The first weekend of Coachella is less than two weeks away and the festival might be scrambling to replace a headliner. This comes after yesterday’s report that Kanye West has pulled out of his headlining performance for the West Coast’s marquee two-weekend festival. But as they say in the business, the show must go on, and we can safely assume that Coachella will have this figured out in due time. If you’re holding a pass to the desert festival, there’s literally hundreds of other acts and experiences to look forward to. Furthermore, Coachella just launched a new free NFT for all pass-holders in partnership with the FTX platform and it’s actually a pretty cool new addition to the overall experience.
Dubbed the 2022 “In Bloom NFT,” the NFT design is a technicolor digital seed designed by Jonathan Zawada, that blooms Friday morning of each of the two festival weekends into one of seven desert flowers. It’s just a beautiful design to begin with, but the bloomed NFT flowers can be redeemed for on-site perks like dedicated entry-line access, merch, and food & beverage vouchers. If you’ve arrived late enough into the afternoon in the past, then you know how tedious the general admission entry line can be.
Jonathan Zawada/FTX
Also, a random batch for the In Bloom NFT blooms into one of six “rare” flowers that will yield premium upgrades at the fest. Things like VIP passes, passes to Coachella 2023, tickets to other Goldenvoice concerts, and even a ride on the giant ferris wheel. Say what you will about the proliferation of NFT culture on the internet, but this shows their practical functionality and undoubtedly a cool way to enhance the Coachella attendee experience.
Full info on the 2022 In Bloom NFT can be found here and Coachella pass-holders can already begin to claim their free NFT using their wristband code on the FTX app.
With Kanye West out at Coachella, the festival is rushing to fill the spot.
As previously reported, The Weeknd is among the superstar names on the short list. The “Out of Time” singer, who headlined the festival in 2018, is gearing up for his own stadium tour this summer and Coachella would be a fitting kickoff.
Fresh off their four Grammy wins, Silk Sonic is also a contender for Sunday’s closing slot once occupied by Ye, reports Billboard. The duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are proven showmen with a residency at Park MGM’s Dolby Live in Las Vegas that runs through late May.
Doja Cat is already on Sunday’s bill, but she could be bumped up to the headlining spot. Her live shows, including Lollapalooza in South America, have been receiving rave reviews, setting the stage for an epic Coachella performance.
According to HITS Daily Double, other names being tossed around include Tyler, the Creator, who is currently on his “Call Me If You Get Lost” tour, as well as Justin Bieber, who is also on tour. However, the “Peaches” singer is rumored to already be in talks to headline next year’s festival.
Another possibility is moving Swedish House Mafia to Sunday night and adding The Weeknd as a special guest. The two acts share management and previously collaborated on “Moth to a Flame.”
Travis Scott is even being thrown back in the mix, although he is considered a long shot. The allegedly uninsurable rapper was slated to headline the festival prior to the Astroworld tragedy.
After missing two years due to the pandemic, Coachella will return to Indio, Calif. on April 15-17 and April 22-24. Billie Eilish will headline on Friday, followed by Harry Styles on Saturday.
It’s official; Kanye West is no longer headlining Coachella in two weeks. We don’t know why he pulled out so suddenly. It could be that he really is fulfilling his vow to cancel unless Billie Eilish apologized to Travis Scott for apparently shading him while helping a distressed fan at her show. Or, maybe he’s really going to get help after spending much of the first quarter berating his ex-wife, her new beau, and Trevor Noah. While he’s pulled out of headlining before, the last time was months in advance, leaving the festival organizers plenty of time to organize a replacement. This time, with just two weeks until the big event, bookers might have to scramble to fill in the empty slot.
Fortunately, there are a few candidates more than capable of filling in for Kanye, with some sources suggesting Swedish House Mafia, The Weeknd, and Justin Bieber. As luck would have it, many of them are either just coming off headlining tours or festivals of their own, which could help alleviate some of the potential logistical struggles of putting together a 90-minute set at the last moment. While this doesn’t mean they would have the interest or availability to head to the California desert, the five artists below would all make great headliners.
Doja Cat
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Doja Cat, who is already booked to perform just below the headliners, has risen in prominence quickly over the past two years. After her TikTok-favorite hit “Say So” reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, her third studio album Planet Her launched four songs in the top 15, including “Kiss Me More” featuring SZA. “Kiss Me More” just won Doja Cat her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, putting Doja in rare air as exactly the sort of artist that belongs in the top line of any festival lineup. She says she wants to quit, so she could at least go out with a bang.
