Frank Ocean's highly-anticipated return to the stage after a six-year hiatus left many fans frustrated and disappointed at Coachella Weekend 1.
By Brooke Donovan
Frank Ocean’s highly anticipated return to the stage after a six-year pause disappointed and frustrated many fans and festival goers at Coachella Weekend 1.
Ocean, set to be the main headliner for Weekend 2, ultimately had to cancel due to a leg injury, which resulted in a financial blow for the festival.
The first show left many viewers unhappy, with the singer showing up over an hour late and technical difficulties throughout the set, as fans were expecting an ice skating performance by him and backup dancers. The set also ended early due to curfew. Ocean was hard to see during his performance, and there were pauses throughout the show, some fans and critics complained.
Despite the mixed reception, Justin Bieber took to Instagram to praise Ocean’s performance, stating that he was “blown away” and that “his artistry is simply unmatched.”
However, the disappointment continued for Weekend 2 attendees when the festival announced that Ocean would not be performing due to his leg injury. The singer’s representative cited two fractures and a sprain in his left leg as the reasons for his absence.
Despite his absence for Weekend 2, Blink-182 and the DJ trio Skrillex, Four Tet and Fred Again were replaced as the main headliner, according to Variety.
“It was so disappointing for him to cancel. Frank Ocean was the one person I was looking forward to seeing,” Isabel Sabol, a festival attendee, said. “He is not even being replaced by a good artist.”
Despite the setback, Coachella’s other headliners, Bad Bunny and Blackpink, are scheduled to repeat their performances from Weekend 1. Other performers throughout the weekend include Björk, Blink-182, Burna Boy, Gorillaz, and Rosalía, among many others.
Coachella has dealt with major last-minute cancellations before, with Kanye West pulling out as one of the event’s headliners last year amid personal upheaval. Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd were brought in to replace him.
In a statement regarding his chaotic first show, Ocean acknowledged the issues but also found beauty in the chaos.
“It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there, and I’ll see you soon,” he said.
Fans and festival goers may have to wait a little longer to experience Ocean’s unmatched artistry on stage. Still, the festival continues to offer a diverse range of talented performers, showcasing the best in music across various genres for a three-day extravaganza in the desert of Indio, California.
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