Diplo, a DJ and music producer, asserts that Coachella has run out of "great" headliners to book and that the desert festival is now more of a "Influencer Survivor" than ever before. Given how many enjoyed Blackpink, Blink-182, and Bad Bunny's performances among others - did he just insult these great artists?
The Hollywood Reporter was informed by Diplo that Coachella is not what it once was.
Diplo told THR that the festival may be having trouble securing headliners. He said that there is little remaining. He explained that the era of famous superhero acts, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Daft Punk, has passed. He was clearly not impressed by Blackpink.
He did say that contracting artists such as Bad Bunny and Blackpink is cool, but they are probably it - the best people could experience for these weekends, almost as if they were stadium performers.
Diplo also told THR that this year's Coachella festival was more akin to "Influencer Survivor" than ever before, reiterating comments he made on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" last April, when he first compared the festival to the reality television competition. He told THR that he believes Coachella producers may have difficulty booking major acts "because there aren't a lot of really culturally significant new acts."
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He shared that he saw Labrinth, aned the performer is the only one accurately depicts Coachella. He represents the ethos. But the rest of it felt like they had to scramble to find cultural touchstones that could also attract a large audience.
Long before the influencer era, Diplo, now a world-famous DJ, performed at Coachella for the first time in 2005. According to The Desert Sun, he has since performed at Coachella three times, most recently in 2019, albeit at an invite-only after-party performance.
Recently, on "Use Me (Brutal Hearts)," veteran DJ Diplo employs disco from the 1970s, while Dove Cameron and Sturgill Simpson engage in a seductive battle.
This is the second single to be released from Diplo's forthcoming project, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley: Chapter 2 - Swamp Savant.
Late in January, Diplo's debut single, "Wasted," featuring Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, was released.
The lineup includes a "Johnny Blue Skies."
Obviously, this is Sturgill Simpson's disco cowboy alter persona. Johnny Blue Skies made a subtle appearance in Simpson's Grammy-winning album "A Sailor's Guide To Earth," where a poster read, "Beware the dread pirate Johnny Blue Skies."
Sean Penn supplanted Simpson in the "Use Me (Broken Hearts)" music video because Simpson could not become any funnier.
Later, Diplo disclosed in an Instagram post that Simpson became ill the night before filming, prompting him to contact Sean Penn as a replacement.
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