After three years away, Coachella returned to Indio, CA this weekend. And while some might have expected young fans to rage across the polo fields with all the angst of two previous cancelations in the rearview mirror, the sense on site was a lot more tepid, as if everyone wanted to get their feet wet before fully diving in. It’s far too early to say if the past few years have changed Coachella’s identity or changed how young people approach these massive cultural events, but the initial sense is that things have slowed down a little, and the traditional revelry has given way to something more appreciative and understated.
All that said, the fashion-forward appeal of Coachella remains. There were costumes and skin, lots of transparent lace and vibrant colors. With years of opportunities to show off festival fashion squandered by a pandemic, fans dressed their best and made 2022’s edition count. Below we have some photos of our favorites, who returned to one of the world’s best festivals with a commitment to show off exactly why Coachella is what it is. As they prepared for a day that included Harry Styles, Arcade Fire, Lil Baby, and more, everyone looked predictably great with the giant art structures and palm trees as a backdrop.
With the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival returning for the first time in three years, it looks like the organizers’ have adjusted their hip-hop strategy. While in past years, the festival has gambled a bit more on rising stars in the genre like Aminé and Dej Loaf, this year, the focus shifted to providing more established stars like City Girls, Cordae, and Lil Baby.
This isn’t a bad thing at all, though. While day one of the 2022 Coachella Festival only sported a handful of rap acts, by honing in on more proven quantities, the festival offered an excellent cross-section of samples of where the genre currently is, with one or two glimpses at where it could be going.
Philip Cosores
Whereas rap acts are usually spread pretty evenly around the festival grounds, this year, it appears there was a more streamlined concept. The majority of the rap acts who appeared did so on the Sahara stage; the only two exceptions were Princess Nokia and Lil Baby. Nokia was upgraded from the tiny Sonora tent to the main stage, albeit for an early afternoon set, while Lil Baby played a primetime set on the main stage that felt too early in hindsight.
Philip Cosores
Lil Baby’s impressive set appeared to incorporate some of the lessons he’d learned during his recent Back Outside arena tour. The set design was more ambitious, depicting a busy trap house motel, and Baby’s performance was much more fluid and animated, suggesting that he’s grown in confidence and settled into himself as a showman. Though it was light on guests, Gunna did appear to perform “Drip Too Hard” and “Pushin P,” to a predictable massive crowd pop.
However, when compared to the much more low-key Daniel Caesar set that followed, it felt like Baby perhaps should have been the penultimate performer ahead of Harry Styles. The drop in energy coincided with a drop in temperatures as the desert wind picked up; I think going with the higher energy set into the headliner could have improved the reception of both.
Philip Cosores
Meanwhile, on the Sahara stage, a strong lineup started with City Girls, running through Cordae, South African DJ Black Coffee, Baby Keem, and Big Sean. The only thing that seemed out of order was not starting with Cordae. His live band-backed set was as strong as any I’ve seen, but by the time he hit the stage, the exuberant crowd from City Girls had thinned considerably.
Understandably, curating a massive festival like this takes work. But it does seem that a more experienced hand could have benefitted the sequencing for the hip-hop acts to keep the energy building. Fans who enjoyed upbeat renditions of tracks like “Twerkulator” and “Said Sum” (with surprise guest Moneybagg Yo) didn’t stick around to watch Cordae perform Lost Boy staples like “Thanksgiving” and From A Bird’s Eye View cut “C Carter” — maybe they should have because Cordae’s versatility is always impressive and perhaps City Girls fans would enjoy high-energy fare like “Scottie Pippen” and “Kung-Fu.”
While I’m sure there’s at least some overlap between Cordae’s fans and those of City Girls, that part of the Venn diagram is thin enough that booking them back-to-back wound up appearing awkward – at least, until Cordae’s more hardcore fans and curious heads finally filled the Sahara tent back up.
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What did work well was concentrating the hip-hop acts to one or two stages and spreading them out sufficiently enough to allow someone interested mostly in seeing hip-hop to take in most of the sets. I missed Baby Keem, but only because I was so curious to see how Daniel Caesar would handle the big stage with some mellow tunes (the answer is “not well,” but not because his performance wasn’t good. It was just stuck after an electrifying performance from Lil Baby). Ideally, this could be the strategy in the future, too.
Obviously, spreading the acts more evenly between the main stage and Sahara could encourage more movement for hip-hop heads to check out other genres, while omnivores wouldn’t have to zigzag all over the polo grounds. Instead, the hip-hop acts could simply be a home base to return to at either end of the field. As long as someone in booking has a grasp of where acts are in their careers and how their respective sounds compare and complement each other, this new, streamlined strategy could make finding hip-hop at the biggest festival easier and more enjoyable than ever.
