Why Jackson Wang’s Coachella performance made history: the Hong Kong born K-pop star was the music festival’s first ever Chinese solo performer – and he grabbed the moment with both hands

Apr 30 , 2022

Jackson Wang clearly gave his Coachella performance everything he had. Photo: Invision/AP

Wang’s set featured alongside performances by Aespa, 2NE1, CL, Milli and others as part of music label 88rising’s all-Asian ‘Head in the Clouds Forever’ showcase at Coachella

The Chinese star performed tracks like Blow, 100 Ways and unreleased track Crush, and received a barrage of praise online afterwards, including from former Exo member Lay Zhang

Returning to bring music fans and festivalgoers from around the world together, Coachella just wrapped up the end of two hectic weekends in the Colorado Desert.

Jackson Wang lit up the stage both literally and metaphorically at Coachella. Photo: @jacksonwang852g7/Instagram

It’s perhaps a given that the likes of Harry Styles, The Weeknd and Billie Eilish would all wow the crowd with their solid performances, but several Asian artists have also been making their mark at the popular Californian music festival this year too – including Hong Kong-born K-pop idol Jackson Wang.

The all-Asian artist line-up

88rising’s Heads in the Clouds Forever Coachella showcase featured several familiar artists. Photo: @88rising/Instagram

During the festival, several artists from record label 88rising – which primarily represents Asian-American and Asian performers – performed at Coachella as part of a “Head in the Clouds Forever” showcase.

From Indonesian rapper Warren Hue and Thailand’s Milli, to K-pop’s Aespa and the surprise reunion of 2NE1, there was plenty for fans to get excited about.

Not only did 88rising’s stars impress with their creative performances, but the record label became the first in Coachella’s history to receive its own dedicated performance slot to showcase its artists.

Jackson Wang’s debut Coachella performance

“This is the moment of history, this is Magic Man, this is Jackson Wang from China”, Jackson Wang announced to the crowd at Coachella. Photo: @sneakyseunie/Twitter

In addition to the record label achieving this milestone, Hong Kong-born K-pop singer Jackson Wang also made history as the first Chinese solo artist to take to the stage at Coachella.

Performing towards the end of the showcase, Wang immediately got everyone’s attention with his silver hair, a form-fitting blazer and flashy red gloves.

Jackson Wang sent his fans, called Jackys, into a frenzy with his sensual and energetic set at the festival. Photo: Invision/AP

During his set, the Chinese rapper sang 100 Ways and new track Blow from upcoming album “Magicman”. He also treated the audience to a preview of the as-yet-unreleased track Cruel. With his spot on dance moves and killer stage presence, Wang appeared to channel all of his 11 years of training and experience into this defining moment in music history.