true to her word, she soon after disappeared.
Minutes passed and the stage lights remained dim – but on. As some attendees started to peel off, the majority remained firmly planted, trusting Mother Monster wouldn’t leave them like that. Sure enough, after five minutes it was time for the final act: Finale: Eternal Aria Of the Monster Heart.
“We are monsters – and monsters never die,” said Gaga, before ending with an extended version of “Bad Romance.” And after the last two hours of such high-value, intentional performance art, the song took on new meaning. “I want your love,” sang Gaga, as she had so many times before. Only tonight, it felt like a direct plea to her fans. “You know that I want you, you know that I need you,” she continued.
And while at times fame, and all that comes with it, may feel like Gaga is stuck in a bad love story, tonight she made it her own. Tonight, she delivered a poignant and entertaining take on what it means to be a superstar – and did so while further solidifying her own role as one of the biggest.
Coachella 2025 got off to both a literal and figurative hot start on Friday (April 11), with daytime temperatures in the desert hitting 100-degrees and a cavalcade of stars gracing the festival’s many stages. Among them were hip-hop legend Missy Elliott, South African star Tyla, pop queen LISA, rapper GloRilla and many others including Lady […]
Starting early Thursday morning (April 10), Coachella campers arriving a day early to set up their campsites and attend the festival’s first-ever Day Zero dance party took to social media to post troubling dispatches about long lines and a lack of bathrooms or shade as they waited for hours to get in. According to sources close to the festival, the likely culprits for the traffic jam were two small changes at the festival’s popular car camping ground.
The first change was that the campgrounds began letting people in on Thursday at 9 a.m. this year, which is later than in past years, according to sources and fans posting on social media. The second was the festival’s launch of a preferred campsite program for the campground closest to the festival entrance.
On its website, Coachella describes the Preferred Front Row Car campground as an upgraded experience where attendees can “arrive at your leisure in a guaranteed spot in the front row of the lot closest to the venue.” The cost for a preferred car campsite is $462.17, while the cost for a regular car campsite is $179.37.
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Administering the new preferred campsite program, which replaced the traditional first-come, first-served system with a reservation-based system, took a little more time per camper to manage, sources tell Billboard — and that extra few minutes per camper quickly mushroomed into extra hours as the day wore on.
Slowing things down even more was that many diehard fans arrived as early as 2 a.m. to get first crack at the best campsites in the general camping area. On social media sites like Reddit and TikTok, some fans have claimed that Goldenvoice opened access to the camping area as early as 3 a.m., with many sharing tips on when to arrive; sources close to the festival say the festival sometimes opened as early as 6 a.m. The official entry time for the campgrounds in both 2024 and 2025 was listed as 9 a.m.
Whatever the case, the decision to open the campground no earlier than 9 a.m. this year created a large backlog of fans who had to wait hours to go through the festival’s check-in process, which often includes a security screening for all campers.
The changes caused frustrating delays for fans as they waited in their cars for hours to get in, sitting in the hot desert sun with temperatures peaking at 100 degrees and no options for shade or public bathrooms.
There was a small silver lining to this year’s changes that many fans embraced. For the first time in Coachella’s 25-year history, organizers added a live performance on the opening Thursday of the festival, known in Coachella fan parlance as Zero Day. For some fans, the hours-long set by veteran electronic artist Chris Lake helped balance out the difficult start to the day.
“[The traffic jam] doesn’t take away from this,” one festival goer told the Los Angeles Times. “That’s in the past. We’re about to see the G.O.A.T. and we’re living in the present now. It’s all right.”
Guest artists, surprises and lots of fun. That’s how Rawayana‘s debut at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is shaping up. The band will perform this and next Saturday (April 12 and 19) on the Gobi stage. According to lead vocalist Beto Montenegro, it will be a true tribute to their home country, where their last tour was canceled late last year amid political turmoil.
“Honestly, we’re scratching the itch after not being able to play in Venezuela,” Montenegro told Billboard Español on Friday (April 11) in an exclusive interview. “Our idea is to bring the Venezuelan Caribbean to Coachella. That’s the concept of the show. And to dedicate this to all the people who couldn’t see us in December.”
