So there it was and there it went - Coachella take two went down with plenty of surprises over the weekend, drawing the music world's attention to Indio, California once again.
Though the lineup remains (virtually) the same as the first outing, it's anything but a paint-by-numbers replication. Arcade Fire, for instance, didn't make an appearance as per the first time around, but that left room for a few more show-stopping guest spots.
With the influencers not quite out in their droves and the selfie sticks staying at home, the music becomes the focus of weekend two with brimming crowd and packed tents as far as the eye can see.
So, after a two-year-long wait, Coachella lived up to the expectation. Here are the highlights to prove it.
Peggy Gou Brings The Goods
Catching Peggy Gou's set from the first weekend was difficult enough, but the queue for her Under Ground Party performance reportedly stretched all the way to the Main Stage. The zeitgeist snaring DJ showed her wizardry on the decks whilst the crowd cheered her all way, whether they managed to cram inside the tent or not.
BROCKHAMPTON Say Bye With A Bang
That's it. No more BROCKHAMPTON. But the self-described boyband/hip-hop group, complete with varsity jackets ensured it was a feverish farewell. Like a high school football team ending their final season before college by winning the championship, mosh pits were encouraged, and the camaraderie between the boys shone despite their impending break-up. Saying goodbye with a bang, they finished on 'BOOGIE' before taking a bow.
Harry And Lizzo Go Disco
Harry Styles showed his mustard headlining Coachella for the first time the Friday before last, but amped the party up a notch with the introduction of Lizzo mid-set for his second slot. She joined her pal for an epic rendition of Gloria Gaynor's disco anthem 'I Will Survive', both decked out in flamboyant feather boa-like jackets, before duetting on One Direction's puppy love sing-a-long 'You Don't Know You're Beautiful'.
Skream Rediscovers His Roots
After teasing the idea on Twitter only days before, Skream made good on his promise by delivering a masterful set of old school dubstep over on the festival's Do LaB stage on Friday. Dropping tracks from as early as 1999, the Brit DJ recently revealed he'd unearthed an old drive of unreleased music from the likes of Mala and his old cohort Benga, with the roaring crowd clearly happy he's rediscovered his roots.
Billie Did The (Misery) Business
A different energy to her previous special guests Damon Albarn and Khalid the previous weekend, Billie Eilish's surprise duet was opposite Paramore's Hayley Williams who sang the pop-punk band's big hitter 'Misery Business'. Performing together acoustically with no overtly flashy audiovisuals accompanying them, their rendition had a campfire feel with plenty of smiles - let's say it was anything but miserable.
Disclosure Dished Out Late Night Delight
Disclosure's 75-minute evening set kept Coachella's crowd shuffling long after sunset, with one particularly keen front-row reveller being wrestled to the floor whilst trying to storm the stage just as the Lawrence brothers got going at the Outdoor Theatre. It didn't take them long to make up for lost time, sinking into their first set at the festival since 2016 with a suited and booted Khalid also joining them for 2019 single 'Talk'.
Baby Keem Strengthens 'Family Ties' With Cousin Kendrick
In his first live show since revealing the long overdue and enormously anticipated follow-up to 2017's Damn, titled Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, Kendrick Lamar joined his cousin Baby Keem for the last two songs of his Coachella set, 'family ties' and 'vent', after sharing snaps chilling backstage together. With Baby Keem recently awarded a Grammy for Best Rap Performance at the age of just 21, clearly prodigious talent runs deep in the family.
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