Coachella 2023: Blackpink's success has K-pop fans wishing for more Asian music and representation

When Xander Benitez discovered that Blackpink was headlining the Coachella Valley Arts and Music Celebration this year the decision for him and 2 buddies to take a trip from their village near Sarasota, Florida was an easy one.

" It's ridiculous," Benitez, 21, said. "The first K-pop headliner at Coachella? Hey there!"

He, Jony Leyva, 21, and Edward Sebastian, 31, were simple to identify on the celebration premises on Saturday, April 15, the very first of Blackpink's two weekends there. Like numerous fans of the K-pop girl group, they 'd taken Blackpink literally when it came choosing their outfits for the day.

" It's a phenomenon," Sebastian stated of the development in the last few years not simply of K-Pop artists such as Blackpink and BTS, the latter of which could easily headline Coachella some day, but of Asian artists in basic. Blackpink will be back to headline the second weekend of the Coachella on Saturday, April 22 and announced a tour stop at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Aug. 26.


< img alt=" Blackpink fans Jenny Zhou, left, and Jennifer Zhuang have their ..." class=" lazyload size-article_inline" data-sizes =" auto" data-src =" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=620" data-srcset=" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=620 620w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=780 780w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=810 810w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-16-WP-2.jpg?w=1860 1860w "> Blackpink fans Jenny Zhou, left, and Jennifer Zhuang have their image taken throughout Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 15, 2023.( Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). < img alt=" Blackpink fans Edward Sebastian, Jony Levya and Xander Benitez of ..." class=" lazyload size-article_inline" data-sizes=" vehicle" data-src=" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=620" data-srcset=" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=620 620w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=780 780w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=810 810w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-DBH-0415_04-3.jpg?w=1860 1860w" > Blackpink fans Edward Sebastian, Jony Levya and Xander Benitez of Sarasota, Fla. present throughout the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 15, 2023.( Photo by David Brendan Hall, Contributing Photographer). < img alt =" Blackpink fan Jony Leyva, from Florida, presents throughout Coachella Valley ..." class=" lazyload size-article_inline" data-sizes =" car "data-src =" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=620" data-srcset=" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=620 620w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=780 780w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=810 810w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-04-WP-2.jpg?w=1860 1860w" > Blackpink fan Jony Leyva, from Florida, presents throughout Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 15, 2023.( Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG ). < img alt =" Blackpink fan Jony Leyva, from Florida, poses throughout Coachella Valley ..." class=" lazyload size-article_inline" data-sizes =" auto" data-src =" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=620" data-srcset=" https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=620 620w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=780 780w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=810 810w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=1280 1280w, https://www.pressenterprise.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/RPE-L-CF-DAY2-0415-03-WP-2.jpg?w=1860 1860w" > Blackpink fan Jony Leyva, from Florida, postures throughout Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio on Saturday, April 15, 2023.( Photo by Watchara Phomicinda, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). Show Caption of. Broaden." Music culture is going with different cultures," he stated

." It's a cultural reset. I feel like( Coachella is) attempting to move with the culture. ". Both pointed to Leyva as the greatest Blackpink and K-Pop fan of the 3, and he looked it from the black stetson with beaded spangles dangling from the edges to the Blackpink bar towel he brought proudly like a flag." It's truly crucial," Leyva stated of the shift that not only brought Blackpink to headline Coachella on Saturday, however saw Bad Bunny end up being the very first Latin music headliner on Friday." That's my infant daddy," Leyva joked of Bad Bunny, who he stated offered him new life after a long hot Friday. "I was available in drag and was ready to leave. My wig was hurting.

Whether you are a Coachella lifer or prefer to enjoy from afar, get weekly dispatches during the Southern California music festival season. Outside the Blackpink merch camping tent, scores of fans waited patiently in line to buy keepsakes of a historical day. Blackpink wasn't the only Asian act on the Coachella lineup this year, of course.

" She's a Blackpink fan, I'm a Bad Bunny fan, it worked out," Suzy Jimenez said of their choice to come to Coachella this year. More Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival news. Coachella 2023: See images from Day 2 of the festival.

Coachella 2023: Linda Lindas, Destroy Boys and Flo Milli kick off Day 2. Coachella 2023: Photos of artist-inspired attire and style throughout Weekend 1.