Rarely do Coachella rumors come true, but sometimes little prayers are answered.
About two hours before the midnight hour on Friday night (4/17) of weekend two at Coachella, Sabrina Annlynn Carpenter asked the capacity crowd, "have you ever tried this one?" Immediately the opening synth chords of "Vogue" sounded, followed by Carpenter and her large assortment of glamorously attired dancers snapped their fingers to the beat, posing then readjusting, posing and then adjusting again, as in the 1990 David Fincher music video.
And then Madonna Louise Ciccone rose from beneath the stage, back to the screaming audience, sporting a glossy, structured corset a cropped black leather jacket, paired with thigh-high stockings and tall lace-up boots she'd later say she rocked 20 years ago across the polo fields when she packed the Sahara Tent for a short set.
“20 years ago I performed at Coachella," Madonna told the crowd, many of whom were in elementary school in 2006.
"I was at the dance tent,” she continued. “Same boots, same corsets… it’s like a full circle moment," Madonna said to a sea of cheers, some of whom were wearing Sabrina shirts that read Jesus was a Carpenter.
Maybe that's who answered the little prayer to deliver Madonna?
Earlier in the week outlets like the Los Angeles Times were reporting that Carpenter would be getting an extra 10 minutes to her set. It was easily accomplished by starting exactly at 9pm instead of 9:05pm, like she had done the previous week, and the running just five minutes longer.
But the question was why? Did she have a special song she wanted to unveil? Would she duet with her old pal Taylor Swift on the title track of Life of a Showgirl?
When the first strains of "Vogue" revealed definitively it was the Material Girl, for once in a long while, what should happen did. Fans speculated all week how much sense it would make because Madonna's new single, "I Feel So Free" dropped Friday and what a better place to live debut it than the most talked about festival in the world.
And Madonna's 20 year return would also make sense, especially since the new single is from Confessions on a Dance Floor II, the follow up that gave us "Hung Up," "Sorry," and "Get Together."
But instead of supporting the lead single, Madonna and Sabrina live debuted "Bring Your Love" which the women have recorded for the forthcoming album, due July 3.
In retrospect, how else would one debut such a duet? It was perfect.
That was followed by "Get Together, " which Madonna hadn't performed in nearly 20 years.
The four song mini-set concluded with "Like A Prayer," Madonna's controversial #1 hit single that ticked off the Vatican and had Pepsi panic so hard they dropped the tune from a commercial deal for their sugary soda but let the singer keep the $5 million check.
After "Espresso," "Goodbye" and "Tears," Sabrina made it back to her classic convertible she rolled into the festival's main stage, rode the front seat that lifts her high and turns her into a fountain, and then drove off slowly.
But before she did, Carpenter pulled a movie slate from the back seat which read Sabrinawood WK 2, and clapped it as fireworks exploded above her.
Yet another unreal live debut and guest appearance at Coachella.
