(CNN) Beyoncé performed for throngs of screaming fans Saturday night at Coachella after a year's wait.
"Y'all ready Coachella?," she asked the crowd as she opened her set, becoming the first woman of color to headline the music festival in Indio, California.
Excited fans had a new nickname for this year's festival: Beychella. Other headliners included the Weeknd and Eminem.
"Coachella, thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline," Beyoncé said, before singing "Run the World (Girls)."
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Apr 14, 2018 at 11:17pm PDT
Surprise reunion
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With guest spots from husband Jay Z, sister Solange and a reunited Destiny’s Child, this was a show about more than just music – it was about female power and self-belief
‘Is that a catwalk?” says one woman, awaiting the arrival of this year’s Saturday night headliner. “It’s Beyoncé. Of course, it’s a catwalk,” snaps another. “Is she gonna bring any guests out? She doesn’t want someone to cramp her style, right?” says the woman. “Dude, her style is uncrampable,” comes the reply.
It’s true: Beyoncé’s style cannot be cramped. When she headlined Glastonbury for the festival’s 40th anniversary, in 2011, it was big for Beyoncé. Tonight’s performance, in the slot she was initially scheduled to do in 2017 (before announcing her second pregnancy), is big for Coachella.
She comes out dressed as a modern-day Cleopatra, revealing herself at the end of that catwalk behind scores of dancers led by a Black Panther mascot. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Beyoncé homecoming 2018,” is the announcement over the tannoy, as a full marching band and orchestra take position on an enormous pyramid structure on the stage. Before the first song kicks in, Beyoncé has changed outfits into booty shorts and a jersey. “Coachella, y’all ready?” she says, and launches into Crazy in Love.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘A modern-day Cleopatra’ ... One of Beyoncé’s many Coachella costumes. Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella
Thus begins a show that is somehow not just about Beyoncé. She makes it about far more than her or her career: it’s about black excellence, female power and the unrelenting possibility of self-belief. She has only a handful of white dancers among a reported 100. Her set is in thrall to soul, jazz, gospel, dance, melody and music itself. With her second song, Freedom, she creates a literal movement with her orchestra in motion; it feels like a march for purpose.
Tonight, Beyoncé plays political as fiercely as she plays feminist. During Sorry she hones in on the line “suck on my balls” with furious wrath. She flits between going hard and expressing sweet graciousness towards the audience during her addresses. The artistry of the transitions between songs, and the travel across her 20-year catalogue – combined with the sheer awe of scores of people on stage moving and playing in perfect unison – proves that Beyoncé is in a league of her own. She is the greatest of a generation, both a leader of a huge group and a solo star of unconquerable talent.
She’s also indebted to her musical past, and not just her own history. She splices Drunk in Love with Nina Simone’s Lilac Wine, elevated on a crane over the crowd. She has a go at husband Jay Z’s back catalogue, her orchestra alluding to Dirt Off Your Shoulder. There are classic hits from her early solo days, including Baby Boy; outings of the likes of Flawless and Don’t Hurt Yourself showcase her rock stardom with her third outfit change into black PVC. When she sings the infamous line “I woke up like this”, she turns to Coachella and asks: “How did you wake up this morning?”
The thing is, Beyonce did wake up like this. There is clearly a double entendre to the notion of wokeness, but the show doesn’t get woke at the expense of actually waking everyone up to the joy and togetherness of live performance.
Once she’s proved her mettle more times than necessary the thought of potential guests starts looming. She covers a smidgen of Dawn Penn’s You Don’t Love Me (No, No, No) and you wonder if it might segue into Destiny’s Child’s No, No, No, but not yet. There are a few hits to get through – Hold Up, Countdown, Check on It – and then Jay Z comes out for Deja Vu. After Beyoncé has spent almost an hour singing scorned female anthems about adultery, they display a heart-melting chemistry for one another. Moving into Run the World, however, she appears in army khaki, and you know it’s coming. She has to paid her dues to the thing that got her to this point.
Facebook Twitter Pinterest ‘A leader of a huge group and a solo star of unconquerable talent’ ... Beyoncé and her big band. Photograph: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Coachella
It’s the reunion of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams; destiny arrives with Destiny’s Child. Lose My Breath kicks off a throwback trio, including a meaty ecstatic rendition of Say My Name and then a fun-packed Soldier. For her final guest appearance, Beyoncé’s little sister, Solange, comes on to complete the family love-in, with a dance-off between the two that sings of sweet solidarity and universal sisterhood, before ending things with Single Ladies and Love on Top.
Mid-way through the set, Beyonce had turned to the crowd and, with total sincerity and humility, said: “Thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline Coachella.” The crowd left the Polo fields with only one thing to say: “I was there.”
I don’t think you’re ready for this reunion.
During Beyoncé’s highly anticipated headlining performance at Coachella on Saturday — her first since welcoming twins Rumi and Sir last June — the superstar brought out her former Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams.
DC3 wowed with memorable jams from the ’90s and early 2000s, belting “Say My Name,” “Soldier” and “Lose My Breath” in matching black and bronze ensembles that paid homage to the iconic looks from the group’s reign on the charts.
This isn’t the first time Beyoncé had Rowland and Williams join her for a high-profile performance — the three took the stage together in February 2013 for her Super Bowl halftime show.
Raven Varona
The 36-year-old singer began her nearly two-hour Coachella set by performing a selection of hits — including “Sorry,” “Crazy in Love” and “Drunk in Love” — and bringing out husband JAY-Z for a rendition of “Déjà Vu.”
Queen Bey also celebrated a historic moment for both the music festival and herself: “Coachella, thank you for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline,” she said, making the perfect introduction to “Run the World (Girls).”
Marking the milestone, the singer performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which is known as the black national anthem.
For a full gallery of photos from the spectacle, visit Beyonce.com.
Robin Harper
Raven Varona
The Grammy winner was originally slated to headline Coachella in 2017 but dropped out on doctor’s orders after revealing she was pregnant with twins; instead, Lady Gaga took her place. Along with their twins, Beyoncé and husband JAY-Z are parents to their daughter Blue Ivy, 6.
“She was disappointed last year when she had to cancel, so she wants everything be perfect this time,” a source previously told PEOPLE of Beyoncé. “She is very excited about the show.”
Beyoncé had prepped for the performance for months. In addition to regular workouts, the “Sorry” singer revealed in March that she adopted a vegan diet to get stage ready.
Shortly after Beyoncé takes the stage for a second Coachella performance on April 21, she and JAY-Z will hit the road for their second joint tour, dubbed OTR II, which kicks off June 6 in the U.K.
An insider previously told PEOPLE that the power couple’s children will join them on the road. “They are incredibly excited. It took a lot of work to make this happen. It’s the best choice for their family,” the insider said. “They will all travel together and have a fun family adventure.”
