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2021 In Review: 8 Trends That Defined Rock
It isn't just not dead; it's thriving. In 2021, rock became less male, less straight, more genre-fluid and further enshrined modern-day elders — all with a healthy reverence for the past
GRAMMYs/Dec 29, 2021 - 10:37 pm
By the looks of the 2022 GRAMMY nominations, rock in 2021 was about looking backward.
There's some credence to this idea: AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, Wolfgang Van Halen, Weezer, Kings of Leon and the late Chris Cornell had banner years. Even Black Pumas' twice-nominated Capitol Cuts was something of another permutation of their 2019 self-titled debut — to say nothing of their retro-soul sound. But the real story is more complicated than that.
Beneath the stratum of these legacy acts (and, in Black Pumas' case, an up-and-comer), rock expanded in a multitude of directions. For one, the idea of it being a straight, white male's game was put to pasture: women singer/songwriters from Olivia Rodrigo to Lucy Dacus — as well as a host of acclaimed LGBTQ+ artists — took the wheel.
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And when it comes to the sound of rock in 2021, things got more exciting than inclusion alone. Just beneath the mainstream and big-box indie, Turnstile blended floor-punching hardcore with wavy R&B and electronic textures, thanks in part to forward-thinking guest Dev Hynes, a.k.a. Blood Orange. Hardcore-adjacent bands like Fiddlehead and Militarie Gun wove the angular indie and emo of the '90s into their strongest songs to date.
Certainly, some cultural currents from prior years washed into 2021's rock sphere — namely, classic rock proving as sturdy as ever, pop-punk and emo riding high and Foo Fighters saturating all media. But here are a few other happenings more-or-less squarely in the province of 2021.
Women Stepped Forward
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Female talent was uncontainable in 2021 indie and rock: Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus, Bachelor, Courtney Barnett and Pom Pom Squad all had strong showings.
Most importantly, their perspectives were front and center. And while Olivia Rodrigo's Sour was saturated in heterosexual breakup woes, women wrote songs about everything this year, from grief to joy to sobriety to solitude.
If the Bechdel test — which ascertains whether a work features at least two women who talk to each other about something other than a man — applied to guitar-based music, 2021 would pass with flying colors.
Representation Expanded Beyond Gender
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Two-thirds of rising pop-punk trio Meet Me @ The Altar — who released their Fueled By Ramen debut, an EP titled Model Citizen, in August — identify as LGBTQ+, but that's hardly where queer representation in 2021 rock ended.
Snail Mail's Lindsey Jordan, who is openly gay, put out her acclaimed album Valentine. St. Vincent's Annie Clark, who once said "I don't really identify as anything," released Daddy's Home to widespread praise.
And Japanese Breakfast's Michelle Zauner, who is bisexual, had a massive year with her new album, Jubilee — which contained the hit single "Be Sweet" — and bestselling memoir, Crying in H Mart.
Plus, the half-Asian, half-Latinx, all-female band the Linda Lindas (of "Racist Sexist Boy" fame) signed to Epitaph Records in 2021 — which bodes well for a women-first 2022 in punk.
The Old Became New
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On Glow On, Turnstile interpolated Sly and the Family Stone lyrics and their aforementioned punk peers whipped up a noise akin to Unwound or Sunny Day Real Estate. But those and other bands didn't just dig around in music's past; they made sounds from the past new again.
Across the pond, English duo Royal Blood's Typhoons brought back a bass-and-drums stomp reminiscent of the White Stripes or Death From Above 1979, reminding listeners the world over that rock is rightfully dance music.
They're not the only ones mining the past to new ends — a tidal wave of nervy bands in the U.K., like Squid, Dry Cleaning and Fontaines D.C., are recalling the sounds of post-punkers like Wire and the Fall.
Plus, Olivia Rodrigo's interpolation of Paramore's "Misery Business" into megahit "Good 4 U" showed the new guard is bringing back Myspace-era emo. (Machine Gun Kelly did a lot to weave that connection, as evidenced with his successful 2020 album Tickets To My Downfall.)
Then, there's Måneskin's summoning of Bowie and Queen signifiers — but that's a whole other story.
International Sounds Resonated
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Måneskin's ascent in 2021 seemed to come out of nowhere.
