Justin Bieber returned in style to the Coachella Festival with a packed show in which, in addition to presenting music from his most recent period, he gave a nostalgic review of his career since his beginnings on the internet.
On a minimalist stage and wearing a pink sweatshirt, the singer began his concert this Saturday with “All I Can Take”, the first of more than a dozen songs that would mark the first part of his performance from his albums “SWAG” and “SWAG II.”
The show alternated between peaks of intensity and quieter passagess, during which some attendees even sat on the floor, only to get up later and dance to the rhythm of their most classic songs.
The singer, who had not performed on large-format stages since his Justice World Tour in 2022, used a computer to apparently interact with the public who sent him song requests through the YouTube broadcast.
In a kind of massive karaoke, Bieber revived fragments of hits from his early days, such as “Baby” or “Favorite Girl”, and even screened the video in which he performs a cover of “With You”, by Chris Brown, which he uploaded to the platform when he was 13 years old and which catapulted him to fame.
Bieber closed his stellar performance with special guests Dijon, Tems, Wizkid and Mk.gee.
His feverish fan base, known as the Believers, gathered many hours before his presentation, but their presence began to be noticeable during the performance of The Strokes, the band before the Canadian’s show.
The Strokes and Nine Inch Noize
Members of that American indie rock band, which headlined in 2011, made sarcastic comments throughout the night about performing before the pop star.
“I want to thank you for fulfilling our lifelong dream of opening for Justin Bieber.”The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture said ironically to the audience.
Across the Empire Polo Club hosting the event, Nine Inch Noize, the alliance between the legendary American industrial rock duo Nine Inch Nails (NIN) and German producer Alexander Ridha, burst onto the scene with a visceral staging.
The combination of heavy electronic beats, violent visuals in red, white and black, and chaotic choreography on a gray ramp offered an immersive and disruptive experience.
And among the day’s featured emerging artists was Sombr, who, dressed in black leather and a classic rock star aesthetic, shined with an eclectic performance in which he performed songs like ‘Homewrecker’ surrounded by ballet dancers.
The 20-year-old singer, nominated for best new artist at the recent Grammys, also brought Billy Corgan on stage to sing ‘1979’. The Smashing Pumpkins frontman had also been at the festival last year as a guest artist during My Chemical Romance’s performance.
Spain, Brazil and Colombia take the stage
Among the proposals in Spanish, the Spanish singer Rusowsky stood out, who animated the Sonora stage with a low-light show, his characteristic wig and dark glasses, and songs like “malibU”, “Johnny Glamor” or “mwah :3”.
For their part, the Colombians from Morat did the same in an experience with which they hope to “open the way for bands and pop rock in Spanish,” Simón Vargas Morales, bassist of the group, told EFE.
“Debuting at Coachella is one of those moments that we always imagine, but that feels completely different when it finally happens,” he added.
Likewise, the Brazilian singer Luísa Sonza offered an explosive concert in which she had the Argentine Emilia Mernes as a special guest to sing “Bunda.”
Under threat of winds
Some technical problems arose again during this second day, especially due to the strong winds that hit much of the Coachella Valley, where this festival takes place.
On Friday night, Italian DJ Anyma’s show had already been canceled due to this situation, and this Saturday there were significant delays, such as in David Byrne’s show, which started around 20 minutes later than scheduled.
The festival will close the first weekend on Sunday, with Karol G as the main artist, the first Latina to headline the event, in addition to performances such as Iggy Pop and the Spanish duo Mëstiza.
