Netflix officials woo Beyonce with Coachella special deal

Beyonce fans have been whipped into a frenzy after Netflix officials teased the release of a Coachella concert special.

A year after the Formation superstar made her debut at the annual music and arts festival in Indio, California, it appears she has inked a deal with streaming service bosses to premiere a concert film based on the epic performance, which centred around the theme of a college homecoming celebration.

Netflix executives hinted at the TV project in a simple post on social media on Sunday (07Apr19), when they uploaded the word “Homecoming” against a solid yellow gold background.

The only other information featured in the captionless image was the date “April 17,” alongside the Netflix logo, but devotees instantly recognised the title had been printed in the same Greek-style font Beyonce had used during her historic Coachella gig, when she rocked a hooded sweater in the same bright colour.

Specific details about the show have yet to be revealed, but it’s thought the special will feature footage from the 2018 performance.

Beyonce, who has become known for surprising fans with secret releases, has yet to comment on the Netflix teaser, but it gives credence to rumours suggesting she plans to debut her next visual album via the streaming service.

Her last album, 2016’s Lemonade, was accompanied by a TV special of the same name, which premiered on U.S. cable network HBO.

The Homecoming special will air almost exactly a year to the day of her Coachella takeover, which she was forced to delay in 2017 after falling pregnant with her twins Sir and Rumi, with husband JAY-Z.

Beyonce made history as she became the first black female to headline the festival, during which she reunited with her Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and was joined onstage by her rap superstar spouse and singer sister Solange. She also honoured the legacy and traditions of black universities by incorporating over 150 musicians, dancers, a marching band, and choir, which reflected the themes of the learning institutions.

She also revamped the scholarship programme she had launched in 2017 by dubbing it the BeyGOOD Initiative’s Homecoming Scholars Award, through which she chose top students from a handful of historically black colleges to present with cheques to help cover their tuition fees.

This year’s Coachella bill will be headlined by Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande, and Tame Impala, and also feature sets by The 1975, Janelle Monae, Solange, Zedd, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, and Pusha T during the double weekender, which takes place from 12 to 14 April and 19 to 21 April.

Kanye West was also added to the line-up on 31 March (19), when it was revealed that he will stage a one-off version of his Sunday Service concerts on Easter Sunday (21Apr19).musicnews