Led by conspicuously codpieced singer Damiano David, the Italian rock band managed to lodge Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons' 1967 hit "Beggin'" into youngsters' imaginations via a big win at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest and, eventually, TikTok virality. This year, they dropped their second album, Teatro d'ira: Vol. I, to critical applause.
And the year-end critics' polls featured another geographic outlier: Nigerian guitarist Mdou Moctar's new album Afrique Victime burned an indelible impression of Tuareg desert-blues into rock fans' consciousnesses.
Genres Became Elastic
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Weezer tested the boundaries of their tried-and-true power-pop on 2021's OK Human, and it paid off — especially on the single "All My Favorite Songs," which swapped buzzsaw guitars for chamber orchestration.
There's also a separate discussion to be had about how emo — originally a rock subgenre — has come to subsume almost everything from hip-hop to pop to trap, from Juice WRLD to The Kid Laroi and beyond. (Pop-punk, its sister style, turns up in K-pop bands like ENHYPEN and Tomorrow x Together, too.)
A whole article could be dedicated to Glass Animals' genre fluidity — something they've been known for since their start with 2014's Zaba. But their psychedelic smash, "Heat Waves," launched the UK indie-rock group onto pop radio and beyond.
The track made Glass Animals arguably 2021's biggest rock success and scored them their first hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it reached No. 7. (Spin its parent album, 2020's Dreamland, and Glass Animals' 2021 single, "I Don't Wanna Talk [I Just Wanna Dance]" for several other permutations of their sound-bending stylings.)
Finally — to bring up Turnstile's Glow On one more time — has a hardcore album ever veered so close to Arthur Russell or PinkPantheress territory without betraying its roots?
Bands Embraced Traditional Song Structures
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Is this exactly a 2021 rock phenomenon? Maybe not, but it arguably reached a new apex this year.
After years of "vibes" in indie rock — from slacker-songwriters like early WAVVES and Best Coast to the noise storms of No Age and Bass Drum of Death — it seems like songs are back in style.
Check out pretty much any of the 2021 offerings cited above — they offer verses, choruses, bridges and/or legible lyrics. Is it possible that while textures and references are an integral part of memorable songs, listeners are demanding a little more meat to the bone?
A Rock Veteran Mentored The Next Gen
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Travis Barker is precipitously becoming far more than Blink-182's drummer. These days, he's nurturing young rock talent left and right.
After high-profile collaborations with Post Malone and Machine Gun Kelly in 2020, he partly spent 2021 mentoring the 24-year-old rocker KennyHoopla (the pair collaborated on SURVIVOR'S GUILT: THE MIXTAPE) and helping Willow Smith transition from alt-R&B to pop-punk by featuring on three cuts from her album lately i feel EVERYTHING.
In addition, he hopped on tracks with MOD SUN and grandson, and furthered the emo rap craze with features on songs from blackbear, Trippie Redd, Sueco, LILHUDDY, and Jack Kays, among others.
The rock veteran also helped a fellow longtime punk star begin a new chapter, too: Barker signed Avril Lavigne to his label, DTA Records, in November, also featuring on her first single on the imprint, "Bite Me."
These Rock Heroes Saturated Everything
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Even after decades of making influential rock music with Nirvana and Foo Fighters, how does one encapsulate the year that Dave Grohl had?
Grohl was just about everywhere this year. Not only did Foo Fighters release their 10th studio album, Medicine at Midnight; they performed at Biden's inauguration, entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the first-ever global icon award at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards. (Plus: a bestselling memoir, an upcoming horror-comedy… the list goes on.)
If it's possible to ascertain a future classic rock artist, Grohl is probably your safest bet. And even if Foo Fighters want to take it easy after such a whirlwind year, the irrepressibly enthusiastic hitmaker clearly isn't going anywhere in this decade.
2021 In Review: 8 Trends That Defined Country Music
Noah Kahan (L) and Olivia Rodrigo (R) perform during the GUTS World Tour in New York City
Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Live Nation
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10 Record Store Day 2024 Releases We're Excited About: The Beatles, Notorious B.I.G. & More
In honor of Record Store Day 2024, which falls on April 20, learn about 10 limited, exclusive drops to watch out for when browsing your local participating record store.
