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Beyoncé To Drop 'Homecoming' Documentary On April 17

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The film features "an intimate look at Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performance that paid homage to America's historically black colleges and universities"
Rachel Brodsky
GRAMMYs
Apr 8, 2019 - 11:40 am

There's a reason why people started referring to Coachella as "Beychella" after Beyoncé's epic headlining set last year.

The multiple GRAMMY winner's history-making performance is now the subject of a new Netflix documentary titled "Homecoming," which is dropping on the streaming service on April 17. 

Netflix originally teased the documentary over the weekend with a tweet that simply wrote "Homecoming" with Greek letters.

Then, on Monday morning, the streaming behemoth dropped a full trailer and press release, describing the project as "an intimate look at Beyoncé's historic 2018 Coachella performance that paid homage to America's historically black colleges and universities."

According to Netflix, the film will also be "interspersed with candid footage and interviews detailing the preparation and powerful intent behind her vision."

"Homecoming" is a rather significant word for Beyoncé, who last year launched a scholarship program called the "Homecoming Scholars Award Program," which provided four Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) each a $25,000 scholarship to award to a student of their choice.

Get a look at the "Homecoming" trailer below:

Beyoncé Donates $100K In Scholarships To Historically Black Universities

GRAMMYs

Beyoncé 

Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella

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Beyonce Created A Space To Celebrate Black Culture At Coachella & More Things 'Homecoming' Taught Us

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With her new Netflix doc, Queen Bey invites us to relive the moment she made history as the first African-American female headliner at Coachella 2018
Jennifer Velez
GRAMMYs
Apr 18, 2019 - 1:22 pm

By now, Beyoncé's historic performance at Coachella 2018 is engraved in our cultural music festival memory. If we weren't there either weekend in person, we watched the live-stream or heard about it through our friends or social media. We saw images of the icon paying tribute to black royalty (Nefertiti) and give a shout-out to black fraternities and sororities through her costumes. We heard about the Destiny's Child reunion. 

But now, the Queen Bey is giving the world the opportunity to witness the moment in which she made history as the first African-American female headliner at the two-weekend festival—and for those that were there, giving us the chance to re-live it and get goosebumps all over again. The performances that took place the weekends of April 13 and 22, 2018 were meaningful both professionally and personally for the GRAMMY-winning artist. The headlining set was the icon's first performance since giving birth to her twins. (She was supposed to play Coachella in 2017, but doctor's told her to "keep a less rigorous schedule" during what was left of her pregnancy.)

So Coachella 2018 became the stage for her long-awaited come comeback and she made sure to bring her whole culture with her and go above her work ethic for the welcoming. The Netflix documentary titled Homecoming, released Wed. April 17, takes everyone behind the scenes of exactly what it took to execute such a huge performance (roughly over 200 people were on stage during the set.)  

The documentary seamlessly switches between weekend one and weekend two performances (we can't forget that she did it twice) and was released with a suprise album of the live show with the same name. Here are some things Beyoncé taught us during her epic Coachella performance. 

She Made A Space To Celebrate Black Culture At The Festival

"When I decided to do Coachella, instead of me pulling out my flower crown, it was more important that I brought our culture to Coachella," Beyoncé narrates during the roughly two-hour documentary.

And she did. From Nefertiti, Black Panther and Historic Black Colleges And Universities (HBCU) sorority and fraternity inspired costumes to her performance of "Lift Every Voice And Sing, (known as the black national anthem) to dance moves inspired by black and African culture, the singer put out a show that highlighted many parts of what it means to be black in the U.S. 

Homecoming shows us how much she is personally inspired by her history. She reveals her dream of attending an HBCU and that she would go to the battle of the bands, where bands from HBCUs battle it out, when she was younger. 

Throughout the documentary, quotes and voices belonging to historic black figures, including W.E.B Du Bois, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Nina Simone and more. Her homecoming performance embodied her history and what she saw growing up and every part represented a piece of her experience. 

It Highlighted The 22 Years Of Her Career

Beyoncé's homecoming desert performance also became a celebration of her 22-year career. Her performance with Destiny Child's took her fans back to her roots with songs like "Lose My Breath", while performances of "Diva," "Crazy In Love," "Drunk In Love" and "Formation" took them through all the stages of her career, giving them new life with the help of her marching band. Paired with choreography that was as emotionally captivating as historically meaningful—the stepping alone was so powerful—the 23-time GRAMMY winner's documentary cemented the reason the 2018 festival was dubbed Beychella. 

