Justin Bieber DEFENDS Frank Ocean’s divisive Coachella performance: ‘I was blown away’

Justin Bieber defended Frank Ocean’s controversial Coachella performance to his  286 million Instagram followers on Monday night. 

Following mixed reviews of the 35-year-old Super Rich Kids hitmaker’s setlist, the 29-year-old pop star told fans he was ‘blown away by’ the two-time Grammy winner’s talent and vision.  

‘His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail,’ the Canadian singer captioned a snap of Ocean at the music festival. 

He continued: ‘I was deeply moved. It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget!’

Coachella attendees were a bit perplexed by his glowing review of Frank’s headlining performance, which was plagued with issues, after he showed up an hour late. 

‘Justin Bieber praising Frank Ocean’s whole Coachella fiasco is such a Justin Bieber things to do,’ one fan tweeted.

Others mused about how it only took the Baby crooner ‘one day’ for him to speak out against the backlash over Ocean’s performance, but he never publicly defend ‘his own wife’ Hailey Bieber amid her recent feud with his ex-girlfriend, Selena Gomez. 

‘Justin Bieber will really defend Frank Ocean after a day of negativity before he defends his wife who has been receiving death threats for weeks,’ one social media user wrote. 

TMZ reported Monday the Novacane singer, 35, got into an accident involving a bike used to get around the festival. The injury was not sustained on stage.

However, doctors believed the injury was serious enough to recommend changes to production on his performance.

An ice rink which had been built for the show was ultimately axed, and hockey players hired to skate during the performance were instead used as background dancers.

However, doctors believed the injury was serious enough to recommend changes to production on his performance.

An ice rink which had been built for the show was ultimately axed, and hockey players hired to skate during the performance were instead used as background dancers.

‘I was blown away by Frank Oceans Coachella performance. His artistry is simply unmatched, his style, his taste, his voice, his attention to detail.. I was deeply moved,’ the Sorry hitmaker captioned his post on Monday night

He continued: ‘It made me want to keep going and get better as an artist. He continues to set the bar high and gave me a night I will never forget!’

A source told TMZ that over 100 hockey players were selected to be in the show after the skaters took part in an audition for a paid performance.

Few details were given about the gig at the time, but skaters did see Frank at the audition and ultimately realized the try-out was for his Coachella performance.

While the skating portion of the show was ultimately nixed, the skaters were still incorporated into the show and were even reportedly given custom Prada. They were seen walking during his performance.

How Frank will proceed next week for Coachella’s second weekend remains unclear. It also remains unknown why Frank arrived an hour late to his set.

Frank’s performance was plagued with problems, which included him arriving 57 minutes late and having to cut his performance short due to the event’s 12am curfew.

He was slammed by critics and fans alike.

Variety’s Jeff Miller blasted the showing on Monday morning as he wrote: ‘Ocean’s set — during which he and his musicians were intentionally obscured by a cadre of people walking in a circle around them, only seen on video projected on custom screens even more massive than those that usually flank Coachella’s main stage — was messy, loose, and a near-disaster that will likely go down as one of the most divisive in Coachella history, with flashes of brilliance that only made for a frustrating final outcome: that of disappointment and palpable audience WTF-ness.’

‘Justin Bieber praising Frank Ocean’s whole Coachella fiasco is such a Justin Bieber things to do,’ one fan tweeted 

Bizarre: Another mused about the pop star calling Ocean’s ‘level of artistry’ unmatched despite the  performance being plagued with issues, which included him arriving an hour late to his concert

Others pointed out that it only took ‘one day’ for Bieber to speak out against the backlash over Ocean’s performance, but he didn’t post once to defend ‘HIS OWN WIFE after two months of death threats’

‘Justin Bieber will really defend Frank Ocean after a day of negativity before he defends his wife who has been receiving death threats for weeks,’ a similar tweet read

Miller noted that the artist did sound great when he opened with hit Novacane, however, he was barely seen on giant video screens.

He also noted that there were were long ‘what are we doing next?’ pauses which he described as ‘pregnant’ and came frequently between songs even alleging that the setlist felt like ‘mostly a series of of onstage audibles.’

Miller concluded the biting writeup quite the exclamation point as he said: ‘Ocean is beloved partially because of his unpredictable nature, and surely his most devoted fans will claim pure artistry as an excuse. That’s fine: Ocean should have the freedom to explore his creativity however he wants.

