Tia Trinh
Arts & Entertainment Co-Editor
As the new year rolls on, many artists are preparing to release new music and make their mark on the 2023 music industry. This January, the lineup for this year’s Coachella festival was released. The event, which takes place over two weekends, April 14-16 and April 21-23, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, includes a long list of popular and rising music artists.
This year’s lineup is making history in its 24th run. The main headliners are Blackpink, Bad Bunny, and Frank Ocean, three incredibly popular artists worldwide.
Rolling Stone reports, “Blackpink [is] the first K-pop group headlining the festival, and Bad Bunny is the first Latin artist headliner.”
Across social media, many fans have expressed excitement and high hopes for the invitation of global artists. Both Blackpink and Bad Bunny have songs and albums that topped the charts in South Korea and Puerto Rico, as well as the U.S. Billboard 100. No doubt will they be drawing in huge crowds this April.
Frank Ocean is returning to the Coachella stage after the cancellation of the festival in 2020. Ocean, whose last performance was in 2017, is a highly anticipated performer this year as many fans are hoping this might be a sign of a comeback from the lyrical genius.
As Pitchfork Media writes, his first Coachella performance in 2012 “loomed large in his early rise… so here’s to hoping he’s got something very special planned for 2023.”
These three headliners among other popular artists and groups, including English songwriter Jai Paul, supergroup “boygenius” (Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus), Idris Elba, and Kali Uchis. The lineup features a variety of artists that span across many genres of music, offering a performance for everyone.
Despite the unforeseen events of the previous year, many fans and festival-goers are looking forward to attending as ticket sales have skyrocketed. The same day that the lineup was released, the official Coachella Twitter account tweeted, “Very limited Weekend 1 passes remain. For your best chance at passes, look to Weekend 2.” Both artists and fans alike are hoping for a fun and worry-free festival.
The first cancellation of the festival occurred in 2020, the abrupt announcement coming shortly after the sudden spread of COVID-19. The festival was subsequently canceled in 2021 following strict CDC guidelines in January 2021, in light of continued concerns over the spread of the virus.
However, as the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly comes to a close, the Coachella website updated its list of rules and regulations in order to provide a fun and safe experience for all. In line with current CDC guidelines, requirements may include “proof of vaccination and/or negative COVID-19 test, and other protective measures such as requiring attendees to wear face coverings.” Aside from this pressing concern, fans are also hoping that the actual events of the festival continue without a hitch.
2022 marked the first Coachella festival since its two previous cancellations, but despite the eager anticipation from fans, the festival hype quickly turned sour when Kanye West pulled out of the festival at last minute. Shortly after that announcement, Variety wrote that there were large concerns about how “West’s unpredictable and combative behavior in recent months [had] put a question mark over his appearance.” While the event continued as planned, there was still an overall air of lingering disappointment.
This year, the world will be watching the events of Coachella unfold. No doubt it will be an exciting kickstart to the year as artists prepare to release new songs and albums. It goes without saying that with three artists known globally leading an impressive lineup, the hopes for Coachella 2023 are high. Even for those who may be unable to attend the event in person, it is still possible to watch a live stream on Youtube through Coachella’s official channel. Social media, no doubt, will also be flooded with clips and reviews of these artists’ performances and other celebrities that may show up decked in costume.