Coachella
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On April 16 at Coachella, finally, after years of postponements, and an hour late that night, Frank Ocean performed his first concert in six years, closing the country’s most-watched music festival with a set that left many fans confused and even disgruntled. Transforming the event’s main stage with a giant screen spanning nearly the full width, Ocean and his band gave the impression they were bringing fans into the recording studio — the kind in which he has presumably been working on his much-anticipated third studio album. Tinkering with remixed versions of his beloved songs, creative camera shots often directed fans’ attention away from the reclusive singer on stage and towards his image on screen.
It was not the kind of fan-friendly hit parade some had surely been hoping for, and after Ocean abruptly ended early (albeit 20 minutes past curfew), the negative reviews started flowing. Days later, he canceled his performance for the festival’s second weekend due to an ankle injury and retreated into the private life he’s built for himself away from the limelight. When he’ll come back — either onstage or with new music — is anyone’s guess.
Since the 2011 release of his debut mixtape, Nostalgia Ultra, Ocean has spent more time out of the industry than in it, releasing only two albums and performing live just 25 to 30 times in the last decade, almost exclusively at festivals. So far, that has worked out pretty well for him, creating pent-up demand that led to his booking atop last month’s Coachella, the world’s largest multi-genre festival. The last time Ocean performed in the United States was in 2017 at the Panorama festival in New York — produced by Goldenvoice, the Los Angeles-based company behind Coachella — about a year after releasing his last album, Blonde. There, Ocean ended on a high note, with New York Times reporter Jon Caramanica calling it a “a grand-scale meditation on feelings and politics” that “proved you can translate intimacy on a giant scale.”
Ahead of Ocean’s Coachella set last month, anticipation was at fever pitch. The singer had originally been booked to headline the 2020 festival before the coronavirus pandemic postponed the event for two years. Then, in 2022, it was announced that Ocean would hold off on his festival performance until 2023. All the while, fans have been waiting for a new album that still has not come, satiated only slightly by occasional features, new songs shared on his Blonded Radio show on Apple Music, miscellaneous creative and fashion projects and appearances at the Met Gala. By withholding from fans in an era where so much revolves around the “attention economy,” Ocean’s passionate fans have only become hungrier for new material from the enigmatic superstar whose long absences are viewed as a product of the singer’s meticulous pursuit of perfection.
“He’d rather do nothing than do something that’s not quite right,” Caramanica wrote in his review of Ocean’s Panorama performance. “And doing nothing has also become, in this era of blithe ubiquity, a daring and quite perversely loud kind of performance.”
If being quiet made Ocean’s stock rise, might his widely panned, self-admittedly “chaotic” comeback performance at Coachella — and his decision to pull out of the second weekend — have pushed his stock back down?
“He flopped,” said one prominent booking agent who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “Is that a career-ender — being a fallible, over-confident 35-year-old young man with one public blemish in an otherwise brilliant career? Of course not…. After more than a decade of brilliant songwriting and performance, he is entitled to make a mistake or two.”
Whether Ocean’s Coachella set was bad or misunderstood is a point of debate, but the widely negative reception was seemingly enough to make him back out of the festival’s second weekend. For many acts, a show like this would be a major reputational hit, causing fans to second-guess attending a future festival he’s booked on — or promoters to think twice about booking him at all.
“When he releases [new] music, am I gonna give it a listen? Yes. [But] if he announces a tour date, am I going to be hesitant to go see him? … It’s a risk,” says Adrian Romo, 29, who traveled from Houston to see Ocean perform at Coachella’s second weekend. “Your fans have been waiting for however many years, you have the biggest stage in the world, and then you do that? It’s like, what can I expect from you in the future? It makes you look at it a little bit differently.”
“I’m not excited [about him] anymore. He lost a fan,” adds Romo’s boyfriend, Oren Rosenbaum, 27.
“If I am a promoter, who is considering him or a comparable artist for my festival, I’m probably going to go with the comparable artist because my trust has been shaken,” says booking agent Malachai Johns with the Allive talent agency.
Ocean’s profile has thrived out of the limelight, however, and it’s not a stretch to imagine his Coachella set driving further fan interest in what he does next, or to even witness another performance of this supposedly bad set — which was not livestreamed on the festival’s YouTube feed, as originally planned — for themselves. Streams for the singer’s music increased 94% in the days following the festival, and much to fans’ excitement he teased a brief mention of a “new album” during his performance.
