COACHELLA 01

I’m dancing, I’m crying, I’m ready to talk about these beautiful, gifted artistes. I wanted to discuss every act in the lineup, and I will, I’m just finding it so overwhelming and I might need a few days to process. I think I need to organise my writing space, and sit with some of the performances two or three more times before I can give them my true inner attention. Plus this work has really been distracting me from listening to the new Harry Styles album, and I’m trying to absorb his coded messages, so that’s taking a lot of energy.

I’ve assigned the artists to categories based on my interpretation of their music and their stage presence and their journey. I think they’re all special in their own beautiful way even though some are clearly better than others. I don’t give preferential treatment at all to anyone, and no one is paying me. But again, if you want to, I’ll take your call.

This is Ambition, baby! Which is self-explanatory.

KATSEYE

• Sign: Cancer, Cancer, Aquarius, Scorpio, Capricorn, Sagittarius
• For fans of: TikTok dance trends, BLACKPINK, the pew pew pew in a 90s arcade game, expensive lingerie, Sabrina Carpenter, Zucchini

This weekend, they took the stage as a group of five, while Manon is on a “temporary” hiatus healing her heart. The remaining girls literally released a new single without her. It’s like Zayn all over again. So this was not their tightest performance. Like they were breathy, and a little low energy? And I get breathy too when I’m singing “Gabriella” on my treadmill, but it’s not my vocation. Does that make sense?

They sounded amazing, but they can be better than amazing, that’s all I’m saying. Plus, someone really should have done something about the wind, which kept blowing their hair directly across their faces. Fire the wind guy.

So KATSEYE is a five-to-six-member girl group hand-picked through a K-pop survival competition. They were the subject of The Debut: Dream Academy, a dystopian romance series on Netflix. I binge-watched the documentary and then immediately tried to figure out which member I am and I’m a Manon obviously, which it’s actually a really hard time to be a Manon, and I just want her to know I support her.

They’re a K-pop style group but like, made in America. Their song “Gameboy” is three minutes long and I have thought about it for much longer than that. I wasn’t allowed to play video games growing up because my parents didn’t believe in screens, but I totally get it. Their music reminds me of my first crush ever. His name was Sage and he lived in a lake and smoked weed all the livelong day. He would send me hearts on AOL and then he ignored me IRL

They’re very “global” with members coming from the Philippines, South Korea, Switzerland, Hawaii, and Atlanta. The whole thing feels very celebratory in a way that makes me want to research my own heritage.

As is typical of K-pop engineered groups, their music makes me feel like I’m mainlining TikTok trends. They currently have over 29 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and even though I’m pretty sure those metrics are like, made up, it’s impressive that the platform considers that number to be believable. Oh and they also have two Grammy nominations but I don’t know what for.

Links

• Instagram: @katseyeworld
• YouTube: KATSEYE
• TikTok: @katseyeworld

Ok next!

Karol G

• Sign: Aquarius (a valentines day baby!)
• For fans of: Rosalía, Becky G, a sexy waterslide, Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, the moment after a long cry when you put on really expensive lip gloss and realise you’re actually a genius, the colour turquoise

Carolina Giraldo Navarro, aka Karol G, is a Colombian superstar and I’m actually weeping because her energy is just so expansive and healing. And I think she knows it which is so powerful. She’s the first Latina ever to headline Coachella and she gave the audience a show. Like this was cinema, and basically, she’s manifesting her own global domination, which is such a high-energy thing to do. I don’t speak fluent Spanish but something about her voice makes me feel like I do, or like I could if I downloaded the right app. This was my highlight of the weekend, and I watched literally everyone.

Look, Karol G has been trailblazing, and so her incredible success this weekend should not be a surprise. Her Instagram presence says "I’m like having the time of my life but also I’m a professional" which is a balance most people never achieve. Her 2023 album Mañana Será Bonito was the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and in 2024, she won a Grammy for Best Música Urbana Album.

And yeah, in January I found out that she and less famous Colombian singer Feid broke up after three years together but that’s his loss clearly. Anyway, Karol G showed up and showed us all why she is the self-described Bichota, which I think means she’s the boss of her own light.

Links

• Instagram: @karolg
• YouTube: Karol G
• TikTok: @Karolg

Ok next!

Swae Lee

• Sign: Gemini
• For fans of: Spiderman, Rae Sremmurd, the relief of taking your bra off at the end of a long night, opening the curtains and warm yellow light coming through, a coffee glass filled with ice, Jhené Aiko

First of all, Swae Lee used to be homeless, okay? Like that is beautiful. That’s an artists journey. Swae Lee, born Khalif Malik Ibn Shaman Brown, is literally a songbird and I believe his voice has restorative properties. I’m not saying that lightly because I’ve looked into it. He just dropped his debut solo album, Same Difference, and it’s like he’s finally stepping into his true, singular light after all that time as a duo with his brother. He grew up in Tupelo, Mississippi, a town famous for birthing Elvis Pressley, and after high school he and his brother Slim Jxmmi were briefly squatting in an abandoned house before they were like discovered and signed to producer Mike Will Made It’s label in 2013 and they formed Rae Sremmurd.

He's been on so many songs that are important to me and I didn't always even know it was him. He just wiped his whole feed which is a power move I would never have the courage to do, and now it's just Coachella and the new album, very "I only exist in the present moment" which I actually think is healthy. He’s probably best known for “Sunflower” with Post Malone, a song that came out years ago and still plays everywhere. When he played it On stage he brought out his son dressed like a tiny powerful Spiderman. That was my personal highlight in an otherwise uninspiring set. The backing tracks were just a lot, but his presence was great and it’s so sad that all anyone can talk about is his set running over. I was late to therapy literally yesterday. We’ve both been punished enough.

Links

• Instagram: @swaelee
• YouTube: Swae Lee
• TikTok: @swaelee

Ok next!

WHATMORE

• Sign: Aquarius, Aquarius, Taurus, Virgo, Leo
• For fans of: Brockhampton, Summer barbeques, being invited to a group chat, home videos, the sound of a subway door closing right as you reach the platform, Mac Miller

They're five boys from New York and you can tell because they move like that pack of feral dogs from Oliver & Company. They all met at a performing arts high school which is how I met so many close friends who I should totally reach out to. Like hi Eileen! I miss you girl!

Based on the chatter from the desert, WHATMORE brought the New York block party to California. They had tons of creature comforts with them, like a hot dog stand for example, and it worked. They looked right at home on stage. They said “I love you” to the crowd a lot, and if my experience dating NYC boys taught me anything it’s that they did not mean it.

Their sound is like "I’m 24 and I’ve realised my parents are just people”. One of them plays guitar and most of them play jazz things, like the Saxophone and it’s indie pop that is somehow also rap and I cannot explain how it works but it’s okay I'm always learning. People keep comparing them to Brockhampton which, I get it, but also I think they're going to be annoyed about it eventually. I’m totally hearing a lot of Mac Miller and even a Shwayze vibe. Their TikTok is how I found them and I'm not embarrassed about that. I think they're a must-see before they get too big for these smaller venues, which I feel will be very soon and I want it noted that I said that.

Is it okay that I like them? Like, are they cool? I don’t want to be the person who likes them right when they become “a thing.” That would be actually devastating for me.

Wait, do you think they’d let me be in a music video? I can do “sad but playful” really well. I’ve been practising in the mirror.

Links

• Instagram: @whatmoreeee
• YouTube: WHATMOREEEE
• TikTok: @whatmoreeee