GRAMMYs/Apr 18, 2024 - 02:20 pm
From vinyl records by the 1975 and U2, to album reissues and previously unreleased music, record stores around the world are stocking limited and exclusive releases for Record Store Day 2024.
The first Record Store Day kicked off in 2008 and every year since, the event supporting independently owned record stores has grown exponentially. On Record Store Day 2024, which falls on April 20, there will be more than 300 special releases available from artists as diverse as the Beatles and Buena Vista Social Club.
In honor of Record Store Day 2024 on April 20, here are 10 limited and exclusive drops to watch out for when browsing your local participating record store.
David Bowie — Waiting in the Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth
British glam rocker David Bowie was a starman and an icon. Throughout his career, he won five GRAMMY Awards and was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006.
On RSD 2024, Bowie's estate is dialing it back to his Ziggy Stardust days to make Waiting in the Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth) available for the first time. The record features recordings of Bowie's sessions at Trident Studios in 1971, and many songs from those sessions would be polished for his 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.
The tracklisting for Waiting in the Sky differs from Ziggy Stardust and features four songs that didn’t make the final album.
Talking Heads — Live at WCOZ 77
New York City-based outfit Talking Heads defined the sound of new wave in the late '70s and into the next decade. For their massive influence, the group received two GRAMMY nominations and was later honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.
While promoting their debut album Talking Heads: 77, the quartet recorded a live performance for the New Albany, Pennsylvania radio station WCOZ in 1977. The Live at WCOZ 77 LP will include 14 songs from that performance at Northern Studios, including seven that will be released for the first time. Among the previously unheard cuts are "Love Goes To A Building On Fire" and "Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town." During that session, Talking Heads also performed songs like "Psycho Killer" and "Pulled Up."
The Doors — Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968
The Doors were at the forefront of the psychedelic rock movement of the 1960s and early '70s. One of Jim Morrison's most epic performances with the band will be available on vinyl for the first time.
Live at Konserthuset, Stockholm, September 20, 1968 includes recordings from a radio broadcast that was never commercially released. The 3-LP release includes performances of songs from the Doors’ first three albums, including 1967’s self-titled and Strange Days. In addition to performing their classics like "Light My Fire" and "You're Lost Little Girl," the Doors and Morrison also covered "Mack the Knife" and Barret Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)" live during this session.
Dwight Yoakam — The Beginning And Then Some: The Albums of the '80s
Over the course of his 40-year career, country music icon Dwight Yoakam has received 18 GRAMMY nominations and won two golden gramophones for Best Male Country Vocal Performance in 1994 and Best Country Collaboration with Vocals in 2000.
On Record Store Day 2024, Yoakam will celebrate the first chapter of his legacy with a new box set: The Beginning And Then Some: The Albums of the '80s. His debut album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. and 1987’s Hillbilly Deluxe will be included in the collection alongside exclusive disc full of rarities and demos. The 4-LP set includes his classics like "Honky Tonk Man," "Little Ways," and "Streets of Bakersfield." The box set will also be available to purchase on CD.
The Beatles — The Beatles Limited Edition RSD3 Turntable
Beatlemania swept across the U.S. following the Beatles’ first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, setting the stage for the British Invasion. With The Beatles Limited Edition RSD3 Turntable, the band will celebrate their iconic run of appearances on Sullivan’s TV program throughout that year.
The box set will include a Beatles-styled turntable and four 3-inch records. Among those records are the hits "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," and "I Saw Her Standing There," which the Beatles performed on Sullivan's TV across several appearances.
Among 23 GRAMMY nominations, the Beatles won seven golden gramophones. In 2014, the Recording Academy honored them with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan — From The BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge LP
Olivia Rodrigo and Noah Kahan are two of the biggest pop stars in the world right now — Rodrigo hitting the stage with No Doubt at Coachella and near the end of her global GUTS Tour; Kahan fresh off a Best New Artist nomination at the 2024 GRAMMYs. Now, they're teaming up for the split single From The BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge LP, a release culled from each artist's "BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge" sessions.