Since she’ll already be at Coachella, it’d be a relatively simple matter to bump her up and give her more time. Two weeks may not be enough time to add a full thirty extra minutes to her hour-long set, but considering how adaptable Doja has proven to be in the past, if anyone is up to the task, it’s her. Having Megan Thee Stallion’s set lead directly into Doja’s would also offer a boost to the movement to highlight more women at major festivals.
Megan Thee Stallion
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Alternatively, that dynamic could be flipped to offer Megan — undoubtedly one of the biggest stars of the past three years — the headlining slot. Megan, who dominated 2020 alongside Cardi B with “WAP,” is also booked to perform at Coachella. Speaking of Grammy Awards, at last year’s ceremony, she became just the second female rapper (after Lauryn Hill) to win the Best New Artist award. At the 2021 AMAs, she tied with Doja Cat (and BTS) for most awards with three wins. And she’s just coming off of a performance at the Oscars, perhaps signaling her readiness to return to the spotlight after taking a bit of a break last year. What better way to kick off a new era than with a headlining set at Coachella?
Of course, she’ll face the same logistical issues as Doja. As has been pointed out repeatedly in the past, female rappers’ shows require a lot more planning and preparation than men’s shows — especially regarding choreography. However, Meg’s also flying high in the wake of her new collaboration with Dua Lipa, “Sweetest Pie,” so if ever there was a time to bump her up to the top spot, it’s now.
J. Cole
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J. Cole has never headlined Coachella. In fact, he’s never even been on the poster. Considering he’s often been called one of hip-hop’s Big Three alongside Drake, who headlined in 2015, and Kendrick Lamar, who did so in 2017, that’s a glaring hole in his resume. 2022 would be a great time to resolve that discrepancy. The North Carolina MC just headlined his own Dreamville Festival, which means he’s got the set, the chops, and the experience to fill in for Kanye West. He’s had a year of practice too, thanks to his Off-Season arena tour in 2021. There’s a lot of overlap in his and West’s target audiences as well; Cole is as much a student of Kanye as Drake or Kendrick, and an audience already attuned to Kanye’s glitzy backpacker approach would likely take to Cole just as readily.
The only potential drawback would be that Cole’s already been performing this set all over the country. Sure, he could vary things up, but there’d be few surprises after he headlined Rolling Loud only a few months ago. That said, his last run finally laid those “J. Cole is boring” jokes to rest. He’s a thrilling live performer with the commercial accolades to support putting him in as a pinch hitter guaranteed to hit a home run.
Tyler The Creator
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Tyler The Creator is another performer just coming off a headlining arena tour, which concludes this week in Seattle. If anything, he’d probably have the easiest time bringing his elaborate staging to Indio. Just route the touring to the desert when the tour wraps up and reproduce the outrageously stellar work he’s been doing on the road at Coachella. And just in case you absolutely need his bona fides… He’s a two-time Best Rap Album Grammy winner, both of those albums went No. 1 back-to-back, and the man puts on one hell of a show.
Yes, he did already perform at Coachella very recently. In fact, he was the sub-headliner of the second-to-last Coachella festival that didn’t get canceled due to COVID. But the people truly do deserve to see this show, especially if he can still manage to cram in the boat, the Rolls-Royce, the grass field, and all the other incredible elements that made his latest tour a must-see event.
Silk Sonic
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After sweeping the Grammys this past weekend, it’s safe to say that Silk Sonic is basically a bulletproof pick sure to please even the pickiest hipster (who probably wouldn’t be at Coachella anyway, let’s face it). Anderson .Paak and Bruno Mars are a dazzling duo who bring a sense of old-school showmanship to their live productions while still maintaining an aura of freshness and relatability for the kids — just check out the popularity of their song “Smokin’ Out The Window” on TikTok.
Meanwhile, they’ve been enjoying a Las Vegas residency, meaning they’ve already got a massive set that could work for the Coachella stage, especially if their respective solo material is added in as well. Heck, Bruno’s done the Super Bowl, he could probably handle Coachella by himself. Fortunately, the two artists are currently clicking as a slick tandem. Coachella would be smart to at least reach out.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The Weeknd could replace Kanye West as a headliner at Coachella.
Earlier today, it was announced that Ye had pulled out of the festival just two weeks before he was set to headline alongside Billie Eilish and Harry Styles. It’s unclear why, but the decision comes amid a report that he is “going away to get help.”
According to Page Six, rumors are now pointing to The Weeknd as his replacement. The “Blinding Lights” singer, who headlined the festival in 2018 alongside Beyoncé and Eminem, is gearing up for his own “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour, which is set to kick off July 8 in Toronto with special guest Doja Cat.
“Kanye has definitely pulled out of Coachella. He hasn’t been rehearsing or putting on a production,” said a source. “Now it would be virtually impossible for him to get it together. Look for The Weeknd to replace him.”