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Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Arkansas rapper Bankroll Freddie got his moment in 2021 thanks to the release of his Big Bank project. It marked his second full-length effort, following 2020’s From Trap To Rap, since he signed to Quality Control at the end of 2019. Big Bank, which also marked his first project under Motown Records, gave Bankroll Freddie a good look thanks to contributions from EST Gee, Megan Thee Stallion, Pnb Rock, Gucci Mane, 2 Chainz, and more. Unfortunately for Freddie, his progress upward is now on hold after he was reportedly arrested in his home state on Thursday night.
According to TMZ, Freddie was pulled over for speeding earlier this week, but the traffic stop ended with his arrest and a number of charges. Arkansas State Police pulled the rapper over on interstate 55, and during the stop, cops allegedly found guns and narcotics in a pickup truck. As a result, Freddie was charged with resisting arrest, drug and firearm possession, and speeding. TMZ reports that Freddie is being held on $2,870 bond, and for reasons unbeknownst to the publication, he’s also in FBI custody.
Freddie’s arrest comes after he released his song and music video for “Pickin’ Sides” with Detroit rapper Icewear Vezzo.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Latto is currently on the road in support of her second album 777. It’s a project that she released earlier this month with features from Lil Wayne, Childish Gambino, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Nardo Wick, and Lil Durk. 777 has been praised by fans and critics alike since its release which has many calling it a sharp improvement from her 2020 major-label debut Queen Of The Souf. The success of Latto’s second album can be seen through her performances on tour, and during a recent interview, she explained what pushed her to improve her live sets.
“I did Rolling Loud Miami in 2018ish…I was one of the openers,” Latto said to Audacy. “It was 3 p.m. hot as hell and I waited all the way to the end for Cardi B to perform and I stuck around in the hot sun and I was like ‘nah, I gotta see Cardi perform,’ and I just seen her like put on a show. Like, it was actual entertainment. Dancers, choreography.”
She continued, “She really had me entertained to where I wasn’t caring about the heat or standing on my feet all day. I was entertained. So I took that and ran with it like ‘you know what? I wanna put on a show too.’”
You can watch Latto’s full interview with Audacy in the video above.
777 is out now via Streamcut and RCA Records. You can stream it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Jon Batiste is having the biggest year of his lengthy career in 2022. He kicked things off by winning five Grammy awards including Album Of The Year earlier this month. He received the honor thanks to the critical acclaim behind his sixth album We Are. Now, Batiste is gearing to bring that same success to the big screen as it was recently announced that he would be making his acting debut in the remake of The Color Purple. According to Deadline, Batiste will play Grady, a sweet-talking and charming piano man who is also the husband of Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson).
The Color Purple remake has been in the works since 2018. Steven Spielberg (who directed the 1985 film), Quincy Jones (who produced that same take), and Oprah Winfrey (who was nominated for an Oscar as Sofia) are listed as the producers for the remake. Blitz Bazawule, who directed Beyoncé’s visual album Black Is King, signed on as a director and Marcus Gardley from The Chi is writing the show’s script.
Batiste joins Ciara, Fantasia Barrino, and Danielle Brooks in the upcoming film’s cast with the latter two reprising their roles of Celie and Sofia. Other names in the case for The Color Purple remake include Colman Domingo who will play Celie’s abusive husband, Mister, Halle Bailey who will play the young version of Celie’s sister, Nettie, and HER who will play Squeak.
Blxst’s rise to stardom started back in 2020 with the release of his debut project No Love Lost. After releasing its deluxe reissue a few months later, the Los Angeles singer was well on his way to being one of music’s most popular new acts. Songs like “Chosen” with Ty Dolla Sign and Tyga helped to elevate his status as he eventually earned a spot on XXL 2021 Freshman Class list. That same year, he teamed up with fellow West Coaster and longtime collaborator Bino Rideaux for their second joint project Sixtape 2, and for 2022, Blxst is ready to step out on his own again.
Next week, Blxst will release his official debut album Before You Go. So far the project has been led by two singles, “About You” and “Sometimes.” The former was released with a music video starring Power Book II: Ghost star Paige Hurd. Before You Go presents 13 tracks and guest appearances from Arin Ray, Grandmaster Vic, Rick Ross, and Zacari. Blxst previously worked with Ross on “Made It Out Alive” from Ross’ 2021 album Richer Than I Ever Been.
You can view the full tracklist for Before You Go below.
