State Champ Radio Author: djfrosty
Page: 501
Rubi Rose says women should be weary of BBL’s and instead advocated for them to hit the gym. On Tuesday (May 6), Rubi Rose pleaded with fans on X to stop getting butt implants after she had shared a video of her twerking in a car. “Please stop getting a— shots,” she wrote. Rose then […]
Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco has been charged by the Fiscalía del Estado de Jalisco (Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office) for allegedly advocating crime. Authorities in the Mexican state are investigating the band after projecting images of a criminal leader while performing the song “El del Palenque” during a concert on 29 March at an auditorium of the University of Guadalajara.
Now, a judge will determine whether or not to initiate legal proceedings against the members of the group, their legal representative and the promoter of their concerts in a hearing scheduled for Monday (May 12), which would mark a precedent in regional Mexican music.
“The members of a musical group that showed images referencing a figure from organized crime during a concert in Zapopan have been formally charged in a criminal court today for allegedly promoting criminal activity,” read a statement from the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office on Tuesday (May 6) shared with Billboard Español. “Similarly, charges were also brought against the group’s manager and the promoter of their concerts.
Trending on Billboard
According to the statement, the judge imposed precautionary measures on the four members of the band, their manager and the promoter, meaning they are not allowed to leave Jalisco. Additionally, they will have to pay a bond of 1.8 million pesos (about $92,000), which amounts to 300,000 pesos per person.
Article 142 of the Jalisco Penal Code states that publicly inciting the commission of a crime or glorifying it — or any vice — can be punishable by up to six months in prison. Experts consulted by Billboard Español note that since this type of penalty is less than four years, it can potentially be served outside of prison if the judge allows it.
The group and their representatives chose not to make any statements during a hearing on Tuesday, according to the statement. Billboard Español has reached out to the band’s representatives for comment but has not received a response at time of publication.
The Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Billboard Español that three open investigations into Los Alegres del Barranco for allegedly advocating crime. The first one corresponds to the investigation against them for projecting images of the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, alias “El Mencho,” during their concert on March 29. This fact even caused the United States to revoke the work and tourist visas of its members, as announced on April 1 by the U.S. Undersecretary of State, Christopher Landau, in a post on X.
The second investigation was opened after, on May 3, the group allegedly projected on screens during their show the lyrics of the controversial corrido “El del Palenque,” which alludes to the aforementioned drug lord. The third folder corresponds to another presentation, on May 4, in which the group allegedly incurred in similar acts, in the municipality of Tequila, according to a press release from the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office on May 5.
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, said on Wednesday (May 7) that “it was the decision” of the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office to prosecute the members of Los Alegres del Barranco for allegedly advocating crime, and reiterated that her government is not in favor of banning the narcocorrido genre.
“My position is that it should not be banned, but that other music should be promoted. Rather than prohibiting, it is more important to educate, guide and encourage people and young people to stop listening to that music,” said the Mexican president during her morning press conference.
The controversy over Los Alegres del Barranco’s alleged homage to the drug trafficker comes in the wake of the debate over how the cartel founded in Jalisco uses clandestine ranches to recruit people to the criminal group through deceitful job offers, as reported by federal authorities and the media. This follows the discovery of the Izaguirre Ranch in the municipality of Teuchitlán, where acts of torture and murder were allegedly committed, as denounced by the Guerreros Buscadores collective in early March.
Ten (out of 32) states in Mexico have implemented several new bans against narcocorridos or any expression that advocates crime, without it being a federal law.
Welcome to Billboard Pro’s Trending Up newsletter, where we take a closer look at the songs, artists, curiosities and trends that have caught the music industry’s attention. Some have come out of nowhere, others have taken months to catch on, and all of them could become ubiquitous in the blink of a TikTok clip.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
This week: The Bey Hive buzzes over the Cowboy Carter Tour, Mariah the Scientist eyes a proper breakout hit and Katy Perry sees a less-remembered older hit gain newfound interest.
Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Streams Giddy Up 116% Following Tour Launch
If not for the launch of Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s long-awaited co-headlining Grand National Tour last month, the most-anticipated live kickoff of the month would’ve almost certainly been Beyoncé‘s latest stadium trek, the Cowboy Carter Tour. Taking Bey around some of the biggest venues in the U.S. — and a couple in Europe as well — the Cowboy Carter Tour opened to rave reviews at Inglewood, Calif.’s SoFi Stadium last Monday (April 28), with fans around the globe gobbling up any live clips available and prepping their own costumes for when the Queen’s rodeo comes to town.
Trending on Billboard
And those same fans — whether inspired by the clips that have circulated, or merely attempting to bone up on its deeper cuts before future live dates — are of course also streaming the album in droves. From last Friday to Sunday (Apr. 25-27), the three days before the tour’s launch, Cowboy Carter generated 4.7 million total official U.S. on-demand streams across its tracks, according to Luminate. For the three days after the launch (Apr. 29-May 1), that number was up to over 10.2 million — a gain of 116%. Some of the songs from the album receiving the biggest bumps over that period include “Ya Ya” (up 147% to 544,000), “Protector” (up 207% to 438,000) and of course Bey’s reinvention of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” (up 118% to 405,000).
The streaming bump can also be seen in the chart performance of Cowboy Carter — which had slipped to No. 193 on the Billboard 200, at risk of falling off altogether, before rebounding all the way to No. 63 on this week’s chart (dated May 10). Will this be a one-week bump for Bey’s latest, or will it extend throughout the tour, Eras-style? That will certainly be one of the many things we continue to monitor about the Cowboy Carter Tour is it gallops around the country from here.
Mariah the Scientist’s New Song ‘Burning’ Up the Streaming Charts
R&B singer-songwriter Mariah the Scientist has developed a strong fanbase and critical reputation over the course of her three studio albums and a variety of one-off singles and feature appearances — including on Billboard Hot 100 hits by 21 Savage (“Dark Days”) and Tee Grizzley (“IDGAF”). But to this point, despite her burgeoning profile — with an added boost in exposure from her romantic relationship with hip-hop icon Young Thug — she’s still yet to notch a true breakout hit of her own as a lead artist.
Well, not until this week, anyway, following the Friday (May 2) release of Mariah’s new love ballad “Burning Blue” — which many have understandably taken to be about her storied beau, who was recently released from prison after submitting a a non-negotiated guilty plea in his RICO trial that resulted in his being sentenced to 15 years probation but no jail time. “Burning” had been teased extensively by Mariah pre-release, and upon dropping, quickly set fire to the Apple Music real-time chart, rising all the way to the top of the listing. In total, the song has racked up over 7.3 million on-demand U.S. audio streams in its first four days of release (May 2-5), according to early estimates from Luminate — an eye-popping number for a brand-new song by an artist with little chart crossover history.
Now, with the loved-up ballad spreading its way through the internet, the song sets its sights on a Hot 100 debut next week — with a good chance of even entering in the chart’s top half — as Mariah the Scientist takes the first big step on what could be a major 2025 level-up for her.
Fans Still “Thinking” About Overlooked Katy Perry Hit
While the headlines haven’t always been the kindest to Katy Perry the past month, she is off on her Lifetimes Tour, and apparently getting fans wistful about some of older hits. One that’s taken off in the past couple weeks is one that didn’t make the tour setlist: lovelorn ballad “Thinking of You,” the lone hit among breakout set One of the Boys‘ first four hits that didn’t make the top 10, peaking at No. 29 in February 2009.
The song has started to spread on TikTok — with some fans comedically taking on her vocal affectations on the track, and others simply pining for Perry at her most Alanis Morissette, a singer-songwriter mode that Perry rarely returned to on her singles after going pop supernova with 2010’s Teenage Dream blockbuster. Whatever the inspiration, the song’s virality has resulted in it nearly doubling in weekly official on-demand U.S. streams, from 279,000 for the tracking week ending April 24 to 539,000 the week of May 1, according to Luminate.
