A bad Kaytranada collaboration doesn’t exist. And the prolific DJ and producer has proven that with his star-studded albums 99.9% and Bubba. Last night (April 21), Kaytranada brought out several guests who have given his songs the magic touch over the years.
Early in the set, HER joined Kaytranada in a performance of their collaboration, “Intimidated.”
— H.E.R. Argentina Oficial (@HerArgentinaOf) April 22, 2023
Shortly after, Tinashe arrived to the stage to perform “The Worst In Me” from Kaytranada’s 2019 album, Bubba. During this performance, Tinashe displayed her signature silky, futuristic vocals, while grooving flawlessly to the beat.
In another surprise, Kaytranada and Anderson. Paak threw it all the way back to 2016 for a performance of “Glowed Up” from 99.9%. As Anderson says on the song’s opening line, this magical pairing between him and Kaytranada proves that there still ain’t a damn thing you can tell them.
The festival’s second weekend kicked off on Friday night, headlined by a hyped closing set from Bad Bunny. Weekend’s 2 Saturday lineup is anchored by the likes of BLACKPINK, Charli XCX, and Eric Prydz. However, people are once again talking about Weekend 1 thanks to new footage concerning The Weeknd. While not as dramatic as the Frank Ocean debacle, it does raise some questions about safety at Coachella.
The Weeknd is not performing at Coachella 2023. However, the artist made a surprise during Friday’s Metro Boomin set. Boomin and The Weeknd linked up so that The Weeknd could drop his verse from Future’s 2016 hit “Low Life”. However, as The Weeknd encouraged the crowd to sing along, a large pyrotechnic display ignited near the performer. The Weeknd, surprised by the sudden burst of flame, took a visible step back and could be heard saying “whoooo”. However, the Canadian performer was unharmed and finished out the performance in style. Metro Boomin was closing out the Sahara stage at the time. He holds the same set in Weekend 2.
Overshadowed by the Ocean drama, the moment resurfaced April 21, when an account tweeted out the clip with the caption, “Be careful Abel”. The clip spread yet further when The Weeknd himself retweeted it, adding in a quote tweet “ALMOST COOKED ME.” The Weeknd’s tweet has received nearly 51,000 likes and nearly 800 comments. There is no word if The Weeknd will be returning to the festival for Weekend 2. However, if he does, he will be sure to keep a closer out for big columns of fire. But this does raise an important question – what’s going on at Coachella? This was the potential for a second major injury to a second major star in the same weekend. Regardless, Coachella runs until Sunday, April 23.
Frank Ocean has been the talk of Coachella 2023 for all the wrong reasons. After injuring his leg in pre-festival rehearsals, Ocean arrived an hour late to his Weekend 1 closing set. He then proceeded to cut the two-hour set short to comply with the festival’s curfew. All this happen as the highly-anticipated live stream of the set was also canceled. Finally, Ocean pulled out of his Weekend 2 closing set, leaving behind disappointed fans and a giant ice rink.
Ocean was replaced by two acts. Blink-182 would perform for an hour in the original slot held by Ocean. The festival then announced a new Sunday night closer. Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again would be performing a combo set to close out the festival. However, Ocean’s sudden withdrawal is set to saddle Coachella with an unexpected financial setback. While it won’t put them in the red, the festival would likely have rather not paid out the fees in question.
Ocean Will Get Half Payment But Coachella Won’t Save Money
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. https://t.co/UcDRtOBxYt
Frank Ocean was reportedly set to be paid $8 million for his two Coachella performances. According to sources who spoke to Billboard, Ocean will receive half of that payment for services rendered. However, Coachella is not saving $4 million by cutting Ocean’s payday in half. Instead, Coachella is set to lose money on the deal overall. To clarify, Coachella is still expected to overwhelmingly make a profit, but will specifically lose money on the Ocean debacle.
First, Coachella will need to pay Blink-182 a reported $4 million to replace Ocean. This means that the money saved from halving Ocean’s fee will be used to pay for his replacement. However, Coachella will also have to pay an undisclosed fee to Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred again in order for them to serve as the new closing act. If the going rate for a set is $4 million, then Coachella could be selling out anywhere from $8 to $16 million to replace Ocean. There has been no word on how this has reflected the relationship between the festival and its long-time performance. However, many predict that Ocean will not be welcomed back to Coachella anytime soon.