1. “Sky Lounge Music”
2. “Never Was Wrong”
3. “About You”
4. “Fake Love In LA” Feat. Arin Ray
5. “Pick Your Poison” Feat. Grandmaster Vic
6. “Couldn’t Wait For It” Feat. Rick Ross
7. “Still OMW”
8. “Keep Coming Back”
9. “Sometimes” Feat. Zacari
10. “Every Good Girl”
11. “Be Forreal”
12. “Talk To Me Nicely”
13. “Let It Be Known”
Before You Go is out 4/22 via Red Bull Records and Evgle.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Anitta is having quite the big week. Just a few days ago, the Brazilian singer released her fifth album Versions Of Me. The project arrived three years after her fourth full-length effort Kisses. After celebrating the release of Versions Of Me, Anitta brought her talents to Coachella for a flavorful set with some special guests. She made her entrance to the stage with Snoop Dogg by her side and later on she brought out Saweetie so that they could do a brief performance of their collaboration, “Faking Love.” Elsewhere, Anitta’s backup dancers later got into a “funk battle” with Diplo who was spinning on the DJ booth.
Anitta’s Versions Of Me features her viral TikTok track, “Envolver,” which she also performed during her debut set at Coachella. Versions Of Me itself arrived with 15 songs and features from Ty Dolla Sign, Afro B, Khalid, Saweetie, YG, Cardi B, Myke Towers, and more. Anitta’s Coachella performance also comes after she and Saweetie stopped by The Late Late Show With James Cordento perform “Faking Love.”
You can watch a clip of Anitta’s Coachella set in the video above.
Versions Of Me is out now via Warner Records. You can stream it here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Daniel Caesar undertook quite a difficult task for this year’s Coachella — he performed right before Harry Styles took the stage. Now, Caesar is a very gifted artist in his own right, an incredibly poised performer, and definitely deserves a late set time at music’s most Insta-famous festival, but even given all that, preceding Harry is no mean feat. His fans are ultra passionate and he recently released a brand new single, “As It Was,” that listeners were keed up to hear live for the first time. With an upcoming album, Harry’s House, looming, and the fact that Kanye dropped out last minute, Harry’s set at the fest is a huge deal.
But, given his talents, it’s also unsurprising that Caesar pulled off the set with aplomb. And to get fans hype for the rest of the night, he even brought out a huge pop star of his own, none other than Justin Bieber. Of course, these two connected on the hit single, “Peaches,” off Justin’s last album, Justice, also accompanied by Giveon, and went all the way to No. 1 with the song. So it only makes sense that Caesar would be thrilled to incorporate it into his set at the festival. Check out some clips of Justin’s appearance up top.
Harry Styles is one of the biggest names on the Coachella bill this year, especially after Kanye West dropped out pretty last minute. Luckily for pop fans, both Harry and Billie Eilish will be holding down the fort in Indio this weekend, along with late addition, The Weeknd, who replaced Yeezy in the eleventh hour. Tonight, for the first night of the festival, it’s all about Harry, and since the release of his first new single, “As It Was” was a huge success, it’s likely going to be a fantastic show.
Then again, we already know all about Harry’s incredible live performances, spaces that become safe havens for his fans, and a place where he also expresses himself in a way he often holds back on social media and elsewhere. During his set tonight, listeners were all queued up to get the first live rendition of “As It Was,” and Mr. Styles did not disappoint. Check out footage of the song’s live debut up above, and keep an ear out for more from this set. There’s always the chance that friends like Stevie Nicks will show up, or that another new song from his upcoming album, Harry’s House, gets aired out.
Life on Twitter comes at you fast. Yesterday’s trending topic du jour was an unfounded claim that Rihanna and ASAP Rocky were breaking up because ASAP had cheated on the pregnant pop star with footwear fashion designer Amina Muaddi. The Twitter hive and rumor mill quickly began spiraling out of control, until Muaddi herself made a post this morning saying that “I’ve always believed that an unfounded lie spread on social media doesn’t deserve any response or clarification, especially one that is so vile.”
Muaddi’s post pretty quickly quelled the rumor and then later today, fashion writer and noted Twitter antagonizer Louis Pisano issued an apology for starting the rumor to begin with. Which is nice, but the trouble is, the forced apology made some people on Twitter think Pisano was handed a cease and desist order and had to make a statement. “…I’d like to formally apologize to all parties I involved with my actions and for my reckless tweets,” his statement (which he tweeted, of course) read. “I fully accept the consequences of my actions for my tweets and any harm they caused. I have no excuse for it, I’ve been way too wrapped up in Twitter drama and unfortunately leaned into being messy as a brand which is something going forward I’m going to move away from.”
It’s a wild world that we live in when somebody says that they’re “messy as a brand.” If only Twitter users would show some restraint and consider where they get their information (said every journalist ever), then maybe unsuspecting celebrities like Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, and Amina Muaddi wouldn’t get dragged like this. Perhaps if Elon Musk buys out Twitter, then this could change. But it’s doubtful.
stevie wong 
|Harry Styles, performing ‘As It Was’ live from 