Lana Del Rey had a couple of heavily favored cameos during her Coachella performance Friday, welcoming recent collaborators Jack Antonoff and Jon Batiste, both of whom will be fronting their own sets later in the weekend — but also one far less easily guessed guest, in the form of Billie Eilish, who turned up for a surprise pair of duets.
Taking to a terrace overlooking the massive stage, the duo first joined forces on Eilish’s “Ocean Eyes,” then turned their voices to “Video Games.” Both songs represent the first real breakout hits in these artists’ respective careers.
The two traded fangirl notes as their joint appearance came to a close. Enthused Del Rey about her singing partner: “That’s the voice of our generation, the voice of your generation, and i’m so f—ing grateful she’s standing next to me right now singing my favorite song.”
Eilish retorted, “Get the f— out of my face,” as they both fell into laughter.
“This is the reason for half you b—–s’ existence — including mine!” Eilish further told the crowd. “Lana Del Rey, you guys, come on!”
The emergence of Eilish onto the stage followed a lengthy turn by Batiste as he and Del Rey recreated “Candy Necklace,” a song they worked up together for Del Rey’s most recent album, 2023’s “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.” The song was nominated for best pop duo’group performance at the 2024 Grammys. For most of the tune, Batiste played piano while she kneeled atop the instrument, but after she stepped down toward the end, they began spontaneously trading vocal lines.
“Sometimes you need somebody else’s spirit to move with you, and that’s always going to be Jon Batiste,” said the headliner.
Following Eilish’s appearance, Del Rey was joined by her co-producer and co-writer of late, Antonoff, for a reading of “Hope Is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me — but I Have It.” Or at least some version of her was joined by Antonoff: He was playing piano very definitely in the flesh, but she appeared as an oversized hologram, just for that one number. The track dates back to her “Normal F—ing Rockwell” album from 2019.
Her setlist included some live rarities, including opening with “Without You,” which fans say she has not performed since 2014, and her cover of Sublime’s “Doin’ Time,” which she hasn’t done since 2019 — possibly a nod to the fact that a contemporary iteration of Sublime is also booked for Coachella.
Del Rey didn’t need any of her guests to make an impression, most viewers on-site or watching via the YouTube livestream would agree. She had certainly one of the more memorable entrances and exits in Coachella history, riding in and out through the audience, via walled off sections splitting up the crowd, on the back of a motorcycle, sometimes standing and/or blowing kisses as she passed by. Her six dancers trailed her, also holding onto motorcycle drivers, in motorcades that lasted minutes.