Coachella 2024 day three round-up: ‘Men in Black’, Kesha and Taking Back Sunday
Heading into this year’s iteration of Coachella, there have been many conversations surrounding the festival’s cultural relevance. While many attendees tempered their expectations before the festival got underway, it has been steadily garnering momentum following performances from the likes of Blur, No Doubt and Vampire Weekend.
Saturday combined the best and the worst of the festival, with the former category being filled up by the most anticipated and famous acts on the roster. On the flip side, Grimes’ set was deemed the lowest point in recent Coachella history, with fans left majorly disappointed by the glaring technical issues and lack of professionalism.
On Sunday, Y.G. Marley, the great-grandson of Bob Marley, took to the stage and paid tribute to his legendary relative while also being accompanied by his mother, Lauryn Hill. In addition to these, the trend of surprise cameos continued throughout the festival.
Some of the highlights of day three are listed below, with special moments from the likes of Will Smith, Taking Back Sunday and Kesha.
Will Smith makes an appearance
J Balvin incorporated a spectacular sci-fi theme for his set on Sunday, with images of UFOs and other popular themes dominating the visual identity of his performance. However, what was truly unexpected was the appearance of Will Smith, who showed up on the Coachella stage to celebrate one of his most beloved movies.
Alongside Balvin, Smith performed a version of the hit ‘Men in Black’ from the eponymous blockbuster sci-fi movie, where he played the role of an extraterrestrial investigator with the great Tommy Lee Jones. Smith’s rendition definitely stands out as one of the highlights of the third day, especially since his past few public appearances haven’t exactly gone well.
Kesha slams Diddy
While Reneé Rapp’s set was drawing enough positive attention on its own, it reached the next level when she brought Kesha onto the stage by introducing her as: “Ladies and gentlemen, this, I think, is the hottest person on the earth. Everybody put your fucking hands together for Kesha.”
During a performance of her well-known hit ‘Tik Tok’, Kesha lashed out at Diddy, who was recently arrested for cocaine possession while also facing multiple sexual assault allegations. Kesha changed the original opening line of her song to match her sentiments: “Wake up in the morning feeling like fuck P. Diddy”.
Taking Back Sunday ride the nostalgia wave
Emo fans also got their share of the fun when Taking Back Sunday showed up for their set at this year’s Coachella, with the Mojave Tent crowd finding it hard to restrain their admiration for the Long Island outfit. While they released their eighth studio album, 152, last year, their performance had the right amount of classics to get the fans going.
Ranging from ‘You’re So Last Summer’ to ‘Liar (It Takes One To Know One)’, the emo-fuelled angst was palpable, strongly defining the atmosphere during their set. Taking Back Sunday’s Coachella outing was fun for the nostalgia junkies, but it also might prove to be a sign of the festival’s changing identity in the coming years.
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