K-pop Leads the Crowd at Coachella, Rising from the Margins to the Heart of the U.S. Music Scene

Lisa and Jennie of Blackpink Expand Their Solo Careers
Enhypen Makes Their Coachella Debut with a 45-Minute Live Performance

On the 11th (local time), at Coachella held in Indio, California, USA, the audience is enjoying the performance of singer Jennie. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

This year, three K-pop acts were invited to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the largest music festival in the United States. Lisa and Jennie, members of the group Blackpink, as well as the boy band Enhypen, each took the stage at Coachella, which opened on April 11 (local time) in Indio, California, receiving an enthusiastic response.

Lisa was the first performer among them, taking the stage on April 11 and 18. Her performances stood out for their dazzling choreography and powerful live vocals. She showcased various charms by changing into a range of colorful outfits. She captured attention with bold looks, including an armored bodysuit adorned with 3D scales and sharp spikes, as well as a daring outfit that revealed her hips. The extravagant costumes of the artists are also a hallmark of Coachella, where fashion is enjoyed as part of the performance.

Lisa's performance on April 18, during the festival's second week, drew particular attention when Fr?d?ric Arnault, son of Bernard Arnault, the head of the world's largest luxury goods group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Mo?t Hennessy), attended the show. Arnault watched the performance from the audience alongside Jennie.

Jennie took the stage as a performer on the third day of the first weekend, April 13. Her performance powerfully conveyed the message of her first full-length album "Ruby," which tells the story of her journey as an artist confidently following her own path. She appeared wearing a ruby-colored cowboy hat and jacket, delivering sharp choreography with a large group of dancers. Starting with "MANTRA," released on International Day of the Girl, she filled nearly an hour on stage with songs including "Like JENNIE."

This marks the third time Lisa and Jennie have been invited to Coachella. In 2019, they became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the festival, and in 2023, they drew an audience of 250,000 as headliners.

Jennie performing on stage at Coachella, which opened on the 11th (local time) in Indio, California, USA. Photo by AFP

Enhypen, who were invited to Coachella for the first time this year, made their debut at the festival by leading a crowd singalong. They performed for 45 minutes each on April 12 and 19, dancing and singing live to more than 10 songs. The audience chanted "Enhypen," while planes flew overhead with banners celebrating their Coachella debut. Official light sticks and waves of placards featuring the members' names and faces demonstrated the level of interest they attracted.

Coachella, which began in 1999, is held over two weeks in Indio, California, and draws more than 200,000 attendees each year, making it the largest music festival in the United States. Located about 200 kilometers from Los Angeles, near the desert of Joshua Tree National Park, the festival is free from noise complaints and can run performances until dawn, helping it establish itself as a fixture for over 20 years.

Initially launched as a rock festival, Coachella has expanded its genres to include hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronica. The first Korean artists to be invited were the electronic duo EE (Lee Yoonjung and Lee Hyunjoon) in 2011. Since then, acts such as Epik High, Blackpink, Hyukoh, Jambinai, Le Sserafim, Ateez, and The Rose have also performed on its stages.

At Coachella, what matters is not just being invited, but the kind of stage you present. With performances broadcast live worldwide on the official YouTube channel, this year's K-pop artists were praised for dominating the stage with bold performances. The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Jennie proved she can do it all as a solo artist," while U.S. music outlet Billboard commented, "Enhypen made history with their Coachella debut," adding, "The stage production, which moved from a burning city to tranquility above the clouds, took the audience on a journey."