Doja Cat offers Yetis, mud wrestling and ASAP Rocky as guest in arty Coachella headlining set

Two years after her previous performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, Doja Cat returned on Sunday as a headliner and upstaged her 2022 performance, which included backup dancers, lasers, flames and wild visuals.

The rapper and singer started off her arty set by singing “Acknowledge Me” on a podium behind the soundboard at the main Coachella Stage while donning a white hazmat suit. The transition to “Shutcho,” led by the five male singers of South African acapella group The Joy (also dressed in white), revealed a nuclear power plant setting on the Coachella Stage.

Always the visual artist, Doja Cat’s long blonde hair blended into her wardrobe during “Demons,” which included her backup dancers appearing as yeti-like figures moving frantically as flames shot up across the stage.

Doja’s prowess during “(Expletive) the Girls (FTG)” turned to sexually alluring during “Gun” and “OKLOSER” simulating the acts while in white lingerie and thigh-high boots with her male dancers.

The first special guest of the set was 21 Savage, who performed “n.h.i.e.” Her shift to a funny top and bikini bottom didn’t accommodate for the chill in the desert wind blowing through during “Attention.”

More:Coachella 2024: Here is the full set list from Doja Cat's headlining performance

“97” and “Balut” shifted to a 1920s vibe as the two steel rafters of the set shifted forward hanging above her with 10 dancers in black as she rapped in a long white fur coat with a cigarette holder.

Teezo Touchdown emerged during “MASC” in spiked football shoulder pads before she finally acknowledged the crowd nearly an hour into the set while carrying what appeared to be a bottle of whiskey to one of the floating rafters sitting on the stage, which she smashed as fireworks shot up in the air and she ascended to the top of the stage for “Streets.”

The skeleton of a large T-Rex appeared during "WYM Freestyle" and followed her as she walked down the catwalk before A$AP Rocky came out for “URRRGE!!!!!!!!!”

As she headed towards the finish line with hit “Paint The Town Red” and moved back to the round podium, it was transformed into a real mud wrestling ring with her female dancers for “Wet Vagina,” and much of the crowd started to head out of the festival.

While the dancers twerked in the mud and she headed back to the stage, fireworks filled the sky, marking the finale and closing Weekend 1 of the festival.

Even though the set wasn’t heavy on guests, Doja Cat’s artistry as both a singer and rapper shined from start to finish.

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.