The special vinyl release will include Rodrigo's live cover of Kahan's breakout hit "Stick Season." The single also includes Kahan’s cover of Rodrigo’s song "Lacy" from her second album, GUTS. This month, they performed the song live together on Rodrigo’s Guts World Tour stop in Madison Square Garden.
Buena Vista Social Club — Buena Vista Social Club
Influential Cuban group Buena Vista Social Club popularized genres and sounds from their country, including son cubano, bolero, guajira, and danzón. Buena Vista Social Club's landmark self-titled LP won the GRAMMY for Best Tropical Latin Album in 1998.
The following year, a documentary was released that captured two of the band's live performances in New York City and Amsterdam. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the documentary, the Buena Vista Social Club album will be released on a limited edition gold vinyl with remastered audio and bonus tracks.
Buena Vista Social Club is one of the 10 recordings to be newly inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame as part of the 2024 inductee class.
Danny Ocean — 54+1
Venezuelan reggaeton star Danny Ocean broke through on a global level in 2016 with his self-produced debut single "Me Rehúso," a heartbreaking track inspired by Ocean fleeing Venezuela due to the country's economic instability and the lover he had left behind.
With "Me Rehúso," Ocean became the first solo Latin artist to surpass one billion streams on Spotify, on the platform with a single song. "Me Rehúso" was included on his 2019 debut album 54+1, which will be released on vinyl for the first time for Record Store Day.
Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters — Skanking With The Upsetter
Jamaican producer Lee "Scratch" Perry pioneered dub music in the 1960s and '70s. Perry received five GRAMMY nominations in his lifetime, including winning Best Reggae Album in 2003 for Jamaican E.T.
To celebrate the legacy of Perry's earliest dub recordings, a limited edition run of his 2004 album Skanking With The Upsetter will be released on Record Store Day. His joint LP with his house band the Upsetters will be pressed on transparent yellow vinyl. Among the rare dub tracks on the album are "Bucky Skank," "Seven & Three Quarters (Skank)," and "IPA Skank."
Notorious B.I.G. — Ready To Die: The Instrumentals
The Notorious B.I.G. helped define the sound of East Coast rap in the '90s. Though he was tragically murdered in 1997, his legacy continues to live on through his two albums.
During his lifetime, the Notorious B.I.G. dropped his 1994 debut album Ready to Die, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest hip-hop releases of all-time. In honor of the 30th anniversary of the album (originally released in September '94), his estate will release Ready To Die: The Instrumentals. The limited edition vinyl will include select cuts from the LP like his hits "Big Poppa," "One More Chance/Stay With Me," and "Juicy." The album helped him garner his first GRAMMY nomination in 1996 for Best Rap Solo Performance. The Notorious B.I.G. received an additional three nominations after his death in 1998.
10 Smaller Music Festivals Happening In 2024: La Onda, Pitchfork Music Fest, Cruel World & More
Colombian singer Shakira performs with Argentine record producer and songwriter Bizarrap on the Sahara Stage during the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 12, 2024
Photo: VALERIE MACON / AFP) (Photo by VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Images
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Coachella 2024 Weekend 1 Recap: 20 Surprises And Special Moments, From Billie Eilish & Lana Del Rey To Olivia Rodrigo With No Doubt
Weekend 1 of Coachella 2024 is a wrap, and the internet can’t stop talking about it. Here are 20 surprises and special moments from Coachella so far, including inspired team-ups, wackadoo moments in the clutch, and much more.
GRAMMYs/Apr 15, 2024 - 09:11 pm
It may be hard to believe, but Weekend 1 of Coachella 2024 is already over. Clearly, time flies when you’re having fun — particularly when beholding the world’s leading artists, convened in the Indio desert in California.
If you weren’t there, the festival was filmed, of course. You can enjoy Coachella from the comfort of your own home, sans-sunburn, undrenched with champagne.
As you survey Coachella’s sold-out first weekend, read on for 20 performances, debuts and moments that surprised and touched us from Coachella Weekend 1.
Lana Del Rey's Headlining Set Brought Out GRAMMY Winners Billie Eilish, Jon Batiste & Jack Antonoff
After rolling deep up to her desert set on a fleet of motorcycles for her Friday performance, Lana Del Rey infused her iconic sad-girl pop persona into every facet of her Gatsby-esque performance.