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Both performances will be streamed live on Coachella’s YouTube channel.
Rawayana will bring a total of ten special guests for their two shows, Montenegro shared. While he preferred to keep their identities a surprise, he revealed that this weekend’s performance will feature three Venezuelan and two Puerto Rican artists, and next week’s will include three more Venezuelans, a Colombian, and a Puerto Rican. “Our guests are the best of Venezuela,” he added enthusiastically. “They’re all from different worlds, but very important in our career and in Venezuelan music.”
And Rawayana won’t just be performing at the prominent festival in Indio, California. They’ll also premiere a music video during Coachella’s livestream: the clip for their viral hit “Veneka,” with Venezuelan rapper Akapellah, which was released last October. Filmed in November during the Caracas-Magallanes baseball game at loanDepot Park in Miami with the participation of many Venezuelan female figures from pop culture, the video will have its world premiere tonight (April 11) at 11:05 p.m. ET (8:05 p.m. PT) on the Main Stage YouTube channel, one week before its official release.
The festival announced it earlier today with a fun video on social media featuring another famous Venezuelan: Hollywood actor Edgar Ramírez.
“I mean, honestly, this Coachella is completely dedicated to Venezuela, and that makes us very happy,” Montenegro said, explaining that the song and the concept for the “Veneka” video were inspired by the baseball games they used to watch in their home country. “We used to go to the stadiums, and this type of music, raptor house [a dance electronic music genre originating in Caracas], would play. When the game ended, [the cameras] would always look for women in the crowd, and ‘Caracas de Noche’ would play. It was very iconic.”
Montenegro expressed his pride in performing at Coachella, the same festival where decades ago their fellow Venezuelans Los Amigos Invisibles — whom he said they were “ultra mega fans” of — played, and where this year they share the lineup with Gustavo Dudamel, “one of those little geniuses Venezuela has produced in recent times,” and Arca, “who is also a genius.”
“We feel amazing. It’s a privilege.”
Lady Gaga is set to make her headlining performance at Coachella on April 11, and we’re breaking down what the pop star could have in store for festivalgoers. Keep watching for all the details!
Are you excited for Lady Gaga’s performance? Let us know in the comments below!
Tetris Kelly:Gaga is returning to the desert before she embarks on her world tour. She’s bringing Mayhem to Friday night at Coachella, and we’re telling you everything you need to know. It isn’t Mother Monster’s first time at the rodeo — she headlined Coachella back in 2017 when Beyoncé had to bow out due to pregnancy. But this time around will likely be all about her album Mayhem that she told us all about.
Lady Gaga: It started to slowly remind me of, like, my earlier work, the mayhem of my approach to pop music, which is like something that, like, is mine, that I feel proud of.
Tetris Kelly:The set contains No. 1 single “Die With a Smile,” the bombastic track “Disease” and the viral smash “Abracadabra.”
Lady Gaga:I tried to really, like, own who I am, and just be proud of, like, my approach to music, my approach to pop music, and then also, like, even through “Abracadabra,” which is very different from “Perfect Celebrity,” take ownership over something that I started a long time ago
Tetris Kelly:Right after Coachella, she’s embarking on the Mayhem Ball and had this to say about the outing: “This show is designed to be the kind of theatrical and electrifying experience that brings Mayhem to life exactly how I envision it.”
And we should be ready for surprises. In 2017, she premiered the new song “The Cure.” What Mayhem song can’t you wait to see live in Indio? Let us know in the comments.
As artists and fans from across the globe are flocking to the desert for this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, African music is set to make its biggest splash yet. South Africa’s Tyla, Nigeria’s Rema and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and Ghana’s Amaarae will take over the festival this weekend and next. […]
Junior H is set to take the stage at Coachella, just a year after debuting at the event as a guest of his friend Peso Pluma. One of the most important exponents of new regional Mexican music today, Junior, known for global hits such as “Lady Gaga,” ‘Ella,” and “Tres Botellas,” will debut his own set on April 13 and 20.
