Coachella underwent two major weekends. From metal rock to K-pop, it allowed for a successful night for fans all across the music spectrum. Performing in the desert, Friday night consisted of pop singer Lana Del Rey headlining, followed by Tyler the Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt on the next two nights.
Lana Del Rey took on the Coachella main stage at 11:20 p.m. Pt. with some of her iconic hits such as “Without You”, “West Coast”, and “Summertime Sadness”. The main stage’s aesthetic consisted of white columns and a winding staircase which went hand in hand with Lana Del Rey’s, whose real name is Elizabeth Woolridge Grant, genre music. Throughout both the two-hour-long performances, Lana Del Rey welcomed several guest performers onto the stage. She shared the stage with Billie Eilish for renditions of “Ocean Eyes” and “Video Games,” collaborated with Camila Cabello on “I Luv It,” and mesmerized the audience with “Candy Necklace” while Jon Batiste accompanied her on the piano.
“I think Lana Del Rey’s headline for Coachella was such a pivotal point for her career,” junior Joshland Orozco said. “She proved that she could do more than what critics played her off to be, a facade. Lana will surely go down in history for her influential shift in alternative music.”
ATEEZ took on the Sahara Stage as the first ever K-pop boy group to perform at Coachella prior to Lana Del Rey’s set. Consisting of eight members–Hongjoong Kim, Seonghwa Park, Yunho Jeong, Yeosang Kang, San Choi, Mingi Song, Wooyoung Jung, and Jongho Choi–the group delivered a dynamic performance. Their set included a theatrical performance of one of their newest songs “Arriba ” along with lion dancers during “The Real” as a nod to their Korean culture. On their second night, Colombian singer J Balvin was among ATEEZ’s audience, later snapping a photo with the group to share on Instagram.
ATEEZ’s most iconic fan chants within the K-pop community were heard across the festival venue. Thousands of people reported hearing “Break the Wall” during their song “Guerilla” at the farthest side of the festival. In an interview with Nylon, ATEEZ member Jongho Choi discussed how the fans motivated him to keep going during the second weekend, despite their sweatbreaking choreography and the intense heat.
“This time, it was very hard because we were so tired,” Choi to Nylon said. “But so many ATINYs [fans] sang along to ‘Guerrilla,’ and the sound was very good.”
On the second night of Coachella, Tyler the Creator headlined the main stage, engaging the audience with his signature humor while delivering a high-energy performance. Utilizing stagecraft, Tyler created the illusion of being swept away by the desert wind during the opening of his songs. His special guests consisted of Donald Glover, also known by his stage name Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky, Charlie Wilson, Earl Sweatshirt, and Kali Uchis. Despite his beginning remarks that the Coachella crowd tends to be dead, the outcome resulted in the opposite as the crowd was seen getting loud and totally immersing themselves in his music and acting. When Tyler announced he had only four more minutes until curfew, people were heard booing further proving that he had a successful night.
“I think Tyler has continued a legacy of not only producing good music,” senior Treiton Calloway said. “But also having a constant legacy of performing his songs.”
Coachella’s third night made history with Doja Cat becoming the first female rapper to headline the festival. Doja Cat, whose real name is Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, had various outfit changes and, as always, brought along her fired-up and unique performance style and choreography. Bringing out guests like A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage, and The Joy, Doja Cat concluded the set of headliners. But Doja Cat was not the only one with talked about guests for the night; Bebe Rexha joined forces with David Guetta, a renowned hitmaker, while DJ Snake brought out Peso Pluma, a rising figure in the Latin music scene. Even Lil Yachty merged indie music with his rap set, sharing the stage with Mac Demarco. No Doubt also reunited at Coachella as headliners. All original members of No Doubt, which are Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young, made a return to the stage.
“For our first shows in 9 years, there was no better place for us to return to together than @coachella!” Tweeted No Doubt on X. “Thanks for having us for two incredible weekends and thank you to the No Doubters who came to Indio or watched the live stream from home!”
While Doja Cat garnered praise for handling a missing microphone incident, the festival was filled with technical mishaps. Lana Del Rey had continuous microphone problems throughout her first day, leading to constant pauses mid-performance as she asked for assistance from the tech crew to make adjustments. Additionally, a lack of planning also resulted in a $28,000 fine for the singer during the second weekend as her set ran a few minutes past festival curfew hours. Canadian singer Grimes voiced her anger with the issues on stage as she screamed in frustration and left midway through her performance of “Genesis,” one of her most popular songs. She later took to X to apologize for her performance on her first night.
“I will personally organize all the files next week,” tweeted Grimes, whose real name is Claire Elise Boucher. “I will not let such a thing happen again.”
Despite the setbacks, Coachella still managed to be an enjoyable event for all things music. The passion and energy of both the artists and the audience still remained present. From history-making events such as Doja Cat becoming the first female rapper to headline, to smaller known artists like ATEEZ leaving with a global impact and new fans, Coachella continues to hold a special heart in the music festival community.
“Coachella was great wow,” tweeted Tyler the Creator on X, soon after his first night. “Go watch it if you can for those who couldn’t make it.”