“[Ocean] wasn’t planning to replicate Coachella at other festivals this summer and cash in — he doesn’t have any other concerts on his calendar for the entire year,” says a source close to the artist. As for the $4 million per set Ocean was to receive, much of that money was spent on the production of an elaborate set that was not used due to Ocean’s ankle injury. While Ocean is interested in making money, the source tells Billboard, he is not interested in going on tour and or being a festival headliner right now, noting that the Coachella performance was an effort to fulfill a commitment he made to Goldenvoice president and CEO Paul Tollett in 2020 and was never meant to serve as a launching point for a tour.
In the United States, Ocean exclusively works with Tollett and Goldenvoice for festival bookings — a relationship he’s developed in part through his friendship with rapper Tyler, the Creator. Sources say that even after all the negative attention Ocean’s Coachella set received, and the hassle of reorganizing the second weekend when he pulled out, there’s no bad blood between Ocean, his agent Brent Smith and Tollett, and they’re all open to working together again in the future.
If or when Ocean decides he wants to tour, however, he’ll assume far more liability for his shows. Unlike festivals, where fans are buying tickets to a larger event and scheduling is subject to change, canceling touring concerts usually requires refunding fans unless the show is rescheduled. The cost of trying to reschedule a tour can eat into profits and make the entire effort unsustainable if not carefully managed.
It’s also hard to determine Ocean’s drawing power, since he’s basically only performed at festivals for the last decade. His career skyrocketed soon after the release of Nostalgia Ultra, just as the U.S. festival business was taking off and many artists at the time opted to forgo the traditional touring model for the less risky festival circuit where artists are guaranteed a performance fee no matter how well tickets sold.
The downside is that artists who spent the early part of their careers performing at festivals have a challenging time building a live fan base as headliners later in their career. Ocean would certainly attract ticket buyers for a traditional venue tour, but it’s totally untested whether he could draw the kind of regular audience that would earn him $4 million a night, like his Coachella billing. Whether he wants it at all is a different question altogether.
A representative for Ocean did not respond to request for comment at time of publishing.
It’s Friday which means we’ve got some new music! Kesha dropped two new singles, SEVENTEEN’s ‘FML’ is finally here, Jack Harlow surprised everyone with a new album called ‘Jackman’, and more! Gayle credits Taylor Swift with helping her put backlash into perspective when it comes to her success or her polarizing smash hit “abcdefu.” Doechii shared some of her Florida slang with us. And more!
First-time Coachella performer Doechii caught up with Billboard News’ Tetris Kelly to discuss her historic set, a possible “mini tour” this year spanning major cities, collabing with SZA, and her upcoming album. The Tampa, Fla.-born artist is the first female rapper on the TDE roster and views the role as “a huge responsibility.”
“I know that after me, there’s going to be more female rappers that are a part of TDE,” she says. “I want to make sure that I do everything, so that the next girl feels comfortable doing everything.”
Doechii, who joins SZA on the TDE roster, was honored alongside the “Kill Bill” singer at Billboard‘s 2023 Women In Music event. “She actually gave me a shout-out that night,” Doechii recalls. “To even be peers with her, to be getting honored along with artists as big as SZA is amazing.”
Propelled into music by her mother at a young age, Doechii is trained in ballet, tap dance, jazz, contemporary dance and gymnastics, which explains the rapper’s vibrant stage presence and involvement in the creative direction of her visuals and performances.
“I’ve just always been creative and my mom gave me the freedom to be an artist ever since I was young,” she tells Billboard.
In March, Doechii released her single “What It Is (Block Boy),” sampling “Some Cut” and TLC’s “No Scrubs.” Initially released with a feature from Kodak Black, a solo version without the “Super Gremlin” rapper was released after fan backlash. The solo version is trending and has been used in more than 40,000 TikTok videos.
“When [producer J White Did It] played it for me, I was like, ‘This is the summer bop, this is exactly what I’m looking for,’” she explains. “I wanted a fun song, I wanted a hit. And that’s what we got.”
When it comes to her upcoming album, Doechii is leaning into a “genre-bending” style, specifying, “a little bit of alternative hip-hop, rock, pop, rap, it’s a lot.”
As we get closer and closer to warmer weather, the song of the summer debate heats up. One of Billboard‘s front runners is Rema‘s “Calm Down” remix with Selena Gomez, but it’s not the only Afrobeats track that’s bound to bring people to the dancefloor all summer long.
