Pioneering producer/artist showed off her imagination during sweaty takeover of the Gobi Stage on Sunday
So much of Arca’s career has been about showing us just how vast and limitless her imagination is, and the pioneering producer/artist used her Coachella debut to remind the world of just that. As she took on the Gobi stage, Arca stunned the crowd with a thundering set that kept people dancing the entire performance.
Dressed in custom Rick Owens and black leather, Arca started the set with exactly the level of drama we expect from her. She rose from the ground slowly and then shouted at the crowd, “Where are the Venezuelan dolls at?” Immediately, she dove into the brash “Rakata,” from Kick II. She also played new material, including an experimental track called “Puta.” “Wave that trans flag high and proud,” she yelled into the crowd when she ended the song. In between “Desafio,” a deeper cut from her stunning self-titled project from 2017, Arca let out operatic vocals and swung around in a cyr wheel dangling from the center of the stage.
Partway through the set, she brought out Dominican singer Tokischa, and the two of them traded celestial vocals while performing “Chama” — but also found time for perreo when the beat dropped. That wasn’t the only guest Arca had in the wings.
The crowd went wild when she brought out pop star Addison Rae, who glided onstage in a flowing white dress. Then, the two of them dove into “Aquamarine / Arcamarine,” a take on Rae’s catchy single “Aquamarine.” Rae used the opportunity to unveil the release date of her debut album: June 6.
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In her February cover story, Rae told Rolling Stone how she came up with the concept for “Aquamarine.” “The word is so beautiful and the color is so gorgeous that I was like, ‘How can I make a song that contextualizes that feeling?’” she said.
After fans lost their minds to Arca bangers like “Mequetrefe” and “Prada.” She began winding the crowd down, purring, “Did you love it? I can tell you loved it, like, a lot.” The cheers in the audience were an indication of just how much they did.
