The biggest Chinese pop star in the world has just been ushered into a trailer on Universal’s backstage lot. Nervous-looking assistants surround him, but Jackson Wang – who wears his movie star looks as casually as he does a pair of flashy leopard print trousers – comes over for a bear hug. He’s in Los Angeles alongside a who’s who of superstars from across Asia at the final rehearsals for a gig like no other. Alongside South Korean rapper CL, Indonesian alternative hip-hop artist Warren Hue and Jakarta-born singer-songwriter Niki, Wang is here to prepare for 88rising’s historic main stage takeover at Coachella.
They’re the first record label in the Californian festival’s 23-year history to be afforded such an honour. Which isn’t bad going for a collective that was founded in 2015, and only started properly working with musicians in 2017. Since then, 88rising has managed to build a spectacularly successful sonic bridge between East and West, putting global eyes – and ears – on their young, effervescent sound; from Hue’s bouncy, house-y beats to Bibi’s party-starting pop and Rich Brian’s sophisticated SoundCloud bops. The Coachella show is an unmitigated triumph. Not only is the sprawling teenage crowd in raptures, but the festival livestream provides a raft of viral moments during the 90-minute set. The internet threatens to break during the surprise reunion of K-pop girl band 2NE1, and when rapper Milli eats a bowl of mango sticky rice onstage, retailers in Thailand report tripled sales of the traditional dessert. Biggest of all is Wang’s unannounced appearance, which becomes Twitter’s top global trending topic on the evening of the show. As his slickly choreographed moves slink along to the downright sexy and Weeknd-worthy likes of ultra-polished recent single “Blow”, it’s clear that Jackson Wang is the highlight for a host of fans here.
