Everyone’s FYP on any social media platform has definitely been bombarded with videos and photos of this year’s Coachella. Influencers get paid for brand trips to stay in huge houses in Palm Springs while they post about their cute outfits. Some may get extreme FOMO from not experiencing Justin Bieber’s massive comeback, while others are expressing their concern about how Coachella has become an influencer-fest, unattainable for the average person. Two weekends of full-on dancing, singing, and overpriced food that you’d definitely still buy anyway. Welcome to Coachella!
Coachella is one of the most famous music festivals located at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It features all kinds of music styles and artists that all perform during two consecutive weekends in April. This year’s headliners stunned: Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. Other notable performances included SOMBR, Blood Orange, KATSEYE, Pink Pantheress, and Teddy Swims. With Coachella wrapped up, thousands of fans migrated back home and experienced post-concert blues.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Coachella setlist opened with “House Tour,” and she played other hits like “Manchild”, “Espresso”, and closed with “Tears”. Madonna was revealed as a surprise guest for weekend two. They announced their brand new song, “Bring Your Love,” which will be featured on Madonna’s new album, CONFESSIONS II. Together, they sang “Vogue” and “Like A Prayer”, a nostalgic performance of two stars, one timeless and one just reaching their stardom.
Justin Bieber was such a hit during both weekends that many started calling it Bieberchella instead of Coachella. He sang in just a hoodie and baggy shorts with a MacBook, and took a trip down memory lane. He performed his biggest hits and played his most viral YouTube videos. He is known for bringing a fan up on the stage during his song “One Less Lonely Girl”. He brought up his biggest supporter, Billie Eilish, a die-hard fan ever since she could breathe. It was safe to say that Bieberchella was a sensation.
Karol G made waves as the first Latina headliner at the festival. “I’m very happy and very proud about this, but at the same time, it feels late!” She said. She welcomed guests like Becky G, Wisin, and Mariah Angeliq to her stage for her “Latin dance party for the ages”.
This year, many influencers and content creators were found at the festival, with paid trips from beauty and food brands, and documented it all on their social media accounts. On this topic, CdM student, Courtenay Pham, said, “It was honestly pretty OK, it was just pretty busy…very crowded”. She also added that the usual photo-taking places were jam-packed with people trying to take the perfect picture.
Pham’s highlights of the festival were Swae Lee and Sexyy Red, along with being there with her sister and her sister’s boyfriend. She enjoyed the decorated stages and impressive lighting. Her typical day started in the afternoon, and she would arrive at the grounds around 2-3 pm. The very first performances began at 4 pm, and the latest would end around midnight, usually being the headliners and other performers.
