Frank Ocean has been replaced by Blink-182 after pulling out of Coachella’s second weekend due to a leg injury. The Grammy winner’s first headlining performance was met with controversy after he made his debut over an hour late and was forced to end the set early due to curfew rules. Unlike other performances, Ocean also refused to livestream to the Coachella YouTube channel and shut down rumors about his long-awaited third studio album during his set.
A representative for the singer told Variety that he suffered an “injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up” to the first weekend, which led to the reworking of the performance on doctor’s advice. Ocean is reportedly unable to perform weekend 2 due to two fractures and a sprain in his left leg. Despite the setbacks, Ocean received praise for his “innovative” reworked versions of songs such as White Ferrari and Godspeed during his performance.
Reports have emerged that Ocean was planning to perform with over 100 skaters on a custom-built ice rink, but the stage was dismantled hours before the performance as a result of Ocean’s injury. During his performance, Ocean dedicated his set to his late brother Ryan, who passed away three years ago after sustaining fatal injuries in a car accident. He was 20.
“These last couple years, my life changed so much. My brother and I, we came to this festival a lot. I feel like I was dragged out here half the time because I hated the dust… but I would always wind up here,” Ocean told the audience. “I know he would have been so excited to be here with all of us, and I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.”
Although the singer’s injury has disrupted the Coachella schedule, Blink-182 will be taking his place as headliners for the second weekend. Fans of Ocean will have to wait for another chance to see him perform, but for now, they can take solace in his message of resilience in the face of chaos.