
Harry Styles performs at Coachella and surprises fan with Shania Twain cameo
After a two-year absence, Coachella has made its highly anticipated return.
Located in Indio, California, the desert festival has gained popularity over the years for its glitzy Instagram-worthy dress code and major celebrity guest sightings.
The festival leads the pack when it comes to innovative lineups. Two of its top-billed artists (Harry Styles and Billie Eilish) are under 30, while further down the carefully curated bill you’ll find some of the buzziest new acts around – Koffee, Amyl and the Sniffers, Rina Sawayama – mingling with old school staples such as Spiritualized and The Avalanches.
Find all the updates from this year’s festival below
Chinese superstar Jackson Wang made a surprise appearance yesterday, becoming the first Chinese singer to perform on Coachella’s main stage.
The Independent’s Leonie Cooper caught Jackson’s performance at LA-based record label 88rising’s showcase of musical talent from Asia.
“A mini version of 88rising’s own hugely successful Head in the Clouds festival, it’s the perfect potted variety show – with spots from Thai rapper Milli, South Korean singer songwriter Bibi and Jakarta-born Taylor Swift co-signed singer Niki as well as Indonesian rappers Rich Brian and Warren Hue,” she reported.
Read the full story here…
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 17:00
In case anyone needs a refresher – here’s how to watch Coachella if you’re one of the many who wasn’t lucky enough to attend in person.
(If you were lucky enough… what on earth are you doing reading this?)
The whole thing is live streamed on YouTube, giving music fans half a world away the chance to see some of these big acts perform remotely.
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 16:20
A lighthearted moment from the second night of the festival…
After joining Billie Eilish on stage for a rendition of her song “Getting Older”, Blur’s Damon Albarn appears to sing the wrong lyrics.
It was a little snafu that didn’t escape the attention of viewers, though judging by Eilish’s reaction the singer saw the funny side.
You can watch the clip here…
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 15:09
Danny Elfman’s set sounded like a lot of fun.
Spider-Man, Edward Scissorhands, The Simpsons… and just take a look at this backdrop!
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 14:16
Here’s Kevin EG Perry’s full review of Billie Eilish’s record-breaking performance at Coachella last night.
Kind of blown away by how good the headline is on this one.
(But the rest of the piece is well worth a read too!)
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 13:41
Our full review of Megan Thee Stallion’s set from earlier, and it was something of a mixed bag for Leonie Cooper…
Chock-full of sex positivity and oh, so much twerking, the set was dulled a little by an overlong costume change and a complete lack of special guests.
Read the full write-up here…
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 12:40
Leonie Cooper presents a rundown of the biggest talking points from Coachella day two.
We’ve had guest appearances, Billie-mania and even a showing for a classic TV cartoon theme.
Read all about it below…
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 12:10
As part of Kevin EG Perry’s Billie Eilish review, which will be shared here as soon as it’s live, he reflects on the singer-songwriter’s first Coachella outing, back when she was just 17.
“It was a set was blighted by technical mishaps: she arrived onstage over half an hour late, forgot some of the words to ‘All the Good Girls Go to Hell’ and, worst of all, brought out special guest Vince Staples for ‘&Burn’, only for his microphone to entirely fail to work and leave him rapping in silence.
“Still, she had fond memories of that weekend too. After all, it was backstage here in Indio that Eilish met her teen idol Justin Bieber. In footage captured for RJ Cutler’s 2021 documentary Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry, the pair meet and embrace for the first time.
“Eilish had grown up worshipping the Canadian singer, who is eight years her senior, and the moment marked a sort of emotional crossing of the Rubicon for Eilish as she was quite literally welcomed into the world of pop superstardom by the icon she’d deified.”
More to come shortly!
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 11:44
We’ll have our full review of Eilish’s set going up very shortly.
In the meantime, people have been sharing their thoughts on social media.
The 20-year-old became the youngest person ever to headline Coachella tonight. The festival’s official account summed it up pretty nicely: “Unbillievable”
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 11:25
Damon Albarn’s guest spot during Billie Eilish’s set also prompted bemused reactions from some fans, with many writing on Twitter that they weren’t sure who he was.
Albarn (whose core demographic, it has to be said, skews a good bit older than Eilish’s) was mistaken for Eilish’s dad, as well as Elton John.
Not sure he’ll neccesarily be too flattered by that.
Read the full story below…
Louis Chilton17 April 2022 10:40