9 Artists Who Have Stood Up For Women In Music: Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga & More
Weekend One of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival’s is in the books, and it should be revered as one of the most impressive in the event’s 24-year history — particularly because of Lady Gaga‘s mind-bending set on Friday, a true contender for G.O.A.T. (more on that below).
Boiling it down to just a few top highlights was extremely challenging given that the Indio, Calif. fest’s estimated 125,000 fans were treated to myriad sets below the lineup’s top billings. Of course, the headliners served up some unforgettable moments, with Travis Scott‘s post-apocalyptic-themed party late Saturday and Post Malone‘s country-fied Sunday night whalloper following Gaga’s lightning strike of a spectacle on Friday. But there were plenty of other thrilling sets throughout the weekend, including Charli XCX, who drew one of the densest crowds and featured Troye Sivan, Lorde and Billie Eilish; Benson Boone, who brought out Queen‘s Brian May for “Bohemian Rhapsody”; Missy Elliott, who staged a galvanizing old-school hip-hop extravaganza; and the Original Misfits, who offered a pummeling punk-rock rager.
Other attendees might even contend that the most mesmerizing moments came during NYC indie sleaze upstart the Dare, Australia’s snottiest garage rockers Amyl and the Sniffers, or BLACKPINK‘s LISA and JENNIE, who each offered impressive solo sets. Nevertheless, we’ve managed to synthesize an assortment of seven artists from all ranks that created incredible moments during the first round of Coachella, and should absolutely not be missed during Weekend Two. Read on for the details.
Kneecap Got Their Crowd Riled Up
Throughout their 50-minute set in the packed Sonora on Friday, West Belfast rap trio Kneecap didn’t mince words.
“Coachella has a bad rep for being a shite crowd,” said MC Naoise Ó Cairealláin after the group’s set opener “It’s Been Ages.” “Are we ready to prove them wrong?”
The resounding roar from audience members — several of them sporting the signature Irish flag balaclavas worn by DJ J.J. Ó Dochartaigh — was a definitive affirmation. Proof persisted in the form of mosh pits and spirited sing-alongs (in both Irish and English), which peaked during “Sick in the Head,” “Rhino Ket” and frenetic finale “H.O.O.D.”
Their outspokenness continued with jabs at former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher to kick off “Guilty Conscience,” and the group led a “Free Palestine” chant prior to the pointed “Get Your Brits Out.” All politics aside, Kneecap delivered an earthshaking performance that rivaled a fair number of artists on the main stage. Expect them to take it by storm in the near future.
Lady Gaga Brought Eye-Popping ‘Mayhem’
Given Lady Gaga’s reputation for elaborate shows, there was an expectation that Mother Monster’s Friday night headlining set would wow the Coachella masses — but what resulted far surpassed any preconceived notions.
It was a masterclass in execution of production and live entertainment that never once compromised the visionary pop star’s artistic integrity. The two-hour spectacle was arguably one of the top Coachella sets of all time, on par with Beyoncé’s legendary performance in 2018 (delayed from 2017, coincidentally where Gaga filled in for Bey’s Indio debut).
“Welcome to my house of mayhem,” she said, referring to the title of her just-released sixth studio album, which played out in a dark fairytale split into four distinct acts and a finale, backdropped by a two-story “opera house in the desert.” Act I, “Of Velvet and Vice,” ended with Gaga killing a sort of white-clad, good-witch alter ego after an intense dance-off during “Poker Face”; Act II, “She Fell into a Gothic Dream,” was comprised entirely of old songs aside from “The Beast,” which saw Gaga transformed into the deceased version of herself; and Act III, “The Beautiful Nightmare that Knows Her Name,” began with a performance of “Killah” featuring the ghoulish Gesaffelstein on keys, and concluded with the resurrected red villain chasing her as she wrapped up with “How Bad Do U Want Me.”
Gaga finally broke character for a moment during Act IV, “To Wake Her is to Lose Her,” when she addressed the audience: “Thank you for all your love… I always feel so blessed to be with the audience because you always teach me something profound about life and the world. The truth is we’re all one… You are who you choose to be, you always will be.”
That led to the riveting “Born This Way” and a serene version of A Star is Born piano ballad “Shallow” on the B stage. The finale, “Eternal Aria of the Monster Heart,” saw Gaga come back from the dead, emerging from underneath the sheet of a morgue table and launching into the thunderous “Bad Romance,” which solidified her as the matriarch of mayhem and master of pure performance art.
Read More: How Each Of Lady Gaga’s Albums Led Her To ‘MAYHEM’
Gustavo Dudamel & The Los Angeles Philharmonic Made Classical Cool
If you slept on Saturday’s sunset showing from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and its conductor Gustavo Dudamel thinking it would be nothing but classical music, you missed one of the most riveting sets of Coachella’s first weekend. Sure, the enormous ensemble started with Richard Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries,” and featured Bach’s “Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor” and Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 5, Movement 1,” but it was also packed with guest appearances from a diverse array of contemporary stars.
