(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," Beyonce 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.”
Image copyright Getty Images
Destiny's Child have performed together at Coachella.
Beyonce brought band mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams on stage during her headline set at the festival in California last night.
The trio began their surprise performance with their 2004 hit Lose My Breath, followed by Say My Name and Soldier.
It's the first time they have appeared together since the Stellar Gospel Music Awards in 2015.
The 36-year-old singer's show took a military theme, beginning with a rendition of her 2003 hit Crazy In Love played by a marching band.
Dancers wore black berets and yellow hoodies decorated with military-style sashes, and leotards with epaulettes.
Image copyright Getty Images
The nearly two-hour set included quotes from civil rights activist Malcolm X and feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as samples of Nina Simone.
It also featured a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing, a song often referred to as the "Black American National Anthem".
Beyonce's set closed the second day of the three-day festival in Indio, California, which will end tonight with Eminem.
The Texan singer had been due to play Coachella last year, but was forced to pull out after becoming pregnant with twins Rumi and Sir.
Rumours that Destiny's Child would reform for this year's festival have been circulating for months.
But band member Kelly Rowland had dismissed them, telling People magazine in December, "I have no idea about any of that."
Destiny's Child are one of the most successful female groups of all time. They had 14 UK Top 40 songs, and two UK Number 1s.
On Saturday night the trio rose to the stage on a platform, standing back to back in a Charlie's Angels-style formation, a nod to to their 2001 hit Independent Women Pt. 1, which appeared on the film's soundtrack.
Their jewel-encrusted camouflage outfits echoed those worn in the iconic video for their song Survivor.
They performed energetic dance routines with lunges, high kicks and salutes, walking among the festival crowd on a raised walkway.
Beyonce's set took in the breadth of her 16-year solo career, including songs Baby Boy, 7/11 and Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).
Jay-Z also joined his wife on stage for a performance of their 2012 song Deja Vu, while Solange later came on stage to dance with her elder sister.
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Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.
Image copyright Getty Images
Destiny's Child have performed together at Coachella.
Beyonce brought band mates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams on stage during her headline set at the festival in California last night.
The trio began their surprise performance with their 2004 hit Lose My Breath, followed by Say My Name and Soldier.
It's the first time they have appeared together since the Stellar Gospel Music Awards in 2015.
The 36-year-old singer's show took a military theme, beginning with a rendition of her 2003 hit Crazy In Love played by a marching band.
Dancers wore black berets and yellow hoodies decorated with military-style sashes, and leotards with epaulettes.
Image copyright Getty Images
The nearly two-hour set included quotes from civil rights activist Malcolm X and feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as samples of Nina Simone.
It also featured a rendition of Lift Every Voice and Sing, a song often referred to as the "Black American National Anthem".
Beyonce's set closed the second day of the three-day festival in Indio, California, which will end tonight with Eminem.
The Texan singer had been due to play Coachella last year, but was forced to pull out after becoming pregnant with twins Rumi and Sir.
Rumours that Destiny's Child would reform for this year's festival have been circulating for months.
But band member Kelly Rowland had dismissed them, telling People magazine in December, "I have no idea about any of that."
Destiny's Child are one of the most successful female groups of all time. They had 14 UK Top 40 songs, and two UK Number 1s.
On Saturday night the trio rose to the stage on a platform, standing back to back in a Charlie's Angels-style formation, a nod to to their 2001 hit Independent Women Pt. 1, which appeared on the film's soundtrack.
Their jewel-encrusted camouflage outfits echoed those worn in the iconic video for their song Survivor.
They performed energetic dance routines with lunges, high kicks and salutes, walking among the festival crowd on a raised walkway.
Beyonce's set took in the breadth of her 16-year solo career, including songs Baby Boy, 7/11 and Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).
Jay-Z also joined his wife on stage for a performance of their 2012 song Deja Vu, while Solange later came on stage to dance with her elder sister.
Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here.
