Sunday night’s Coachella-headlining performance by the enigmatic R&B star Frank Ocean was unquestionably the most highly-anticipated set of the festival. frank ocean dancing/vibing to chanel live at coachella pic.twitter.com/MnqAf5WPXo — Frank Ocean Daily (@TeamFrankDaily) April 17, 2023Pauses — long, pregnant, “what are we doing next?” pauses — came frequently between songs, and it looked as if the setlist was mostly a series of onstage audibles. Why lip-synch to tracks of the only two songs played in their original arrangement if you’ve got a full band? Perhaps some understood the throughlines, but for a festival audience not necessarily composed of die-hards, it felt like pure chaos. Ocean is beloved partially because of his unpredictable nature, and surely his most devoted fans will claim pure artistry as an excuse.