The winner of our Song of the Summer Face-Off bracket game last year — Harry Styles‘ “Watermelon Sugar” — has found its African counterpart: Suté Iwar’s “SHUGA PEACH.” Listeners can sink their teeth into this juicy song, or sip on “Casamigos (Pour It In My Cup),” courtesy of Afro B and Sukihana. There’s also the breezy “Trumpet” from Olamide and Ckay, as well as Asake‘s amapiano dance floor banger “2:30” and the effortlessly gorgeous debut single from Inkabe Zezwe. But Davido‘s latest album, Timeless, ensures endless vibes that he explores through various triumphant sounds — and we clearly couldn’t get enough of it, considering we shouted out multiple tracks. Just try getting through the summer without dropping “In the Garden,” “Na Money” or “U (JUJU),” just to name a few.
We’ve highlighted 10 of our favorite new Afrobeats (and related) songs that have come out roughly within the last month. Check out our latest Fresh Picks, and catch a vibe with us by listening to our Spotify playlist below.
Davido feat. Skepta, “U (JUJU)”
Davido and Skepta got their girls covered in the utterly enchanting “U (JUJU)” collaboration, from the former’s latest album, Timeless. The Afrobeats superstar worries if he’s stuck under a woman’s spell when he sings in the mesmerizing chorus, “You dey do me like juju, dey worry me” (a nice nod to Ice Prince’s 2011 track “Juju”), and promises her anything she so desires. Meanwhile, the British-Nigerian grime MC commends his partner for sticking by his side and reassures her he won’t leave hers.
Sukihana & Afro B, “Casamigos (Pour It in My Cup)”
British-Ivorian DJ/singer/songwriter Afro B and American rapper Sukihana craft a refreshing summer vibe with “Casamigos (Pour It in My Cup).” While blending his instantly party-starting vocals with her seductive, smooth melodies that slip right off her tongue, “Casamigos” isn’t just an ode to George Clooney’s ultra-premium tequila brand, but just a little taste of warmer weather and the frivolousness that it brings. Once the song’s amapiano production (courtesy of Team Solut and co-producer Oghenekevwe Bojeghre) takes hold of the song toward the end, it’ll have everyone in a chokehold.
L.A.X, “Zaza”
Afrobeats star L.A.X only provides the best vibes, as confirmed by his new album No Bad Vibes. On its highlight track “Zaza,” he expresses his feelings for a woman while gassing her up (“On the dance floor you fire them/ On the finish line you finish them,” he boasts in the pre-chorus) – all while staying true to his characteristically laidback demeanor. “Zaza” will have any listener whining their hips to its mesmerizing, chugging beat pattern (courtesy of Clemzy).
Suté Iwar, “SHUGA PEACH”
For those craving another “Watermelon Sugar”-like summer anthem, look no further than Suté Iwar’s “SHUGA PEACH” highlight track from his new album, ULTRALIGHT. The Nigerian singer’s mouth waters at the sight of a “golden lady,” whom he later describes as his “favorite late-night craving” because… well, you get the picture. Iwar wrote on his Bandcamp page that ULTRALIGHT is a “journey that takes you through a range of emotions, from the high energy and excitement of life to the introspection and self-reflection that comes with it.” Listeners experience that entire range in the 3:51 runtime of “SHUGA PEACH,” as its tender keys and sultry saxophone runs accentuate Iwar’s carnal desires, while a wavy guitar and meditative beats introduce his self-aware rap about commitment in the track’s latter half.
Uncle Waffles, Tony Duardo, Jelly Babie & Chley, “Babiee”
Ahead of her historic Coachella performance this month, rising amapiano star Uncle Waffles set a moody, yet mesmerizing tone on her new Asylum project. On the highlight track “Babiee” – alongside Tony Duardo, Jelly Babie and Chley – listeners tiptoe into Waffles’ world with the guidance of a pitter-pattering synth loop that’s supplemented by steadily building percussion. Babie seizes the song’s peak by praising two of South Africa’s house genres, bacardi and amapiano, before chanting hers and Waffles’ stage names until “Babiee” fizzles out in a hypnotic rhythm.
Davido feat. Morravey, “In the Garden”
A simple major-key guitar line, a stripped down drum pattern with a supplementary amapiano log drum and a positive vibe underlines this breezy, beautiful track from Timeless — but it is the power of Morravey’s voice that elevates this track into something special, and possibly the best song on the entire album. It’s at heart a wistful love song, but the driving hook — “I’ll change your status, yeah” — adds a coy determination to take the initiative, while Davido’s verse adds another layer of catchiness to a song that has the capacity to dig into your head and never leave.
