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The Atlantic picked up what some might consider the scoop of the year after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared war plans on the unsecured Signal messaging app. Included in the chat was The Atlantic‘s editor in chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, and the publication published the full text chat after top officials in President Donald Trump’s administration testified in front of Congress that the information within was not classified.
As seen in The Atlantic, Goldberg was included in a Signal group chat that included Hegseth and U.S. national security advisor to President Trump, Mike Waltz. Waltz unintentionally added Goldberg to the discussion of plans to attack Yemen’s Houthis group, and the text chain included names, details, and expected results of the attack. Goldberg made his media rounds after breaking the story, but previously did not include some of the more sensitive details of the Signal chat.
However, testimony from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated that the plans discussed in the chat were not classified in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday (March 25). CIA Director John Ratcliffe added in separate testimony that the chat details were not classified, and President Trump stood by that claim. Hegseth also denied that the discussion was about war plans.
With that testimony on record, the publication saw fit to publish the entire chat to allow the public to make their own determination of the facts and to push back against the attacks from Trump officials that The Atlantic is lying about what the chat is.
“The statements by Hegseth, Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and Trump—combined with the assertions made by numerous administration officials that we are lying about the content of the Signal texts—have led us to believe that people should see the texts in order to reach their own conclusions. There is a clear public interest in disclosing the sort of information that Trump advisers included in nonsecure communications channels, especially because senior administration figures are attempting to downplay the significance of the messages that were shared,” Goldberg and fellow journalist Shane Harris wrote.
The White House is attempting to downplay and discredit Goldberg’s assessment of the war plans, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt attacking the publication’s decision to frame the chat “attack plans” instead of “war plans,” as initially reported and framed that as a retraction.
“The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans.’ This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin,” Leavitt wrote on X.
On X, many are reacting to The Atlantic calling the Trump administration and its de facto war council’s bluff by publishing the full Signal chat. Check out those reactions below.
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Photo: Getty
A few blocks from Provenza, in Medellín, is the studio where some of the biggest hits of Ovy on the Drums have been made. In a modest apartment, located on a sixth floor and guarded by a ferocious sand-colored stuffed dog named Cairo, we are welcomed by the man who became a frequent musical companion of artists like Blessd, Beéle and Karol G. On one wrist he has tattooed the T, Q and G, a reference to his greatest feat: having been able to get Shakira and her friend Karol G, a.k.a. “La Bichota,” the two Latin women with the greatest impact on music in recent years, both on a song.
“I have it tattooed here, because it’s the first song produced by Ovy on the Drums that is No. 1 in the world,” notes Daniel Echavarría (his real name). “For one to be a producer on that collaboration, it’s a dream come true.”
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Currently, “TQG” has more than 1.2 billion streams on Spotify and 1.3 billion views on YouTube, after debuting at No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts, including Hot Latin Songs, Latin Pop Airplay, Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, it started at No. 7 and spent 20 weeks on the chart.
While the interview is going on, we are located in a secondary studio — smaller than the main one, but with all the necessary tools so that the emerging artists he works with can record there. He mentions up-and-comers like Tury and Young Fatty, and other not-so-emerging artists like Kris R, as probable guests for the W Sound — the artist sessions series he launched last year with Westcol, one of the most impactful influencers in Colombia, who also has worldwide reach.
Creator of the “Tusa” sound, Ovy has an eye for rising artists in the urban genre. A little over five years ago, he discovered a kid who was making waves named Beéle, who had just signed with Hear This Music, then Bad Bunny’s label. Together they made “Inolvidable,” which he acknowledges as the most special of the songs they’ve created since they’ve known each other. It became one of the biggest hits of 2020, remembered for its emotional piano, and showing the two stars were ready for new challenges.
However, it was impossible to imagine all that was to come. Not only for Beéle, who is now one of the most important Colombian artists, but also for Ovy, the neighborhood man who learned to produce by playing with Fruity Loops in his room. The logo of this music production program is also tattooed on his arm, according to a Billboard article.
Ovy is now the producer of many of the biggest hits for Karol G, Blessd and plenty other urban Latin music stars. He won a Latin Grammy for Karol’s album Mañana Será Bonito, whose success took him to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Producers chart for 25 weeks. And a few days ago, he was ranked as the Latin producer with the most listeners on Spotify: almost 29 million followers on this music platform, ahead of Bizarrap, Tainy, Rvssian and DJ Nelson.