Frank Ocean’s shock departure from Coachella’s second weekend sent ripples through the entertainment industry. After sustaining a leg injury at the festival site in the week prior to weekend 1, Ocean proceeded to show up an hour late to his April 16 10:05pm slot. He then cut his set short due to the festival’s midnight curfew. Fans were also left disappointed when it was revealed the set would not be live-streamed. Overall, it was a complete mess of a set from the artist.
Ocean was meant to perform at a similar timeslot on April 23. However, it was announced on April 20 that Ocean would not be returning to Coachella for its second weekend. Ocean’s representatives cited his injuries as the primary reason for his withdrawal. Blink-182 was scheduled as a replacement for his Sunday night set. Ocean’s set, however, included a large ice rink problem. Now organizers are struggling to work out what to do with it.
Ice Rink Gives Festival Organizers Logistical Headache
Frank Ocean’s Coachella set was supposed to feature an ice rink with over 100 skaters who auditioned but it got scrapped last minute, TMZ reports.
The skaters were told the routine had been scrapped after arriving and were placed as backup dancers instead. pic.twitter.com/t5cKg8dTDR
Ocean’s Coachella set reportedly included a large rink, which would have contained 100 trained skaters who performed during his session. However, the rink was allegedly scrapped prior to his Weekend 1 set. The problem is that the rink is a physical ice rink that Coachella now just owns. Furthermore, it’s now a symbol of Ocean’s departure, which is reportedly costing the festival “several million dollars.” The rink itself was allegedly the most expensive part of Ocean’s set. However, it was scrapped after Ocean suffered multiple fractures and a sprain during rehearsals.
Coachella’s organizing staff is now trying to find a way to incorporate the rink into the festival’s second weekend, which kicks off later today. Due to liability concerns, the rink cannot be turned into a public skating rink. However, the organizers are hoping that it can be incorporated into another artist’s set. blink-182 are scheduled to fill Ocean’s 9:20pm timeslot. Additionally, the 10:25pm closer is listed as “tba”. However, there is no word as of yet as to which artists may take on the responsibility of the ice rink. Coachella Weekend 2 opened at 12pm PDT on April 21 with sets by Dave from the Grave and Juliet Mendoza.
Bad Bunny is undoubtedly one of today’s global superstars. That status can be credited in large part to the success of his 2022 album Un Verano Sin Ti. The project was a mainstay on the charts and it set multiple records along the way. Since its release, Bad Bunny performed several shows that gave fans from all over the opportunity to hear those songs live. That trend continues with Bad Bunny’s headlining gig at Coachella’s 2023 festival. After headlining the showcase last weekend with Frank Ocean and Blackpink, Bad Bunny will return this weekend to fulfill his full Coachella duties alongside Blackpink, Fred Again.., Four Tet, and Skrillex.
A day before Coachella kicked off its second weekend, they revealed the official set times for weekend two. Thanks to that, we now know that Bad Bunny will perform at 11:00 p.m. PT on Friday, April 21. His performance will take place on the Coachella Stage following sets by Gorillaz (8:35 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.), Burna Boy (7:05 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.), Becky G (5:35 p.m. to 6:20 p.m.), Pusha T (4:20 p.m. to 5:05 p.m.), Doechii (3:20 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.).
Don’t worry at all if you’re unable to make your way to Indio, California. Coachella will livestream the performances on YouTube with each stage having its own feed, barring any exceptions.
To prepare for Bad Bunny’s upcoming headlining performance, you can revisit his setlist from weekend one here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
It’s almost time for Coachella: Weekend Two. This weekend will be a little bit different from the first weekend.
For one, Frank Ocean will not be performing this weekend, as he has dropped out following last weekend’s polarizing performance. Blink-182 will also be performing on Sunday, instead of Friday. Festival goers who are attending this weekend can begin planning who they will see performing, as set times were revealed hours ago.
