Coachella Preview | Sydney Hecht

After two years of waiting, Southern California’s most exclusive music festival, Coachella, is finally set to have its post-pandemic return this upcoming weekend, and its star-studded set-list did not disappoint. The festival features headliners Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, and Swedish House Mafia with the Weeknd (replacing Ye, who suddenly dropped out of the lineup for reasons of his own), and is sure to be an exciting two weekends of performances and events. Although many of us are too young to attend the event itself, the Coachella YouTube channel is set to live stream each concert from the front row, so that viewers around the world can tune in to watch their favorite artists from the comfort of their own homes. This year’s event has been in high anticipation, so, without further ado, here are my three recommendations of artists to look out for this upcoming weekend.

Omar Apollo

Omar Apollo, a Mexican-American, bilingual artist, is set to have his Coachella debut this weekend. Apollo’s music mainly falls under the slow, R&B genre, and his discography has already been praised by many other artists, such as Tyler, the Creator. His latest album, “Ivory,” was released this past Friday, and songs like “Killing Me” and “Invincible,” (which features Daniel Caesar, another artist attending Coachella) are already some of his most popular songs to date. His previous album “Apolonio,” also features performance-worthy songs like “Useless” (my personal favorite) and “Kamikaze” that fans will likely see played live this weekend. Apollo is set to perform along with headliner Harry Styles on Friday, April 15.

Wallows

Wallows, one of my personal favorite artists, will be performing this Saturday along with headliner Billie Eilish, and their set-list is sure to be a good one. The trio is most well known for their songs “Are You Bored Yet?” and “Remember When,” both songs from their 2019 album “Nothing Happens.” Their most recent album, “Tell Me That It’s Over,” released only two weeks ago, will amass most of their set-list, however they are rumored to play older, more popular material as well. Whether you’re a fan of the band or are listening to their music for the first time, Wallows is sure to deliver a fun-filled, lively performance this upcoming Saturday.

Harry Styles

Of course, this article wouldn’t be complete without a mention of the boy bander-turned-solo-artist, Harry Styles. Styles (a headliner at Coachella this year) is scheduled to perform this upcoming Friday and has a set-list you won’t want to miss. Not only is the former One Direction member a great performer with an amazing voice and stage presence, but he also has a multitude of festival-worthy songs, such as “Golden,” “Adore You,” and of course, the Grammy-winning “Watermelon Sugar,” all of which are part of his triple-platinum sophomore album, “Fine Line.” His recent release, “As It Was,” is also rumored to be on the artist’s setlist for this weekend, so make sure to stay tuned for Styles’ Coachella debut.

Of course, Apollo, Wallows, and Styles are only some of the amazing 178 artists performing this weekend. Regardless of who you’re tuning in to watch, whether it’s a headliner, another well-known artist, or an artist most people have never heard of, you’re sure to have a good time. The best part is that, even if you aren’t able to attend the festival in person, you can still enjoy and celebrate live music from the confines of your own home, something that we’ve all anxiously awaited for two, long years.