Charli XCX wasn’t the headliner, but she was the moment
With strobe lights, bass that hit like a heartbeat, and a sea of fans in "Brat" T-shirts, her Coachella 2025 set felt like a rave in the desert.
She wasn’t alone; Troye Sivan, Lorde, and Billie Eilish all joined Charli XCX on stage, performing "Talk Talk," "Girl, So Confusing," and the "Guess" remix, respectively.
What started as a celebration of her new album Brat became a moment: unfiltered, unexpected, and unforgettable.
The pop star capped off her show with a giant message that read, "PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE OVER," as if echoing the crowd’s sentiment. Brat may have dropped months ago, but in that hour, Charli made it feel like summer had just started. And she's not done, she’ll return to the same stage on April 19 to do it all over again.
I'm so f---ing obsessed with you, Charli!
"I’m not a part of a redneck agenda" to “I’m not part of the MAGA agenda."
While some praised the band’s boldness, their heavy pyrotechnics sparked unintended chaos. A rogue firework reportedly ignited a palm tree, a controversial moment in a state still healing from recent wildfires. The juxtaposition of their fire-fueled theatrics with their message of empathy left the audience divided, with some cheering, some cringing.
Still, the weekend belonged to Charli. Her "Miss Should Be Headliner" sash at the afterparty was cheeky, but it struck a chord. With upcoming shows at Glastonbury and Parklife rumored, Brat Summer is here to prove that it isn’t just a season, it’s a movement.
Ending the night, rapper Travis Scott, known for his 2021 Astroworld Festival performance in Houston where a dangerous crowd surge resulted in 10 deaths, was late to his Coachella performance.
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes",
Charlotte Emma Aitchison , known professionally as Charli XCX , is an English singer and songwriter. She began posting songs on Myspace in 2008 before entering the London rave scene.
Troye Sivan Mellet is an Australian singer-songwriter, actor and YouTuber. After gaining popularity as a singer on YouTube and in Australian talent competitions,