COACHELLA DAY 2: EYES WIDE OPEN (AND POSSIBLY DILATED)


And we’re back! The second day of Coachella kicked off with a bang and delivered plenty more surprise guests and sets.

Shenseea brought some early-in-the-day energy to the Gobi Stage with hits like “Hard Drive” and her viral freestyle “Locked Up," surprising the crowd with a visit from Coi Leray and Tokischa for “Players.” Other afternoon highlights included Elyanna—who became the first Arabic-language singer to perform at the festival—070 Shake, Mura Masa, Remi Wolf and Kenny Beats.

The stacked Saturday lineup also featured a powerful set by ROSALÍA, one of the many top Latin acts enlivening this year's lineup. Performing a medley of songs from her albums El Mal Querer and MOTOMAMI, the Spaniard put on a cinematic show. She was joined onstage by Rauw Alejandro (her fiancé) to perform “BESO” and “VAMPIROS” off their recent joint EP, RR.

Backed by an all-woman band, the hot alternative trio boygenius (who made a surprise appearance on Friday during Muna’s set), confirmed its rock-star bona fides while performing most of their new album, the record.

One of my personal favorites from the weekend so far was Labrinth, who played “All for Us,” “I’m Tired” and “Still Don’t Know My Name” before bringing out former headliner Billie Eilish to perform their duet, “Never Felt So Alone.” Every aspect of this set, particularly Labrinth’s spirit and spectacular band, was a 10 out of 10.

The K-pop queens of BLACKPINK, meanwhile, brought their A-game to the main stage for a show-stopping headlining performance, mesmerizing the faithful with their kinetic stage presence. Selections like “Whistle,” "Kill This Love," "Kick It" and "How You Like That" sent the audience into a frenzy. And while tight as an ensemble, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa showcased their considerable talents as individual performers.This year's lineup, in addition to being particularly global, has been heavy on the electronic front. The Do Lab Stage saw a surprise set from ODESZA and standout performances by Carlita, Phantoms and more. Electronic acts shone on the other stages as well, including another of my personal faves, Tale of Us—known for its out-of-this-world visuals—the dynamic duo SOFI TUKKER and the always-impressive Eric Prydz.

And let’s not forget about Calvin Harris, who made his triumphant return to Coachella after having headlined the festival in 2016. He delivered a set chock-full of dancefloor bangers and chart-topping anthems that had the crowd in a lather, singing (and dancing) along to the likes of "We Found Love," "Sweet Nothing," "Thinking About You," "One Kiss," "This Is What You Came For" and "Slide." To top it all off, he brought out frequent collaborator Ellie Goulding for a thrilling performance of "Miracle," a throwback hit and special treat for fans like me. The Scottish DJ/producer has a knack for creating infectious songs impossible not to move to, and his Coachella set proved once again that his hits are hits for a reason.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep standing up for a while.

Photos (from top): Elyanna, ROSALÍA and Rauw, Labrinth and Billie, BLACKPINK, Calvin Harris and a few friends

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