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Here’s Everything That Went Down at Coachella 2023
As the sun set over the Colorado Desert, the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival came to a close, leaving behind memories that will last a lifetime. Over the course of two weekends, fans were treated to unforgettable performances from some of the biggest names in music, with Latin artists taking center stage and stealing the show.
From reggaeton to K-Pop, the festival brought together a diverse array of genres and cultures, creating a truly unique and magical experience. In this article, we’ll recap the highlights from both weekends, with a special focus on the standout moments from the Latin acts that graced the stages at Coachella 2023.
COACHELLA WEEKEND 1
BAD BUNNY
One of the highlights of the festival was Bad Bunny’s historic headlining set. The Puerto Rican singer became the first Latin music artist to headline Coachella, and he made sure to represent his heritage. At the beginning of his performance, Bad Bunny asked the crowd if they preferred him to speak English or Spanish, and they responded almost unanimously in favor of Spanish. He also included mini video lessons on the history of Puerto Rican and Latin music in his set, playing them as transitions between songs.
Benito’s set lasted nearly two hours, and he brought out surprise guests Jhay Cortez and Post Malone, and performed some of his biggest hits, including “Titi Me Preguntó,” “Moscow Mule,” and “Yo Perrero Sola.” However, the highlight of his set came during “El Apagón,” when his set design displayed a tweet from a fan on the jumbotrons that threw shade at last year’s Coachella headliner Harry Styles. The tweet read, “Goodnight Benito could do ‘As It Was’ but Harry could never do ‘El Apagón.’“
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Although some thought that Bad Bunny was being malicious with the tweet, he has openly supported Harry Styles in the past. In the days following Weekend 1 of the festival, a representative for Bad Bunny confirmed to Rolling Stone that the musician declined to comment but did not approve of the image of the tweet.
Another highlight of Coachella Weekend 1 was the rumors surrounding Bad Bunny and Kendall Jenner. During Benito’s headlining set, he addressed the audience with a cryptic speech that many fans think could have been his way of addressing them. While many believe this was the musician’s official debunking of the #Kenito speculation, things got a little more confusing when Kendall was spotted front and center to watch him perform, and the two were later spotted on festival grounds together, getting cozy during Frank Ocean’s Sunday night set.
CAMILA CABELLO AND SHAWN MENDES
Reunited couple Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello were also inescapable at Coachella Weekend 1. The two singers, who broke up back in November 2021 after dating for nearly two years, were spotted at this year’s Coachella packing on the PDA and just acting adorable in general. They were seemingly everywhere you looked— kissing in the crowd, sitting on each other’s laps, and dancing the night away.
BECKY G
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Becky G’s solo set was a standout performance, as the singer paid tribute to regional Mexican music and brought out several Mexican artists to share the stage with her. “¡México en la casa! I’ve been working on my regional project and it’s been so beautiful… I’m proud to be Mexican-American. And I couldn’t come to Coachella and not share the stage,” Becky said, per Billboard, while sharing the spotlight with Mexican artists Marca MP, Jesús Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida, and Peso Pluma. Her performance was a glorious celebration of her cultural roots and a testament to the power of diversity in music.
BLACKPINK
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BLACKPINK made history as the first K-pop group to ever headline Coachella, and they certainly did not disappoint. Their passionate fans, known as Blinks, were out in full force, singing along to hits like “Kill This Love” and “DDU-DU DDU-DU.” The group’s headlining set was a testament to the growing influence of K-pop on the global music scene, and a reminder that music has no boundaries.
ROSALÍA AND RAUW ALEJANDRO
Rosalía brought the concept of her Motomami Tour to the desert. The tracklist spanned her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami, including hits like “Saoko,” “Bizcochito,” and “La Fama.”
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Rosalía brought out her fiancé Rauw Alejandro for a special performance of their new EP RR, which also served as their engagement announcement, making it clear that love was in the air at Coachella this year. The couple danced, kissed, and sang together on the main stage, much to the delight of the crowd.
LABRINTH AND BILLIE EILISH
Labrinth surprised fans by bringing out Billie Eilish for their new single “Never Felt So Alone.” The duo performed the song together for the first time, and the chemistry between them was palpable. Labrinth also performed some of his own hits, as well as tracks he created for the Euphoria score, further cementing his status as a musical force to be reckoned with.
FRANK OCEAN
Frank Ocean was one of the most highly anticipated performers of the weekend, but his set was unfortunately cut short due to curfew. Despite the shortened set, Frank made headlines by confirming his new album during his performance, much to the excitement of his fans. However, he later announced that he was canceling his Weekend 2 show.
KALI UCHIS
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Kali Uchis surprised fans by bringing out not one, but three special guests during her Sunday set. Tyler, the Creator, Omar Apollo, and Kali’s boyfriend Don Toliver– who she performed “Fantasy” with, another track from Red Moon in Venus, with- all joined her on stage for some unforgettable collaborations that left the crowd begging for more.
COACHELLA WEEKEND 2
BAD BUNNY
Bad Bunny took to the stage once again and publicly apologized to Harry Styles for the controversial tweet that was shown during his previous set: “Sorry Harry. It was a mistake by my team. We love you. <3.”
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Bad Bunny also invited fellow artists onstage to join him for “Yonaguni” (José Feliciano), “La Jumpa” (Arcángel), “Dákiti” (Jhay Cortez), and “Safaera” (Jowell y Randy). Grupo Frontera also performed three songs with him, including the live debut of their new single “Un X100to.”
Photo courtesy: The Exclusive Agency
During his set, Bad Bunny also paid tribute to several Latin American artists, including Camila Cabello. Many famous faces were spotted in the audience, including Jeff Bezos and the Jenner sisters.
BECKY G
Becky G brought on stage Natti Natasha to sing their hit “Sin Pijama” and Libianca for “People.” Additionally, the singer paid an emotional tribute to the iconic Selena, performing “Como la Flor” in front of a crowd of thousands. Becky G’s performance was a tribute to Selena’s lasting influence on Latin music and culture overall.
ZENDAYA SURPRISES ON STAGE
One of the biggest surprises of the weekend came from Zendaya, who made her debut as a singer after eight years of absence from the music scene. She joined British musician Labrinth on stage, performing two songs written for her Emmy-winning HBO show, Euphoria: “I’m Tired” and “All of Us.” Another surprise appearance came from Sia, who sang alongside Labrinth on the LSD song Thunderclouds, with Maddie Ziegler dancing beside them.
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FRANK OCEAN
While Frank Ocean’s performance during the first weekend was met with mixed reviews, his cancellation for the second weekend due to an injury is going to cost the festival owners about $4 million USD. According to Billboard, the expenses for Ocean’s show included the construction of a giant ice rink, which was ultimately not used, and about 120 skaters who’d been rehearsing for weeks. Blink-182 and the DJ trio Skrillex, Four Tet, and Fred Again played as headliners instead.
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