Charli XCX sweats Brats with Billie Eilish, Lorde and Troye Sivan

It’s safe to say that most people who attend the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival have a great time. Charli XCX, the Queen “Gaki” himself, understood the assignment.

The British singer-songwriter returned to Coachella Stage on Saturday to turn the desert into a full-on rave with a hit from the Grammy-winning hit album “Bratt” and many special guests.

Charli’s “Brat” album took the country by Neon Green Storm last year, having “Brat Summer” and looked great while doing it. Her Coachella Set was all about Livin’. It was so good that it made me wonder why she wasn’t nominated as a festival headliner, especially considering the pack of “angels” that appeared for her.

more: Charli XCX Coachella Setlist: Everything “Brat” played over the weekend 1

Charli quickly set the evening vibe when she opened with the party girl song “365,” which flashes bright lights from the stage. Her set was rather modest – it featured some hanging stone-like blocks – but it was enough to turn the stage into an industrial club.

The singer had an audience in her palms throughout the evening, especially when she played the hit “360”. The on-screen camerawork featured Britt’s rapidly moving, disorienting images, with flashing lights still going out all night. All of this worked in her favour to turn the festival grounds into wild rave reviews.

The party really started when the special guest revolving doors went in and out of her club. She started it with her best friend and frequent collaborator Troye Sivan from her “Brat” remix album “Brat” and “Talk Talk” and “Talk Talk”, which is not only completely different, but still Brat. The sexy and playful songs allowed the two performers, who finished their joint headlining sweat tour in October, to feel themselves and show off their magnetic energy together.

Fans were then treated to the unusual look of “Girl” from “Girl” on the track “Girl”. The song is about a rough patch of friendship, but Charlie and Lord explode together on stage, and the audience couldn’t get enough. The New Zealand singer-songwriter has recently rubbed social media and has caused a stir online, with many expecting to release new music soon. If that’s a sign of the new road era, I hope there’s another collaboration between these two on the card.

However, the guest who elicited the biggest screams from the crowd was headliner Billy Eilish, who came out for “speculation.” The two artists performed the spicyness of the song, greatly to the pleasure of the audience who could not believe in all the surprises treated in the evening.

Charli was discovered in 2008 when he began posting songs on social media platforms on MySpace and was later invited to perform on Raves. When she last performed at Coachella in 2023, she was impressed with her vocal and dance abilities, energizing the crowd with some of her biggest hits, including Icona Pop Collaboration “I Love It”, “1999” (Sivan also came out), and “Vroom Vroom.”

Her “Brat” song was the main showcase on Saturday, but she revisited many of her past hits, including Icona Pop Song (everyone flew around), “Track 10” (seeing all her voice and dancing abilities), and “Unlock.”

At the end of the performance, words appeared on the screen asking if it was time to put an end to “Brat Summer.” Given the stellar showcase that Charli put on for her fans, I hope she will continue her best Brat life forever.

EMA Sasic covers Coachella Valley’s entertainment and health. Contact her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared in Palm Springs Desert Sun: Coachella 2025: Charli XCX Sweats with Billie Eilish, Lorde