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The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has often been criticized for not including enough women on the bill.
And the numbers show that is a valid criticism. Just look at this year’s festival — which runs April 12-14 and 19-21 — and consider that Ariana Grande is only the fourth women to headline Coachella since it began in 1999.
During that same time, there have been about 50 male artists/bands chosen as headliners.
Still, there has been some notable progress in that area. For instance, this is the third consecutive year to feature a woman atop the bill, following 17 years in which only the phenomenally talented Bjork managed to land headliner status (in 2002 and 2007).
Beyond the headliner spot, you’ll find a goodly number of great female artists or female-fronted bands on the bill. Best of all, many of these talented women are heading to the Bay Area in the near future.
Here’s a roundup of some of the top shows. (Note: Some of these concerts are already sold out — so you might need to look to the secondary market for tickets.)
Ariana Grande
The pop star is still only 25 but she’s also a seasoned vet in the entertainment business, having gotten her start in 2008 in the Broadway musical “13” and then landing the role of Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon TV series “Victorious” in 2010. She’s ranked as a pop superstar ever since she put out her debut album, “Yours Truly,” in 2013. Yet, she’s definitely taken it to the next level — into the stratosphere where the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyonce hang out — with the release of 2018’s “Sweetener” and this year’s “Thank U, Next.”
Stream these: “No Tears Left to Cry,” “Problem”
Bay Area shows: 8 p.m. May 2 at SAP Center, San Jose; $39.95-$199.95; www.ticketmaster.com; 7:30 p.m. May 3 at Golden 1 Center, Sacramento; $34.95-$199.95l; www.ticketmaster.com.
Soccer Mommy
The Switzerland-born, Nashville-based singer-songwriter-guitarist generated plenty of buzz with the studio debut “Clean,” which wound up making several best-of-2018 lists. The lo-fi indie-music champ, whose real name is Sophie Allison, also impressed local fans when she opened for Kacey Musgraves at The Masonic in San Francisco in February.
Stream these: “Cool,” “Your Dog”
Bay Area shows: 8 p.m. April 17-18 at Great American Music Hall, San Francisco; $16-$18; www.slimspresents.com; 7 p.m. April 19 at Harlow’s, Sacramento; $15-$18; www.ticketfly.com. Also, Soccer Mommy opens for Vampire Weekend on Oct. 1 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco; 7:30 p.m.; $59.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
Lizzo
The R&B/hip-hop star provided one of the signature moments of the 2018 Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival, as she delivered a tutorial on twerking for thousands of fans at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Now she’s touring in support of third studio album, “Cuz I Love You,” which comes out April 19.
Stream these: “Juice,” “Truth Hurts”
Bay Area shows: 8 p.m. April 22, 24 at the Warfield, San Francisco; $29.95-$40; www.axs.com.
Maggie Rogers
She’s a true 21st-century success story, one who went from obscurity to stardom after a video of her performing her song “Alaska” to Pharrell Williams during a music masterclass in New York went viral. She landed a deal with Capitol Records and released the successful debut “Heard It in a Past Life.”
Stream these: “Light On,” “Alaska”
Bay Area show: 8 p.m. April 19 at Fox Theater, Oakland; $39.50; www.ticketmaster.com. She returns for a Sept. 20 gig at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theatre; $49.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
Kacey Musgraves
Is there any award that this country-pop star hasn’t won for her “Golden Hour” album? She dominated at the 2019 Grammys — even taking home album of the year — and also did big business at the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards. And all of this acclaim is so well-deserved, given that Musgraves has ranked among the best singer-songwriters in the industry since delivering her debut, “Same Trailer Different Park,” in 2013.
Stream these: “Family is Family,” “Fine”
Bay Area show: She’s performing at Outside Lands in San Francisco, date and time TBA; www.sfoutsidelands.com.
Chvrches
The cool Scottish synth-pop act, featuring the sensational Lauren Mayberry on lead vocals, returns to the Bay Area in support of its third studio outing, “Love Is Dead.” Yet, hopefully, Chvrches will leave plenty of room in the set list for its 2013 debut, “The Bones of What You Believe,” which remains the band’s best album.
Stream these: “The Mother We Share,” “Recover”
Bay area show: 8 p.m. April 19 at Greek Theatre, Berkeley; $49.50; www.ticketmaster.com.
Tierra Whack
This rising R&B/hip-hop star does things a bit differently than others, a fact that is underscored by her debut studio album, “Whack World,” which consists of 15 one-minute-long songs. Despite its unusual format — or, perhaps to some degree because of it — “Whack World” ended up on several best-of-2018 lists.
Stream these: “Hungry Hippo,” “Wasteland”
Bay Area show: Outside Lands, San Francisco, details TBA; www.sfoutsidelands.com, .
Billie Eilish
Here’s just one measure of how things are going for this young pop star: Around this time last year, Eilish was playing San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, which holds just under 500 people. This time through town, she’s performing at the 8,500-capacity Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. So, yeah, her career is on the way up.
Stream these: “Bury a Friend,” “Bad Guy”
Bay Area show: 7:30 p.m. May 29 at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco; $53.19; www.ticketmaster.com.
Kero Kero Bonito
The London indie-pop trio hits town to showcase its sophomore effort, “Time ‘n’ Place,” which follows the well-received “Bonito Generation” of 2016. Working the microphone for Kero Kero Bonito is Sarah Bonito, a memorable frontwoman who sings and raps in both English and Japanese.
Stream these: “Flamingo,” “Trampoline”
Bay Area show: 8 p.m. April 21 at Great American Music Hall, San Francisco; $22-$25: www.slimspresents.com.
King Princess
The Brooklyn pop artist, whose real name is Mikaela Straus, made a big splash with her debut single, the gold-certified “1950,” and her first EP, “Make My Bed.” King Princess came in second place on Sound of 2019, a BBC poll addressing the most promising new music talent.
Stream these: “1950,” “Talia”
Bay Area show: 8 p.m. April 22 at the Fillmore, San Francisco; $27.50; www.livenation.com.
Ella Mai
The soulful singer-songwriter is one of the hottest names in R&B right now, thanks in large part to the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning single “Boo’d Up.” The London native hits town in support of her eponymous debut album.
Stream these: “Boo’d Up,” “Trip”
Bay Area show: 8 p.m. April 23 at Fox Theater, Oakland; $35-$45; www.ticketmaster.com.