Her headlining set also included some special GRAMMY-winning guests: Jon Batiste and 2024 Producer Of The YearJack Antonoff both accompanied on piano, while Billie Eilish joined her idol on stage for duet performances of "Ocean Eyes" and "Video Games." Sharing a moment with her hero on stage at the end of the set, Eilish declared, "This is the reason for half you bitches’ existence, including mine.”
Tyler, The Creator Brings Out Childish Gambino, A$AP Rocky, Kali Uchis and Charlie Wilson
Saturday's main stage event kicked off with a ruckus 80-minute set by creative magnet Tyler, The Creator, who transformed the stage into an ever-changing desert scene to host fellow performers.
First up, Childish Gambino hit the stage to perform a duet of "Running Out of Time," before A$AP Rocky joined for a performance of two tracks, "Potato Salad" and "Who Dat Boy."
Tyler admitted he once saw both as rivals, but now considers them friends. Kali Uchis also returned to the desert stage with Tyler for a quick appearance as well as legendary singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson, who made an unexpected appearance to accompany Tyler on a laid-back version of "EARFQUAKE."
No Doubt Made Their Grand Re-Entrance (With Olivia Rodrigo!)
Social media is currently abuzz at the allegedly unresponsive audience for Blur — but what’s a viral, out-of-context clip supposed to prove, anyway? Whatever the case may be, after their rollicking set, Damon Albarn and company declared that the Britpop icons were entering another hiatus.
Bizarrap Brought Out Shakira
Mega-watt Argentine producer Bizarrap brought his BZRP Music Sessions to the Coachella stage and included a surprise appearance from superstar Shakira.
Shakira and Bizarrap won the Latin GRAMMY for Song Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs for "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53," a featured track on her fresh-out-the-trap album, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran.
Billie Eilish Threw A Special “Billie & Friends” Party & Hyped Up The Crowd With The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”
After surprising fans during Lana Del Rey's Friday set, Billie Eilish treated fans and special guests to a preview of her new album, Hit Me Hard and Soft at the Do LaB Stage on Saturday night.
The previewed songs were well-received by an enthusiastic set of attendees who were introduced to yet-to-debut tracks "“Lunch,” "L’Amour De Ma Vie," and "Chihiro."
"Yo Gabba Gabba!" Showed Up To The Aquabats’ Pool Party
Christian Jacobs, lead singer of the Aquabats, co-created the "Yo Gabba Gabba!" TV show — and the colorful cast of costumed characters showed up to their pool party! This marks yet another example of ska picking up at Coachella — see the transcendent No Doubt and Sublime performances.
Sublime Made Their Coachella Debut With Jakob Nowell
As you may have read, Sublime are back, against the odds — not with Rome, but with Jakob Nowell, original Sublime frontman Bradley’s son. (It must be said: Bradley died at 28, ending the band’s original run; as he takes the guitar and mic, Jakob himself is 28.)
Speaking of the guitar — he wielded his old man’s, in an emotional and electrifying set that proved these songs’ durability and beyond.
Vampire Weekend Brought Paris Hilton Onstage To Play Cornhole
Dance/electronic sensation Dom Dolla returned to Coachella for a charged set featuring festival first-timer Nelly Furtado who joined to perform their GRAMMY-nominated track, "Eat Your Man."
Furtado gave her all during the rousing performance, a testament to the duo's synergy after Dom Dolla brought the singer out of a six year hiatus to work together on the song.
Sky Ferreira Made A Surprise Appearance With Kevin Abstract
If Sky Ferreira seems like an unlikely candidate to belt out a Lady A hit, think again. The singer/songwriter brought newfound heft to the five-time GRAMMY winners’ classic hit, “Need You Now,” with Kevin Abstract.
Does this foreshadow a reappraisal of the country mainstays’ catalog? Once the dust settles re: the ska revival, we’ll have that conversation.
Kesha Showed Up To Rock With Reneé Rapp (And Diss A Certain Disgraced Rapper)
Gwen Stefani and Olivia Rodrigo perform during No Doubt's set at Coachella.Photo: John Shearer/Getty Images for No Doubt
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No Doubt’s Coachella Comeback: A Night Of Nostalgia With Olivia Rodrigo As A Special Guest
No Doubt's triumphant return to Coachella, marking their first show in nine years, electrified the desert with a dynamic performance that spanned their eclectic hits and featured a surprise appearance by Olivia Rodrigo.
