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Zendaya Returns to the Stage as Labrinth’s Surprise Act at Coachella’s Second Weekend

by Emily Duff


On April 22nd, Zendaya, the star of blockbuster movies including 2022’s Dune and Marvel’s Spiderman, made a surprise on-stage appearance at Coachella.

The A-lister got on stage with headliner, Labrinth, for Coachella’s second Weekend, performing tracks including ‘I’m Tired’ and ‘All For Us’. These singles are straight from the infamous soundtrack of Euphoria, in which Zendaya stars as Rue Bennett, and was an instant hit among fans. 


Last year, “I’m Tired”, which was co-written by Zendaya, received an Emmy nomination in the ‘outstanding original music and lyrics’ category. 


In fact, another Emmy-nominated track from the teen drama was ‘Elliot’s Song’, written by Zendaya and Dominic Fike, who will also be performing as part of Coachella’s lineup. 


Having trended on TikTok when the album first dropped last year, this performance may cause a revival of its popularity. 


Her shock appearance created a huge buzz on social media, with fans sharing videos from the concert and live-Tweeting their reactions. Those from all over the world shared in the amazement, unifying their love of the performer despite not being in the festival’s desert California location. 


With the second season of the HBO show having been released in February 2022, almost 3 years after the first, it's likely the third won’t be here anytime soon. Although a tedious test of patience, one-off stunts like this never fail to bring excitement - with many fans now more eager than ever for the latest instalment of the show to arrive on our screens. 


This event also marked Zendaya’s first return to the stage in 7 years - making the event even more memorable. After dropping her debut self-titled album a decade ago, Zendaya focused on her successful acting career. In March 2022, the star Tweeted, “I stepped away from music quite a while ago, for a number of reasons, but I still really love it”.


Although a terrifying feat for most, the ex-Disney star was welcomed on stage with every performer's dream - an audience of people screaming her name. 


In fact, the crowd was so loud it was difficult for those of us watching at home to even hear her. 


Zendaya stated via Instagram Stories, “I just wanna say thank you again — I have never heard screaming like that in my entire life, as soon as I turned the corner, I couldn’t hear anything but you guys. — Thank you all for welcoming me back on stage with open arms.”


Despite a clear nervousness in her voice, Zendaya killed her performance - hitting every powerful note. 


Her vocals weren’t the only thing to wow the crowd, Zendaya took to The Mojave Tent stage in a jaw-dropping ensemble. 


Wearing a dusty pink frilly corseted mini-dress over a white tank top and paired with black thigh-high boots, her aesthetic perfectly reflected that of her on-screen character. Even down to the details from opting to have her hair down in long, natural waves to the oversized silver jewellery.


While her set started off slow and tugged on our heartstrings, the energy quickly booked as Zendaya began to dance around the stage for the near-finale of the British rapper's set. The two were then seen sharing a genuine hug before Zendaya left the stage, allowing the headliner to wrap up the set. 


Labrinth has been praised for his star-studded guests during his sets at Coachella. Alongside Zendaya, the 34-year-old musician was also joined by Sia and Maddie Ziegler to perform their track ‘Thunderclouds’ as well as the international singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish, for their track ‘Never Felt So Alone’.

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