Check out the set times for this second weekend below. All times are p.m. and PT.
One of the best moments of Coachella 2023’s first weekend came at the very end of Boygenius’ set. As the trio of Phoebe Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, and Julien Baker wrapped up a performance that oscillated between delicacy and rambunctiousness, they closed with “Salt In The Wound,” from their (nearly) universally adored new album, The Record. With Bridgers and Dacus twirling around each other, the two fell to the ground in a laughing fit, as much in their own world as on the Coachella grounds. Then, they spotted Baker still playing guitar and crawled to her, trying to drag her down to their level as Baker soloed above them.
It wasn’t necessarily a moment that was unique to Coachella — the trio pulled a similar move at their Fox Theater show a few days before — but the effect here was much more giddy and silly. The pure joy that was demonstrated as the three members laughed together exemplified why they are so beloved in the first place, the idea of giving the audience a glimpse into what it is ostensibly like hanging with the band: lots of laughs, people being their true selves, caring little about what others think or say, community over everything. At that moment, it didn’t matter that the performance was a bit underattended or that it evoked skepticism of indie’s place at Coachella in the year 2023. It felt like the most inclusive inside joke ever conceived, performed under one of the biggest spotlights that the music world offers.
Throughout the weekend, it often wasn’t often the most packed sets that provided moments like this, but the ones where the artist didn’t give in to the pressure of the moment. There was The Linda Lindas, the local group of industry-connected teens that fought through a host of technical issues (and featured Best Coast’s Bobb Bruno trying to help them through it). For a band this young (the oldest is 18, the youngest 12), it wouldn’t have been surprising to see them defeated, but instead, they manifested joy. It was the kind of spirit rarely seen on the professional level and usually reserved for practice spaces and garages, where the point is being there and playing songs with your buds rather than serving an audience or a career. The band jumped, skipped, hopped, yelled, and danced their way into the hearts of the Sonora tent’s spectators.
There was Yaeji, the Korean-American Godmode affiliate who broke free of the DJ sets she typically performs at festivals. When her stage stood completely bare except for a microphone stand, it begged the question as to whether things were running extremely late. But instead, Yaeji explored the world of performance art to support her latest With A Hammer, dancing freely and striking stunning poses in silhouette in front of bright backgrounds. She incorporated DIY-adjacent production, where an office chair became a vehicle for expression, where she couldn’t help but laugh in her interactions with her small dance team. Yaeji, playing the small Gobi stage at the exact time Rosalía performed on the main (more for the livestream, though, than the actual Coachella attendees), didn’t have a large audience, but it didn’t matter. She knew that if she was having a blast, so would her fans.
This could be seen in some of the bigger moments, too. Despite being their first show back together in nine years, Blink-182 didn’t change a thing for their Coachella set, still acting like potty-mouthed teens despite the seriousness they’d endured in the interim. Weyes Blood was self-aware enough to know that her brand of orchestral indie wasn’t a direct fit for a hot Sunday afternoon in the desert, so she punctuated her set with wry wit and self-deprecating humor, making sure the set remained fun even when the songs were sad. And Latto proved that even political statements can be served in entertaining ways, as she blended raunchy raps with visuals that demanded autonomy for women’s bodies.
Largely, Coachella has become the place to put on the best show of your life. Artists like Kali Uchis and Metro Boomin took the assignment seriously and loaded their sets with standout production and guests galore. Even early afternoon performances often include dance teams, elaborate lighting concepts, and impressive staging. But with a year that concluded with the most joyless performance imaginable, where the artist seemed more interested in collecting his paycheck and fulfilling his contractual obligation, these times where the artists seemed to be rediscovering why they do it in the first place stood bright. It’s possible to play both for yourself and for your fans — something Frank Ocean might one day learn — and the larger the scale in which this is achieved, the most impressive. It’s why Blackpink’s headlining set will ultimately stand out as the best of this year’s headliners, because they make the spectacle look fun, like it was what they were born (pink) to do.
