Frank Ocean: what happened during Coachella performance, setlist and what has Justin Bieber said?

Fans of Frank Ocean have been left disappointed following his Coachella performance.

The musician who was the festival’s first weekend closer was playing his first ever live performance in six years, but fans were not impressed after they faced a one hour delay for his show and after Ocean delivered a six song DJ set by Crystall Mess.

Sources on Twitter have claimed that the set did originally contain an ice rink, complete with ice skaters, but that this was cancelled at the “last minute”. Despite fans disappointment, artist Justin Beiber took to Instagram praising the musician for his set telling fans his “artistry is simply unmatched”.

So, what happened during Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance, what was his setlist and what did Justin Beiber say on Instagram? Here’s everything you need to know.

What happened during Frank Ocean’s Coachella performance?

Anticipation for Ocean’s Coachella set had been high, with it being the artist’s first live performance in six years, however, fans were left confused and disappointed after the show was one hour late, Ocean spent most of the set sitting down and delivered a six song DJ set by Crystall Mess.

Reported by Rolling Stone, a source has claimed that Ocean’s performance was changed at the last moment due to an ankle injury he sustained during rehearsals, which would explain why the singer was seated for most of the show.

According to the Twitter account The Festive Owl, the set did originally contain an ice rink complete with ice skaters, however it was cancelled at the “last minute”, which caused the “hour long delay” for Ocean’s performance.

Ocean didn’t speak much to fans during his set, however he did drop hints about a new album and touched on visiting the festival with his brother Ryan, who died in 2020. The musician said: “I want to talk about why I’m here because it’s not because of a new album, not that there’s not a new album.”

He continued: “My brother and I came to this festival a lot. I feel like I was dragged by him sometimes because I didn’t want to get a respiratory infection.… I would always come here, and one of my fondest memories is watching Rae Sremmurd with my brother … and Travis [Scott performed] in that tent.”

He added: “I know [Ryan] would be so excited to be here with all of us. I want to say thank you for the support and the years and the love all this time. Now I’ll get back to the songs.”

What was his Coachella setlist?

Ocean took to the Coachella stage on Sunday April 16 as the first weekend closer, in what was his first live performance in six years. There were 24 songs in total on his setlist, with live debuts of hits including: Come On World, You Can’t Go!, Impietas / Deathwish (ASR), White Ferrari, Florida, and Godspeed. However, reported by UpRoxx, many of the songs came as part of a DJ Crystall Mess DJ set, which they were remixes and were not performed live.

Here is Frank Ocean’s Coachella setlist:

1. Novacane (new version)
2. Come On World, You Can’t Go!
3. Crack Rock
4. Impietas / Deathwish (ASR)
5. Bad Religion
6. White Ferrari (new version)
7. Florida
8. Pink + White (acoustic)
9. Solo (new version)
10. Solo (Reprise) - played from tape, not performed live
11. Chanel (Sango Remix) - played from tape, not performed live
12. Lost (Jersey Club Remix) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
13. Slide (Jersey Club Remix) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
14. In Ha Mood (Ice Spice song) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
15. Provider (Jersey Club Remix) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
16. In My Room (Jersey Club Remix) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
17. No Church In The Wild/Pyramids (mashup) - played from tape, not performed live/DJ Crystall Mess set
18. Godspeed
19. Wise Man (new version)
20. Night Life (Aretha Franklin cover)
21. Self Control (acoustic)
22. Nikes - played from tape, not performed live
23. Nights (Mixed with Sango Remix)” - played from tape, not performed live
24. At Your Best (You Are Love)” (The Isley Brothers cover)

What has Justin Beiber said?

Despite fans reacting poorly to Frank Ocean’s performance, artists including Justin Beiber have praised it. Following the show which took place on Sunday, Beiber took to Instagram to share an image of Ocean’s performance alongside a caption praising the musician and thanking him.

Beiber said: “I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget! Thanks Frank.”