The Five Most Interesting Names On The Coachella 2018 Lineup
We've scoured the Coachella 2018 lineup and picked out five names that have got our interests well and truly piqued.
Yes, Beyoncé is headlining Coachella at last, but we already knew that was coming; it's gonna be fantastic, but it's not exactly new news. The hype for Eminem's appearance will be dampened by recent album Revival, one of the weakest releases of his career, and The Weeknd has been a mainstay on festival lineups for a while now. Big - definitely - but not particularly exciting towards the top end of the bill. There's a conspicuous dearth of reunions too.
But look further down the list and there are still a lot of intriguing names, and we've picked five of the ones we can't wait to see.
1
SZA
Her position as the second artist after The Weeknd on the first night is massive. While she might not actually play directly before Abel Tesfaye, this prime spot on the poster shows that not only bookers are into what she's doing, but that they are betting that the throngs of punters are too. It's a big deal to see her above far more established names from across the musical spectrum - including St. Vincent and The War On Drugs - so this should mark a turn upwards in her career trajectory.
Maybe we're reading into it a wee bit (we are a bit head over heels for her), but more people are gonna see her name in any case.
2
Jorja Smith
Big things are gonna happen for Jorja Smith in 2018. She's already well on her way to conquering the UK, and as she takes an enviable place at one of the USA's biggest and most-covered musical events, she's setting her sights on the masses across the Pond as well. It'll be fascinating to see how American audiences - especially an audience that subsists on likes and follows - take to the rising star and her distinctly British brand of jazzy R&B.
3
David Byrne
Apparently the erstwhile Talking Heads frontman is readying new solo record American Utopia for release this spring. Much of the previous evidence was circumstantial, but his booking at Coachella (and a tonne of other big fests) basically makes it a dead cert. The famous experimenter never lingers long in one sonic territory, so if nothing else it should be an eye-opening spectacle as to his lastest phase.
4
Jungle
Like Byrne, Jungle are creeping into festival lineups this year. If anything more of a signifier of a comeback than the ubiquitous social media overhaul, then it's a long-gone act suddenly cropping every-goddamn-where. It's about time the funked-up bunch made a return with some fresh noises (their debut was released in 2014), and all signs point to 2018 being the year for them.
5
Snail Mail
Way down the bottom of the pile on the final day is Snail Mail, the Maryland-based lo-fi project from supremely talented artist Lindsey Jordan.
Snail Mail are one of our five Ones To Watch For 2018, and they're playing our new music festival in London next week alongside a stacked lineup of excellent new names. Find out more and get your tickets while you still can.
Coachella 2018 takes place 13-15 and 20-22 April at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. More info can be found on their website.
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