Zendaya's surprise musical return is the highlight of Coachella 2023. The Euphoria actor took the stage with Labrinth on April 22 during the second weekend of the music festival in Indio, California, for her first live performance in seven years. Performed on the Emmy Award-nominated hit song "I'm Tired" and on the HBO series "All for Us." Zendaya later took to her Instagram Story to thank festivalgoers for their support and set the stage for fans who weren't lucky enough to attend.
"I have never heard screaming like this in my life," she said in a video message. "As soon as I turned the corner, I couldn't hear anything. I couldn't hear anything but you guys. So I'm sorry, I don't know what happened... I don't know what I sounded like "
After thanking Labrinth for making "such a magical, beautiful night" happen at the "last minute," she showed even more love to the "gorgeous crowd" who were there to cheer her on. "Thank you all for welcoming me back to that stage with open arms," Zendaya added. “It’s been a long time coming, so I’m grateful.”
The video, filmed before she "went to bed," echoed a written statement she released shortly before. The Emmy winner once again expressed her gratitude to her "brother" Labrinth for giving her "the most beautiful, safe space to be on stage again," adding, "The love I received tonight made me... My nerves melted, I’m so grateful.”
Whether watching live at home or in the audience, Twitter users couldn't get enough of Zendaya's performance at Coachella — once they stopped being shocked by her surprise appearance, that is.
For those watching on a computer screen, not being able to hear Zendaya live seemed to be a common case of "fear of missing out."
Since Zendaya only sang on two "Euphoria" songs, she left fans wanting more, with many hoping she would sing a snippet of her 2013 single "Replay," which she included on her 2013 single "Replay" that same year. ’s debut album of the same name.
After dropping the "Euphoria" track, which also includes "Elliot's Song" (with co-star Dominic Fick), Zendaya tweeted about the positive reaction from fans. "I left music a long time ago for a number of reasons," she wrote in March 2022. “But I still really love it so the kindness and support I’ve received over the past few days just to re-immerse myself in the music a little bit means the absolute world to me..Thank you <3”
At the time, she revealed more about why she put her singing career on hold during a November 2021 conversation on A Sip with Issa Rae. "Honestly, I purposely quit music because of a bad contract," she explained, while also referencing the larger privacy concerns in show business. "Performing allows people to fall in love with a character. But also for my own anonymity and my own life, which music can't really afford. When you're a musical artist, your face is always yours. It's you . So that’s another thing. It scares me about music — like not being able to really have that much of a life.”
