Slayyyter packed the Mojave Stage at Coachella in April 2026, delivering a debut festival performance that drew a capacity crowd and sparked viral reactions across the internet.
The singer, born Catherine Grace Garner, 29, had never played the festival before. Reports noted the size and energy of her audience, with comparisons drawn to Chappell Roan’s 2024 Coachella set.
In an interview with Vogue, Slayyyter described the milestone as surreal.
“It feels like such a dream come true. I have always wanted to attend Coachella—let alone play it—since I would see photos on Tumblr when I was in high school. It feels very surreal.”
Her setlist included “Beat Up Chanels,” “Dance” and “Crank,” and the crowd response exceeded her expectations.
“I was surprised how many people knew the words to the non-single songs on the album. The crowd response to ‘Crank’ was maybe my favorite moment of the whole set, though. Everyone was just screaming: It felt like the room was shaking!”
From a Bedroom Closet to the Big Stage
The path to that Coachella moment was anything but straightforward. Slayyyter is an American singer, songwriter and rapper from Kirkwood, Missouri, who got her start releasing music independently on SoundCloud.
She attended the University of Missouri for one year before leaving in 2016 to pursue music full time. In the early days, she created “‘80s lo-fi pop” music, producing and editing songs herself while working from her bedroom closet at her mother’s house. During that period, she supported herself through service jobs, camming and findomme work.
Her stage name is derived from a variation of the surname of Ron Slater.
Her debut mixtape, Slayyyter, arrived in 2019. Her debut studio album, Troubled Paradise, was released in June 2021, followed by Starfucker in September 2023. Along the way, she completed three solo tours and toured with Charli XCX, Kesha and Tove Lo.
Almost Walking Away From Music
Before the Coachella triumph and the release of her third studio album, Worst Girl in America, in March 2026 on Columbia Records, Slayyyter considered leaving the industry altogether.
“Things just weren’t going as I’d hoped,” she told Range. “I was like, ‘I’ve put so much into this, I’ve lost so much money, and it’s just not working out.’”
Rather than quitting, she channeled that frustration into new music. In an interview with Cosmopolitan, she described the artistic identity behind the album with characteristic bluntness.
“I’m naturally loud, and my music definitely mirrors that. In industry settings, I’ve always felt like I’m the trashy St. Louis girl, and a little bit of insecurity comes with that. I don’t feel polished when I look at other celebrities with their glossy designer clothes and teams of people adjusting their hair. I’ve felt very out of place and like the drunkest, most annoying person in the room. This album is funny and leans into that kind of personality.”
Slayyyter is set to tour in support of Worst Girl in America, with a North American run beginning in September 2026, followed by dates in Europe and the U.K. in October.
For fans who discovered her through viral Coachella clips or longtime listeners who followed her journey from SoundCloud uploads to festival stages, the momentum surrounding Slayyyter’s career appears to be at a new peak. Her Coachella debut signaled that the singer who once nearly walked away from the music industry has found an audience ready to scream every word back at her.
