Beyoncé is no longer doing Coachella this summer, pushing back her performance dates to 2018, on account of the fact that she is freaking pregnant with twins. She announced her postponement via a statement to the Associated Press, pinpointing the schedule change on “doctor’s orders.” By the time Coachella rolls around in mid-April, Beyoncé will be approximately a zillion weeks pregnant, so the news comes as no surprise, despite previous assurances that she would perform as promised.
Or does it? Fans who were hoping to see how she pulled off two full-length performance extravaganzas in a row while carrying two about-to-pop babies in her belly got a taste of that in her remarkable Grammys performance, but one part of Beyoncé’s lifelong overachieving is that audiences expect her to constantly be on. She clearly expects this from herself, too, given her tight leash on her image. We saw this at the Grammys, where, in lieu of her normal onslaught of explosive and demanding choreography, she compensated with a greater emphasis on beautiful visuals and performance art.
So it’s nice to see Beyoncé being of this world for once. Hopefully her rest involves her lying on the couch with her feet up, yelling at Jay Z to bring her a tray of foods that are both greasy and sweet. (I have never had a baby so I am just basing this scenario off things I want when I’m on my period.)
Coachella has not yet announced a replacement headliner, but I’m sure everyone with tickets will survive either way!