If it’s too late for Perry to work it into her Lifetimes set, maybe opener Rebecca Black could take it on instead? She has previously shown an affinity for covering less-remembered early Katy Perry singles…
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Gregory Bojorquez / Getty
Rapper The Game is facing the loss of his Calabasas home following a court order to sell the property to help pay off a $7.1 million legal judgment.
The decision comes as part of a long-running legal battle with Priscilla Rainey, who was awarded the multi-million-dollar sum in 2018 after accusing the rapper of sexual misconduct during the taping of the reality series “She Got Game”. Legal documents reveal that a judge recently approved the sale of The Game’s mansion, stating that the home’s value could potentially cover protected homeowner exemptions and existing liens while still generating funds toward the judgment owed to Rainey.
In such situations, courts are required to authorize the sale if it means the creditor could receive even a partial payment. Rainey originally filed her lawsuit in 2015, claiming The Game assaulted her while filming the show. The rapper’s failure to consistently appear in court led to a default ruling in Rainey’s favor. Over the years, efforts to collect the judgment have intensified.
In mid-2023, a judge issued a writ of execution after alleging The Game had transferred ownership of the property to his manager, Wack 100, in an attempt to avoid payment. The rapper was summoned in October to argue why the house shouldn’t be sold, but the court moved forward regardless. The situation underscores the serious financial and legal consequences of ignoring court orders and attempting to shield assets from judgment enforcement.
It’s a question that’s long been asked by Smilers around the world: Which Miley Cyrus album is the gayest? According to the singer, there is an official answer. During Spotify’s An Evening With Miley Cyrus event in New York City on Tuesday (May 6), the “End of the World” singer posed herself a rhetorical question […]
Riding the momentum of their viral single “Gnarly,” KATSEYE has announced its second EP, BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, slated for release on June 27 via HYBE x Geffen Records. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The announcement was made on the group’s official social media platforms, where fans were […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Even with the Met Gala 2025 happening on a rainy night Monday (May 5), the beauty looks absolutely brought it and proved that they can bring the heat no matter the weather.
While it’s always a star-studded event, this year’s theme, “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” inspired celebrities and their teams to break out their absolute best. There were countless looks to choose from, but we were especially interested in how the beauty teams prepped the makeup and hair looks to last through the long evening.
Below, we break down the beauty and hair looks for Lauryn Hill, André 3000, Sabrina Carpenter, Zendaya, Charli xcx and Ciara. All of these artists’ looks were stunning, and they showcase the huge range of looks that always make the Met Gala so uniquely special. We’ve also gathered all of the products and exact shades used by the artists so that you can try the looks at home.
Trending on Billboard
Lauryn Hill
For the star’s glam, makeup artist Alana Palau used MAC Cosmetics to create a stunning look. Palau describes Hill as the creative director of the appearance and said that she wanted to create a look that was an “homage to diasporic indigenous women.” To make that happen, Palau prepped the skin with Hyper Real™ Serumizer and the Hyper Real™ SkinCanvas Balm before moving in with the Studio Fix Every-Wear All-Over Face Pen in the shades NC45 and NC50. For concealer, Hill was rocking the iconic MAC Pro Longwear Concealer in NW50, as well as the Studio Fix 24HR Smooth Wear Concealer in shades NC45 and NC50. For blush, Palau used Powder Blush in the shades Raizin and Burnt Pepper, on top of the Strobe Beam Liquid Blush in Good Vibes.
To create the glowy eye look, Palau used the Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette and focused on the shades Future Flame, Unfiltered Nudes and Hi-Fi Colour. On top of those she used Dazzleshadow in the shade I Like 2 Watch for an added dash of glam. Finally, she topped it off with the long lasting M·A·CStack Waterproof Mascara. Hill’s bold lip color was a result of Palau mixing two Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolour shades, including Rekindled and Make Love To The Camera. She then added Retro Matte Liquid Lipcolour in Caviar.
