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Concert Review

10/16/2024

The musical luminary took over New York’s Madison Square Garden as part of his short arena tour.

10/16/2024

It’s sort of a weird time to be Post Malone. On one hand, he’s coming off the two most-difficult, least-successful albums of his career — the last of which, 2023’s Austin, failed to even generate a single top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit, marking a clear commercial low point for the pop-rap gold-spinner who was surpassed only by Drake in terms of consistent chart success for the second half of the 2010s. On the other hand, he’s already had two No. 1 hits this year, albeit both with co-stars (Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen, respectively) whose radio and streaming clout currently easily eclipse his own. Further complicating things: The latter of those two No. 1s marks the beginning of his long-hyped full foray into country music, a genre he has some obvious spiritual kinship with, but only tangential musical relation.

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This was a lot to balance for Post Malone during his headlining set at day one of New York’s Governors Ball festival (now officially referred to as just “Gov Ball”) — or at least, it seems like it should have been. But instead of trying to thread the needle between his successful past, his muddier present and his uncertain future, Post decided to simplify things with Gov Ball setlist: He simply played the hits. And he’s got a lot of them: more than you may even remember, more than maybe seems possible for a guy who’s only been making ’em since 2015 and has been in a relatively fallow period for ’em since the decade turned. As far as streamlining strategies go, it was a pretty undeniable one.

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“My name is Austin Richard Post,” the singer-rapper introduced himself after his first two songs, “and I’m here to play some s–tty songs and get a little bit f–ked up while we do it.” Whether dismissing his signature hits as “s–tty” was a sign of residual bitterness over his heavier, more personal recent work not being received as warmly as his debauched early hits or just the artist not taking himself too seriously, it ended up not really mattering, since it became clear pretty quickly Post was not interested in relitigating anything about his career on the evening. Instead, he played one smash after another — from “Better Now” and “Wow” through “Circles” and “Congratulations” — while gleefully shimmying, screaming, two-stepping and stripping (his shirt, anyway) on stage, looking every bit the superstar he was at his commercial peak.

The question of a Post Malone gig has traditionally not been whether he’d seem like a star, but what kind of star would lead the way: rap star Post, rock star Post, pop star Post, or now even country star Post? In truth, he’s been all four for some time — well, the first three, anyway, with the fourth seemingly on its way. But if one was the most forward on Friday night, it was probably rock star Post, with the first two songs (and many subsequent cuts) both being introduced via the grungy riffs of guitarist Liv Slingerland, and more six-string-heavy (and just heavy period) borderline inclusions like Beerbongs and Bentleys‘ “Over Now” and Hollywood’s Bleeding’s “Take What You Want” making the cut. There was lots of growling and shredding; one time, Post threw up the devil horns while hunching his shoulders and he very briefly kinda even looked like Ronnie James Dio. At some point in the middle of the set, the mix of loud, chunking guitars with rapping — largely about being angry at girls — inspired me to write in my notes: Has Post Malone been nu-metal this whole time?

But if country star Post is indeed on the horizon, you would not have known it from his Gov Ball performance. Just a day after making a pair of surprise appearances at CMA Fest — including one alongside longtime Nashville fixture Blake Shelton, with the two even covering a George Jones song together — he did not bring out Shelton, or Wallen, or any guest to further shepherd his new country pivot. (Aside from a couple fans pulled out of the audience to assist on signature ballad “Stay,” there were no guests of any kind during Post’s performance, not even “Rockstar” buddy 21 Savage, who’ll perform at Gov Ball on Saturday.) No mention was made by Post of his recent sonic and geographical detour, nor did he try out any brand new or unreleased material from his rumored upcoming full length. If you didn’t know going into the set that Going Country was a thing Post was currently in the midst of doing, you probably didn’t come out of it knowing either.

There was still the one obvious clue, though you had to wait till the second song of the encore for it: “I Had Some Help,” the reigning No. 1 song in the country, did eventually make its appearance as the evening’s pentultimate track. (As for “Fortnight,” his other No. 1 of 2024, forget it — it’s one thing for Post to sing over a Morgan Wallen verse, but trying to approximate an entire Taylor Swift lead vocal on his own would’ve been potentially disastrous on multiple levels.) “Help” sounded fantastic, and the crowd went bananas for it, but aside from its placement in the setlist Post gave it no special treatment, no lead-in or extra emphasis or anything to make you think it was a particularly notable song than most in Friday’s setlist. The implication was clear: “Help” is a hit, but still just one of many for Posty, and no one player is bigger than the team in a Post Malone setlist.

More of a statement, however, was the choice of the encore’s final song: “Chemical,” the biggest song from Austin, whose No. 13 peak was still fairly underwhelming by his career standards. It was the only song performed from the 2023 album — he played four times as many from 2016 debut Stoney — but it landed just like any of his bigger, longer-established hits, sounding much fuller live than on record, and making for a perfectly resounding closing number for the evening. The suggestion seemed to be that Post had never really stopped making big singles in the first place — and that regardless of whether on a given day he might be presenting more as a pop star, rap star, rock star or country star, what he truly is and always will be first and foremost is a hitmaker.