GRAMMYs/Apr 13, 2024 - 12:35 amOn the first Saturday of Coachella, No Doubt made a striking comeback on the festival's main stage for their first performance together in nine years.
Originating from Anaheim, California in 1986, the band is celebrated for their eclectic sound that defies easy categorization — from the ska-punk vibrancy of their early days to the polished pop anthems that later defined their career.
Their big breakthrough album, Tragic Kingdom, was released in 1995 and propelled them to fame with hits like "Don't Speak" and "Just a Girl," which dominated the Billboard charts for 16 weeks.
Featuring all original members — Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young — No Doubt's Coachella performance was a tribute to their iconic past and a reminder of their beloved eccentricity.
The standout set was filled with unbeatable stage presence, surprise guests, and showcased the band's timeless appeal nearly four decades into their career. Known for blending introspective brooding with a uniquely sardonic edge, the band has significantly influenced a generation of complex female artistry. Highlights from the performance, including Stefani's magnetic stage presence, heartfelt interactions with fans, and a surprise appearance by Olivia Rodrigo, underscore their palpable appeal and lasting influence on contemporary music.
Read on to discover five key highlights from their hotly anticipated return at Coachella during their 'Weekend 1' set:
Gen Z And OG Fans United As One
As fans converged on Coachella's main stage for No Doubt's set, the diversity of the audience was immediately apparent. Younger fans, clad in social media-ready outfits inspired by Gwen Stefani’s iconic style (some even recreating her most iconic looks) braved the evening's brisk winds.
Despite challenges, the alleged bad modern concert etiquette was not apparent, especially after Stefani's call for a return to old-school concert vibes before performing a “Simple Kind of Life.”
“Let’s do this old school!” Stefani said as she confessed missing the days when fans would belt out all the lyrics at the top of their lungs without much care in the world. It was a sentiment that quickly resonated through the audience and a moment that not only bridged generational divides but also highlighted No Doubt's broad and enduring appeal.
The Night Was Full Of Nostalgia
Outside of the fact that frontwoman Stefani is allergic to aging, for a group returning after nine years performing together, No Doubt’s stage presence was just as powerful as their past, dynamic performances.
“There’s no f—king comparison!” Gwen Stefani roared during “Underneath it All,” capturing the intensity of the moment as she dropped to her knees, rhinestones sparkling on her eyebrows and a smile breaking through.
Read more: GRAMMY Rewind: Watch No Doubt Accept Their GRAMMY Award For “Underneath It All” In 2004
The band's passion burned just as brightly when they were playing local college gigs in Orange County. There was no sign of awkwardness or a single misstep as Stefani showcased the same brilliance of her early days as a burgeoning musician.
She shared the spotlight seamlessly. As Dumont delivered a guitar solo during “Different People,” Stefani playfully skipped and ran across the expansive stage, never missing a note.
No Doubt has always transcended nostalgia, yet they embraced their history at Coachella. Stefani dressed to the nines in a plaid, avant-garde outfit while background videos played personal and rehearsal footage from the '90s, evoking a simpler time for the group. Stefani appeared barefaced in a plain white tee, bouncing around a beat up truck in a video that explained the band's origins and showed the magnetic charisma that manifested a star turned supernova.
Olivia Rodrigo Made A Surprise Appearance
Right before Stefani took a brief water break, she flashed a mysterious smirk to the crowd.
As the introspective track “Bathwater” thrummed to life, a brunette donning a glittering “I [love] ND” tank top emerged, her face turned from the audience. The murmurs quickly escalated into screams, particularly from the younger fans, signaling the arrival of pop starlet Olivia Rodrigo. Matching Stefani in energy and presence, Rodrigo proved a formidable presence on stage, trading verses and singing in duet through the chorus, their performance culminating in a sweet embrace.
No Doubt’s influence on Rodrigo's music is palpable. After all, tracks like Rodrigo’s “Get Him Back!” and No Doubt’s “Bathwater” are cut from the same mascara-stained cloth — each with a poetic, vengeful twist. They were just girls! Living in captivity! The revenge? Being able to put into song the diabolical conditions of womanhood, while allowing themselves to truly feel — whether it be anger, delusion, or plain pettiness.