M.A.C. Powder Kiss Liquid Lipcolor Longwear Lipstick
$20
$28
29% off
M.A.C. Strobe Beam Liquid Blush
M.A.C. Connect In Colour Eyeshadow Palette Future Flame
M.A.C. Studio Fix Every-Wear All-Over Face Pen
Zendaya
Zendaya at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York, New York.
Michael Buckner
Makeup artist Ernesto Casillas created this look for Zendaya, which focused on a ’90s-style lip. To create the look, Casillas prepped the skin with Tilbury’s Crystal Elixir and Magic Cream before applying the Flawless Filter highlighter in shade 3 all over the face. He then used the Airbrush Flawless Foundation in the shade 6W and applied the Contour Wand in the shade medium for bronzer. To add a muted flush to the cheeks, he applied the Matte Beauty Blush Wand in the shade Pillow Talk and highlighted with the Beauty Light Wand in the shade Spotlight.
To create the perfect smoky eye look, Casillas used the new Rock ‘N’ Kohl eyeliner in the shade smokey bronze. This new line of eyeliners, as well as its corresponding lip liners, includes two colors in one pencil. To add some glitter and shine, he used the sensual sunset hue from the Beautifying Eye Trends palette. Finally, for the lip that set the mood for the entire look, Casillo used the Lip Cheat Contour Duo in the shade tan, and went over the liner with the Big Lip Plumpgasm gloss in the shade Diamonds. Finally, he set it all with the Airbrush Waterproof setting spray to make sure the look lasted throughout the night.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Charlotte Tilubury Hollywood Contour Wand
Charlotte Tilbury Rock ‘N’ Kohl Long-Lasting Eyeliner Pencil
Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Lip Cheat Contour Duo Lip Liner
Charlotte Tilbury Big Lip Plumpgasm Plumping Lip Gloss
Ciara
Ciara at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York, New York.
Michael Buckner/Penske Media
Ciara’s hair made this beauty look the winner that it was, and it was created by stylist Cesar Deleon Ramirez. “The vision was ultra-glossy, fluid and color-rich hair that photographs like glass under the lights,” he explained.
He started by washing and conditioning the hair with the Kerastase Gloss Absolu Bain Hydra-Glaze Shampoo and Gloss Absolu Insta-Glaze Anti-Frizz Conditioner. He explained that the conditioner is ideal for wigs and extensions as it adds such a boost of shine. According to Ramirez, the Chroma Absolu Soin Acide Chroma Gloss Hair Gloss is the hero of the look for its ability to transform texture. He applied it after the conditioner and then rinsed it out thoroughly.
For styling, he applied the Kerastase Mousse Bouffante Hair Mousse on the roots and up to the mid-length while the hair was still damp. This gave the look structure and helped it hold its shape throughout the evening. He used Kérastase Discipline Kératine Thermique as a heat protectant and then the Kerastase Genesis Homme Cire d’Épaisseur Texturisante Wax Pomade to tame any flyaways. For the final touch of shine, he added a couple drops of the Kerastase Elixir Ultime and sprayed it all with the Kerastase Laque Couture Hairspray.
Kérastase Chroma Absolu High Shine Gloss Treatment for Color-Treated Hair
Kérastase Mousse Bouffante Volumizing Hair Mousse
Kérastase Elixir Ultime Refillable Hydrating Hair Oil
André 3000
André 3000 attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
André 3000 made a statement with his outfit, and makeup artist Alexa Hernandez helped complement the bold outfit with a fresh makeup look. She prepped the skin with M.A.C Fix Plus Matte and M.A.C HyperReal Skin Canvas Balm Moisturizing Cream, which she said “allows the product to be absorbed deeply leaving minimal product on the surface and sets the tone to the makeup ritual.” To make sure the under-eye area was fully de-puffed, she used the M.A.C Fast Response Eye Cream.
