Kori Barnes 
Although fans may have been disappointed to see the highly anticipated performance from Frank Ocean, they were definitely in for a surprise at the desert during Coachella Weekend 2.
Once Frank Ocean confirmed that he would not be returning to his headlining stage after his first performance during Coachella Weekend 1 and the backlash he received for the quality of what guests paid for, the festival company quickly replaced Labrinth as the new headliner.
Even though this band has been around for years, new fans have associated their sound with the soundtracks they created for the hit series “Euphoria.” Those guests who bought tickets for and attended Coachella Weekend 1 are definitely eyeing Coachella Weekend 2 guests with jealousy. Leading actress and singer, Zendaya, was brought out as a special guest during their performance.
Fans were in bliss as they experienced Zendaya’s euphoric experience with her. According to deadline.com, “The star of Euphoria performed the final two songs of the set — “I’m Tired” and “All for Us,” which was written for her HBO series. After her performance, Zendaya went on social media to thank Labrinth for the chance to return to the stage to sing. It was her first live performance in over seven years. “Thank you to my brother @labrinth for inviting me and giving me the most beautiful safe space to be on a stage again,” she said. “And to the crowd tonight … Wow. My heart is full, I can’t thank you enough for the love I received tonight, [it] made my nerves melt away. I’m so grateful.”
Fans took to social media to express their initial shock, excitement, and awe of this beloved Disney star who’s transformed into a mature and sophisticated young woman living her dreams. This quickly numbed the empty feeling of Ocean’s half performance due to an ankle injury and gave Coachella fans a once in a lifetime surprise. This Emmy winner had the crowd screaming at the top of their lungs when they saw her appear on stage and heard her sing.
With the amount of positive publicity it’s receiving, this was a great decision made by Coachella, Labrinth, and Zendaya. The performance also gave fans a reminder of the newest season of “Euphoria” that’ll be releasing soon. After this iconic collaboration and surprise performance, fans can’t wait to receive more of this beauty’s greatness. Not only did this eccentric band bring out this superstar, but they also had a few more surprise guests for their fans. The website ew.com reported, “Zendaya wasn’t the only star Labrinth welcomed to the stage for Weekend 2: Sia and Maddie Ziegler joined him for a performance of LSD’s “Thunderclouds,” on which the duo appear alongside Diplo. Labrinth previously welcomed Billie Eilish for the first weekend of the festival for a performance of “Never Felt So Alone.”
Hopefully, we’ll see Zendaya headlining a future Coachella.
By Kori Barnes, University of Southern California
Instagram: @korixnicole
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