She Is Inspired By The Next Generation Of Music Makers And Artists 

While we are constantly in awe of her, Beyoncé is in awe of the talent that helped bring her comeback to life: the band, steppers, marching bands, dancers. 

"I wanted a black orchestra, I wanted the steppers, I needed the vocalists, and the amount of swag was just limitless," she says in the doc. "Like the things these young people can do with their bodies and the music they can play and the drumrolls and the haircuts and their bodies and the...it's just not right. It's just so much damn swag."

She Is A Perfectionist/Disciplined With A Vision

The documentary revealed the months of rehearsing and planning to put the festival together. There was a four-month period of rehearsals with the band, before four-month dance rehearsals began. There were several meetings with Balmain's Olivier Rousteing, who helped bring her vision to life, before he flew to Los Angeles to meet her. For the performance, Beyoncé oversaw everything and personally picked every dancer, the height of the pyramid on stage, "every tiny detail had an intention." "I respect things that take work. I respect things that are built from the ground up," she said.

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She wanted everyone to feel the moment and it had to be perfect.

It's Not Easy Being Beyoncé, But She Slays Regardless

The documentary also took us into how she is juggling motherhood, reveals how complicated her pregnancy was and the sacrifices she had to make in order for the Coachella performance to happen.

At the end of it all, her goal was to make people feel seen: "I wanted every person who has ever been dismissed because of the way they look to feel like they were on that stage. Killing 'em. Killing 'em."

Amanda Davis Is Getting More Women Of Color Behind The Mixing Board

Screenshot from Beyoncé's 'Black Is King'

Screenshot from Beyoncé's Black Is King

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Beyoncé Announces New Visual Album 'Black Is King,' Out July 2020 On Disney+

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The visual album, which is based on the singer's 2019 soundtrack album for 'The Lion King: The Gift,' "reimagines the lessons of 'The Lion King' for today’s young kings and queens in search of their own crowns"
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jun 28, 2020 - 1:52 pm

Beyhive, rejoice! Beyoncé returns to the screens next month with Black Is King, a brand-new visual album written, directed and executive-produced by the 24-time GRAMMY winner. Set to globally premier July 31 on Disney+, the visual album is based on the music from Queen Bey's The Lion King: The Gift, the soundtrack album she curated for the 2019 The Lion King remake; Black Is King will be released nearly two weeks after the film's one-year anniversary. 

The visual album "reimagines the lessons of The Lion King for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns" and offers "a celebratory memoir for the world on the Black experience," according to a press release from Disney announcing the project. 

Black Is King, which was "in production for one year with a cast and crew that represent diversity and connectivity," according to the press release, stars featured artists from The Lion King: The Gift and includes special guest appearances. The visual album will include videos for The Gift tracks like "My Power," "Mood 4 Eva" and "Brown Skin Girl." 

"The voyages of Black families, throughout time, are honored in a tale about a young king's transcendent journey through betrayal, love and self-identity," the press release states. "His ancestors help guide him toward his destiny, and with his father's teachings and guidance from his childhood love, he earns the virtues needed to reclaim his home and throne.

These timeless lessons are revealed and reflected through Black voices of today, now sitting in their own power. Black Is King is an affirmation of a grand purpose, with lush visuals that celebrate Black resilience and culture. The film highlights the beauty of tradition and Black excellence."

Released last July, The Lion King: The Gift featured an epic artist roster comprising African and Afrobeats artists like Wizkid, Burna Boy, Mr Eazi and many others. At the 2020 GRAMMYs, the album received a nomination for Best Pop Vocal Album, while album track "Spirit," performed by Beyoncé, received nominations for Best Pop Solo Performance and Best Song Written For Visual Media. (Beyoncé's 2019 concert film, Homecoming, based on her historic performance at Coachella 2018, won the GRAMMY for Best Music Film, her only win that night.) 

Black Is King follows Beyoncé's new track "BLACK PARADE," which she released last week on Juneteenth (June 19); proceeds from the track will benefit her BeyGOOD Black Business Impact Fund, which supports Black-owned small businesses.