In the studio, he shows me an old microphone that he uses to record the new talents who come to his house. He also tells me that it’s the same one he used for Unstoppable, Karol G’s first album, which we now remember for songs like “Ahora Me Llama,” which featured Bad Bunny on its remix — — a detail that is now probably inspiring many of them to pursue similar success stories.
Below, Ovy talks with Billboard about his legacy and some of his upcoming projects.
You just released an EP with Puerto Rican and Chilean artists, you are working on the W Sound sessions. What else can you share about your 2025 plans?
Cassette, the EP that a few days ago had its second volume, is a very nice project that my team and I saw a lot of potential in. Last year, we did the first version of the project — which was with Myke Towers — and there, we brought together artists like La Joaqui from Argentina, Saiko from Spain, also Ryan Castro, Blessd.
I wanted to bring the cassette to the present day, because I feel that there are 15-or-16-year-olds who do not know this format, so that they know the history and adapt it to the present time. That’s the nicest thing we have done. For the second EP, I left a lot out, but I am grateful to the talents of Chile, and artists like Jory Boy, Dalmata and Darell, because without them I wouldn’t have had that flow.
What about the W Sound? It’s easy to predict a great future for that, even though it’s just starting out, both because of your impact and that of Westcol. Who would you dream of inviting to the series?
It’s a genius project, together with Westcol, and we have the No. 23 song in the world [with the session with Beéle in the Top 50 on Spotify]. In addition, we already have four W Sounds on the street. One wants very big artists to be in the W Sound, but we also dream of new talents, and we bet on growth.
And what is happening with session number three, which has not yet appeared and is highly demanded by fans?
Right now we are working on music, projects like Ovy on the Drums, Micro TDH, Bad Milk [a promising artist of Big Ligas featured in the Estéreo Picnic 2025 lineup], the W Sound … Apart from that, I am also at a stage where I think not only in music, but in separate projects, where we are making investments and getting into other fields of which I will tell you later.
It is possible that what your followers know the least about this side of the business is the 360 marketing area you develop or the work you do with content creators. How has this part of Big Ligas been working?
With Big Ligas we always have that part — with my partner Kristo [Cristian Salazar], who has a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge of how a song works — about how the timing works when a new song comes out, or the fact that it is not always necessary to use influencers, but that other types of strategies may be necessary.
When Beéle had released “Loco,” his first big hit, you immediately called him to do “Inolvidable.” How does that vision thing work, of being able to realize early on that an artist is going to be very big?
I’ve been a fan of Beéle since I met him, and although I didn’t know when, I always knew he was going to be great as an artist. We have a lot of songs — but for me the big song is “Inolvidable.” It’s like epic, a [huge moment] for him, for me, for Big Ligas. And now we have “Mi Refe”, “La Plena,” just blessings.
There has always been talk of the greatness of reggaetón paisa, but at one time there were more producers than artists — and with the arrival of Blessd or Ryan Castro, Medellín has returned to the top. What do you think could be the reason?
Before, there were these great exponents, such as J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, [Sebastián] Yatra and those I can’t remember… But the way I see it is that many artists have an easier way to show themselves through social media and reach more and more people. That is the case with Ryan Castro and Blessd.
For example, I met Blessd through social media. He was rapping, and in the videos he uploaded he asked to tag me, and after appearing a bunch of times in one of his videos I saw him and said, “That’s cool.” He came to my house, then we did songs like “Medallo,” which was No. 1 on Billboard [Latin Airplay]. And a lot more: “Soltera,” “Mírame.” Now it’s not only Ryan Castro and Blessd, but there is also a Kris R — and behind him there is a Tury, a Young Fatty, artists who are here today breaking out on the street.
You mentioned “Mírame,” which has had a lot of versions, and has been sent to Mexican music producers, Argentine cumbia producers — and many of these songs also feature Ovy on the Drums. How has all this happened?