“It’s a pride, it’s very nice to represent Mexico, represent the genre and share with people who like my music — although the goal is to go and win new fans,” Junior H tells Billboard Español ahead of the festival’s first weekend. “Coachella is a stage where artists from many countries perform. So, I’m very excited and of course it’s a challenge and a great opportunity.”
Although he said that he will not have guests and that his show will be shorter than what he normally presents in his concerts, the artist behind Hot 100 hits such as “Y Lloro”, “Fin de Semana” and “Bipolar” promises to give “the best of my repertoire.”
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Over the past five years, Junior H (whose real name is Antonio Herrera) has been carving a steady path since the days when he was discovered by the Los Angeles-based independent record label Rancho Humilde. Today, he has his own label, Sad Boyz Entertainment.
“La Letra Muda”, as he is also known, knows what it is like to be in front of large crowds. In May 2023, he twice packed the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, with its 50,000 capacity — a long way from his early days of having a mostly social media-based following.
“That moment was really the beginning, where we realized we have real fans — not followers. It was awesome,” he says. “Then we jumped to the Foro Sol and it was beautiful. Later we came to the United States to very big places, so I’m infinitely grateful.”
With the concept of his 2023 album Sad Boyz 4 Life II, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Top Regional Mexican Albums charts, Junior H had a quick connection with young people — who had known him as a performer of corridos tumbados, but found his new style to have deeper, more sentimental themes. The 23-year-old singer was born in Guanajuato, also the land of singer-songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez, so ranchera music was part of his childhood. And as a teenager, thanks to his sisters, he listened to Edén Muñoz — with whom he collaborated on “Abcdario” a couple of years ago, fulfilling a longtime dream in the process.
More recently, the group Máximo Grado, considered a standard-bearer in corridos, released his Somos Leyenda album, on which Junior H made an appearance. “Since I was a kid I’ve been a fan of theirs. The song I participated with, ‘El Hombre del Equipo,’ I used to sing it when I was doing lives during the pandemic,” he recalls. “[The group’s leader] Christian Felix used to see them, and that’s why he invited me. I’m fortunate to have accomplished things I never imagined. That’s why now I want to help other artists who are starting out with my record label.”
Junior H will now add CEO of Sad Boyz Entertainment to his career resumé. His first signed talent is the artist Gael Valenzuela, on whose new song (“El Chore,” released Apr. 10) he also appeared. Find that below.
The show must go on. Weezer has not canceled its plans to perform at Coachella this Saturday (April 12) after the wife of Weezer bassist Scott Shriner sustained non-life-threatening injuries during a bizarre run-in with Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers that ended in a dramatic shootout. A source linked to the festival tells Billboard […]
The desert will be the place to be this weekend and the next with Coachella in full swing in Indio, Calif. This year’s two-weekend festival will run April 11-13 and 18-20, and will be co-headlined by Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott.
While the aforementioned artists are top billings, there’s a handful of Latin artists that you’ll want to check out if you’re attending this year. From Venezuelan band Rawayana to corridos hitmaker Junior H, indie pop artist Judeline and música mexicana star Ivan Cornejo, there’s something for everyone throughout the three days. Other Latin acts on the roster include, Arca, The Marías, El Malilla, Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso, Alok and Gustavo Dudamel with the LA Phil. Check out the artists’ schedules here.
Anitta was set to perform this year but pulled out of her performance slot last month over “unexpected personal reasons.”
“I was really looking forward to being at Coachella this year, but due to unexpected personal reasons, I won’t be able to perform,” the Brazilian superstar wrote on X. “I’m truly grateful to the festival for the invitation, their understanding, and continued support. I hope to have the opportunity to join you all in the future and share that special moment together.”
In previous years, Bad Bunny, Karol G, Becky G, Natanael Cano, Kali Uchis, Peso Pluma, Eladio Carrión, Carla Morrison, Banda MS, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Grupo Firme, among many other Latin artists, have performed at Coachella.
Below, find the ultimate guide to Latin artists at this year’s Coachella in alphabetical order:
Alok