The Band Members Have A Bond
No Doubt’s historic return to the stage elevated the entirety of the Coachella-going experience, setting a standard and outshining the majority of the other acts. Throughout their performance, the admiration they had for one another became increasingly evident.
From Stefani frequently calling out “Tony! Tony!” to (Tony) Kanal during the set’s adlibs to the end of their set when the group remained locked in a hug for several moments, the group was clearly overjoyed to be back together again. Before exiting the stage, Stefani leaped onto the back of Young while she excitedly kicked her feet, as though in protest of having to leave.
A Coachella backstage supervisor working onsite during their rehearsals candidly confessed that he was taken by the band's natural chemistry. During soundcheck, he stated they were so intrinsically confident and overjoyed about their performance it seemed as though they had never stopped performing with one another.
They Showed Deep Gratitude For Their Fans
There was nothing but gratitude on display from each and every member during the festival set. After almost every other song Stefani would belt an “I love you!” to the crowd.
During an experimental instrumental-only tribute to ska-pop, Kanal ran across the stage with a huge smile, at-the-ready to riff back-to-back with members of the group.
“Indio, put your f—king hands up!” Stefani commanded the crowd as they gleefully complied. Then, as smoke filled the air under the brilliantly shining crescent moon, she celebrated the group coming together for the first time in nine years.
“Isn’t this so crazy?” Stefani yelped during her performance for “It’s My Life.” “This is our life! Singing I love you!”
It was an epic return for No Doubt as a band and Stefani as their fierce leader, showing up to Coachella naturally, just a girl. A girl who loves to sing, rile up the audience in a fierce sing-along, and remind everyone that self-acceptance is all their music has ever been about.
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Olivia Rodrigo performs onstage for the kick off of GUTS World Tour on Feb. 23, 2024 in Palm Springs, California.Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Acrisure Arena
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Olivia Rodrigo Releases 'Guts (Spilled)' Deluxe Edition: Listen To New Song "So American" & Watch The "Obsessed" Music Video
In the midst of her headlining arena tour, Olivia Rodrigo delivered an extended version of her second album, 'GUTS.' Hear new song "so american" from 'GUTS (spilled)' below, along with four previously vinyl-only tracks.
GRAMMYs/Mar 22, 2024 - 01:15 pmSeven months after Olivia Rodrigo unleashed her highly anticipated second studio album, she spilled her GUTS even further on March 22: GUTS (spilled) deluxe edition is here.
Rodrigo diehards may know four of the five deluxe tracks, which were previously only available on vinyl editions of GUTS: "obsessed," "stranger," "scared of my guitar," and "girl i've always been." But the deluxe version doesn't come without an unreleased track — the fifth, "so american," is brand new, and closes out GUTS (spilled).
"Obsessed" even got the video treatment, with the official music video dropping at the same time as the deluxe album. Therein, she’s the black sheep among a litany of pageant queens, representing exes: Rodrigo’s sash reads "Miss Right Now." The chorus — "I’m so obsessed with your ex!" detonates with a full rock band.
Rodrigo will even be able to celebrate the arrival of GUTS (spilled) with fans, too. The GUTS World Tour stops Columbus, Ohio, on March 22 — almost exactly a month after it launched in Thousand Palms, California, on Feb. 23. As of press time, the tour (which marks Rodrigo's first headlining arena trek) will feature 77 shows across North America and Europe; it wraps with four nights at Los Angeles' Kia Forum on Aug. 13, 14, 16, and 17.
Before the tour began, GUTS helped Rodrigo earn six more GRAMMY nominations. In addition to a nod for Album Of The Year, the pop-punk princess received nominations for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Vampire," Best Rock Song for "Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl," and Best Pop Vocal Album.
Prior to the 2024 GRAMMYs, Rodrigo was already a three-time winner, taking home Best New Artist, Best Pop Vocal Album (SOUR) and Best Pop Solo Performance ("drivers license") in 2022.
Listen to GUTS (spilled) below, watch the "Obsessed" video above, and keep checking back for news about Olivia Rodrigo!
