Coachella

Becky G is catching major flak after it was announced she'd be honored with the key to the city of Coachella, but the mayor is coming to her defense with a list of reasons why the singer's well deserving.

Becky's getting the metaphorical keys to the desert kingdom Saturday ... the day after her performance at Coachella's second weekend. While it's a huge honor, some online couldn't help but scratch their heads.

Folks are sounding off in the comments of the city's announcement, calling it the "stupidest thing ever." Another irate citizen said Becky doesn't "do anything for the community plus they are not local" -- and some are even calling for Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez to get the boot.

Despite all that, Mayor Hernandez still thinks it's a fitting move --  he tells TMZ, "Becky has been incredibly supportive of the farm worker community through her work with Celebration Nation who held an event at our Veterans’ Memorial Park yesterday distributing food and other staples to our residents in need."

He goes on to say the Latin-American artist continues to honor her culture and is a big advocate on behalf of women everywhere. He adds he's also stoked to bring a little bit of the music festival to the people of the city by hosting Becky's ceremony.

Michael Blackson isn't one to let bombing onstage overshadow his reputation as a top entertainer, and he's advising Frank Ocean to take the same approach ... that is, if he's physically able!!!

We caught up with Michael Thursday afternoon leaving Martin Lawrence's Hollywood Star unveiling, and grilled him about Frank's much-maligned performance.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story, Frank's bowed out of Coachella Weekend 2 after suffering an ankle injury on festival grounds, but Michael's hardly busted up about it -- he admits he's not really checking for the R&B recluse!!!

Nonetheless, Michael says bad sets in any performance arena deserve a second shot at greatness ... something he's learned from experience along the way.

Frank Ocean's out at Coachella as a result of an ankle injury, but Benny Blanco says his much-maligned performance still left him inspired.

TMZ Hip Hop caught the decorated producer out Wednesday afternoon in Bev Hills, and he offered a much different take from the majority of Coachella attendees who felt Frank's show was a bust.

Benny says he saw Frank live and thinks the "Channel Orange" singer, hands down, had the best set of Coachella Weekend 1 ... and he insists all the internet chatter won't sway his opinion.

The guy's worked with Snoop Dogg, SZA and Lizzo in recent months, so his ears have to count for something ... even if he's going against popular opinion. 🤷🏽‍♂️

The quality of Frank's set might be up for debate, but with his exit from the festival, it's definitely a one-of-one now.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Frank suffered two fractures and a sprain in his left leg, prompting festival organizers to replace his headlining slot with Blink-182.

Frank Ocean will not return to the Coachella stage for the festival's second weekend, dropping out after sustaining two fractures and a sprain in his left leg.

In a statement provided Wednesday to TMZ, Frank's reps say, "After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend 1, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity."

They continue, "On doctor’s advice, Frank is not able to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg."

Frank tells us, "It was chaotic. There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon."

TMZ broke the story, Ocean allegedly hurt his ankle on the festival grounds leading up to his show, causing some last-minute set changes ... so it appears things were much more serious than initially thought.

As we reported, fans were disappointed by the singer's performance at the festival Sunday night as he started an hour late -- there was also awkward pauses, fans could barely see Frank, and he didn't sing some of his most popular stuff. He also didn't sing some songs live, with a vocal track playing while he moved around the stage ... though the busted ankle might help to explain a few of those issues.

Now the question ... who will take his spot. As we reported, Blink-182 had a hugely successful return to the stage during the group's Friday show.

Calvin Harris also drew a massive crowd to the main stage when he hit the festival Saturday night.

Latto seemingly geared up for a rap battle against Nicki Minaj while performing at Coachella, but Akademiks says the "Big Energy" rapper doesn't have the bars to win the war!!!

Ak gave his honest assessment of Latto's potential timeline for engaging Nicki in a rap beef, and thinks Latto would be better suited pushing her career away from this saga.

