Photo Courtesy of Coachella.com
Story by Krystal Lorritts / Contributing Writer
Last week pop music’s undisputed queen Beyoncé canceled her April 15 and 22 co-headlining Coachella spots with Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead due to doctor’s orders concerning her recently announced pregnancy. With only two months until Coachella, promoters AEG/Goldenvoice were scrambling to find a viable replacement. Beyoncé let us know in 2006 that she’s irreplaceable, but even still, someone had to do it. In the meantime, fans waited in limbo, overcome with anticipation and speculation.
All that came to an end when it was announced last night that that someone would be Lady Gaga, sending all her little monsters into a frenzy of excitement. While we’re excited too, here are our top five honorable mentions for artists who would have killed it given the chance to fill Queen B’s spot:
Chance the Rapper
Starting the list is Chance the Rapper, an independent rapper making a huge splash in the industry right now. Chance may very well be the biggest name in hip-hop this year. His following grows everyday, which would equats to more ticket sales for the festival. Chance is already scheduled to be in California during the festival dates, so it would have been a match made in heaven.
Outkast
Outkast would be a great addition to any lineup, since they are hip-hop royalty. The group is extremely talented and well-known for their great star power. Seeing as Andre 3000 and Big Boi haven’t performed at any festivals in a while, Coachella could have been be a really great moment for them to come back and reunite. Despite the unlikelihood, it should have been a no-brainer to book the powerhouse duo.
Rihanna
Rihanna’s public persona and infectious pop music are well-known and well-liked. She is one of the few female pop artists who even comes close to holding a candle to Beyoncé. She has no shows planned during the dates as of yet, and she would have had plenty of time to prepare a special set list for the festival.
J. Cole
Rapper J. Cole gets the fourth spot on my list because he’s another insanely popular, talented MC and would undoubtedly bring a great crowd as well. He doesn’t start touring this year until June, which would be just enough time to take the main stage.
Childish Gambino
Donald Glover, known by music fans as Childish Gambino, is a fantastic performer. His album “Awaken, My Love” was released this year to widespread delight. Gambino’s schedule for the summer isn’t exactly clear, so who knows if he could have pulled it off? But we can always dream.
Even though many would have loved to watch Beyoncé perform and bless the entire festival, the excitement to see Lady Gaga is higher than ever. We’ll just have to stay tuned to see if any of the performers on this list make the cut next year.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Marissa Gaston email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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