Davido feat. The Cavemen. & Angélique Kidjo, “Na Money”
One of the best things about Davido’s Timeless album is how seamlessly he weaves together different styles, and “Na Money” is among the best examples, blending highlife with amapiano through this collaboration with Nigerian highlife duo The Cavemen. and iconic Beninese singer Angélique Kidjo. The result is a driving, upbeat song about the intersection of love and money, with a joyful hook and highlife horns underscoring the production. A standout for its departure from the rest of the record.
Asake, “2:30”
Asake has leaned deeply into amapiano in many of his biggest songs, and this latest single, which should be on his forthcoming next album, really drives home the point in an ode to the party life. Log drums propel the verses, while a typically-choral hook gives it some of the space and majesty that has come to define Asake’s biggest records. The only complaint — voiced with some humor by his fans online — is that the actual audio of the track isn’t even 2:30 long. And yet!
Inkabi Zezwe (Big Zulu & Sjava), “Umbayimbayi”
South African rappers and singers Big Zulu and Sjava have linked up for a joint album under the duo moniker Inkabi Zezwe, with “Umbayimbayi” as the first single off that project — and from the opening notes the song unfurls as a gorgeous piano-based ballad that sonically cuts to the soul. The song has already been certified platinum in their home country, which is hardly surprising given its vibe — the Hammond organ flourishes as the song floats to its finish, emphasizing the emotion just as much as the duo’s voices. A special record.
Olamide feat. Ckay, “Trumpet”
A Nigerian hip-hop legend teaming up with one of the most successful young Nigerian singers of the past few years, this track was always going to catch the ear — and its plaintive piano base over some Afrobeats drums gives it an instantly catchy vibe. That it’s essentially a barely-disguised ode to beautiful women and the things they do makes the title amusing, but it’s a great, understated record (sonically, at least) and an absolute earworm.
Coachella 2023 was a rollercoaster ride — at least as far as the headliners were concerned. After Frank Ocean was announced for the 2023 edition of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival even before the 2022 fest took place, Bad Bunny and BLACKPINK rounded out the slate of headliners upon the lineup announcement earlier this year. Then, an abrupt change between the first and second weekend of the fest: Ocean pulled out of the latter due to an ankle injury, with Blink-182 and the trio of Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again.. instead closing out the main stage.
After months of anticipation, Coachella 2023 is in the rearview. Naturally, it’s time to start wondering who will top the 2024 lineup.
We’ve got a full year until Coachella 2024 and roughly nine months until its lineup is unveiled, but we can start daydreaming about which A-listers could possibly be en route to the desert in April 2024. These 10 artists could feasibly top next year’s lineup, thanks to a mix of star status, recent commercial wins and/or clues that new music is in the works. For the sake of simplicity, this list doesn’t include any past Coachella headliners who are currently active, like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, The Weeknd or Drake — so while Beychella Part II would be welcomed by all far and wide, we’re only thinking of artists who would be making their debuts as Coachella headliners, which is often the case for these bookings anyway.
So who are some names to keep in mind for 2024? Here’s a preliminary list of A-listers who would headline next year’s Coachella:
Rihanna
After rocking the Super Bowl halftime show in 2023, could Rihanna finally be headed to the desert as a Coachella headliner in 2024? Rih was heavily rumored to top the 2023 festival lineup in the spot that ultimately went to BLACKPINK, and perhaps the baby bump that she revealed during her Super Bowl LVII extravaganza last February can help explain why.
Rihanna is about to become a mother of two, but not much is otherwise known about her next 12 months – including any timetable for the release of new music, after she issued a pair of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever soundtrack cuts late last year, as well as any non-Super Bowl shows planned. Anytime she wants to headline the fest, Coachella will presumably be happy to have her; we’ll see whether or not the Navy can find love in a hopeless place in 2024.
Dua Lipa
“I gotta get out the studio more and see some sunlight,” Dua Lipa wrote on social media in February – a good indication that new music from the UK pop star, and perhaps the follow-up to her 2020 sophomore album Future Nostalgia, are very much in the works. Whenever Lipa does return, she’ll be able to add her new music to an arsenal of hits, spread out across her two studio albums (“Don’t Start Now,” “Levitating,” “New Rules”) and one-off collaborations (“Cold Heart” with Elton John, “One Kiss” with Calvin Harris).
If Lipa’s LP3 is ready to roll by this time next year, she would fit into the mold of recent headliners like Ariana Grande, Harry Styles and BLACKPINK – ultra-cool A-listers with new material to promote and/or premiere at Coachella. The shortlist of potential pop headliners at Coachella should undoubtedly include her name.