As the more experienced MC, Ak notes Nicki's bars will come off as more clever and fans will gravitate to everything she says. In other words, disses about ass shots will only fly so far.

He also doubted Latto and Nicki would ever cross paths to exchange words in person ... à la Cardi B and Nicki's near-brawl during 2018 New York Fashion Week.

Ak thinks Latto's only chance to best Nicki is to recruit other female rappers who've had their own personal problems with "The Pinkprint" rapper -- like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat -- and shame her with low blows about aging and being a big ol' hater!!!

Things between Ariana Madix and her Coachella boo are lookin' like more than just a festival hookup ... because nothing screams "serious" quite like taking someone to the airport.

Ariana was spotted once again with Daniel Wai Monday after their fun in the Indio sun ... and, again, they were making out -- curbside at LAX -- before he headed inside to jet off.

The pics, at least, make it seem like Ariana is really into this guy.

Setting aside the super-public PDA, Ariana drove him through infamous L.A. traffic to one of the busiest airports on the west coast -- talk about commitment!!!

As we reported, the "Vanderpump Rules" star was in full rebound mode over the weekend ... video obtained by TMZ showed Ari and the fitness coach lockin' lips pretty passionately while dancing the night away.

While some speculated this could've just been a fling, the LAX trip might be a sign it's a lot more legit ... 'cause gas ain't cheap!

Coachella is cutting a check because Frank Ocean wasn't the only one performing late into the night ... the music festival is being dinged six figures for going past curfew.

A rep for the City of Indio, where Coachella is held, tells TMZ ... fines for curfew violations over the first weekend totaled $117,000.

We're told curfew is 1 AM on Friday and Saturday and midnight on Sunday, and Coachella missed the cutoff time on all three nights ... going over by 25 minutes Friday, 22 minutes Saturday and 25 minutes Sunday.

City of Indio officials say the fines are part of its agreement with Goldenvoice ... with the contract calling for a daily fine of $20,000 for the first 5 minutes past curfew, with another $1,000 tacked on for every minute after.

As we reported ... Frank Ocean cited the curfew during his Sunday headlining set. He showed up late, starting his show at 11 PM and wrapped his performance with an unenthusiastic one-liner ... "Guys I'm being told it's curfew, so that's the end of the show."

The $117,000 in fines goes into Indio's General Fund, and we're told the city uses the money for operating costs, including public works and the police and fire departments.

Frank Ocean suffered a serious ankle injury after being involved in a bike accident on the Coachella grounds just days before he was scheduled to perform ... forcing a change to his production.

Sources close to the situation tell TMZ ... the accident occurred when Frank was at Coachella rehearsing his set. He wasn't onstage, though, we're told the mishap involved bikes used to roam around the Empire Polo Club grounds .. and it was serious enough for doctors to advise Frank's production be changed.

One of the major changes involved the use of an ice rink, which was built for Frank's set. Another source with direct knowledge tells us ... a casting director reached out to a bunch of L.A.-based hockey teams in March for an unspecified paid performance. Once the skaters got to the audition, they saw Frank in attendance.

We're told it became clear during the audition that it was for his Coachella set -- and over 100 hockey players were cast. They rehearsed on an elevated ice rink at Paramount Studios, and even got bused out to Coachella for a dress rehearsal the week before Frank's show.

The cast arrived at Coachella on Sunday, but were told the skating routine was scrapped. Instead, they joined Frank on stage as background dancers -- it was more walking than dancing, TBH -- and a source tells us they all got hooked up with custom Prada.

Questions surrounding why Frank arrived at his set late and how production will look for his Weekend 2 set still linger ... but we hope he's a fast healer.

The Weeknd's new music industry focused HBO series "The Idol" is ripe with real musicians ... and several of them got their shine on various Coachella stages ahead of the show's premiere.

On Monday, HBO rolled out the official trailer and June 4 release date for "The Idol." Spotify's biggest artist of all-time co-created the show with “Euphoria” creator Sam Levinson and Reza Fahim, and he costars in the lead role opposite Lily-Rose Depp.

