If you’re a fan of pop music, you must have heard the name ‘Coachella’ many times during the past week along with the name BLACKPINK.
Coachella, short for Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, is one of the world’s biggest music festivals. Held in California from the 14th to the 16th of April (local time), this year’s festival was even more special because BLACKPINK performed as the headliner. The moment when the four Asian women showed up in front of tens of thousands of people and performed with the Korean flag brought along by some Korean fans fluttering in the air was historic.
Coachella was more like an indie rock festival at the time of its launch and it was not commercially successful. However, as legendary bands and historic musicians, such as Prince and Madonna, came to perform on its stage, the festival’s cultural symbolism grew significantly. Later, the performance of Daft Punk also changed the life of many EDM musicians.
In 2019, the young singer Billie Eilish led an enormous sing-along that even surpassed the headliners, signaling that she would become a representative artist of her generation. The 2018 performance of Beyoncé, which was said to have turned Coachella into “Be-chella”, must also be mentioned. As such, being a headliner at Coachella was a reward given to those who are leading, or were leading, a generation. While BLACKPINK’s stage was not much different from a typical world tour performance, the way the girls shouted “This has been BLACKPINK” at the end of the show will be remembered and talked about for a very long time.
The fact that almost all performances at Coachella were live-streamed through YouTube has also contributed to raising the status of this festival. Apart from those who went to the site, there were numerous audiences who enjoyed high-quality music and videos of Coachella at home. There are hardly any festivals in the world that broadcast almost all performances via YouTube. The so-called “democratization of concerts” has further enhanced the name of Coachella. Even music fans on the other side of the world could feel the harmony, and some even paid for a flight to California the following year. Billie Eilish’s remark that “everyone knows about Coachella, even if you’re not interested in music” has nearly come true.
However, if you ask if Coachella is the most interesting festival in the world, many people will raise doubts. There are criticisms that it has gradually turned into a feast for influencers and Instagrammers who have no interest in music but only like to brag on social media. Some Korean friends who recently visited the Coachella festival testimonies this. There were reports that, while Icelandic musician Bjork was presenting a grand performance, a considerable number of audiences were focusing on their smartphones instead of enjoying the stage.
“Why Coachella?”
Even if you ask “Why Coachella?”, the answer can only be simple. It’s because of the amazing moments that music brings, and because you can see how this era is moving. Coachella strives to reflect the rapidly changing zeitgeist. This year, it was the first Coachella without a white headliner. An Asian girl group (BLACKPINK) and an African American singer-songwriter (Frank Ocean) took on the role of headliners. Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny became the first Latin headliner in Coachella history. He expressed his respect for Latin culture by clearly stating where he came from at the beginning of the show. Hip-hop, R&B, Latin music, and Afrobeat replaced rock music centered on white people.
There were many memorable moments at Coachella this year. Latin pop star Rosalía, representing Spain, kept the audience captivated throughout her performance. The supergroup boygenius, consisting of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus, sang about solidarity between women and queer people while playing rainbow-colored guitar strings. Legendary New Wave band Blondie’s lead vocalist Debbie Harry, born in 1945, sang about not fading away in front of young fans while wearing sparkling clothes. Artist Yves Tumor, who is black and LGBTQ, presented the future of rock by mixing various genres such as psychedelic, R&B, and jazz. And that’s not all. Musicians from various countries, including Argentina, India, and Taiwan, introduced their own scenes.
Music creates such diverse things to watch and talk about. Isn’t each of these moments being recorded, extending Coachella’s mythical quality? Coachella is not over yet. From the 21st to the 23rd (local time), the second week’s performance will be held with the same lineup. For those who think they have nothing to listen to these days, I hope you immediately head to the official Coachella YouTube channel this weekend.
Source: Naver