Beyoncé: Justice For Breonna Taylor Would Demonstrate The Value Of A Black Woman's Life

Coachella 2019

Coachella 2019

Photo: Rich Fury/Getty Images

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Breaking Down The Coachella 2020 Lineup: Rage Against The Machine, Frank Ocean, Calvin Harris & More Announced

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From hip-hop headliners to K-pop comebacks, the Coachella 2020 lineup reflects the current state of the music industry
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
Jan 3, 2020 - 2:24 pm

The world-leading Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival is back with the much-anticipated lineup announcement for its upcoming 2020 edition. Returning to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, Calif., across two weekends—weekend one takes place Friday, April 10, through Sunday, April 12; weekend two takes place Friday, April 17, through Sunday, April 19—Coachella 2020 will feature headlining performances from the recently reunited Rage Against The Machine (Friday), hip-hop giant Travis Scott (Saturday) and R&B avant-gardist Frank Ocean (Sunday). Other artists rounding out the lineup include Calvin Harris, Lana Del Rey, FKA twigs, Flume, Thom Yorke, Lil Uzi Vert, Run The Jewels, Megan Thee Stallion, Disclosure, 21 Savage and many others. 

Coachella, the most successful reoccurring festival franchise, is known for its wide-spanning annual lineups, which regularly predict and solidify music trends while also reflecting the current state of the industry. This year's artist roster continues the trend. 

Here's a quick breakdown of the Coachella 2020 lineup and what it means for the year ahead. 

Hip-Hop And R&B Lead The Way

With hip-hop and R&B surpassing rock as the most popular genre in the U.S., it's no surprise that Coachella, once a rock-centric festival in its early years, is leaning heavily into those dominating scenes. Two of the festival's main headliners, Scott and Ocean, come from the rap and R&B worlds, respectively. Even Friday headliners Rage Against The Machine, who headlined the first-ever Coachella in 1999, feature hip-hop elements in their rap-rock sound. 

The Coachella 2020 lineup also features rising hip-hop and R&B artists and bona fide stars including Roddy Ricch, 21 Savage, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Brockhampton, City Girls, Doja Cat, Pink Sweat$, Princess Nokia, Summer Walker and others. This year's lineup expands Coachella's large bet on hip-hop and R&B as the de facto sound of the new decade, a continuation of previous years, with a larger focus on emerging artists and global acts. 

Reunions, Surprise Acts And Comebacks

The big reunion at Coachella 2020 is the return of Rage Against The Machine, who last performed at the festival in 2007 and last played together as a group in 2011. Elsewhere, K-pop fans worldwide are ecstatic for the return of South Korean boy band BIGBANG, who are reuniting as a group for the first time since 2018, the year the act went on official hiatus after some of its members enlisted in their homeland's military and another member retired from the entertainment industry amid criminal and legal investigations against him. The BIGBANG booking continues Coachella's expansion into K-pop, which last year welcomed BLACKPINK as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the festival.

Read: Why is K-pop's popularity exploding in the United States?

The biggest surprise act to wow Coachella fans is Danny Elfman, the former Oingo Boingo frontman who's since become a film and TV score composer virtuoso. (You might know him best as the man behind the everlasting theme song of "The Simpsons" as well as the scores and music for major blockbuster films like Planet Of The Apes (2001), The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and many others.) While Elfman may be the odd man out at this year's lineup, he joins fellow film score composer Hans Zimmer, who performed at the festival in 2017, in Coachella history.

Read: "The Simpsons" At 30: A Complete History Of Every Band That's Ever Rocked Springfield  

Latin Music Comes Back Strong

The influence of Latin music at Coachella 2019 was undeniable. Last year's lineup featured Latin pop's heavy hitters like J Balvin, Bad Bunny and Rosalía. As well, Coachella welcomed Los Tucanes De Tijuana, a legendary band from Tijuana, Mexico, who became the first-ever norteño act to perform at the festival in 2019. 

This year, Coachella continues the Latin music spree with confirmed performances from Brazilian pop superstar Anitta, Mexican banda group Banda MS and Brazilian drag star and pop singer Pabllo Vittar. The lineup also features rising Latinx indie pop and rock artists like Jessie Reyez, Cuco, Chicano Batman, Omar Apollo and Inner Wave. Ranking as the fifth most popular genre in America, Latin music continues its global domination on the charts and again at Coachella 2020.