BLACKPINK's Jennie Kim, legendary engineer Mike Dean and singer Troye Sivan all have recurring roles in the series and got primetime shine on various Coachella stages.

Weeknd and Mike were part of Metro Boomin's star-studded set on Friday night, Jennie performed with her hitmaking group on Saturday ... and Charli XCX brought out Troye as a surprise guest the same day.

Leonardo DiCaprio is not swooping his longtime pal's ex-girlfriend ... we've learned he and Irina Shayk are NOT an item despite the photos of them chatting it up at Coachella over the weekend.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Leo and Irina are definitely not dating and the two are just friends who were among a large group of people at Neon Carnival Saturday night -- doing what friends do ... hanging out and watching the concert together.

Our sources say Leo and Irina have known each other for quite some time after meeting through mutual friends. Furthermore, Leo is close with Irina's ex-Bradley Cooper and all 3 of them have hung out together before publicly. In other words, Leo isn't back-dooring his friend.

As we reported, Leo and Irina were spotted out late Saturday night and early into the wee hours of Sunday as day 2 at Coachella came to a close ... finishing the night at the party. They were also seen together at Frank Ocean's set on Sunday night.

Irina's friend and fellow fashion model Stella Maxwell was on hand too.

Although the Saturday night pics at Neon Carnival made it seem like Leo and Irina were getting close throughout the night ... our sources tell us there were never cozy vibes between them all night.

Frank Ocean was the hotly anticipated Sunday night headliner at Coachella 2023, but he put on a lackluster performance that left many of his fans disappointed.

Eyewitnesses tell TMZ ... the singer kicked things off on a sour note, arriving for his first concert in years an hour late at 11 PM to close out the first week of Coachella. Complicating matters, Frank was hard to see on the dimly lit stage and the low-hanging lighting fixtures often blocked him from the view of the audience, who watched most of his show on large screens.

Things continued to go downhill from there. We're told Frank was lethargic throughout his limited set, so much so he couldn't sing at times. His pre-recorded vocals would play over the sound system, but he couldn't bring himself to mouth the words.

And, for some reason, Frank didn't play his most famous tunes, such as "Thinkin Bout You," cranking out other songs that were less recognizable.

Overall, it seemed, the show was disorganized with plenty of downtime and gaps of awkward silence, leaving the crowd annoyed.

Frank even wrapped up his one-hour performance with an unenthusiastic one-liner ... “Guys I’m being told it’s curfew, so that’s the end of the show.”

21 Savage is coming off a very busy weekend in the desert ... hopping on the bill last minute for the 2023 Revolve Festival, as well as assisting in Metro Boomin's star-studded Coachella set!!!

TMZ Hip Hop obtained video of 21 on Sunday blazing through his hits such as "A Lot," "No Heart," and hit Drake feature "Knife Talk."

Fans at Revolve -- a festival going down about 30 minutes from Coachella -- were notified of 21's performance just moments before he took the stage, inducing pandemonium that carried on throughout his 10-song set.

On Friday, 21 also specialized in the element of surprise during Metro Boomin's Coachella performance on the Sahara stage.

21 not only performed a solo set similar to his Revolve performance but also rocked the mic alongside The Weeknd and Diddy for their "Creepin' (Remix)" ... which has been climbing up the Billboard Hot 100!!!

Metro also spiced up his set with other superstars such as John Legend, Future, Don Toliver and legendary producer Mike Dean playing the keys ... arguably making him the producer to beat this generation!!!

The Southern California sun beat down on the Indio Desert for the third and final day of week 1 of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival ... but the celebs dug deep and found the willpower to brave the heat to go out with a bang with big performers like Bjork, Dominic Fike ... and the ever-illusive FRANK OCEAN!

While it took a little more energy to get up after two crazy days at Coachella, Bella Thorne shared a selfie lounging around in a puuuuurfect crochet Hello Kitty bikini ... While James Charles took a knee on day three in a pair of couture khaki fatigues.

