“2023 Coachella” Is Here — But Can It Top K-Pop’s Best “2022 Coachella” Moments?
The popular two-week-long festival kicked off last night with some incredible performances, and it has much more in store! With BLACKPINK set to become the first-ever K-Pop act to headline, alongside stars like Bad Bunny and Frank Ocean, K-Pop fans are definitely in for a treat this year.
But, as we await more iconic moments from the worldwide famous festival and the K-Celebs in the lineup, it’s worth taking a look back to the five best moments that last year’s Coachella had in store for K-Pop fans.
1. Aespa’s Live Vocals
2022 Coachella saw the newest SM Entertainment girl group perform on the popular stage very soon after debut, but this didn’t stop aespa from delivering perfect vocals and amazing stage presence. Having a set full of hits like “Savage,” “Next Level,” and “Black Mamba” certainly helped get the crowd going, but it was the members’ vocal abilities that attracted the most attention.
i'd die there instantly NING YIZHUO LIVE VOCAL IS INSANE 😭😭😭👏🏼👏🏼
FEEL THE COACHELLA AENERGY #aespaLiveAtCoachella #aespa #aespaCoachella @aespa_official pic.twitter.com/NwBciMf3wH
— 강텬 | BYD1 | MSH1 | 하니해 😇🦌🦊🐹🐱🍒 (@Raima_imaa) April 24, 2022
They were hitting those incredibly difficult high notes like it was nothing!
Winter just be hitting the notes like its a normal thing she does everyday
FEEL THE COACHELLA AENERGY #aespaLiveAtCoachella#aespa #aespaCoachella pic.twitter.com/mG3RmtplTw
— Win🍁🍂 (@aespastunning) April 24, 2022
2. Jackson Wang “Stripping”
Jackson Wang was also among the stars invited to perform at the popular festival, and boy weren’t all fans of the star in for a treat. Not only did he have an amazing set of songs prepared for his performance, but he also made history as the first Chinese music artist to take the stage of Coachella.
so proud of you jackson pic.twitter.com/jZ5Hl8rH5q
— 88rising (@88rising) April 17, 2022
While Jackson’s whole set was incredible, one moment, in particular, caught the most attention. The singer decided to take his shirt off mid-performance which made for one of the hottest Coachella sets of all time. Jackson’s muscular body and handsome visuals were a combo fans definitely did not prepare for.
3. 2NE1 Reunion
2NE1‘s surprise Coachella performance was definitely the perfect cherry on top for all K-Pop fans during last year’s festival. The legendary quartet performed their 2011 mega-hit “I Am The Best” to the delight of the crowd.
The group’s rapper CL had already been announced as part of 88rising‘s “HEAD IN THE CLOUDS FOREVER” showcase, but no one could have seen the rest of the members joining her on stage coming. Sandara Park, CL, Park Bom, and Minzy gave the performance of a lifetime and made the crowd the loudest it had been all day.
4. Ningning’s Viral Visuals
Not only did aespa dominate Coachella with their incredible vocals, but the group’s main vocalist also enjoyed plenty of attention after serving some jaw-dropping visuals. Ningning looked gorgeous as ever rocking her beautiful blonde locks and wearing some of the trendiest outfits at the time.
The aespa star received lots of love from fans and non-fans alike with every new picture that came out, from her casual look when attending other artists’ sets to her stunning on-stage visuals. Ningning definitely took over social media that weekend!
5. 2NE1 Dara’s Iconic Hairstyle
While 2NE1’s legendary performance had plenty of iconic details for BLACKJACKs to thrive on, Dara‘s hair making an appearance is definitely at the top of the list. The idol’s extravagant hairstyles were always one of the coolest things about 2NE1 comebacks, so seeing it make a comeback on such a big stage made K-Pop fans feel super nostalgic.
The members themselves were shocked Dara went all the way to pay tribute to their hit song “I Am The Best,” with Minzy audibly gasping upon seeing it during a behind-the-scenes clip.
You might need a whole bottle of shampoo [to wash it out].
— Minzy