SZA
The artist behind the biggest song in the country — which hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 after eight weeks in the runner-up spot — is on a hot streak that extends far beyond “Kill Bill.” SZA’s long-awaited sophomore album SOS has been one of the biggest albums of the year thus far and has been showered with critical acclaim, setting up a potential awards-season run pushing into 2024.
The success of SOS has also pushed SZA into arena-headliner territory, as her tour in support of the album has added more dates due to high demand. Headlining Coachella would be the ultimate victory lap for a singular artist who has long been beloved by R&B fans, but has recently leveled up her commercial profile in every conceivable way.
Doja Cat
At the 2022 edition of Coachella, Ye backed out as the Sunday night headliner, and Swedish House Mafia with special guest The Weeknd shifted into the empty space at the top of the bill. Before the replacement became official, however, some fans pointed to another potential headliner already scheduled for the main stage on Sunday: Why not Doja Cat? After all, her 2021 album Planet Her spun off five top 20 Hot 100 hits, in addition to previous smashes like “Say So” and “Streets”; furthermore, Doja is a force of personality, and although she hasn’t been in the spotlight for too many years, she commands its presence.
Since Coachella 2022, Doja Cat has earned another top 10 entry with the Elvis soundtrack single “Vegas,” and hopped on hits with Post Malone and SZA. If she releases the follow-up to Planet Her before the end of the year, it will be one of the most highly anticipated albums of 2023. And a Coachella 2024 headlining booking would be a slam dunk, for both Doja Cat and the festival itself.
Olivia Rodrigo
Olivia Rodrigo’s 2021 debut album, Sour, became such a commercial triumph that her sophomore LP, whenever it arrives, will be greeted with feverish enthusiasm. That’s why the Grammy winner for best new artist could headline Coachella next year even with a limited catalog: Rodrigo has a finite number of released songs, but everyone in a headliner crowd would know them all by heart, from “Drivers License” to “good 4 u” to “Deja Vu” to whatever she deems to release next.
Consider a potential Rodrigo booking in 2024 similar to Billie Eilish’s headlining gig at Coachella in 2022: a young superstar with a sky-high approval rating, running through the ubiquitous hits and beloved album cuts that recently made her a household name. And as a nod to the festival’s rock roots, maybe Veruca Salt can join Rodrigo for her cover of “Seether,” too!
Cardi B
A few weeks ago, Cardi B celebrated the five-year anniversary of the release of her 2018 debut album, Invasion of Privacy… as well as the five-year anniversary of fans asking her when the follow-up will finally arrive. It’s hard to blame them: Invasion of Privacy remains one of the most cohesive, engrossing hip-hop debuts in recent memory, featuring No. 1 hits like “Bodak Yellow” and “I Like It.” While the wait continues for Album No. 2, the rap superstar has been able to tide fans over with chart-topping one-off singles like “WAP” with Megan Thee Stallion and “Up.”
If a sophomore LP materializes for Cardi B in the next 12 months, expect her name to show up in the Coachella Possibility conversation. Honestly, it could show up even if an album doesn’t arrive — such is her continued, all-encompassing appeal.
Shakira
This year, Coachella made history by booking Bad Bunny, its first headliner who records predominantly Spanish-language music. The festival should consider giving future opportunities to Latin music artists as well — and who better to lead the potential 2024 headliners than Shakira, an international superstar currently experiencing a renaissance near the top of the Hot 100?
Shakira could have headlined any recent iteration of Coachella, thanks to her decades-long track record of hits. But in 2023, the Colombian star has returned to mainstream pop prominence with a pair of top 10 singles, thanks to her fiery Bizarrap team-up “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” and her Karol G collaboration “TQG,” which peaked at Nos. 9 and 7 on the Hot 100, respectively. Although Shakira’s relevance within the Latin pop community has never flagged, that one-two punch has returned her to the U.S. mainstream in exciting fashion — and a Coachella slot could punctuate that run.
Miley Cyrus
Speaking of a veteran star coming off a rejuvenating hit: Miley Cyrus scored the biggest smash of her career earlier this year when “Flowers,” the lead single to her Endless Summer Vacation album, logged eight nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the Hot 100. In the past, Cyrus has headlined festivals like Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits thanks to a slew of past hits and audacious stage persona — could she head to Indio next year armed with her longest-running chart-topper yet?
Cyrus has yet to announce a tour in support of Endless Summer Vacation, so we’ll see how exactly she plans to support her latest full-length on the road. If she ends up snagging a Coachella ’24 headlining slot, though, expect the set to become one of the more must-see (and potentially star-studded) performances of the festival.
