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Travis Scott is "certainly out" of the Coachella festival headline spot, according to a report in Variety, with Billie Eilish and Kanye West touted as possible replacements.
The annual desert music festival is a high-profile gig. The 2017 edition was attended by 250,000 people and grossed $114.6 million. The 2018 edition was headlined by Beyonce, Eminem and The Weeknd, while the 2019 festival saw Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande and Tame Impala take the headliner stage.
Billie and Kanye are primed for Coachella 2022
Travis Scott, captivating crooner Frank Ocean and rebellious rockers Rage Against The Machine were touted to headline the 2020 edition, before it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ocean is now committed to the 2023 edition, while RATM have pulled out. Meanwhile, Scott is set to be replaced, in the aftermath of the Astroworld tragedy.
With all three headline spots being up for grabs, iconic electronic trio Swedish House Mafia have clinched one. Billie Eilish and Kanye West have been linked with the two remaining spots.
Billie has had a transformative 2021.After the whopping success of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), she followed up with a much more restrained and insightful take on fame, love and everything in between on Happier Than Ever (2021), swapping out trap-heavy beats for jazz refrains.
Her efforts were universally acclaimed, gaining her seven Grammy nods for the album and its title track.
Billie also underwent a physical transformation, talking publicly about being constantly analyzed for her cosmetic and fashion choices. Her blonde look in March caused an internet wildfire, and was among the most-liked Instagram photos of the year.
Kanye West (or as he likes being called, Ye) was also similarly prolific last year. He released his highly-anticipated tenth album Donda to rave reviews.
Ye, in typical fashion, tinkered with the album endlessly, even after hosting multiple listening parties. But the resulting album's quality has shut his naysayers down.
He was set to headline Coachella in 2019, but the plan was abandoned, as the organizers could not accommodate his request to build a giant dome in the middle of the festival grounds.
Instead, West held the first public "Sunday Service" performance on Easter on April 21 at the venue's campgrounds, where he and a gospel choir performed a 33-song setlist of his songs as well as classic R&B and gospel covers.
This time around, he already has a couple of recent high-octave live shows under his belt. Ye and Drake buried the hatchet and performed at the 'Free Larry Hoover' benefit concert just last month.
After a three-year gap, this year's Coachella looks like a surefire barn-burner.
