Frank Ocean has made his long-awaited return to the stage at Coachella, where he gave fans an update on his new album and remembered his late brother.
The elusive R&B star closed out weekend one of the Indio, California festival on Sunday night (April 16) with a heavily anticipated headlining set, which was due to be livestreamed on YouTube until the broadcast was mysterious axed a few hours before.
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Nevertheless, Frank graced the stage almost an hour later than scheduled and performed a mix of fan-favorite hits and deep cuts in his first major performance in six years.
Despite speculation that his onstage comeback would coincide with the surprise release of new music, the only new material came by way of revamped versions of exiting songs and a cover of Willie Nelson’s “Night Life.”
During a brief intermission early in his set, the Blonde crooner took a moment to address the audience and his years-long absence, hinting that a new album is in the works (just “not right now”).
He also touched on the tragic death of his younger brother, Ryan Breaux, who was killed at the tender age of 18 in a car accident in 2020.
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“It’s been so long. Everybody talks about how long it’s been. ‘It’s been so long, it’s been so long.’ But I have missed you,” Frank said to a rapturous response from the crowd.
“I want to talk about why I’m here, because it’s not because of a new album. It’s because — not that there’s not a new album… but there’s not right now. Chill, chill, chill. No, it’s not right now.”
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He continued: “These last couple years, my life changed so much… My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot, and I feel like I was dragged out here half the time because I hated the dust out here. I always left with a respiratory infection or whatever, so I would avoid coming, but I would always end up here.
“One of my fondest memories was watching Rae Sremmurd on — I don’t know what that stage is called — watching Rae Sremmurd with my brother and Travis [Bennett]. We were just dancing in that tent to their music… I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us, and I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.”
Frank Ocean’s Coachella setlist spanned his 2011 mixtape Nostalgia, Ultra to more recent material debuted on his Apple Music radio show Blonded Radio as he performed songs like “Novocane,” “Crack Rock,” “Bad Religion,” “White Ferrari” and “Nights.”
Halfway through, his set turned into a “rave mix” as DJ Crystallmess took over the turntables and played pulsating EDM remixes of “Solo,” “Chanel,” “Provider” and more. New Orleans bounce artist Ha Sizzle danced and twerked near the stage, which was broadcast on the giant onstage screen.
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Frank told the crowd that he wanted to bring a slice of PrEP+, the queer club night he started in New York City in late 2019 prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, to Coachella.
He later shared the spotlight with another surprise guest: a young musician named Josiah, a.k.a. Frank’s “inner child,” who played keyboard while the Grammy-winner sang a cover of Willie Nelson’s aforementioned 1960 hit out of shot.
Frank Ocean’s long-awaited comeback ended on a somewhat anticlimactic note as his set was abruptly cut short after his tender rendition of Aaliyah’s “At Your Best (You Are Love),” which was included on his 2016 visual album Endless.
“Guys, I’m being told it’s curfew, so that’s the end of the show,” he told the crowd before departing the stage. “Thank you so much.”
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Check out more footage from Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance, along with the full setlist, below:
Setlist:
Novocane
I Can Escape
Crack Rock
Bad Religion
White Ferrari
Pink + White
Solo
Solo (Reprise)
Chanel
Lost
Slide
Provider
In My Room
No Church in the Wild
Godspeed
Wiseman
Night Life (Willie Nelson cover)
Self Control
Nikes
Nights
At Your Best (You Are Love)