These moments of joy, also, are what separates attending from livestreaming. While YouTube can give you the feel of a performance and show you what’s happening, that shared emotion of being in the same space stays on the polo fields. Year after year, while people knock Coachella for changing — I prefer evolving and growing — it only takes one trip out there to realize that it’s still expertly curated, featuring some of the most exciting rising and established acts in music, and full of moments of pure joy. All you have to do is look.
Check out some exclusive photos of Coachella 2023 below.
Bad Bunny
Boygenius
Jai Paul
Yaeji
Wet Leg
The Chemical Brothers
Soul Glo
Saba
Pusha T
Muna
Metro Boomin w/ John Legend
Gorillaz
Doechii
Becky G
Coachella
Remi Wolf
Shenseea
The Linda Lindas
Yung Lean
Hiatus Kaiyote
Willow
Weyes Blood
Kali Uchis w/ Tyler The Creator and Omar Apollo
Porter Robinson
Latto
Knocked Loose
Jackson Wang
Dominic Fike
Alex G
Dinner Party
CoacSome artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Frank Ocean’s Coachella 2023 performance from last weekend has received criticism. Even Ocean himself wasn’t fully satisfied with the show, as he later said in a statement, “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.”
Not everybody hated Ocean’s performance, though. Justin Bieber wrote of it, “I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance,” adding, “It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist.” Now, Bieber collaborator Benny Blanco has also weighed in and he agrees.
A TMZ reporter caught up with Blanco yesterday (April 19) in Beverly Hills, and when they brought up the backlash Ocean has faced, Blanco said of the performance, “I loved it. It was incredible. […] So inspiring on so many levels. Incredible. One of my favorite shows I’ve ever seen.” He also called the set the “best performance of the weekend.”
Blanco seemed unaware of the criticism Ocean was facing, as he noted, “I don’t read the internet.” The video ends with Blanco avoiding questions about Ocean’s canceled second-weekend set and whether or not he should have “sucked it up” and performed through his injury.
Doechii has always been a phenomenal performer. After experiencing her pop out at Isaiah Rashad’sThe House Is Burning listening in 2021 where I had to ask multiple people “Who is that?,” she dazzled at her own listening where she put on what can only be described as a performance art show for an eye-captivating performance of her song “Crazy,” complete with sticks and electrifying choreography.
Three years later, Doechii is impressing at Coachella and this time around I, along with the audience who for some may have been their first introduction to the TDE talent, got to know the rising star a little better. As the sun began to set, she opened up to thousands with not only her music but also some things about herself. Like, she’s from Tampa, Florida and that’s why she’s the Swamp Princess.
I got the blessing to speak to Doechii after her performance to learn even more about her and all the ingredients that came together for her Coachella debut.
“I went to a performing arts high school, so a lot of my background came from just my experience and my training there,” Doechii told Uproxx backstage. “So a lot of that kind of prepared me for Coachella right now. I had a dope high school experience. It was like High School Musical.”
And it makes sense. Everything Doechii does is with precision.
“I was in chorus, and I also did the jazz musical tech,” she added. “I learned how to write music and music theory.”
We also learn that “Crazy” is a song inspired by a few women in the music industry who people labeled as crazy when they were on the rise and a super meaningful.
“It was Missy Elliott, myself, and Nicki Minaj. I think just those women and how they came up in their careers, a lot of people didn’t really believe in them at first. That resonates with me because I feel like that was me in the beginning of my career. I just felt like it was nice to pay homage to them.”
Philip Cosores
To prep for Coachella, Doechii and her team developed the concept months ahead and rehearsed for two weeks straight.
“My band and I, and my background dancers, we rehearsed every day for two weeks,” she said. “And we just prepared, worked hard, and that’s how we got the show.”
From her blazing energy to her coordinated outfit with the matching contacts, everything was immaculate about her show. The energy she shared with the audience was majestic and divined with the rhythms of her unreleased track “Pacer” (#droppacer) and a slower song titled “Stress,” to which she offered a short 3-breath meditation session after.
“Sometimes you just feel it in the moment, and you just need to take a breath,” she said. “That’s it. I feel like I do that all the time. Just take a breath. So why not do it on stage?”
