5 Things You Need to Know About this Year’s Coachella

By January 5, 2017Music Festivals
coachella
By | January 5, 2017

The most popular music festival in California recently announces this year’s lineup.

 

If you have yet to jump on the Coachella bandwagon, here’s what everybody will be talking about for next months. 

 

Beyoncé is headlining

If you haven’t heard, Beyoncé is already breaking big news in 2017 as Coachella‘s first female headliner in over a decade. Although Beyoncé has performed at Coachella before–once with Jay Z, and another time with her sister Solange–this will be her first solo act at the festival.

Lorde’s first full performance in three years

Aside from just a few appearances, Lorde’s last full performance was in November 2014. Lorde took off in 2013 with her debut album Pure Heroine but hasn’t made much noise since. As a member of the Coachella lineup, many fans are anticipating to hear her new music.

Less punk and metal; no more big reunion bands

Last year, Coachella brought together the members of Guns N Roses for a performance that apparently went better than expected. But, this year, it seems that the festival has taken a pass on reuniting any classic bands.

Columnist Collin Brennan over at Consequence of Sound observed that Coachella seems to be phasing out the indie punk and metal bands from their lineup. Whether the Coachella scene is simply less interested in these genres, or Coachella is following the trends for the cash, as Brennan suggests, can’t really be known. However, it does illustrate Coachella’s shift in style toward pop and hip-hop.

The lineup holds a couple unconventional inclusions

The most surprising new lineup entries come from the addition of film composer Hans Zimmer and the band S U R V I V E. Both of whom you’ve probably heard before without realizing it. Zimmer is the man behind the music of several movie epics including The Lion King, The Dark Knight trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, Gladiator, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

As for S U R V I V E, you may not have realized that they’re the producers of the eerie, 80’s inspired synth soundtrack of last year’s Netflix thriller “Stranger Things.”

Backlash toward Coachella owner is on the rise

Just days after the festival’s lineup has been released, recent reports state that Philip Anschutz, owner of the festival, is a financial supporter of several anti-LGBTQ and climate denial groups.

As the news broke, the #boycottcoachella hashtag has started gaining some traction on Twitter, with many users tweeting requests to their favorite Coachella artists to drop out of the festival.