Every year, the annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, or simply Coachella, is held in the hot Colorado Desert of California. Famous celebrities from all over the world come and perform at Coachella, and this year, stars such as Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, and Katseye are participating in the event.
According to The Guardian, Coachella saw its decline two years ago that led to the slowest ticket sales in over a decade. This year, the festival has returned to fame and success with more international artists, diverse booking, and infrastructure.
One highlight of Coachella was Justin Bieber’s performance, performed on Saturday, April 11th. The second half of the performance was Bieber singing along to YouTube videos of his music, such as “Baby,” “Beauty and a Beat,” and more. As stated by PEOPLE, some fans described his performance as a “low energy” set and compared it to karaoke.
Many other celebrities had groundbreaking performances as well, like Nine Inch Nails and Boyz Noise collaboration to make “Nine Inch Noize” which was a huge success.
However, some artists like Sabrina Carpenter received a mixed reception, as well as received backlash for a controversial comment she made about a zaghrouta—a high-pitched trill performed by women to express joy in North African and Middle Eastern culture. A VICE article describes her performance as boring, and her show was more focused on the set rather than an actual performance.
But another important part of Coachella are the fashion trends. Women’s Wear Daily, reports “miniskirts and micro shorts are dominating,” and “accessories are doing the heavy lifting: cowboy hats, oversize belts worn low on the hips, and bandanas that reinforce the festival’s ongoing Western revival.”
Coachella outfit trends this year follow a desert and Western vibe, where colors are earthy neutrals like tan, cream, and brown, with bursts of color with orange beading and bold pink feathers.
However, some have been criticizing Coachella this year for being “more curated, more commercial, and more performative,” as reported by Alessandra Dubin on Yahoo Lifestyle.
She claims that the entire experience of going to Coachella screaming lyrics and being sweaty and exhilarated was erased to become more convenient and photogenic. Coachella became about the brands and photos instead of an exciting music experience.
In the end, this year’s Coachella was filled with diverse artists, celebrity spottings, and performances that amazed thousands of fans. It’s an experience that people look forward to each year, and Coachella next year won’t fail to shock more people than before.