Those included Icelandic songstress Laufey on soothing renditions of “From the Start” and the live debut of new single “Silver Lining”; Maren Morris belting out adrenaline-inducing anthem “My Church” alongside a gospel choir; Becky G grooving her way through her certified platinum “Shower”; Argenintian hip-hop duo Ca7riel & Paco Amoroso blazing through “Dumbai” and “La Que Puede, Puedue”; Zedd on a grand piano for a sublime take on party-starter “Clarity”; and finale with LL Cool J and DJ Z-Trip on heavy hitters “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “I Need Love,” “Murdergram” and “Rock the Bells.”
The performance was a lesson in the enduring vitality of classical music, and proof the 44-year-old Venezuelan maestro is perhaps the leading ambassador of asserting its potential mass appeal.
Green Day Reminded Why They’re Rock Royalty
More recent Coachella lineups have seen pop acts occupy the prime spots, but in the fest’s early days, rock and roll reigned supreme. So, it was particularly thrilling to witness Green Day finally get paid their dues when they took over the main stage, ostensibly Saturday’s headliners (as they were originally booked) even though Travis Scott closed the evening.
The Bay Area legends certainly played as if they were the top-billed band. They barrelled full-throttle through nearly two hours of bangers that focused heavily on cuts from Dookie and American Idiot, which respectively celebrated 30- and 20-year anniversaries last year. Pyro, fireworks and confetti blasts permeated almost every moment, adding oomph to the band’s unrelenting youthful vigor.
Though Green Day pulls someone up from the crowd at every show, even frontman Billie Joe Armstrong was impressed by the guitar playing of the fan selected for “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” but was comically unimpressed when the fan asked if he could perform one of his own songs. Yeah right, man — this night was all about Green Day enjoying a career high, which they didn’t squander for an instant.
Weezer Served Up Sing-Along Euphoria
Coachella is notorious for squeezing in surprise performances when the schedule drops just days before the fest. Two years ago it was the return of blink-182 in the Sahara tent, in 2024 it was Vampire Weekend at the Outdoor Theatre, and this year, it was a particularly intimate appearance from Weezer in the Mojave tent.
While there was a question of whether it might go forward after a wild turn of events landed bassist Scott Shriner‘s wife, Jillian Lauren, in the hospital and then jail on April 9 (“she’s all right,” Shriner ensured to TMZ on April 10), the show went off without a hitch and culminated into one of the most joyous surprises of the weekend.
Weezer ran through a slew of hits including “Hash Pipe,” “Beverly Hills” and “Say It Ain’t So,” and surprised fans with a mid-set rendition of Metallica‘s “Enter Sandman.” It was as heavy as the original — a flex proving that the band can rock just as hard as any other — and saw frontman Rivers Cuomo slyly insert a riff from “Buddy Holly,” which, as usual, served as the show’s finale. With fans young and old belting out every word, there was no doubt that Weezer remains as relevant as ever.
Bob Vylan Made Sure They Left Their Mark
Perhaps one of this year’s paramount hidden gems, English punk duo Bob Vylan delivered one of the most hard-hitting sets of the weekend on Sunday in the cozy Sonora tent. Think Rage Against the Machine combined with hyper-political British post-punk — incendiary from start to finish.
Though the vocalist and drummer (both named Bobby and Bobbie, respectively) provided the only live elements — guitars blared via backing tracks — they didn’t need anything extra. The impact was achieved via the constantly kinetic performance, as singer Bobby flailed and snarled through “We Live Here,” “Hunger Games” and closer “Dream Big,” during which the frontman jumped off stage and incited a cathartic mosh pit.
Though they twice proclaimed themselves “the most violent band in the United Kingdom,” it clearly came from a place of fighting against oppression from the powers that be, ultimately manifesting as a push for positivity that marked one of the most inspiring moments of the weekend.
“We hope that you have found some benefit and take something away from this set that we shared with you today,” Bobby said. “Live every day as if it is your last. Live every day as if it is your first … marveling at the possibilities of all that stands before you. Here. Now.”
Megan Thee Stallion Wowed Despite A Slight Hiccup
Houston hip-hop queen Megan Thee Stallion didn’t pull any punches for her Sunday night set on Coachella’s main stage. During a ferocious hour-long set, she rapped, roared and twerked through a barrage of hits, thrilling fans with live debuts of “TYG,” “He Think I Love Him” and “Bigger in Texas,” all pulled from Megan: Act II, an expanded edition of her third full-length.
Though she unfortunately went over her set time — causing visible disappointment among the audience when the sound cut off during “Mamushi” and presumably the finale of “WAP” — her performance was otherwise explosive. Her surprise guests ignited some of the weekend’s most raucous reactions, too, as she brought out Queen Latifah for “Plan B” and the Native Tongues grande-dame’s own “U.N.I.T.Y.,” Victoria Monét for “Spin” and “On My Mama,” and Ciara on “Roc Steady / Goodies.” All hail Coachella’s ultimate Hot Girl.