From there, she used M.A.C Studio Radiance 24hr Luminous Lift Concealer in shades NW 55 and NC63 to cover up any imperfections and to add brightness. To make sure the look remained oil-free, Hernandez used the M.A.C Studio Fix Foundation Powder Foundation in shade NW50. She topped it all off by adding moisture to the lips with the M.A.C Lip Conditioner, and she set the eyebrows in place with the M.A.C Pro Locked Brow Gel.
M.A.C. New Studio Fix Powder Plus
M.A.C. Fast Response Eye Cream
M.A.C. Lip Conditioner
Charli XCX
Charli XCX at The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York, New York.
Michael Buckner/Penske Media
Charli is known for her long locks that somehow always look slightly wet and voluminous. To create these curls, stylist Matt Benns used two different hair tools from Wavytalk. He started by running a curling cream through damp hair, and then using the diffuser attachment on the Trublow hair dryer. He then used the two smaller sized barrels on the Curlmaker Pro curling iron to make sure the look wasn’t too uniform.
He explains that he pulled two pieces around to frame the face and twisted half of her hair into a messy bun. “It should feel romantic and a little punky twist,” he said. “It needs to feel really random, not symmetrical.” To top it all off, he added feather ear cuffs and actually glued some feathers onto the skin. He finished the entire look off with a texturizing and shine spray.
Wavytalk Turblow Pro Fast Drying Blow Dryer
$61
$100
39% off
Wavytalk Curlmaker Pro Rotating Curling Iron Set
$79.99
$99.99
20% off
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 05, 2025 in New York City.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Sabrina’s hair was in its signature voluminous waves and featured coloring Laurie Heaps and Styling by Evanie Frausto. Heaps explains that she took slightly larger sections than normal and left more of her natural color out. To give it volume, Heaps used Redken Flash Lift with Bonder Inside and then used the Redken’s new Shades EQ Skylight Blonde in 8NV to gloss her roots.
For the style, Frausto started with Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo and Conditioner, and then applied the Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment at the end of the wash. As he was blowdrying the hair, Frausto applied the Redken Volume Maximizer throughout the hair and the Redken Thermal Spray to protect her locks. He used the L’Oréal Professionnel AirLight Pro hair dryer, and pulled up the roots with a large round brush. Then he let the curls sit in large velcro curlers so that they were fully set. After removing the curlers, he went in with a curling iron using a 1 and 1/4-inch barrel and misted the Redken Dry Texture Spray from the mid-length to the ends. Everything was fully set with the Redken Max Hold Spray to keep her hair looking great all night.
Redken Flash Lift Bonder Inside Lightener Powder
Redken Volume Maximizer Thickening Spray
Redken Dry Texture Finishing Spray
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
President Donald Trump and Canada’s newest Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met for the first time this past Tuesday (May 6), setting in motion a larger discussion around Trump’s aims for our northern neighbors and tariffs. In the meeting, many online observers kept an eye on Prime Minister Mark Carney’s demeanor and President Donald Trump’s comments, sparking reactions online.
CNN reports that despite the tensions between America and Canada, largely sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, the conversation between the leaders was not full of pyrotechnical bombast. Notably, Carney and Trump were civil with the Canadian leader telling Trump point blank that his country “won’t be for sale, ever” after Trump hammered home his desire for Canada to become America’s 51st state.
Carney also fact-checked Trump, who claimed that the United States doesn’t do much trade business with Canada despite the high number of imports that cross the border, a border Trump referred to in the meeting as an “imaginary” line. Canada is currently the largest importer of goods from the United States, with Mexico trailing just behind.
While there were moments in the chat that came across as tense in the meeting, Trump believes that the chat went swimmingly.
“No, I don’t see any tension either, we get along very well with both. They just got to pay a little more money, you know, they just, they’re getting away with things that they shouldn’t be. And they understand. We had a great meeting today, actually, with the new prime minister, who’s a terrific guy,” Trump told CNN.
Online, a different picture has been painted of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit with President Donald Trump. We’ve got reactions from X below.