If you were bopping around all the private parties you might have thought you showed up to the desert on the wrong weekend ... because lots of influencers were giving some serious Stagecoach vibes with lots of ranch-infused fashion. Olivia Culpo, Ming Lee Simmons and Paige Taylor all had on the same rootiness tootiness trend topped off with a kitschy cowboy hat.

But, make no mistake, the Coachella stages were still heavily infused with Hip Hop influence. Kali Uchis commanded the Main Stage during her Sunday performance and shocked viewer by not only bringing out Don Toliver for a surprise cameo ... but Tyler, The Creator as well!

Hip Hop hotties also made their mark on week 1. Saweetie popped on the Sahara stage alongside her musical peer Latto and was also spotted posing in The VIP with Rae Sremmurd's Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. Last, but not least, was GloRilla's much-anticipated performance where she was seen rocking a bright camo style that would make anyone red with envy.

Kendall Jenner and her guy Bad Bunny are clearly enjoying each other's company ... because they were spotted getting pretty close to each other as Coachella wrapped its first weekend.

The model and Puerto Rican rapper seemed to be in great spirits Sunday in Indio -- Kendall was all smiles as she kicked it with BB, who was rocking a bandana over his mouth.

The couple got tons of looks from the massive festival crowd while walking the grounds.

They're clearly beyond the point of denying dating rumors, even though we'd already seen plenty of evidence for the last month that they were an item.

As we reported, Kendall was looking like Bad Bunny's number 1 fan Friday night during his headlining performance ... dancing like no one was watching, which of course, they were.

They've been spotted out for sushi together in WeHo, at an Oscars after-party and even riding horseback together -- now after their fun weekend in the sun we can say the lovebirds are Coachella official.

Will Smith is happy to be just another fan in a sea of 'em at Coachella, having a damn good time cheering his 2 youngest kids -- Willow and Jaden -- who were performing at the festival.

Will proudly showed off his view of the stage Sunday ... he was smack in the middle of the packed crowd there to see the dynamic Smith duo inside the Mojave Tent.

He was grinning from ear to ear as 22-year-old Willow performed her solo set, and her 24-year-old brother joined her onstage.

It was a really cute moment for the siblings, who had a huge embrace before rocking out together. Jaden even rocked a "Willow's brother" shirt underneath his leather jacket.

Of course, this is one of the first times we've seen Will in a huge crowd of folks since the infamous 2022 Oscars. Much better outcome this time around.

Ariana Madix seems to have moved on from Tom Sandoval with a new man -- getting awfully close and cozy with him down at Coachella ... and not trying to hide it either.

The "Vanderpump Rules" star is out in the desert with a bunch of other stars this weekend, and she's been documenting what she's been up to -- but, more importantly, who she's with ... and it looks like she's been hanging out a lot with some fitness trainer dude.

His name is Daniel Wai ... and he's all over Ariana's IG Story. Likewise, she's all over his as well -- and they were dancing the night away for Day 2 ... even posing for a sweet selfie.

Looks like Dan's rolling with her crew of friends, but in any case -- they definitely seem to be an item. Ariana threw up a photo earlier on Friday that showed her holding hands with someone ... and while you can't see the person's face, all signs point to Danny Boy.

The guy's got a somewhat decent social media presence -- about 15,000 followers -- and he's certainly about his craft ... with tons of clips and pics of him working out in the gym.

Meanwhile, we actually know what Tom was up to this weekend ... or at least on Friday. The dude was out at the NAMM Show at the Anaheim Convention Center ... which was basically a big music showcase, where artists could peruse equipment and instruments, and connect with other fellow enthusiasts. As you can see, Tom was worming his way around.

No sign of Raquel Leviss anywhere ... but he seems to be enjoying himself as well. Of course, we've seen him get a move on with his life ... refocusing on his band and touring.

So ... all's well that ends well???