Written by Ky Tanella, Graphic by Ky Tanella.
Coachella 2024 has been making rounds on social media, what seems like more than any other year. I remember thinking that the set list seemed pretty standard when it came out, but it really feels like everyone showed up and showed out this year. From Doja Cat’s stellar performance, to the fashion, to the surprising collaborations, this was a Coachella to remember!
For lack of a better term, this quite possibly could’ve been the queerest Coachella yet. And I’m not just talking about the lineup, I’m talking about the audience; queer people seemed to post about this year’s Coachella significantly more than previous years, and clearly they added to its popularity. Seriously, I’ve never seen better fits during the Coachella season!
I’m going to take you through some performance highlights, in case you missed them.
First of all, Pop Midwest Princess, Chappell Roan herself, had her Coachella debut this year! She absolutely served face, wardrobe, and vocals – her iconic “HOT TO GO!” dance absolutely rocked through that crowd, and she even performed her new single “Good Luck, Babe!” Queer artist (and “Mean Girls” member Regina George for my theater kids) Renee Rapp also unsurprisingly served vocals – she even kissed her absolute rockstar of a partner, Towa Bird. As if her set couldn’t get anymore iconic, she also brought Ke$ha to the stage to sing “Tik Tok.” Oddly enough, not only is my inner child healed, but also… she’s learned how to slay.
Billie Eilish also showcased a few teasers off her upcoming album – one of these songs (fan-titled “Lunch”) is making rounds on TikTok. Lana Del Rey (headliner) included Ms. Eilish as part of her set to perform “Video Games” and “Ocean Eyes,” perhaps their most popular songs. Lil Uzi Vert was praised during their set for absolutely voguing their heart out. Sabrina Carpenter debuted her summery ballad “Espresso,” and waved to her new boyfriend Barry Keoghan (literally had him giggling and kicking his feet). And lastly, Tyler the Creator (headliner) brought some heat with an energetic performance, even bringing out Childish Gambino, and A$AP Rocky during his set!
However, perhaps the most talked about performance would have to be Doja Cat’s. Doja became the first female rapper to headline Coachella, a feat that should not be taken lightly, and she served up an absolutely electrifying set. In 2022, she gained a lot of criticism (mainly from men) when she shaved her head and eyebrows, and was often told that she “looked better” with her hair. So, the iconic woman she is, she came to the stage performing her song “Demons,” with a blonde wig down to her hips, as well as a top, bottoms, and shoes that were made of the same wig material. Her backup dancers were even covered head-to-toe in it! I highly recommend checking out her performance, no one was bringing it like her.
The fashion this year was absolutely diverse, and insane! Among doom-scrolling on TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram, I clocked a lot of mainly Western-inspired and hippie girl fits. A main proponent of a lot of outfits were cowboy boots and hats, lots of sparkly fringe, flowy skirts, Y2K short-shorts, and even some Dune-inspired outfits.
Nowadays, it’s sort of impossible to predict what will be in store for next year’s Coachella. Microtrends are definitely the cause of this; it’s becoming difficult to predict what will be popular in the next week, let alone the next year. Nonetheless, I’m hoping to see a similar lineup in the future – these artists have been and will be standing the rest of time. I’m praying that we’ll see Chappell Roan again, and maybe even Renee Rapp with another album under her belt. I’m sure new artists will pop up every year, but this group is literally perfect. There were many artists I didn’t talk about too, like Jungle, The Last Dinner Party, Raye, No Doubt, Deftones, and Sublime, that absolutely added to this lineup. I think it’s going to be very hard to beat!