I feel that when a song starts to be successful and other countries adapt it to their musical roots, it has already reached the next level. It’s good that a song of yours is charting on Billboard and in more spaces, but I feel that success comes thanks to those versions as well. That’s a blessing. It’s a nice thing to have producers work on what you produce. Sometimes I’ve even heard better versions, where I say, “Why didn’t I do it like that?”
You have just become the Latin producer with the most listeners in the world on Spotify. What does that mean in terms of opening doors and facing new challenges?
I feel very happy, because I know it has cost me, I have worked for it. It wasn’t that I arrived and released a song that became No. 1 worldwide the next day. It was a step-by-step process, starting with 305 listeners and [growing] over the years; it has been almost seven years of hard work to get to where I am now. I am also very grateful to my team, to the artists who have participated in this process. In addition, the songs that I have charting on my Spotify are with Beéle, Karol G, Blessd, with my colleagues, with my brothers.
So I’m celebrating — because today it’s Ovy on the Drums, but tomorrow it’s another producer. This is an up-and-down [field], moments like that are short — but when you are there, you can only have happiness, gratitude and desire to move forward.
This story was originally published on Billboard Colombia.

For the first time during her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, Shakira shared the stage with special guests. On Tuesday (March 25), during her fourth night at the iconic GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City, the Colombian superstar was joined by Grupo Frontera for a live performance of “(Entre Paréntesis),” a song from her 2024 album that gives its name to the tour.
“I really wanted to give you all a surprise,” Shakira told Billboard Español in an interview following the show. “Every day, I strive to give you something more because the Mexican audience has been so loyal, so loving, and has lifted me up every time I needed it. I wanted to surprise you with something that would fill your hearts. Having them on stage today was a true privilege.”
“(Entre Paréntesis)” joins “Ciega, Sordomuda” and “El Jefe” as songs Shakira has added to her extensive repertoire as a heartfelt tribute to Mexico, where she continues her historic seven-night residency at the GNP Seguros Stadium (formerly known as Foro Sol), which will conclude on Sunday (March 30). This milestone makes her the first female artist to perform this many shows at the venue, previously filled by artists like Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Metallica. In total, the residency will gather 455,000 attendees, according to promoter OCESA.
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But Grupo Frontera wasn’t the only guest of the night: Lili Melgar, nanny to Shakira’s sons Milan and Sasha, made a surprise appearance while the singer performed “El Jefe,” her collaboration with Fuerza Regida, in which Melgar is immortalized in one of the final verses. “Lili Melgar, this song is for you, for not being paid your severance,” Shakira shouted to the thunderous roar of her Mexican pack, undeterred by the rain during their reunion with the She Wolf.
Still emotional from the warm reception from her Mexico audience, the 48-year-old star revealed that there will be more surprises for the U.S. leg of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran trek, which kicks off May 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“For the first part of the tour, I wanted the show to stay as it was, for the fans to experience the songs just as I conceived them,” she told Billboard Español. “But now I’ll be incorporating some surprises and special guests that you’ll see in the United States. It will be very exciting to share the stage with friends and colleagues.”
One year after the release of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran — the Grammy-winning album that marked her triumphant first album in seven years — Shakira reflected on what this project has meant to her. The set reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Last Friday (March 21), the Colombian singer premiered the video for “Última,” her latest single from the album, filmed in the New York City subway and directed by close friend and photographer Jaume de Laiguana.
“I believe this has been a healing process for me and for many people — not just women, men too. I think together we’ve learned that you grow from setbacks, and that together we heal when we support each other,” she said. “That’s what the audience has done for me. They’ve given me strength when I felt weak, and I know I’ve done the same for them.”
On her historic current stadium tour — which began on Feb. 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will still visit the Dominican Republic, Chile and Colombia before arriving in the U.S.— Shakira says that this series of shows has become something deeper and more intimate.
“These are more than just concerts. They’re very profound gatherings where healing happens,” she stated. “With each show, I feel stronger and happier.”
The Recording Academy’s MusiCares and mental health provider Amber Health are teaming up to look into the touring professionals’ well-being. The partnership will launch mental health study for touring professionals, entitled Headlining Mental Health: A Tour Study. Both artists and crews are encouraged to take part. The research will mark a pivotal step in addressing […]
We’re just days away from Billboard’s 2025 Women in Music event, which is set to take place Saturday, March 29, at YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California. Hosted by Laverne Cox, the event will honor influential women in music, spanning artists and industry leaders, with performances, awards and tributes.