BTS Members & Friends
A proper BTS headlining set at next year’s Coachella is going to hit an obvious roadblock: the mandatory military service required of their members, which has already halted larger group activities for the time being. While members have embarked on solo projects and performances over the past year, a full-on reunion isn’t likely until at the very least 2025, based on the members’ own comments on the matter.
Maybe that precludes BTS from having a presence at next year’s Coachella… or maybe the members who can perform at the 2024 festival get creative, with a one-of-a-kind set that functions as both a showcase to recent solo endeavors and a stopgap salute to ARMY before a globe-conquering group return. Imagine a headlining set featuring BTS members playing their solo material off of each other, special guests arriving to deliver features, and a few see-you-soon performances of the collective’s biggest hits to date. That type of show is unlikely at this moment, but it would also be the ultimate care package to fans if they can pull it off.
Taylor Swift
I mean… this works all too well, right? The superstar behind the most in-demand tour of 2023, capping things off with her Coachella debut in 2024? The festival constantly wants to one-up its collection of headliners, and after a blockbuster trio in 2023, no artist would raise the stakes quite like Taylor Swift would as a 2024 bill-topper.
Swift has long favored headlining tours over festival appearances, and this year is no exception with her Eras stadium run. So, no, Taylorchella isn’t likely for 2024. But we can dream.
We caught up with Shenseea at Coachella and talked with her about her love for dancehall music, performing at Coachella, and collaborating with artists like Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, and Gwen Stefani. Taylor Swift explains the hand injury she sustained on tour and Drake adds more stops to his upcoming tour. Latto tops the Hot Trending Songs Chart and more!
Jamaican pop star Shenseea caught up with Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly to reflect on her journey from aspiring artist to Coachella stage commander.
During her set, Shenseea brought out “Players” rapper Coi Leray to perform a remix of the hit single alongside Dominican phenom, Tokischa. “Last year I came as a patron and now this year I’m performing,” Shenseea says. “I did not see it coming.”
The singer just released her latest single, “Curious,” which she hoped would serve to bridge the space between dancehall’s roots and its future. “I wanted to bring back a nostalgic feeling with the old school Dancehall and mix it with modern sound,” she explains. “A lot of people who know about the culture is like ‘Yo, we haven’t heard this sound in a long time,’ and that’s exactly what we were aiming for.”
The track’s steamy music video shows the 26-year-old in a number of attention-grabbing looks, as she drips in honey and grooves alongside a team of dancers. The YouTube video has already garnered 3.5 million views since its April 13 premiere.
Shenseea also released an impressive freestyle to Akon’s “Locked Up” earlier this month, shouting out her 7-year-old son with the memorable line, “Hard fi hold my tongue, sorry, I’m just a mom/ Tell di baby mother mi will go ah jail fi mi son.”
“When it comes down to my kid I don’t play,” she says. In 2022, Shenseea’s son walked the BBMA red carpet alongside mom, draped in a dapper gold and black suit and aviator sunglasses. The singer also teased new music alongside major features, adding to her long list of co-signers including Megan Thee Stallion, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and 21 Savage. “I believe in myself but seeing other people believe in me who are ahead of the game, It feels amazing.”
“I’ve been waiting on this moment for such a long time,” she says of her rise. “I just gotta give God thanks and try to relish the moment because it’s going by pretty fast.”
BLACKPINK is the revolution! The girl group wrapped up its second weekend headlining Coachella by sending BLINKs a heartfelt message of thanks on social media on Tuesday (April 25).
“Still feels surreal that we did this! Thank you @coachella for having us!” the foursome wrote in a series of Instagram Stories showing off their high-octane stage in the California desert. “And to all BLINKs out there, we could’ve never done this without you guys. We are forever grateful. Thank you again for these unforgettable two weeks and hope to see you all again!”
During both Saturday night headlining slots, Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé ran through their entire catalog — from early hits such as “Whistle” and “Forever Young” to recent fan favorite smashes including “Pink Venom,” “Shut Down” and “Pink Venom.” Each set also included solo moments for each member, including Jennie’s as-yet-unreleased track “You & Me,” a medley of Rosé’s “On the Ground” and “Gone,” the explicit, unreleased version of Lisa’s “Money” and Jisoo’s brand new solo debut “Flower.”
Jisoo also took to her Instagram feed to share a celebratory selfie with her bandmates, writing, “@blackpinkofficial in your area” with the requisite black and pink heart emojis. In a follow-up post, the ME singer showed off more behind-the-scenes footage from the weekend, captioning the slideshow, “enjoyed pinkchella season to the mostest.” (Lisa also posted her own carousel while Rosé and Jennie have yet to share photos from the second weekend.)