‘That said, when it’s in front of 100,000 people who have been clamoring to see you for years, having a plan is more than helpful: it’s necessary. Hopefully, by next weekend, Ocean will actually have one.’

 Ouch! TMZ reported Monday the Novacane singer, 35, got into an accident involving a bike used to get around the festival. The injury was not sustained on stage

That was not the only lukewarm review as The Guardian’s Adrian Horton wrote: ‘Most confusing and shocking of all, when he walked away after a cover of the Isley Brothers’ At Your Best (You Are Love) and announced, offstage, that he’d been informed he’d hit curfew and the show was over. People stayed put, believing it was maybe a bit even after the lights came on. It wasn’t, to the shock of many.

‘With his first headliner set, Ocean did achieve the rare thrill of true suspense – what was he doing? Where was he going with this? The highs were high; it’s a shame the end felt so bitter.’

Mikael Wood of the Los Angeles Times wrote: ‘Yet the way the show rescaled the dimensions of a headlining festival gig felt like a radical provocation.’

Independent investigative outlet The Festive Owl took to Twitter to give an alleged explanation of what occurred leading to the hour-long delay.

The outlet took to the microblogging site to write that according to their sources: ‘The stage production was suppose to (and did) contain an ice rink that was constructed and ready to go.

‘The stage production was suppose to (and did) contain an ice rink that was constructed and ready to go’: Meanwhile Independent investigative outlet The Festive Owl took to Twitter to give an alleged explanation of what occurred leading to the hour-long delay

‘Frank decided at the last minute that he no longer wanted it at all. All of the people walking around him at the start of the performance were actually ice skaters, had been practicing for weeks, and were supposed to be skating as part of the production. Coachella had to deconstruct the approved stage (that had been planned and signed off on for months in advance) + melt the entire ice rink and then set it up how Frank decided today with no warning. Which is what you ended up seeing, and caused the hour long delay.

‘This all happened when doors had already open for Sunday, and people were securing their spots to see him. If the last minute changes weren’t made he wouldn’t have performed at all — leaving the festival without a closing headliner.

The way the performance actually went was just one of the numerous controversies surrounding the admired R&B singer as he had fans at home struggling to contain their frustration as his performance was pulled from the event’s live stream, meaning they couldn’t tune in.’

Despite it being his first performance in six years, the performer was forced to cut his set short due to local curfew rules.

And taking to Twitter to share their frustration, fans fumed that he would ‘rue the day’ as they demanded new music to make up for it.

It was a long-awaited performance for Frank, real name Christopher Francis Ocean, as it was the first in six years – after he last sang at the Flow Festival in 2017 in Finland.

It was a long-awaited performance for Frank, real name Christopher Francis Ocean, as it was the first in six years – after he last sang at the Flow Festival in 2017 in Finland (pictured in 2012)

He was scheduled to play Coachella in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced a cancellation, and the singer was not available to play during the festival’s return last year.

But the comeback was even more delayed on Sunday as he appeared on stage an hour late, with the reason unknown.

Due to Coachella’s usual 12AM curfew on Sunday, he was forced to end the performance early too.

‘Guys, I’m being told it’s curfew, so that’s the end of the show. Thank you so much,’ he said abruptly after a song at the festival.

In addition to being late, the set was dropped from the Coachella live stream which was ongoing via YouTube, where many fans were eagerly waiting for him to come on.

Last but not least: Frank rounded off the first weekend of Coachella as he finished the weekend with his set

Fans took to social media to share the lengths they had gone to so that they could tune in at home, voicing their frustration that the set wasn’t streamed live.

‘I literally did my work since seven in the morning to make time for you Frank Ocean pleaseeeee,’ wrote one.

Another wrote: ‘Frank Ocean… I’m not mad just disappointed’.

‘Started the set late, didn’t let them live stream it, now ending the set early… frank ocean you will rue the day,’ added a third.

Another added: ‘Frank Ocean really went from ‘I have missed you’ to ‘There’s a curfew, g2g bye’]’

As speculation circulated on why the set wasn’t live streamed, Frank also cleared up whether it was anything to do with new music coming.

He told the crowd: ‘It’s not because of a new album. Not that there’s not a new album, but it’s not right now.’

His last album was 2016’s BLONDE, which gained critical acclaim and UK chart success.