Honorees Aespa, Ángela Aguilar, Erykah Badu, Gracie Abrams, Megan Moroney, Muni Long and Tyla are also set to perform at the event.
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Tina Knowles is set to receive the Mother of the Year Award, which is entirely fitting. She’s the mother of not one, but two past Women in Music honorees. Beyoncé was Woman of the Year for 2009. Solange Knowles won the Impact Award in 2017.
The ranks of presenters at this year’s show include several women who were honorees at past Women in Music events. As part of Fifth Harmony, Lauren Jauregui won Group of the Year in 2015. Summer Walker took the Chart Topper Award in 2022. Becky G won the Impact Award in 2023. Victoria Monét won the Rising Star Award at last year’s event.
Billboard’s global partners have expanded Women in Music with new events launched around the world. ANNA, named Billboard Italy Woman of the Year at its inaugural ceremony, and Charlotte Cardin, honored as the Billboard Canada Woman of the Year, will be celebrated as Global Women of the Year.
VIZIO WatchFree+ is the exclusive home to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 live channel and on-demand collection available now through April 5, with the live show airing free on March 29 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on VIZIO TVs and in the VIZIO mobile app. The channel and on-demand collection features in-depth interviews, in-studio sessions with artists, episodic series and more.
VIZIO TV owners can watch Billboard Women in Music 2025 and the live event by opening the WatchFree+ app on their TV. For those who do not have a VIZIO TV, anyone can download the free VIZIO mobile app to their mobile device, click on the WatchFree+ button in the bottom row menu, and tune in to the Billboard Women in Music 2025 channel.
Jazzy will serve as red carpet correspondent, while backstage correspondent Drew Afualo will create behind-the-scenes content throughout the show. Girls Make Beats will host a special DJ performance during the red carpet featuring DJ Princess SC and DJ Sparkle. The red carpet will also feature appearances from Ari Lennox, Ashe, Ava Max, Bella Poarch, Heidi Montag, JoJo Siwa, Kandi Burruss, Keyshia Cole, Loren Gray, Madison Bailey, Queen Naija, Sophia Culpo, Tinashe, Victoria Justice and more.
Join us at Billboard Women in Music 2025 – get your tickets now! Get Tickets → HERE
Here’s the complete list of performers, presenters and honorees at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music event.
Honorees
Doechii, 2025 Woman of the Year Award
aespa, Group of the Year Award
Ángela Aguilar, Breakthrough Award
ANNA, Billboard Italy Woman of the Year
Charlotte Cardin, Billboard Canada Woman of the Year
Erykah Badu, Icon Award
GloRilla, Powerhouse Award
Gracie Abrams, Songwriter of the Year Award
JENNIE, Global Force Award
Megan Moroney, Rulebreaker Award presented by Crown Royal Whisky
Meghan Trainor, Hitmaker Award
Muni Long, Rising Star Award presented by Honda Stage
Tina Knowles, Mother of the Year Award
Tyla, Impact Award presented by Bose
Performers
Aespa
Ángela Aguilar
Erykah Badu
Gracie Abrams
Megan Moroney
Muni Long
Tyla
Presenters
Becky G
Kali Uchis
Madison Beer
Julia Michaels
Lauren Jauregui
Mickey Guyton
Suki Waterhouse
Summer Walker
Tanner Adell
Victoria Monét
Zara Larsson
Mrs. GREEN APPLE‘s “Lilac” Returns to No. 1 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100, on the chart released March 26.
The Oblivion Battery opener is back atop the tally after five weeks to log its seventh week at No. 1. On its 50th week on the chart, streaming for the long-running hit is up 103%, downloads 104%, and karaoke 103% compared to the week before.
Eighteen songs by the popular three-man band continue to chart this week, with “Ao to Natsu” from 2018 leading the pack at 282 weeks.
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Debuting at No. 2 is SixTONES’ “Barrier.” The six-member boy band’s 14th single bows at No. 1 for sales again, selling 374,475 copies after dropping March 19, making it the group’s 14th consecutive single to debut atop the metric.
