The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is one of the most highly anticipated annual music festivals in the world, held in the city of Indio, California, over two weekends. After being pushed back for two years owing to the pandemic, this year, Coachella finally opened on a high note from April 15 to April 17 and is set to return for its second installment from April 22 to April 24. There’s no denying that Coachella is one of the most popular music festivals in the world and arguably, the biggest. Known for curating lineups of artists that represent the diversity of the musical landscape of the times, the Coachella stage is just as coveted by musicians as it is adored by fans. However, what used to be a West-dominated festival has recently opened up to the world, incorporating global music acts into its fold and Coachella 2022, just made history in that respect. For those who might not know, 88rising, an American mass media company focused on bridging the gap between Asian and American music, representing artists across the Asian diaspora in the Western market, received an entire performance slot for their artists on Day 2, Weekend 1 (April 16) of Coachella 2022. This set, dedicated to and occupied by an incredible roster of artists: Bibi, CL, GOT7’s Jackson Wang, Milli, Niki, Hikaru Utada, Warren Hue, and Rich Brian, was called “Head In The Clouds Forever”, in a nod to the label’s annual music festival “Head In The Clouds”. It was here that the world saw the iconic reunion of K-Pop’s most electric girl group ever: 2NE1, a downright tantalizing performance by Bibi, who was later joined by Yoon MiRae, Jackson Wang conquering the night with his revolutionary stage, J-Pop icon Hikaru Utada hypnotizing their crowd with “Kingdom Hearts” classics and more. In commemoration of this historic feat, 88rising released a 3-song mini-album titled “Head In The Clouds Forever”, spanning 11 minutes and 51 seconds of pure, musical paradise. CL came in all guns blazing to give the Coachella crowd a performance to awaken their senses with ‘Spicy’, ‘Chuck’, and ‘Hello Bitches’. With only CL on the 88rising lineup, the audience, and especially BLACKJACK in attendance had absolutely no clue that the power performer would then be joined by Park Bom, Minzy, and Sandara Park for the act that now defines Coachella 2022: 2NE1’s ‘I AM THE BEST’. This reunion will definitely go down in music history as one of the most celebrated moments of all time. Bibi had the crowd wrapped around her finger as she bewitched them with her golden voice and charming allure but when Yoon MiRae joined her on stage for a performance of ‘The Weekend’, Coachella witnessed what a powerful female duo looks like. Speaking of power, there was no stopping Jackson Wang as he poured his soul out in what became one of the best performances at Coachella 2022. Jackson was fire incarnate as he showcased his art to the world and created history as the first Chinese artist to command Coachella. His setlist included ‘100 Ways’, ‘Cruel’, ‘Blow’, and finally ‘California’ with Warren Hue and Rich Brian. Niki and Rich Brian became the first-ever Indonesian artists to perform at Coachella and Milli, who you might know from the viral hit song ‘Mirror Mirror’ starring Stray Kids’ ChangBin and F.Hero, became the first Thai artist to perform a solo set at Coachella (BLACKPINK’s Lisa was the first Thai artist on the Coachella stage in 2019). To top it all off, she even savored some mango sticky rice on stage to celebrate! Niki’s tribute to her family and homeland with a cover of the legendary Indonesian rock song ‘Sempurna’ (originally by Andra and The BackBone) during her own set on April 15 portrayed an unshakeable sense of pride and joy that rang true for Indonesian fans all over the world. Similarly, Rich Brian prefaced his set with an introduction that spoke for itself, “For those who don’t know who I am, I am Rich Brian from Jakarta, Indonesia. And for those of you who know me, we will have an extraordinary night”. The representation 88rising’s “Head In The Clouds Forever” brought to the forefront perhaps did more for the Asian music scene in the West than music festivals like Coachella have ever been able to facilitate before. We’re witnessing globalization undergo a reversal as the East influences the West rather than the other way around, and we couldn’t be more excited for this new turn in world music. That’s not all! The biggest win for the Korean music industry at Coachella 2022 was the presence of EPIK HIGH, who became the first-ever Korean act to perform a second time at Coachella. In 2016, EPIK HIGH took on Coachella for the first time and were invited once again in 2020. With the festival itself being canceled that year, speculations were ripe as to whether the trio will return this year. Much to the joy and excitement of fans, they were invited once again, and in keeping with their icon status, EPIK HIGH tore the stage up with their exhilarating performance. If you’re at Coachella and missed EPIK HIGH, we have good news for you! The K-Hip Hop gurus are set to return for Weekend 2 of Coachella with a brand new setlist! These two weekends at Coachella will serve as the last leg of EPIK HIGH’s 2022 North American tour, giving it special significance. However, EPIK HIGH will not be the only Korean act performing in Weekend 2 of Coachella. K-Pop girl group aespa will also be taking the stage with a stellar setlist of hits (‘Black Mamba’, ‘Next Level’, ‘Savage’) including a brand new unreleased track! The substantial presence of Asian/Asian-American artists at Coachella 2022 gave the general public an idea of the thriving abundance of talent that lies beyond the West. It introduced music lovers, both casual listeners and hardcore enthusiasts, to new faces and voices that echo the richness of their heritage and bring a wealth of creativity to the world’s stage. Most importantly, the power in their live performances and the impact they have on their audience prove their caliber, establishing them as forces to be reckoned with on a global scale. Rather than these incredible artists finally becoming a part of the mainstream, it is the mainstream that is changing. It will certainly not be surprising to see an artist of Asian origin headlining Coachella next year! You can live stream Weekend 2 of Coachella here. What was your favourite performance at Coachella 2022? Tell us in the comments down below!
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