The Globalization of Coachella

Like most people, I have always been infatuated with Coachella. I love seeing the erotic outfits and watching my favorite bands reach larger audiences than ever. Since 1999, Coachella has been one of the most successful and profitable festivals in the US. Every year, we see a wide variety of the most influential artists and bands headline. However, in 2023 Coachella is taking a more international approach. Coachella is globalizing and will share many firsts with its audience. This year, Bad Bunny, BlackPink, and Frank Ocean are announced as the three headliners – the first year in Coachella history that all headliners are people of color. With a company so significant taking this step, I can only imagine how influential this will be for upcoming festivals crafting their lineups. 

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny will make a reappearance since his first Coachella performance in 2019 after being titled Spotify and Apple Music’s most streamed artist of the year. Bad Bunny is a Puerto Rican rapper and singer who has become an international sensation. Bad Bunny is the first Latin singer to headline Coachella and was named the biggest Latin singer in history. The anticipation behind what is in store for his performance is rising since being crowned the highest-grossing tour of 2022. It is safe to say this performance will be monumental due to his global success over the last few years. 

Blackpink 

Next, Blackpink will join Bad Bunny as the next headliner. Blackpink is a South Korean, K-Pop, girl group making history at Coachella. They were the first K-Pop girl group to perform in 2019 and now the first-ever K-Pop group to headline. “Blinks,”their fans call themselves, share their excitement all over the internet expressing how much this group deserves a headlining spot on the lineup. K-pop is a global phenomenon taking over the music industry and it is powerful to see Coachella giving them the platform that this genre merits. 

Frank Ocean

Frank Ocean fans have been awaiting a live Coachella performance since his last in 2019 and supposed performance in 2020 before it was canceled. It is unsure what to expect from him this year because Frank Ocean hasn’t released a full album since 2016 exists under the radar when it comes to releasing new music. What we do know is Frank Ocean will bring a substantial crowd to his long-awaited performance on day three. His performance has been highly anticipated for years, as he is noteworthy and extremely popular in our generation.

The cross-culture variety of music represented in this lineup is different from what Coachella has ever done. This representation has a major impact on the way our society consumes music. It allows sub-cultures of different genres the ability to share. Personally, this hugely impacts the way that I listen to music. It gives me insight into what is out there that I have not discovered yet and I can already say that the 2023 Coachella lineup has opened my eyes to new genres of music that I’m excited to explore.

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