Next, BLACKPINK is set to embark on an encore of their sold-out Born Pink World Tour, starting with a show at Mexico City’s Foro Sol on Wednesday (April 26). The North American leg of the encore begins later this summer with stops in New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Check out BLACKPINK’s Stories about Coachella here and scroll through Jisoo and Lisa’s Pinkchella memories below.
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d walk along [that runway.] I saw Ariana Grande walk along there, and now it’s going to be me. We have to do that.”
So declared Four Tet in a video posted to Fred again..’s Instagram Sunday afternoon (April 23), hours before the pair — along with their frequent companion Skrillex – closed out Coachella 2023 with a mainstage performance as thrilling as it was both improbable and historic.
The trio secured the Sunday night slot only after weekend one’s Sunday night headliner, Frank Ocean, dropped out of weekend two following a leg injury and a controversial weekend one performance that, for many in the audience, fell flat. Ocean left behind not only an open set time, but an absurdly unlikely remnant – an ice-skating rink/satellite stage built for his weekend one performance that was never used, but connected to the main stage via the aforementioned runway.
It was there that Four Tet got his pop star moment, as he Skrillex and Fred again.. walked down it to the satellite stage in a side-by-side formation similar to Destiny’s Child’s segment from Beyoncé’s 2018 headlining show. The level of frenzy in the crowd as the guys made their way to the stage (which was circular, and sans ice) had a very frantic pop hysteria vibe, with people screaming for the trio of electronic music producers as if they were Kelly, Michelle and Bey, or the Backstreet Boys, or Grande herself.
It was the culmination of not only a wild week for the trio – whose addition to the Coachella lineup was first reported this past Thursday night — but also a pretty remarkable four months. The three producers representing different sounds and generations of electronic music are widely recognized to be among the best artists of their respective realm of dance music and are now also frequent collaborators and seemingly BFFS. They played their first show together at a club in London this past January, sold out Madison Square Garden in February and have now closed out Coachella, marking a landmark moment not only for them personally, but for dance music at the festival.
Upon their arrival to the satellite stage — where they played the entirety of their set — a beam of white light composed of roughly 20 lasers organized around the circle stretched far into the sky, as a siren sound blasted through the speakers, leading to peak anticipation. The hour and 15-minute set then launched with Skrillex’s “Leave Me Like This” from his February LP, Quest For Fire, which was blended with “Baby Again,” the latest in a list of cross-collaborations from the trio, and punctuated with the iconic “OH MY GOD” from Skrillex’s 2010 “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites.”
Coachella’s hierarchical structure is one the festival’s most pronounced elements, with those in possession of VIP and artist wristbands typically getting the best real estate in front of the mainstage. Not so with this show! Instead, the guys played to the GA section surrounding their circular stage, while their faces were projected on the main stage big screens behind them. The main stage itself was populated by a bank of bright white lights, giving the whole scene a cinematic glow.
The set list took equally from each of the producer’s catalogs – including Four Tet’s “Baby,” Fred and Skrillex’s collaborative “Rumble,” Fred’s “Strong,” “Billie (Loving Arms),” Four Tet’s simply undeniable remix of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story,” the intro riff of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” melded with dubstep and long stretches of straightforward drum & bass, riddim and garage. It altogether formed what was arguably the weirdest, hardest, purest and most EDM-antithetical dance music played on the Coachella main stage since the festival’s early days, when acts like Chemical Brothers and Underworld topped the bill.
As it was with their MSG show in New York, the guys were clearly having a ball, also intermittently appearing sort of gobsmacked by the size of the audience before them – with this show certainly being among the largest any of them have ever played. Skrillex and Fred, dressed in black and white t-shirts, respectively, expressed their excitement about it all with a sort of boyish delight while dancing around on the decks. Meanwhile, Four Tet gave more satisfied dad energy while just walking around the stage in his green t-shirt and cargo shorts with a stunned look on his face.
And who could blame him? If you had said last year — or even last weekend — that Four Tet would close the Coachella mainstage, many people, maybe even Four Tet himself (born Kieran Hebden) — would have said it was impossible. The IDM pioneer, or “the grandmaster Four Tet” as Fred called him during the show, is one of the most well-respected electronic music producers of the last two-plus decades. But he has long been contained to Coachella’s smaller stages.
Last year it also would have been hard to predict a headlining set for Skrillex, who’s played Coachella Outdoor and Sahara Stages multiple times, but who up until this past February hadn’t released a new solo album in nine years. And while Fred’s breakout moment at Coachella 2022 basically functioned as a rocket launcher for his star-making last 12 months, few would have pinned him as a 2023 headliner.
