NEWS
Frank Ocean’s eagerly anticipated Coachella performance is just days away, and excitement continues to build thanks to new footage that has surfaced online.
Ahead of his headlining set at the Indio, California festival on Sunday (April 16), a video of the elusive singer allegedly rehearsing circulated on social media.
The clip, filmed from a neighborhood located near the festival grounds, contains faint audio of what sounds like Frank singing his fan-favorite Blonde song “Nights.”
The Reddit user who uploaded the footage claimed to have also heard the Grammy-winner perform a brand new track which they described as “the most immaculate techno club music with Frank vocals.”
Frank previously spoke about being inspired by EDM in a 2019 interview with W magazine, saying: “I’ve been interested in club, and the many different iterations of nightlife for music and songs. And so the things I look at now have a lot to do with those scenes: Detroit, Chicago, techno, house, French electronic.”
According to the Redditor, Frank also performed “Biking,” “White Ferrari” and “Nikes” during his rehearsal.
Anticipation for Frank Ocean’s Coachella comeback has also been fueled by an unlikely source: BMW. The German car manufacturer uploaded two videos to their U.S. Instagram page this week containing winking references to the R&B maestro.
The first captured an electric garage door lifting up to reveal an orange BMW E30 M3, strikingly similar to the one featured on the cover of Frank’s 2011 mixtape nostalgia, ULTRA. “Feeling ultra nostalgic, so to speak,” read the caption.
The second opened with a close-up of a road sign reading, “Welcome to the city of Coachella,” before zooming out to the reveal the aforementioned car in all its glory in the Coachella Valley desert.
The caption read: “The past meets the future this week. As far as what comes next, we’ll let you guys prophesy,” referencing a line from Frank’s “Nikes.”
While further details about Frank Ocean’s Coachella set remain scarce, it will mark his first major festival performance in six years. It’s been a similarly lengthy wait since his last album, 2016’s Blonde, which has resulted in plenty of speculation that new music will arrive to coincide with his onstage comeback.
The intensely private singer has kept his cards close to his chest, but earlier this year he did rekindle hope that he’ll one day drop a new project.Frank’s recent Blonde vinyl rerelease was accompanied by a foldout poster that told the story of a “fictitious Recording Artist” and his dealings with the music industry.
The story, which closely mirrors Frank’s own journey, stated that the artist initially wanted to forego the “outdated” album format and instead solely release singles, which he believed was more suited to “modern consumption habits.”After the pandemic, however, the artist U-turned on his plans and “is again interested in more durational bodies of work.”
In addition to this weekend’s performance, Frank Ocean will also take the Coachella stage on Sunday, April 23, to close out the second and final week of the festival.
NEWS
Earlier this year, footage of Mariah The Scientist and a woman named Cleopatra Dues allegedly getting into a brawl at an Atlanta club left social media users shocked. Reportedly, Dues told police that Mariah allegedly approached her and ripped off her wig, then proceeded to drag her across the floor of Cavo Kitchen and Cocktail Lounge. She insists that she never interacted with Mariah until the alleged incident.
In May, Mariah was arrested and charged with simple battery. Now, according to court documents obtained by TMZ Hip Hop, she's pleaded not guilty. Moreover, her attorney Brian Steel has asked for a jury trial. She's yet to address the debacle but may do so soon in court.
Unfortunately for Mariah, her own legal woes aren't the only ones she's dealing with these days. Her boyfriend Young Thug is also currently behind bars on RICO charges. His high-profile trial was put on hold earlier this week. The defense filed a motion for Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville to recuse himself due to an ex parte meeting with prosecutors and witness Kenneth Copeland. The trial won't continue until another judge reviews the case. Glanville also plans to release a transcript of his meeting with Copeland “so everyone will have a chance to look at it.”
It's unclear exactly how long this could take. The trial is already the longest in state history, however, and doesn't look like it'll be coming to a close anytime soon. What do you think of Mariah The Scientist pleading not guilty to battery? What about her attorney Brian Steel asking for a jury trial? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
