Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival officially wrapped in Indio, California, on Sunday, April 23, and it was a memorable affair featuring the hottest stars in music. After nearly a decade, Zendaya made a triumphant return to the stage to join forces with Labrinth, also known as Timothy Lee McKenzie.
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The Euphoria star left festival-goers speechless when she appeared under the spotlight during Labrinth’s set on Saturday (April 22) evening. While sporting a trendy baby pink dress and thigh-high boots, the 26-year-old tackled “I’m Tired” and “All For Us.” Both tracks are featured in her award-winning HBO original series.
Fans were fast to hold up their phones and press record when Zendaya stepped into the spotlight to deliver the initial verse of Emmy-nominated, “All For Us.” From the very first note, the singer-turned-Hollywood A-lister displayed her robust vocals that flawlessly complement the electronic instrumentals. It wasn’t until the chorus that the British rapper joined in and fed off of Zendaya’s contagious stage presence.
Hey I’m taking it | Yeah-eah | I’m taking it all for us, all | Doing it all for love | Yeah-eah, Yeah-eah, they belt out. Guess you figured my two times two always equates to one | Dreamers are selfish | When it all comes down to it | I hope one of you come back to remind me of who I was | When I do disappear into that good night.
Following the performance, Zendaya turned to social media to recap the epic moment and to thank her longtime friend for the opportunity.
“I cannot express my gratitude enough for this magical night. Thank you to my brother @labrinth for inviting me and giving me the most beautiful safe space to be on a stage again,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “And to the crowd tonight…wow…my heart is so full. I can’t thank you enough for the love I received tonight, made all my nerves melt away, I’m so grateful.”
She continued to reflect on the night with highlights from the short, but memorable set.
Credit @Zendaya Instagram
“Wish y’all could understand how loud it was last night…when I tell you this is exactly what I heard in my ears, my mic picked up every single one of you. So thank you for singing alone, it was one of the only ways I knew what I was singing lol,” wrote Zendaya. “Do it for the fam…@labrinth,” she added alongside a photo of the two sharing a tight embrace.
The mind-blowing act that curated thunderous applause throughout the desert served as Zendaya’s first live performance in nearly seven years. Before taking a hiatus, Zendaya released a self-titled debut album in 2013 and dropped a handful of singles such as “Something New” and “Neverland.” The former Disney Channel star previously noted that she pressed pause on music for “a number of reasons.”
“I stepped away from music quite a while ago, for a number of reasons, but I still really love it, so the kindness and support I’ve received the past few days just for a little tiny toe-dip back into some music means the absolute world to me…thanks<3,” she said in 2022 after recording music for Euphoria.
Ticket-holders praised the unexpected collaboration and dubbed it the “best performance” at Coachella in 2023. Labrinth delivered a jaw-dropping performance of “Thunderclouds” with Sia as well, from their 2019 record. Dance Moms star Maddie Ziegler also made an appearance. See a glimpse of the act below.
Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO
