It’s been seven years for the reason that ever-elusive Frank Ocean stepped onto a stage. However regardless of his reserving because the third and last headliner for Coachella 2023, followers nonetheless felt uncertain if he would truly present. Indicators that learn “NO FRANK OCEAN MERCHANDISE” have been plastered throughout the merch tent, and the official Coachella livestream on YouTube excluded his efficiency. And but, at 10:55 p.m., virtually an hour after he was scheduled to carry out, the principle stage lights lastly dimmed and the present nobody anticipated formally started.
The truth that it occurred wasn’t the one shock, although, as Frank had the stage remodeled into one big display screen. Because of this, solely a small sq. of house was hardly seen, however that’s the place the entire motion occurred for the next hour and a half — till Frank abruptly introduced from backstage, “Guys, I’m being informed it’s curfew, in order that’s the tip of the present.”
The extremely anticipated present got here three years after Frank, Travis Scott and Rage In opposition to the Machine have been slated to take over the 2020 version of the pageant, which was postponed attributable to COVID. As the one performer who remained on the prime of the invoice since (as promised by Goldenvoice CEO and Coachella’s co-founder Paul Tollet in a 2021 interview) Frank delivered an unbelievable (for extra causes than one) if not unorthodox set, that had followers greedy on to each second. As a result of after Sunday night time, who knew after we may see him once more.
The “Met her at Coachella” line from set opener “Novacane” hit completely different within the desert, which served as Frank’s backdrop at any time when the digital camera confirmed his POV from the middle of all of it — till he selected to not be.
Take a look at the 5 main takeaways from Frank Ocean’s Coachella 2023 headlining set beneath.
The Set-Up Was Deceptively Intimate
Regardless of performing in entrance of tens of hundreds of individuals, Frank and his staff meticulously designed his headlining stage to resemble a recording studio, with Frank hunched round a mic within the heart whereas a reside band tinkered round behind him and studio arms revered his each request. But regardless of the intimate setup, he would nonetheless often pull up the hood of his blue puffer coat and canopy his black durag and nearly all of his face, his full beard solely poking out. The reclusive star was giving an extremely uncommon glimpse into his inventive course of, even giving followers a style of recent music. And whereas followers couldn’t actually see what was taking place or the place Frank even was, the high-definition video feed helped to fill in some gaps, supplemented with gritty and at instances extremely shaky footage that performed out like a one-night-only, reside documentary that might solely be consumed within the second.
He Reimagined His Most-Beloved Songs
Between Frank’s 2011 debut mixtape Nostalgia, Extremely and his 2016 magnum opus Blonde, the artist confronted each performer’s two-fold situation: 1) What songs ought to I play? and a pair of) How do I make them particular for this viewers? He solved the dilemma by performing his basic hits in methods followers had by no means heard them earlier than, together with a stripped-down, acoustic model of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel,” a punk rock remix of “Wiseman” and lots of extra. But none of these favorites closed out the set; as an alternative, Frank dug deep into his discography to drag out his cowl of Aaliyah‘s 1994 monitor “At Your Greatest (You Are Love)” that was featured on his 2016 visible album Countless.
There Was a Rave Intermission… And It Labored
Towards the tip of his set, Frank shined his highlight on DJ Crystalmess. “You possibly can’t even see Frank Ocean however you get a bit of rave combine in the course of the present,” Frank mentioned, describing her set inside a set. She strung collectively her personal reimagining of Frank’s songs, like a Jersey Membership remix of “Slide,” which Calvin Harris carried out the night time earlier than on the identical stage, in addition to a bounce edit of “Pyramids” that left one scene-stealing safety guard twerking like there’s no tomorrow — all of which was captured and proven as a part of Frank’s reside feed. The rave additionally introduced out the one visitor of the night time: The lime inexperienced robotic child doll Frank introduced as his little date to the 2021 Met Gala.
“Again in 2020, I used to be simply beginning to throw events in little golf equipment in New York that have been simply getting began earlier than sh– began shutting down,” Frank recalled. “And I used to be having such a very good time playlisting music and listening to a lot new music and encountering DJs who have been up and coming and who have been actually on their sh–. It’s change into such part of my follow now with my new weekly factor, with [Apple Music 1’s] Homer Radio that we’ve been engaged on…. It’s good that it’s not all the time about me.”
He Kind of Debuted a New Music
The phrase “Interior Youngster” began circling round a display screen inside the stage as a younger boy named Josiah — meant to signify Frank’s personal interior little one — started taking part in piano and lip-syncing alongside to Frank singing a brand new music. Josiah’s little braids have been poking out from beneath a black durag just like the one worn by Frank, who launched Josiah to the Coachella crowd as swiftly as he was dismissed within the brief, however candy second.
He Honored His Late Brother Ryan
“It’s been so lengthy…. However I’ve missed you,” Frank admitted to the viewers, earlier than vaguely addressing the elephant within the desert. “I wish to speak about why I’m right here as a result of it’s not due to a brand new album… Not that there’s not a brand new album,” he teased. He then hushed over zealous followers so he might clarify what did make him return to the pageant he first carried out at over a decade in the past. “, these final couple years, my life modified a lot…. My brother and I, we got here to this pageant so much,” he mentioned, talking of his late brother Ryan Breaux who died in 2020 from a automotive accident at solely 18 years outdated.
“I really feel like I used to be dragged out right here half the time as a result of I hated the mud out right here, I all the time left with a respiratory an infection, or what have you ever. So I’d keep away from coming, however I’d all the time find yourself right here. One in all my fondest reminiscences was watching Rae Sremmurd on I don’t know what that stage is known as with my brother. And Travis [Bennett], I don’t know if Travis/Taco is right here, however we was simply dancing in that tent to their music, and I do know he would’ve been so excited to be right here with all of us. I wish to say thanks for the assist and the ears and the love over all this time.”
Even throughout two of his beloved tracks, “Nikes” and “Nights,” Frank opted out of performing them reside, quite prancing across the stage and taking part in in entrance of the digital camera, flashing a honest smile that confirmed off a grill on considered one of his entrance enamel.
Perhaps he wanted this simply as a lot as we did.
