Frank Ocean at Coachella: late start, cut short due to curfew, a DJ set portion, hint of new album & more

UPDATE: Frank reportedly injured his ankle before his Coachella set.

Weekend one of Coachella 2023 wrapped up with Frank Ocean, who was giving his first performance in six years, and who was finally headlining Coachella after being announced to headline the festival's cancelled 2020 edition. Unlike most of this year's lineup, Frank's set wasn't livestreamed, and he also began his set an hour late and later abruptly ended it by saying that he was being told it was curfew. According to multiple reports from those in attendance, his set included several newly-reworked versions of fan favorites, and times where he would walk away from his mic and let his pre-recorded vocals play, including during a DJ set from Blonded Radio regular DJ Crystallmess that filled the middle portion of Frank's set. There were long pauses between songs, but Frank did eventually give a speech to the crowd. He hinted at a new album, but suggested it's not necessarily coming anytime soon, and he also paid tribute to his late brother Ryan Breaux, who he attended Coachella with in the past.

"I want to talk about why I’m here, because it’s not because of the new album," Frank told the crowd. "Not that there’s not a new album, but there’s not right now. It’s not right now."

"My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot," he said about Ryan. "I feel like I was dragged here so much of the time. I hated the dust; I always dealt with a respiratory infection. [...] I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us. I wanted to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love for all this time. I’m gonna get back to the songs."

An excerpt of Billboard's review of Frank's set reads:

For his first live performance in seven years, Frank Ocean came out of hiding — kind of — to close out the third and final day of the festival. In the hour leading up to his set, the main stage gradually transformed into one giant screen that only left a sliver of its interior visible, which is where Frank remained tucked away for the duration of the one-hour-and-a-half set.

Inside the recording studio-like set-up, the ever-elusive star hunched over a mic to reimagine his most beloved songs, including a stripped-down, acoustic version of “Pink + White,” a turnt up remix of “Solo,” a drill edit of “Chanel” and punk-rock remix of “Wiseman.” The headliner later lent his spotlight to DJ Crystalmess, who took a stab at spinning his own discography as she played a Jersey Club remix of “Slide” and a bounce edit of “Pyramids.”

Some reviews of Frank's set were mixed. During a live-updates review for LA Times, August Brown said at one point, "Ocean looks like he’s struggling up there. Nothing has achieved liftoff on a real groove yet and the crowd is looking puzzled." In a review for Desert Sun, Tom Coulter wrote, "Ultimately, his performance wasn’t enough for many fans left frustrated by the abrupt ending, with some booing and others crying as reality set in." LA Times did, however, also call it "a true to form performance from the reclusive singer used to eschewing tradition." Watch some fan-shot videos and check out Frank's full setlist below.

Also at day three of Coachella, Frank's former Odd Future groupmate Tyler, the Creator made a surprise appearance during Kali Uchis' set for "See You Again." Earlier in the weekend, Coachella hosted the first reunion set from blink-182's classic lineup, boygenius, Bad Bunny, the first Jai Paul set, Björk, Rosalía, Knocked Loose, Gorillaz, tons of other surprise guests like The Weeknd and Billie Eilish, and much more.

Frank Ocean @ Coachella 2023 Setlist (via)
Set 1
Novacane (New Version)
Come On World, You Can't Go! (Live Debut)
Crack Rock (Restarted)
Impietas / Deathwish (ASR) (Live Debut, Shortened)
Bad Religion
White Ferrari (Live Debut, New Version)
Florida (Live Debut)
Pink + White (Acoustic)
Solo (New version)
Solo (Reprise)
Chanel (Sango remix)

Set 2: DJ Crystalmess
Lost (Interpolated with "Born Slippy (Nuxx)" by Underworld; Jersey Club Remix)
Slide (Jersey Club Remix)
In Ha Mood (Ice Spice song)
Provider (Jersey Club Remix)
In My Room (Jersey Club Remix)
No Church in the Wild / Pyramids (JAY Z & Kanye West song) (Mashup)

Set 3
Godspeed (Live Debut)
Wise Man (New Version)
Night Life (Aretha Franklin cover)
Self Control (Acoustic, Frank on guitar)
Nikes (Shortened)
Nights (Mixed with Sango Remix)
At Your Best (You Are Love) (The Isley Brothers cover) (Live Debut)