It’s hard to compete with last year’s Coachella headliners and performers such as the Weeknd, Cardi B, and the ever-so-iconic Beychella, but this year’s Coachella had some gems of its own that will definitely make it one for the books.
The 1975
The 1975 gave us rock and roll in our digital age. The production alone during their performance made it one of the best of Coachella this year. The performance consisted of most of their hit songs from their latest album A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships. The 1975’s labelmate, No Rome, joined them on stage to perform their song, “Narcissist.” It was a warming sight to see the frontman and rising singer Matty Healy bounce around the stage with excitement. They closed the set out with their song “The Sound,” where he yells at everyone to jump, leading to the biggest crowd participation of the weekend.
Janelle Monae
Janelle Monae brought beautiful black fem power to Coachella in her electric set. She came out with full force by opening with an iconic outfit consisting of pants that mimic a vagina and attitude to go along with it. Monae put on a vibrant sex-positive performance with star appearances including Lizzo and Tierra Whack during weekend one. Her all-black female backup dancers sent a strong “proud to be a woman of color” message. “Tonight we’re celebrating things that make us unique,” Monae said, encouraging people to sing along to her individuality anthem, “I Like That.”
Childish Gambino
Like Beychella’s, Childish Gambino’s (also known as Donald Glover) set was big, monumental and made to tell a story. He was determined to put on a great show from the minute he stepped foot on stage. It felt like he was taking us to church and giving us a spiritual movement, encouraging all viewers to put away their phones and live in the moment. Performing songs from his early years up to his latest was like watching him grow as an artist right on stage. Not only did he headline Coachella this year, he also premiered his long-awaited film Guava Island that co-stars Rihanna. This was the peak of Glover’s career. What makes this set so special is that he’s retiring as “Childish Gambino” and, after his next album, he will host his last tour. This was a defining moment for Glover in that it was his last chance of headlining a festival.
Ariana Grande
Coming off the high of two billboard charting albums and the start of her Sweetener tour, it would only make sense that Ariana Grande would be one of the major headlines of this year’s Coachella. Closing Sunday’s show, she took us on a trip out of this world with her sets depicting different moons, not to mention the almost reunion of the group NSYNC. The group joined her on stage to help her sing “Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored” and their classic “Tearin Up My Heart.” Other artists such as Nicki Minaj joined her to sing “Bang Bang,” and Diddy and Mase paid homage to Notorious B.I.G., Nipsey Hussle, and Mac Miller, with their performance of “Mo Money Mo Problems.”
Every year, the lineup and the performances get more monumental. Who knows what next year’s festival has in store!