Indio (United States) (AFP) – With a minimalist set and a trip through his musical past, pop superstar Justin Bieber returned to the stage on Saturday night to headline the second day of Coachella. The Canadian singer has not performed at a venue of Coachella’s size since 2022, when he appeared at Rock in Rio in Brazil before canceling the remainder of his international tour due to health issues. Last year, Bieber released the album “Swag,” quickly followed by his eighth studio album “Swag II.” While Bieber has recently played smaller shows, Coachella was billed as the start of his full-scale comeback.
Bieber earlier said in an Instagram post that “We WILL be singing at the top of our lungs on Saturday.” Dressed in a red sweater, shorts, and black boots, the 32-year-old artist made good on his promise, playing the role of DJ and taking requests from online viewers. After opening with several tracks from “Swag II,” Bieber sat at a computer and began a journey into the past, searching for his videos on YouTube and singing snippets from “That Should Be Me,” “Beauty and a Beat,” “Never Say Never,” the teen pop anthem “Baby,” and other hits. “This is special,” he told the crowd. “This is a night I dreamed about for a long time, so to be here is amazing.” Bieber also showed his old clips on YouTube, as well as moments captured by the ever-present cameras following him and his wife, Hailey Bieber.
Earlier in the day, New York City rockers The Strokes took the stage and announced a new album for June, following a six-year hiatus for the band. They played anthems including “Hard to Explain,” “Reptilia,” “Last Nite,” and “Someday.” Other acts in the spotlight Saturday included Nine Inch Noize — the collaboration between legendary industrial band Nine Inch Nails and German producer Boys Noize — who also have an album on the way. With dramatic lighting and intense sound, the band had fans jumping with versions of songs like “Closer,” “Heresy,” “The Warning,” and “Copy of A.”
The set by rising indie star Sombr featured Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, and together they performed the rock band’s 1990s hit “1979.” With nine stages, the festival hosted a wide range of genres, including Brazil’s Luisa Sonza, influencer-turned-singer Addison Rae, Britain’s PinkPantheress, K-pop star Taemin, and David Byrne, the legendary co-founder of the band Talking Heads. Coachella kicked off Friday with performances from headliner Sabrina Carpenter, Moby, Devo, and surprise appearances from Lizzo, David Lee Roth, and HUNTR/X, who performed their Oscar-winning “Golden” alongside KATSEYE.
Carpenter’s performance of hits like “Manchild,” “Espresso,” and “Please, Please, Please” was helped by big-screen stars Sam Elliott, Susan Sarandon, and Will Ferrell, who rounded out her 90-minute set. The festival runs this weekend and next weekend, with a nearly identical lineup. It can be viewed on YouTube.
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