This year’s Coachella lineup kept its anticipated element of surprise. At one time, the early January announcement was an eclectic curation of the industry’s most groundbreaking artists. In recent years, the annual two-weekend long festival has featured pop heavy-hitters like Drake in 2016, Beyonce in 2018, and Ariana Grande in 2019 as headliners. The original 2020 lineup for the rescheduled and ultimately cancelled event had an awe-inspiring headlining trio: Rage Against The Machine, Travis Scott and Frank Ocean.

During the pandemic, it seemed Travis Scott’s billing was secure with all the momentum in his career. He had a new single “Escape Plan” coming out, he had brand partnerships lined up like Dior, and his music festival named after his 2018 studio album Astroworld was finally set to take place after a cancelled year due to covid and despite rising new cases. However, the tragic event of Astroworld Festival 2021 on November 5th kept the Houston rapper in the down low, his partnerships were ended, and touring plans were put on pause. Travis Scott is still in the heat in the aftermath, facing dozens of lawsuits, and though cancel culture has played a part in some of his endorsements coming to an end, some brands simply don’t want to be associated with him. Just before the new year, Goldenvoice dropped Travis Scott as a headliner for the Coachella 2022 lineup. It was also reported that the rapper was eager to keep his spot, and offered to perform without pay at the California desert music festival.

In a complete 180, the new headliner for the two Fridays is British rocker Harry Styles. Where Travis encourages his fans to “rage” during his shows, Harry’s mantra at his own concerts is “Treat People With Kindness.” Even though this new selection is a promoter-approved, low-risk choice, there is also a great deal of excitement to see this young artist headline the American festival. In 2021, he had one of the year’s most successful tours. Styles’ "Love On Tour” earned $87 million in revenue, selling over 669,000 tickets, and reached fans in 30 cities for 39 shows. Love On Tour was set for 2020, but was rescheduled to 2021, and managed to complete the tour without any cancellations due to the pandemic. The ex-One Direction star has cemented himself as a strong solo artist, earning a Grammy nomination for his 2nd studio album Fine Line for Best Immersive Audio Album.

Billie Eilish is no stranger to Coachella’s main stage. As the only female large-print name on the poster, this will be her first time headlining the 250,000-attended fest. The “Bad Guy” singer will embark on a North American Tour starting February 3rd to April 9th, where she will close out with three night in Los Angeles. Following the final show, the young performer will headline the two Coachella weekends. The LA native’s 2019 debut album When We Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? was edgy, electric and explosive, with bangers that can get the floor shaking. Her new sound is sultry, with her whispered singing sounding more mature, making the listener lean in closer as she comes from a place of more experience. Because of covid, her arena tour in support of her first album was postponed in 2020, and then cancelled. Her 2022 tour is in support of her new album.

Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is an interesting pick. Whether you strictly follow music news and lived through his latest slow drop album release for Donda, or you indulge in pop culture and know every detail about his very public break-up and divorce, Ye is someone to everybody. The rapper’s strong discography spanning over a decade makes him an ideal headliner. In August 2021, the artist hosted a live and live-streamed show at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the debut of Donda, his 10th studio album. If life imitates art, then Ye is a true artist. The anticipation of his new album release was a spectacle on its own that went on for days, from news announcing that the record was finished, then revealing that adjustments were being made, to the last-minute verse by Jay-Z recorded and added just 4 hours before the release, and Kanye starting his show 2 hours late. His performances are powerful because of the heart and emotion in his music - Donda is his late-mother’s name, who passed away unexpectedly in 2007. Only two songs entered Billboard’s Top 10 chart, Hurricane debuting at #6 and Jail at #10. Yet, Donda was critically acclaimed, earning him 4 Grammy nominations including Album of the Year.