—
Photo: Getty
When Maren Morris publicly came out as bisexual in June 2024, fans and fellow artists alike shared their messages of congratulations for the singer-songwriter. Nearly a year later, Morris says those affirmations had a more profound impact than one might think. In a new interview with The Zoe Report, Morris opened up about coming out, […]
At 5:10 p.m. ET on Thursday evening (May 1), Sara Landry’s agents got the call that would send their next three days into turmoil.
A rep from New York City venue Brooklyn Mirage was on the phone to say that Landry’s show at the club that night was canceled. The sold-out performance was meant to be Mirage’s first concert upon reopening after a months-long closure and extensive remodel, but the venue was forced to nix Landry’s show after building inspectors declined to grant the facility a permit to open.
Less than an hour after delivering this news to Landry’s team, Mirage posted an announcement explaining the situation to its hundreds of thousands of social media followers. The update was especially head-spinning for Landry’s team, given that they’d had dinner with Mirage operators the night prior and no one had mentioned there might be an issue.
“I had been paying very close attention and asking for lots of updates,” Landry tells Billboard of Mirage’s reopening. “Like ‘How are we looking? Is this going to happen?’ The response was, ‘We’re going to open; we have all the permits; everything’s on schedule.’ But when [the cancellation] happened, there was a part of me that was like, ‘Okay, this was a statistical possibility.’”
Trending on Billboard
When the call came, Landry was in a 2026 planning meeting with her entire team at the WME office in Manhattan. Their meeting space quickly became, as Landry now calls it, “the situation room,” where she, her agents, her publicist and the rest of her team scrambled to find another venue for the DJ and the 6,000 people who were scheduled to see her at the Mirage that same evening. It was a situation they’d repeat the next day when The Mirage announced it also could not open on Friday (May 2), effectively canceling Landry’s second show at the venue. (Additional opening weekend shows by party brand CityFox and South African producer Black Coffee were also cancelled, and Brooklyn Mirage has since announced that its reopening is delayed “indefinitely.”)
“Obviously, opening the Mirage was a big deal for us, especially coming out of such a massive Coachella,” says Tracey Manner, Landry’s publicist and founder of PR agency Sequel. “We had been working on things to make this another moment for her.”
The Mirage was meant to host the New York debut of a large-scale show called Eternalism that the hard techno producer and her team had spent the last year creating, which made its U.S. debut last month at Coachella’s Sahara tent and which by Thursday was set up inside the Mirage for a performance that, as it turned out, was never going to happen.
By the time Manner got the cancellation update and left another meeting to join the team at WME, she says, “Sara had eight agents in the room, everyone on a call with another venue, talking to legal, talking about ticketing with Dice, about how this could all work. WME pulled into one room… and every single person pulled out their own version of expertise.”
“There was never going to be an option where I sat in my hotel room without doing anything, knowing that thousands of people spent money in this economy to buy tickets and fly in,” says Landry.
While Landry’s agents, Bailey Greenwood and Annie Chung, along with other WME agents, including the agency’s head of electronic music Stephanie LaFera, worked the phones, Landry and Manner strategized on messaging. They decided it was important to post videos of Landry explaining the situation, so fans could see and hear her, a move they knew would humanize the situation.
“We talked about getting things across as clearly as possible and not getting stuck in anything about the Mirage,” says Manner. “We were always going to take the high road.”
“The key piece is always being transparent,” says Chung. “In the absence of information, people tend to start creating their own narratives or spinning out, and so it was important for us to update people as we went along and say, ‘This is what we know right now. This is what’s feasible.’ Fans were so receptive to Sara being the face of trying to make something happen.”
Within an hour of getting the news of the Thursday cancellation, Landry posted a video of herself to her social media accounts explaining that she and her team were working on solutions. An hour after that, the WME team had secured the Brooklyn Storehouse for a show that would happen the following day, Friday (May 2). Landry went back on social media and posted another video explaining that Brooklyn Mirage Thursday ticketholders would have their original tickets refunded by Mirage and receive an email with tickets to the Brooklyn Storehouse show.