As far as “Pacer,” apparently it’s coming but she wouldn’t tell me when (I tried ya’ll).
“I can’t tell you,” she asserted. “We haven’t announced the date yet.”
Of course, I probed about the album, and yet —
“Album? Can’t tell you.”
But, there’s a tour and 2023 is looking like that year.
“It’s going to come out this year for sure. It’s almost done. So it’s definitely going to come out this year. I’m just not going to release the date,” she reiterated to me. “Look forward to the album, look forward to a tour this year, and I’ll actually be on Pharrell’s festival (Something In The Water).”
On “Stress,” we get to experience Doechii’s vocal abilities, and on her latest single “What It Is (Block Boy),” which is quite different from what we’re used to getting from her and serves as a digestible tidbit for those who have yet to catch on yet. The crowd went up for this one and so did I.
“I just thought it would be a really nice summer anthem to put out,” she said. “It’s something universally known. A lot of people know it. So that’s really how the song came about. It was just fun and upbeat, and I thought it would be a great song to perform.”
But, that was just for fun. Doechii is a rapper, period. Expect her to do what she wants musically, but always expect her to rap.
“I don’t know if we’re going to get more of that particular sound,” she told me of “What It Is.” “I just wanted to try it, vibe out. But after that, we’re back to rapping.”
As someone who admittedly didn’t get it at first, but am naturally intrigued by anything outside the box, I do know Doechii will never leave me (or the audience) empty-handed when she hits the stage. For Coachella, her intentions were clear.
“My intention for myself is to just release,” she told me. “But ultimately, I believe that when people come to events like this, they’re coming because they need something. They’re looking for something. You don’t know who’s in the crowd or what they’re going through. So whatever they’re looking for, that feeling of love and connection is what I want to leave them with.”
Frank Ocean will no longer perform at Coachella for the second week, to the ire of his dedicated fanbase who’ve waited years for this moment. It’s not entirely shocking, given how generally unenthusiastic he seemed on stage last weekend. Coachella announced Blink-182 as his replacement, though some feel this warrants a refund. Apparently, the ankle injury he sustained in the week leading up to the festival led to the cancelation, as his rep confirmed to Variety. “On doctor’s advice, [Ocean] is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg,” they said.
Ocean’s set design underwent significant changes within a day of his performance. He reportedly intended to have an entire ice rink with hockey players. “It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon,” Frank Ocean added in his statement. No word on when he plans to make this up, especially after his vague update on new music during weekend one. Still, many aren’t happy about the massive changes to the Coachella line-up.
Blink 182 Replaces Frank Ocean As Coachella Headliner
The chaos that Frank Ocean refers to in his statement seemingly references his turbulent performance on Sunday night. Along with scrapping his set design at the last minute, he was also significantly late for his headlining slot. Frank Ocean appeared on stage nearly an hour after he was scheduled and was forced to cut his set short after going over Indio, CA’s curfew. Many hoped that he’d make up the abrupt cancelation during weekend two but evidently, that won’t happen this year. On top of the live stream of his performance was nixed moments before he went on stage.
Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance was among the most anticipated sets of the year, if not, the decade, so far. He was initially scheduled to perform in 2020 but due to the pandemic, those plans fell through. Ultimately, there’s disappointment in the air, even if many expected the otherwise mysterious singer to find a way out of Coachella this year. There’s a legion of dedicated fans who spent hard-earned cash and took time off to see Frank Ocean live. Now, they must settle for Blink-182. Check out a few reactions below.
Twitter: Frank Ocean is dropping out as the Coachella headliner. Blink-182 will replace him. Ppl with Coachella Week 2 tickets: pic.twitter.com/CMcFtKI2ud
Frank Ocean acting like he has to moonwalk like Michael Jackson on stage, you can be laying down on a stretcher for 90 minutes they just wanna see you sing bro.
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod (@big_business_) April 19, 2023
pic.twitter.com/t6eHfdopl3
pic.twitter.com/QC5cSF9aOe
³³³ (@visionofbliss) April 22, 2023
@iamdoechii 
(@raptalksk) 
(@big_business_)