Justin Bieber defended Frank Ocean’s controversial Coachella appearance in front of his 286 million Instagram followers on Monday night.
After mixed reviews of the 35-year-old Super Rich Kids hitmaker’s concert, the 29-year-old pop star told fans he was “blown away” by the two-time Grammy winner’s setlist.
“His artistry is just second to none, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail,” the Canadian singer captioned a snap of Ocean at the music festival.
He continued: “I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and getting better as an artist. He continues to raise the bar and gave me a night I’ll never forget!’
Coachella attendees were a bit perplexed by his enthusiastic review of Frank’s headlining performance, who was plagued by problems after showing up an hour late.
Supportive: Justin Bieber defended Frank Ocean’s controversial Coachella appearance to his 286 million Instagram followers on Monday; seen in 2022
“Justin Bieber praising Frank Ocean’s whole Coachella fiasco is such a Justin Bieber thing,” one fan tweeted.
Others mused that it only took the baby singer “a day” to speak out against the backlash over Ocean’s performance, but he never once posted to “his own wife” Hailey Bieber amid her feud with his ex-girlfriend to defend Selena Gomez.
“Justin Bieber will really defend Frank Ocean after a day of negativity before defending his wife who has been receiving death threats for weeks,” wrote one social media user.
TMZ reported Monday that the Novacane singer, 35, was involved in an accident involving a bicycle he was using to get around the festival. The injury was not sustained on stage.
However, doctors believed the injury was severe enough to recommend changes to the production of his performance.
An ice rink that had been built for the show was eventually scrapped, and hockey players hired to skate during the performance were used as backing dancers instead.
However, doctors believed the injury was severe enough to recommend changes to the production of his performance.
An ice rink that had been built for the show was eventually scrapped, and hockey players hired to skate during the performance were used as backing dancers instead.
“I was blown away by the performance of Frank Ocean’s Coachella. His artistry is just second to none, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved,” the Sorry hitmaker captioned his post Monday night
He continued, “It made me want to keep going and getting better as an artist. He continues to raise the bar and gave me a night I’ll never forget!’
A source told TMZ that over 100 hockey players were selected for the show after the skaters auditioned for a paid gig.
Few details about the performance were released at the time, but skaters saw Frank auditioning and eventually realized the try-out was for his Coachella performance.
While the skating portion of the show was ultimately scrapped, skaters were still included in the show and reportedly even received a custom-made Prada. They were seen during his performance.
It remains unclear how Frank will proceed next week for the second Coachella weekend. It also remains unknown why Frank was an hour late for his set.
Frank’s performance was plagued by problems, including arriving 57 minutes late and having to abandon his performance due to the 12:00 am curfew.
He was met with criticism from critics and fans alike.
Variety’s Jeff Miller blasted the show Monday morning, writing: “Ocean’s set – which saw him and his musicians deliberately obscured by a cadre of people walking in circles around them, only seen on video showing up.” Custom screens projected even more massively than those that typically flank Coachella’s main stage – was chaotic, loose and a near miss that will probably go down as one of the most controversial in Coachella history, with flashes of brilliance only adding to a frustrating one Bottom line: that of disappointment and tangible audience WTF-ness.’
“Justin Bieber praising Frank Ocean’s whole Coachella fiasco is such a Justin Bieber thing,” one fan tweeted
Bizarre: Another mused that the pop star called Ocean’s “artistic level” second to none despite problems plaguing the performance, including being an hour late for his concert
Others pointed out that it only took Bieber “one day” to speak out against the backlash over Ocean’s performance, but he never once posted to defend “HIS OWN WIFE after two months of death threats.”
“Justin Bieber will really defend Frank Ocean after a day of negativity before defending his wife who has been receiving death threats for weeks,” read a similar tweet
Miller noted that the artist sounded great when he opened with the hit Novacane, but was barely visible on giant video screens.
He also noted that there was a long “What do we do next?” Pauses, which he described as “pregnant,” which frequently came between songs, even claimed that the setlist felt like “mostly a series of audibles on stage.”
Miller pretty much ended the scathing report on an exclamation mark, saying, “Ocean is loved in part for its unpredictable nature, and surely its most devoted fans will demand sheer artistry as an excuse. That’s okay: Ocean should be free to let his creativity flow however he wants.
