Frank Ocean looked back on memories with his late brother, Ryan Moore aka Ryan Breaux, who died in a car crash in 2020, during emotional remarks in the midst of his headline act at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on Sunday.
The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, who was set to headline the festival in 2020 prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reflected on his sibling during his first public performance in nearly six years.
“I have missed you,” Ocean told fans before acknowledging that he wasn’t at the festival to promote any upcoming albums. “Not that there’s not a new album,” he added.
Ocean remarked that his life has changed “so much” over the last couple of years before he mentioned his brother, who often attended Coachella with him.
“I thought I was dragged out here half the time because I hated the dust out here. I always left with a respiratory infection or whatever so I would avoid coming but I would always end up here,” he said.
“One of my fondest memories was watching Rae Sremmurd on — I don’t know what that stage is called — watching Rae Sremmurd with my brother and Travis [‘Taco’ Bennet]. We were just dancing in that tent to their music. I know he would’ve been so excited to be here with all of us and I want to say thank you for the support and the ears and the love over all this time.”
Breaux, who appeared on Ocean’s song “Futura Free,” was 18 when he died along with his classmate in a car crash in Thousand Oaks, California.
Ocean, who is also set to headline at Coachella’s second weekend, brought out a career-spanning set list on Sunday that included songs from his “Nostalgia, Ultra” mixtape as well as his iconic album “Blonde,” according to HipHopDX.
He ended his set with a cover of Aaliyah’s “At Your Best (You Are Love)” before referring to the venue’s curfew and exiting the stage. The abrupt end may have been a result of the set’s delayed start time.