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Sakanaction’s “Kaiju” rises a notch to No. 3. The newly released music video accompanying the Orb: On the Movements of the Earth opener helped boost downloads, streaming, video views and karaoke. Downloads are up slightly, streaming up 106%, video 185%, and karaoke 198% week-over-week.
Rosy Chronicle’s “Heirasshai! ~ Nippon de aimasho” bows at No. 4. The Hello! Project girl group’s major-label debut single launches with 74,912 CDs to come in at No. 2 for sales and No. 28 for downloads.
Boku ga Mitakatta Aozora’s “Koi wa baisoku” follows at No. 5, debuting on the chart at a higher position than the group’s previous single, “Sukisugite Up and down.”
Southern All Stars’ “Yume no Uchuryoko” rises to No. 8. The track off the evergreen veteran band’s 16th studio album and the first in ten years entitled THANK YOU SO MUCH ruled radio and came in at No. 11 for downloads after dropping March 19.
The Billboard Japan Hot 100 combines physical and digital sales, audio streams, radio airplay, video views and karaoke data.
See the full Billboard Japan Hot 100 chart, tallying the week from March 17 to 23, here. For more on Japanese music and charts, visit Billboard Japan’s English X account.
Penske Media Corporation (PMC) is in talks to open a Rolling Stone Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas, sources tell Billboard.
The potential property would open on the site of the Downtown Grand Hotel & Casino, which PMC (owner of Rolling Stone as well as brands including Billboard) is currently in talks to acquire from CIM Group, the sources say. As reported by Vital Vegas, which first reported the news of PMC’s possible acquisition, PMC is just one of several potential buyers for the property; suitors have also included John Unwin‘s Corvus Collective, which dropped out after failing to come up with the $30 million in cash needed to complete the purchase. Downtown Grand is currently managed by Fifth Street Gaming.
If talks are successful, the Rolling Stone Hotel and Casino could well be the future site of the Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival, which PMC acquired through Rolling Stone in 2022. As a PMC spokesperson told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in February, the festival “is in the process of making a long-term investment in Las Vegas real estate for the festival’s new home downtown.” A version of Life Is Beautiful, A Big Beautiful Block Party, was staged for two days and nights last September at the Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Vegas with headliners Peggy Gou, Justice, LCD Soundsystem, Jamie xx and Jungle.
While nothing is confirmed — sources say the due diligence process for PMC’s potential acquisition of the Downtown Hotel & Casino is underway — Rolling Stone and its sister brands have been looking to strategically invest in opportunities that create brand extensions. Indeed, licensing and experiential opportunities have been a major part of the brand strategy for PMC and Rolling Stone. On March 12, Rolling Stone opened Rolling Stone Presents: Amplified, The Immersive Rock Experience, a first-of-its-kind 360-degree immersive music history experience at Illuminarium Las Vegas at AREA15 that included more than 1,000 photographs, 200 videos and 1,300 Rolling Stone covers and featured more than 300 iconic artists.
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“While we do not comment on specific investment or acquisition details, Penske Media is always looking for strategic opportunities that meet the long-term goals of our brands,” said a spokesperson for Penske Media. “We are committed to growing our international and domestic footprints in both experiential and hospitality for Rolling Stone. As producers of over three hundred events annually across the portfolio, Las Vegas, like other entertainment centers, remains an important market for us.”
Rolling Stone is looking into several additional real estate opportunities around the world and will consider those that meet strategic long-term goals for the brand, sources say, with the Rolling Stone name being licensed for casinos and hotels, similar to Peter Morton‘s Hard Rock Cafe playbook.
PMC and its brands produce more than 300 live events per year and have several events planned in Las Vegas, including the 51st American Music Awards — part of PMC-owned Dick Clark Productions — which will return to the city on Monday, May 26. There is also talk of the 61st annual Academy of Country Music Awards moving to Vegas next year, sources say.
Drake has set the release date for his anticipated “Nokia” video, which will arrive on March 31. The 6 God posted a teaser for the clip on Tuesday (March 25), revealing that the Theo Skudra-directed visual was shot for IMAX. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “NOKIA […]
Coheed and Cambria has its fifth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart, debuting atop the March 29-dated ranking with The Father of Make Believe. The new set bows with 16,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 20, according to Luminate. A total of 12,000 units of […]