The Many Flavors Of Pop

Ever since Drake headlined Coachella in 2015, the festival has experimented with mainstream pop headliners over the past five years: Calvin Harris in 2016, Lady Gaga (replacing Beyoncé) in 2017, Beyoncé (actually) in 2018 and Ariana Grande in 2019. For 2020, Coachella enlists a wide array of pop artists, each offering a distinct take on the genre. Acts like Lewis Capaldi, Alie Gatie and Marina lead the pack for the vocal pop singer-songwriter bunch. Lana Del Rey and FKA twigs, both billed as subheadliners for Sunday, will offer a moodier, more experimental pop experience. Then there's Charli XCX and Kim Petras, two alt-pop auteurs taking the genre to the future. Finally, Lil Nas X and Carly Rae Jepsen, both pop giants who tout global crossover appeal, will undoubtedly bring their viral sound to the festival masses. Coachella 2020 is a pop lover's dream come true. 

Experiences As Artists

While not officially billed on the lineup, Kanye West stole the show at last year's Coachella with an Easter Sunday performance from his gospel group, Sunday Service Choir. The event was one of the most talked-about performances at Coachella 2019, essentially becoming an "experience within an experience." This year, Coachella continues the trend via two standout bookings: Emo Nite and 88rising's Double Happiness.

Emo Nite, which takes over on Saturday, is the wildly popular emo-themed event series from Los Angeles that has largely sparked the emo and pop-punk revival and emo nostalgia trend of the past decade. The throwback dance party has hosted performances, surprise DJ sets and full-on tours from the genres' mainstays, including 3OH!3, Blink-182's Mark Hoppus, Dashboard Confessional and From First To Last, featuring frontman Sonny "Skrillex" Moore. That's all to say you can expect a star-studded roster at the Emo Nite gig this April. 

Elsewhere, 88rising, the hybrid management and multimedia production company and record label globalizing rap artists and hip-hop culture from the wider Asian-American and Asian markets, is presenting its Double Happiness event series at the festival. While the event, scheduled for Saturday, is featured as a standalone experience at the bottom of the bill, 88rising has confirmed several of its artists across the Coachella 2020 lineup, including Indonesian rapper Rich Brian (Friday), Japanese R&B singer/rapper Joji (Saturday) and Indonesian singer NIKI (Friday).

With Coachella leading the way, festival lineups this year may feature more experiences-as-artists bookings. 

Tickets for weekend one of Coachella 2020 are now sold out, but presale registration for weekend two is now open. A first-ever presale for weekend two begins Monday, January 6, at 12 p.m. PT. 

View the full Coachella 2020 lineup and register for the presale via the festival's official website.

Coachella Co-Founder Paul Tollett Talks Kanye, Safety, Legacy & More

Blood Orange

Dev Hynes / Blood Orange

Photo: Julia Reinhart/Redferns/Getty Images

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Blood Orange Announces 2020 Tour Dates With Tei Shi, Including A Radio City Show

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The Brooklyn-based multi-hyphenate will be making his headline debut at New York City's iconic Radio City Music Hall on March 20, 2020
Ana Monroy Yglesias
GRAMMYs
Dec 10, 2019 - 1:41 pm

From scoring the critically acclaimed film "Queen & Slim," slaying Coachella, touring with Tyler, The Creator and releasing the Angel's Pulse mixtape, Devonte Hynes, a.k.a. Blood Orange, has had a triumphant 2019.

Given his tour announcement today, which includes a debut headline show on March 20, at New York City's legendary Radio City Music Hall, it looks like 2020 will be another great year for the "Hope" singer.

Before the Brooklyn-based artist takes over Radio City, he will begin his trek on March 7 at Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival in Okeechobee, Fla., followed by two nights in Atlanta on March 9 and 10 and a show at Chicago's historic The Vic Theatre on March 13. He will also perform in Detroit, Toronto and Washington, D.C. before closing things out with a bang back home in New York.

Related: How Collaboration And A Little Magic Made Blood Orange's 'Negro Swan'

Other than the festival set, all dates are Blood Orange headline shows. His friend and collaborator Tei Shi (they've collabed on his 2018 single "Hope," her 2019 one "Even If It Hurts") will support all of his headline dates. As noted by Brooklyn Vegan, the March show will not be the first time Hynes has played Radio City—he opened for Florence & The Machine there way back in 2012.

In his Instagram post this morning announcing the big news, he noted there are "more dates 2 come." In the words of the late, great Zapp founder Roger Troutman, on behalf of other West Coast Blood Orange fans, don't forget; "California knows how to party." 

Tickets for all Blood Orange headline dates go on sale this Friday, Dec. 13 at 11 a.m.—visit his website for more info.

Tei Shi Has Found Her Happy Place