Lana, Tyler, Doja Headline Coachella Where Swift Rumored To Appear

Hordes of music enthusiasts were pouring in California’s Coachella Valley for the premier arts festival, which begins Friday and will feature headliners Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, and Tyler, the Creator.

No Doubt, the group led by Gwen Stefani that rose to prominence in the 1990s, will also reconvene onstage for the first time since 2015.

And rumors are circulating that none other than Taylor Swift, the megastar presently on hiatus from her blockbuster, billion-dollar Eras tour, may make a surprise appearance on the festival grounds, which are dramatically flanked by the San Jacinto Mountains.

Swift is not on the lineup, but there is talk that she may appear on stage with pal Lana Del Rey or the rock band Bleachers, which is led by her longtime producer Jack Antonoff.

It would also be an excellent opportunity to promote her upcoming album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” which is set to be released on April 19.

Aside from hopeful fan rumor, this hasn’t been Coachella’s most exciting year.

Ticket sales were slow compared to previous seasons, although prices remained in the $500 level for general admission and more over $1,000 for VIP passes.

A decade ago, Coachella tickets were sold out inside an hour. This year, weekend one took a month to sell out, but tickets for the second round, which has roughly the same roster, are still available.

The 2024 edition faces a difficult task. Last year, Bad Bunny oversaw a historic year in which no significant acts were white for the first time, and the reggaeton behemoth became the first Spanish-language and Latin American act to headline.

In 2023, the first top-billed Asian act was South Korean K-pop group Blackpink, which has a ravenous fanbase.

Meanwhile, reclusive R&B artist Frank Ocean famously backed out of the second weekend after his original set was significantly delayed due to a leg injury, which enraged many fans.

Virtual star, Latin revolution

Despite the sales decline, Coachella 2024 offers an eclectic line-up that includes many foreign bands, which has been a persistent pattern at the festival since it was founded in alternative rock.

Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid software voicebank personified as a teen girl with turquoise hair, will make her Coachella debut after originally booking for 2020.

The “artist” — who is not genuine — started out as a virtual instrument in 2007 and has since become a cultural phenomenon, touring since 2014.

The stage production will incorporate visuals as well as a live band.

“We have no idea what to expect from the crowd…and the crowd doesn’t know what to expect,” said Riki Tsuji, who is on the business team of Hatsune Miku’s creator, Crypton Future Media.

“I’m sure we’re going to have a ton of people who… have probably never heard of Hatsune Miku before,” Tsuji was quoted as saying by AFP.

Cimafunk, who has been nominated for a Grammy, will be the first Cuban-born artist to perform at Coachella, bringing his blend of Afro-Cubano funk infused with disco and horns.

He is one of many Latin acts, like Puerto Rico’s emerging star Young Miko and Mexican superstar Peso Pluma, who broke into the worldwide mainstream with a string of successes over the last year.

Both have worked with Argentina’s Bizarrap, one of the most streamed Latin American musicians in the world, whose previous collaborations include Shakira and Residente.

Saint Levant, a Jerusalem-born artist of Palestinian, Algerian, French, and Serbian roots who spent his childhood in Gaza, will perform after gaining popularity on social media, including his 2023 hit “From Gaza With Love.”

Skepta, Britain’s influential grime musician, will also play, marking his second appearance at the event after debuting in 2017.

Sublime, the 1990s stoner reggae rock outfit best known for singles like “Santeria,” will also perform, with late founder Brad Nowell’s son Jakob leading the way.

Coachella 2024 will take place from April 12 to 14 and 19 to 21.

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