The Weeknd has not acknowledged the report, but he has been active on Twitter, teasing his “Out of Time” music video as well as a possible name change.
Coachella has yet to make an official announcement. The festival will return to Indio, Calif. for the first time in three years on April 15-17 and April 22-24.
With just two weeks to go, Ye has dropped out the 2022 festival, which he was slated to headline on April 17 and 24.
It’s currently unclear why he backed out at the last minute, but it comes in the wake of his social media outbursts and attacks on Kim Kardashian, Pete Davidson, Trevor Noah, and others, which caused him to be suspended from Instagram for 24 hours.
Last week, it was reported that Ye told Kim “he’s going away to get help” in the wake of his concerning behavior. Kardashian family insiders told Page Six that Ye agreed to stop harassing his estranged wife and cyberbullying Davidson.
“For the sake of the kids, Kanye has told Kim he’s not making any public appearances or inflammatory social media statements, and he will go away somewhere to get better,” a source close to the Kardashians said.
Travis Scott–who was supposed to headline the festival prior to the Astroworld tragedy–was also expected to join Ye on stage at Coachella, but that is “now out of the question as well.”
Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, and Swedish House Mafia are still slated to headline the festival, which returns to Indio, Calif. for two back-to-back weekends on April 15-17 and April 22-24. Sunday’s closing headliner spot is now open, begging the question who will replace him.
Ye previously headlined Coachella in 2011 following the release of his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. In 2019, he and his Sunday Service Choir performed a special set on Easter Sunday.
Coachella offers an abundance of entertainment options during its annual two-weekend event. The headliners are usually the primary focus, but this year, there’s going to be at least one compelling reason to spend some time away from the main stages: Thundercat and Flying Lotus are coming together for a joint performance set.
During Coachella’s first weekend (on April 16, specifically), the pair will take to the Heineken House venue on the Coachella festival grounds for the performance. Flying Lotus and Thundercat previously toured together in 2014 and they regularly collaborate on each other’s songs; For example, Thundercat has featured on every Flying Lotus album since 2010’s Cosmogramma.
Press materials describe the Heineken House experience, “Festival-goers are invited to focus on the present and notice the details unfolding around them with intentional reminders that ‘You Are Here.’ Music lovers will leave their texts on read in this immersive outdoor experience filled with eclectic beats and ice cold beverages April 15-17 and 22-24, 2022. The Heineken House is known for creating a dynamic music experience and will once again deliver an epic lineup of artists and DJs.
Christine Karimi, Senior Manager of Partnerships and Consumer Experience at Heineken USA, says, “This year’s festival is all about bringing people together for an experience unlike anything else. If we’ve learned anything over the past two years, it’s that spending time together is a gift we need to celebrate. Showing the importance of these unique and unforgettable moments through a creative lens was key to bringing festival-goers the most incredible Heineken House experience yet.”
Check out the full lineup for both weekends of Heineken House below.
Friday, April 15: Vegyn with additional performances from Acemo, Black Noise, American Dance Ghosts, Skinny Macho and others
Saturday, April 16: Flying Lotus and Thundercat performance set with additional performances from OG Ron C, Orion Sun, 454, and others
Sunday, April 17: Ms Nina with additional performances from Deej, Mia Carruci, Silent Addy, Bitter Babe, and others
Friday, April 22: Jacques Greene with additional performances from Acemo, Black Noise, Bae Bae, Alko, and others
Saturday, April 23: Shlohmo DJ set with additional performances from OG Ron C, Orion Sun, DJ Black Power, and others
Sunday, April 24: DBN Gogo with additional performances from Major League DJz, Pieri, Mawingo, TRYi, and others
Kanye West has been making headlines, and not for good reasons. His feud with Kim Kardashian’s new boyfriend Pete Davidson has led to only more drama, with celebrities like Jake Paul, Jimmy Kimmel, and Trevor Noah intervening either to try to help or just to make jokes. West, at one point, was suspended on Instagram for 24 hours because of the situation, and then eventually his performance at the Grammys was pulled. Now, his performance at California festival Coachella next month might have the same fate.
The rapper is a headliner for the third day, but a recent petition was made on Change.org titled “Remove Kanye From Coachella.” Its description reads: “We have watched Kanye harass, manipulate, and hurt Kim, Pete, and others for over a year now. No one seems to want to stand up to him, and the ones that do, he puts under fire as well. Most recently, he has been threatening actual bodily harm on others. This is ridiculous that he is allowed to freely do this. Coachella (along with other brand names that are still working with him) should be ashamed of themselves and should not be giving him any more of a platform. Please sign & share!” It currently has almost 30,000 signatures. The festival takes place next month, from April 15 to 24.