Not long after, Landry posted another video saying she and her team had also secured Knockdown Center in Queens for a show that night, Thursday (May 1). Anyone, whether they had a Mirage ticket or not, could RSVP for free to this show, with Landry requesting that people who lived in New York skip this Thursday night set and go to the Friday show at Storehouse, to prioritize people who’d traveled to New York for the Thursday event. By this point, it was impossible for the Eternalism production to be moved to either venue, necessitating a much sparer set-up for these shows.
While Landry’s team was reconfiguring her Thursday performance, they also had to prepare for the possibility of Friday’s show cancelling, which it ultimately was. When this Friday cancellation happened, Landry’s team was able to add two more shows at Knockdown, one on Friday night and the other on Saturday afternoon (May 3), to accommodate the roughly 6,000 Mirage ticketholders at the 3,100 capacity Knockdown.
Meanwhile, the team combed through emails to prioritize getting tickets to the Thursday show to people who needed to see it that night, including those who’d traveled to New York and could only stay in the city for one day (this included a couple who’d received Thursday night tickets as a wedding gift). As the WME team was working through the complicated process of getting new tickets sent out through Dice, Manner was responding to comments on social media to help clarify the situation.
“We all split up the tasks and called different people, purely based on everyone’s relationships and who we could probably get the quickest answer from,” says Greenwood. “For example, Knockdown Center did the two shows with Sara last year and have booked her for years, so it was honestly a really great moment for them to have her back, and they were heroes.”
Chung, Greenwood and the team were cognizant, however, of the organization required when relocating thousands of people to a new venue. They note that most city “takeovers” by artists, which find acts playing myriad venues over a couple of days, typically take months of planning.
“When you do a pop-up at that capacity and scope, there’s always the chance that it can do more harm than good in terms of creating chaos and sending people to a venue that can’t withstand the demand,” says Chung. “For us, it was springing into action to figure out a game plan that made it possible for everyone who was planning to see Sara to safely see her.”
Sara Landry at Brooklyn Storehouse
Simon’s Playground
Greenwood also nods to the strength of the local dance music community in having Knockdown Center and Brooklyn Storehouse fully staffed and ready in terms of lighting and sound with just hours’ notice. Ultimately, Landry played the pop-up show at Knockdown Center on Thursday night, the Friday early evening show at Brooklyn Storehouse, then another show later that night at Knockdown Center and another Knockdown Center show on Saturday, performing for 15,000 people altogether over the weekend — a number exceeding the 12,000 she’d been scheduled to play for at Mirage — all of whom were admitted free of charge.
The artists who’d flown in to be her support acts at the Mirage, Amsterdam-based producer Diøn and French artist Shlømo, both also got to play, as did the local support acts who’d been booked on the Mirage bills. The financial elements of the entire weekend are still being worked through by WME and the various venues involved. (Typically, with these types of cancellations, the venue is on the hook for paying 100% of the artist fee.)
Landry adds that “obviously I wanted nothing more than to go through with things at The Mirage, and I know for a fact that the Mirage team wanted nothing more than for that to go ahead. They had so many people on the ground that were working hard and passionately to bring their vision to life. I think that, unfortunately, sometimes the construction gods are not on your side and sometimes the bureaucracy gods are just not on your side. Stuff can always go wrong.”
While New York has yet to see Eternalism, Landry says, “I did give them four crazy underground type sets, so I think they were happy.” (She ultimately DJ-ed for nine hours over the weekend, and when we talk on Tuesday morning, she’s planted in bed, where she’s been since Sunday, intermittently napping, eating artichoke pizza, scrolling TikTok and watching Hacks.)
Greenwood, Chung and Manner all agree the vibe was extra special at the Storehouse and Knockdown shows, with the cheers a bit louder and longer, as people seemed grateful just to be in the room.
“It definitely felt extra special for us,” Greenwood says. “This was really a stress test. Cancellations happen; production stuff happens. This is where our training and expertise are the most important, in how quickly can you pivot.”
