The second weekend of one of the world's largest festivals, Coachella, is over. Over the past two weekends, the biggest artists in the world performed at that show. With headliners Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean, who was replaced by the trio Fred again, Skrillex, and Four Tet during the second weekend, the festival was once again one for the books.
Coachella 2023
Perhaps the most famous festival since Woodstock: Coachella. The festival was first held in California in 1999 and has become the attraction for the biggest artists and celebrities over the past twenty years. Tickets are virtually unaffordable and difficult to obtain, but if you ever get your hands on them, you're in for a treat.
During the weekends of April 14-16 and 21-23, 2023, the festival took place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. This year's headliners were Bad Bunny, Blackpink, and Frank Ocean. In addition to the headliners, artists such as Calvin Harris, Metro Boomin, Rosalía, Kaytranada, Labrinth, and Pusha-T also performed on the various stages, to name a few.
In addition to the many unique performances, Coachella is also famous for the outfits people wear to the festival. Celebrities, influencers, and artists go all out to look as unique as possible. The best fits and unreleased sneakers also appear on stage. Here are some highlights from the past weekends of Coachella.
Metro Boomin
The first weekend of Coachella started off well. On day one, producer Metro Boomin performed, who recently released the album 'Heroes & Villains.' The artist from Missouri does not sing in his songs and asked for the help of several guest artists. During his set, he brought Future, 21 Savage, Don Toliver, Diddy, and The Weekend to the stage.
With songs like "Superheroes", "Creepin", and "Too Many Nights" from his new album, as well as various older songs like "Knife Talk" and "Mask Off", Metro Boomin's set was one for the books. The stage setup and the gathering of A-list artists during his set made it a unique performance for the young producer.
Pusha T in adidas
Rapper Pusha T was also present and performed both weekends. The rapper released his latest album "It's Almost Dry" in 2022, collaborating with artists such as Kanye West, Pharrell Williams, Don Toliver, and Jay-Z on the album. During his set Pusha T played songs like "Diet Coke", "When The Smoke Clears", and "Neck & Wrist".
Noticeable about Pusha T's set were the sneakers on his feet. The rapper has had multiple collaborations with adidas in the past and was seen during his performance wearing the unreleased adidas Supernova Cushion 7 'Thorn'. Shortly after his performance, the rapper shared the first images of his upcoming collaboration on his Instagram. Read more about the release here.
Bad Bunny in adidas
Puerto Rican artist Bad Bunny headlined on day one. This was the first time a Latin American artist was the headliner at Coachella. The set was entirely in Spanish and included hits like "Te Boté", "Me Porto Bonito", "La Difícil", "La Santa", "Neverita", and "Si Veo A Tu Mamá". The performance was unique in its kind and is certainly one to remember.
In addition to giving a spectacular show, Bad Bunny's outfit was also a topic of discussion during the first weekend. The artist appeared in an ERL puffer jacket paired with the unreleased Bad Bunny x adidas Campus Light 'Olive'. The artist has had an ongoing collaboration with Adidas. The Campus Light 'Olive' is set to be released in the coming weeks of 2023.
Rosalía and Rauw
Rosalía Vila Tobella, better known as Rosalía, is a Spanish singer from Spain. The artist has collaborated with artists such as Pharrell Williams and J. Balvin and released the EP 'RR' together with her fiancé Rauw Alejandro at the end of March 2023. Especially for the first weekend of Coachella, she brought Rauw to the stage.
Rosalía is not only vocally extremely strong, but her unique style of dance and performance makes her an extraordinary artist. In addition to songs like "La Fama", "La Combi Versaci", and "Despachá" from her recent album "Motomami", it was especially the songs she performed together with Rauw that were the most special minutes of the set.
Labrinth brings Zendaya on stage
Perhaps the highlight of the second weekend; Labrinth bringing Zendaya to his set. For "Euphoria" fans, a historic moment. In 2019, HBO started the series "Euphoria" together with Zendaya. The series depicts the lives of teenagers and is known for its unique makeup looks and visual effects. The series has won multiple Golden Globe Awards, Emmy Awards, and MTV Awards. Zendaya won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Series in 2023.
Did it all for love @Labrinth @Zendaya
— Coachella (@coachella) April 23, 2023
Tune in tomorrow for more Weekend 2 on the @YouTube livestream at https://t.co/w4QG9AcB3R pic.twitter.com/Sp8MumCa25
Artist Labrinth wrote the album "Euphoria" for the HBO series and scored hit after hit with songs like "Still Don't Know My Name", "Never Felt So Alone", and "All For Us". For his set, he brought Zendaya to the stage, who has her own verse on the song "All For Us". A guest appearance that no one saw coming, as Zendaya hadn't performed as a singer in over seven years.
Frank Ocean back on stage after six years
What was supposed to be the historic return of Frank Ocean, ended up being a disappointment of the weekend. The American singer-songwriter known for songs like "Chanel", "White Ferrari", and "Thinkin Bout You" appeared on the big stage for the first time in six years. A highlight, at least that was the expectation of many fans.
The artist's performance, however, was a huge disappointment for many attendees. First, Coachella announced that unlike previous performances, Frank's set could not be viewed via the online livestream. After the artist appeared an hour late, did not sing along to his songs, and mainly played unreleased songs instead of his classic hits, many fans were disappointed.
After the first weekend, the artist announced that he will not perform during the second weekend of Coachella due to an injury.
Fred again, Four Tet and Skrillex replace Frank Ocean
Shortly after Frank Ocean's announcement, it was announced that Blink-182 would be the replacement headliner for weekend two. The American punk rock band, known for songs like "Adam's Song", "What's My Age Again" and "Dammit", reunited for the first time since back in 2015 and performed both weekends of the festival.
Blink-182 was not the only replacement headliner for Sunday. After much online commotion, the trio consisting of Fred again, Four Tet and Skrillex was designated to close the festival. The three DJs, known for songs like "Baby Again…", "Rumble" and hits of their own, closed the festival in their own unique style. Whether you're a fan of house, techno or EDM music, with Fred again, Skrillex and Four Tet on stage, it's hard to stay still.
During the set, classics like Taylor Swift's "Love Story" and Carly Rea Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" were mixed with the three artists' personal hits. The perfect, chaotic set continued until after the festival's end time and was seen by many as the best closing set of the past three days.