But there they were, playing for the tens of thousands of people in the flesh and countless more watching around the world via livestream. The show felt like an exclamation point on this current moment of dance music, which feels ripe and rich with fresh energy, artists, sounds and fans.
During the EDM heyday, a headlining spot at Coachella was basically the gold standard of crossover success. Over the last few years dance music on the festival’s main stage has relied on stars of the EDM era, with Swedish House Mafia headlining last year and Calvin Harris closing the main stage on Saturday night (April 22). While Skrillex is certainly a peer of the latter two acts, what he’s doing with Fred and Four Tet feels more like the future of the genre than any sort of homage to past eras or hits as the lines between underground and commercial become blurrier and popular dance music becomes increasingly less reliant on pop structures. (And to be clear, we love those past hits, too.)
The last 20 minutes of the set were its best, with Skrilex winding up the crowd by starting, then stopping, then restarting, his recent Missy Elliot collaboration “RATATA” four or five times before letting it just play out as everyone danced — like really, truly raved. The guys then played Fisher’s new classic “Losin’ It,” subbing its tech house drop for bass music so heavy it could be felt rippling through the nervous system.
“We have three more” Fred said as the clock got closer to Coachella’s 12 a.m. sound curfew, and – incredibly, blissully unpretentiously – one of the songs they decided to close the show with was Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.” Fred then got on the mic to say the next song would be one he learned to play on the drums as a kid, then playing an edit of “Miss You,” by Blink-182, an homage to the band who’d played the main stage before the three producers took it over. The whole thing ended with a mix of Skrillex’s 2011 “Cinema” remix and Four Tet’s “Teenage Birdsong,” – which got the full Coachella climactic fireworks treatment.
Then it was over. Onstage the guys hugged each other a few times, Four Tet grabbed his tote bag, Fred put his backpack on, and they trio walked back down the runway — a bit like actual pop stars, but more like three dance music stars who deserved to be there as much as anyone else.
Frank Ocean’s decision to cancel his second of two performances at Coachella this weekend will likely cost the festival several million dollars, sources tell Billboard — losses that the festival will try to offset, in part, with finding new uses for the giant ice pad the company created for Ocean’s long-awaited performance.
A source close to the situation tells Billboard that festival promoter Goldenvoice is trying to make the best out of the millions of dollars spent on building a giant ice pad that was supposed to accommodate over 100 skaters during Ocean’s set last Sunday night but was scrapped at the last minute after the artist suffered an ankle injury. The ice pad cannot be used as a public ice rink, the source says, but the Goldenvoice team is working out how to incorporate it into another yet-to-be determined performance.
Ocean was to be paid $4 million for each of his two Coachella performances, for a total of $8 million, sources say. Since Ocean is not performing for the second weekend, he will only be paid for the first weekend’s performance. Goldenvoice, however, will still need to pay Blink-182 that same $4 million rate for their replacement one-hour headlining set on Sunday, sources say, and will also need to pay the newly announced Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred again.. combo for their closing set.
Typically, festival promoters pay an artist a performance rate and also cover basic production needs such as staging, sound, lighting and video boards. The artists will cover all additional production elements from their fee that are unique to their performance such as musicians, dancers, performers and other major visual elements.
In Ocean’s case, however, the most expensive part of his production — the custom ice pad— was built by Goldenvoice and came with significant energy costs. So, while Goldenvoice had planned to recoup that cost from his performance fees, sources say the production costs Ocean racked up exceed the $4 million he earned for the first weekend. That means Ocean failed to turn a profit from his Coachella appearance and that the festival will have to eat the remaining loss — for which it is highly unlikely to demand repayment.
Ocean also racked up about $45,000 in curfew fines during his set, which played 25 minutes past the mandatory midnight curfew imposed by Indio, California, city officials. However, a source close to Ocean says those fines are Goldenvoice’s fault, claiming Ocean’s set started an hour late because festival staff took an additional 50 minutes to change over the stage from Bjork’s set to Ocean’s set.
Despite the curfew fines, which added up to $133,000 over the weekend, according to officials with the city of Indio, the millions of dollars spent on an unused ice sheet and extra talent costs, Goldenvoice is still likely to make a profit from the festival. In an average year, Coachella grosses more than $115 million in ticket sales across both weekends and makes tens of millions more in food, beverage and hospitality.
Coachella’s second weekend kicks off Friday (April 21) in Indio.