Lady Gaga’s Coachella performance on Saturday night of Weekend 1 (April 15) was as prolific as it was dynamic, with piano versions of her hits that showcased her voice, fierce choreography, and all the pyro/confetti a pop star could want. She carried herself like a true veteran in the biz, but added some risque comments to remind those in attendance that she’s no angel (“Did you find someone you want to sleep with yet?,” one of her first questions inquired).
Early on in her 20-song set, it seemed that Gaga may address the (sort of) elephant in the room that Beyonce was the one to previously have the headliner spot prior to her surprise pregnancy announcement in February. “People kept asking me, aren’t you nervous about playing 11:30?,” she explained, revealing that it actually had nothing to do with Beyonce at all, but rather, her excitement for the gig. “No way man, because that means I’m playing for the heavyweights at Coachella.”
What Gaga did do, though, was include her Beyonce collaboration “Telephone” and seemed to have no problem including Queen B’s verses. She didn’t say or do anything regarding Beyonce beyond that, but frankly her hits-stacked set list (and stage-ruling prowess) was all that really mattered at the show.
Although Gaga didn’t opt for the Coachella-esque surprise guest appearances for her performance, she did manage to give fans a little something unexpected: A brand new single. Titled “The Cure,” the almost dancehall-sounding track provided a perfect nearly halfway point in the show and likely made fans want more where it came from — which is apparently lots of recent time in the studio, as she explained to the crowd.