“But when it’s in front of 100,000 people who have been wanting to see you for years, it’s more than helpful to have a plan: it’s necessary. Hopefully Ocean will actually have one by next weekend.’
Ouch! TMZ reported Monday that the Novacane singer, 35, was involved in an accident involving a bicycle he was using to get around the festival. The injury was not sustained on stage
That wasn’t the only lukewarm criticism, as The Guardian’s Adrian Horton wrote: “Most bewildering and shocking of all, when after a cover of At Your Best (You Are Love) he walked away from the Isley Brothers and announced backstage that he” had been told he had imposed curfew and the show was over. People stayed seated thinking maybe it was a little even after the lights came on. It wasn’t, to the shock of many.
“Ocean achieved the rare thrill of true suspense with his first headlining set – what did he do? Where was he going with it? The highs were high; It’s a shame the ending felt so bitter.
Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times wrote, “Yet the way the show rescaled the dimensions of a headlining festival gig felt like a radical provocation.”
Independent investigative agency The Festive Owl took to Twitter to offer an alleged explanation as to what led to the hour-long delay.
The outlet went to the microblogging site to write, according to its sources, “The stage production was to (and did) include an ice rink that was built and ready for use.
“The stage production was to (and did) include an ice rink that was built and ready for use”: Meanwhile, independent investigative agency The Festive Owl took to Twitter to offer an alleged explanation for what led to the hour-long delay
“Frank decided at the last minute that he didn’t want it at all anymore. All the people who walked around him at the beginning of the performance were actually ice skaters, had practiced for weeks and were supposed to skate as part of the production. Coachella had to dismantle the approved stage (which had been planned and signed off for months) + melt the entire rink and then rebuild as Frank decided without warning today. What you ended up seeing and causing the hours of delay.
“It all happened when the doors were already open for Sunday and people were securing their seats to see him. If the last-minute changes hadn’t been made, he wouldn’t have performed at all – and would have left the festival without a final headliner.
The actual course of the performance was just one of the many controversies surrounding the admired R&B singer, as his fans at home struggled to contain their frustration when his performance was pulled from the event’s live stream, meaning they couldn’t could turn on.
Although it was his first performance in six years, the actor had to cut his set short due to local lockdown restrictions.
And on Twitter, fans shared their frustration and raged that he was “ruining the day” as they demanded new music to make up for it.
It was a long-awaited performance for Frank, real name Christopher Francis Ocean, as it was his first in six years – having last sung at Flow Festival in Finland in 2017.
It was a long-awaited performance for Frank, real name Christopher Francis Ocean, as it was his first in six years – having last sung at Flow Festival 2017 in Finland (pictured in 2012).
He was scheduled to play Coachella in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a cancellation, and the singer was unavailable during the festival’s return last year.
But the comeback was delayed even more on Sunday when he showed up on stage an hour late for an unknown reason.
Due to Coachella’s usual 12:00 a.m. Sunday curfew, he was forced to end the performance early as well.
“Guys I’ve been told it’s curfew so that’s the end of the show. Thank you very much,” he said abruptly after a song at the festival.
In addition to the delay, the set was removed from the Coachella live stream, which ran via YouTube, where many fans were anxiously waiting for it to show up.
Last but not least, Frank rounded off the first Coachella weekend by ending the weekend with his set
Fans took to social media to share the efforts they had made to allow them to tune in at home and expressed their frustration that the set was not live streamed.
“I’ve been at work literally since 7am to make time for you Frank Ocean pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeingeeeeeeingeeeeeeeeeeing
Another wrote: “Frank Ocean…I’m not mad just disappointed”.
“Started the set late, didn’t let them live stream, now end the set early…Frank Ocean you’re going to regret the day,” added a third.
Another added: “Frank Ocean really went from ‘I missed you’ to ‘There’s a curfew g2g bye’]’
While speculation circulated as to why the set wasn’t streamed live, Frank also clarified if it had anything to do with the upcoming new music.
He told the crowd: “It’s not about a new album. Not that there isn’t a new album, but right now there isn’t.”
His last album was 2016’s BLONDE, which received critical acclaim and charted success in the UK.