SETLIST

Better NowWowZack and CodeinePsychoGoodbyesI Like You (A Happier Song)Jonestown (Interlude)Take What You WantOver NowRockstarStayI Fall ApartWrapped Around Your FingerCirclesToo YoungWhite IversonCongratulations

Encore:

SunflowerI Had Some HelpChemical

Amid a battle-like dance-off and a full embrace of Brazilian culture, Anitta delivered her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount in New York City on Sunday (June 2). It was the first of two consecutive shows, with its opening night successfully selling out at the recently opened venue.

Produced by Live Nation, Anitta’s Baile Funk Experience trek includes stops in Latin America, the U.S. and Europe. The 20-date tour is in support of Funk Generation, the sixth studio album from the trilingual singer, which highlights the favela funk that has influenced her career. Kicking off her show at 8:30pm, she ran through her biggest hits in nearly two hours, including “Funk Rave,” “Envolver,” “Vai Malandra,” “Bellakeo,” “Downtown” and “Girl From Rio.”

“I’m so happy. I’m so thankful to be here, showing Brazilian funk to the world,” she said in English before thanking her fans in Brazilian and then in Spanish. “I want to know who has heard my new album, Funk Generation.” She wore a black harness, pink happy-face plushies as a bra over a cut-out top and black jeans, letting her long copper-colored hair down.

The album title is particularly fitting, as Anitta has become the preeminent crossover Brazilian star of her generation. The New York concert drew an exceptionally diverse crowd, reflective of the city’s multicultural fabric. Attendees spanned multiple generations of Brazilians and Latinos, along with a wide array of other cultures. The presence of the LGBTQIA+ community was unmistakable, adding to the high energy of the audience — that also included numerous fashion-forward fans sporting lots of fishnet get-ups. 

The 31-year-old performer is currently halfway through her international tour. Following her performance in New York, she is scheduled to entertain audiences in Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Peru; Santiago, Chile; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. After completing these Latin American dates, she will travel to Europe for nine shows across various countries. To view her complete tour dates, click here.

The Brazilian superstar is touring North America for the first time. Here are five standout moments from the first night of her Baile Funk Experience at the Brooklyn Paramount. 

Dance, Dance, Dance!

Taylor Swift transformed the renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium into a musical party on Wednesday (May 29), performing to a euphoric crowd of approximately 65,000 fans. It wasn’t only a night full of music and excitement but a triumphant return for Swift, who had not played in Madrid since 2011, with only about 4,000 people in attendance […]

On Wednesday night (May 22), Bizarrap electrified Terminal 5 with his debut headlining performance in New York City. Commanding the stage from behind the decks, the Argentine sensation wowed the audience with his dynamic show. Highlighting the momentous night, he surprised attendees by introducing Dominican rapper Lismar to perform their newest collaboration, “Lismar: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 60,” live.

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“I just released a song a few minutes ago. Are you ready to hear it for the first time live or not?!” shouted Biza to the ecstatic crowd. “I brought a special guest. Her name is Lismar from the Dominican Republic. We didn’t just release one song, we released two!” Donning his signature BZRP-emblazoned black cap, his sunglasses and an Adidas windbreaker jacket, he launched into the whirling melody to “Vol. 60.”

The newcomer made her way to the main stage sporting a white strapless crop top paired with black sparkly-net long sleeves and baggy cargo pants. Bizarrap’s Run DMC-esque hip-hop beat filled the air as Lismar spat her rapid-fire rhymes to the roaring crowd. Meanwhile, the song’s music video, illuminated with Biza’s staple blue-hued lighting in his studio, played in the backdrop.

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“She is only 18, she is the future,” the Argentine producer said at the end of their song. Right away, they premiered their second song “Subió La Temperatura,” a funky rap jam with riveting breakbeats accompanied by a quirky video game-styled visual.

Other standout songs performed included “Vol. 53,” famously featuring Shakira, whose lyrics the crowd sang word-for-word. Villano Antillano, Quevedo, Residente, Snow Tha Product, Peso Pluma, and Arcángel where also among the mega hits the Latin Grammy-winning producer also spun.

On Saturday (May 18), Bizarrap unveiled his newest collaboration in the form of a sci-fi-themed seven-minute short film. On May 25, he will also perform at the Sueños Music Festival in Chicago, IL.

Watch Bizarrap and Lismar perform “Vol. 60” at Terminal 5 below:

On Thursday night (April 11), the Barclays Center in New York City was electrified by the presence of Bad Bunny. The arena, filled to its 19,000-person capacity, buzzed with anticipation as the Puerto Rican superstar kicked off the first show of his three-night stint in the city.

“New York has been very important in my career, where dreams come true,” Benito told his fans in his native Spanish during the performance. “Being on the tour feels really amazing, going to each place and seeing it, all the cities, but New York, it’s something else. It feels more amazing than usual. Seeing all those PR and DR flags makes it even more special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here, it means a lot to me.”

Bad Bunny — who wore Prada sunglasses, a velour suit, and a gold cross necklace — delivered a dynamic performance that was an amalgamation of music and spectacle. It included a grand orchestra, an equestrian entrance, a surprise appearance by Bryant Myers to perform “Seda,” a jigsaw-like stage that transformed into the Brooklyn Bridge, and, of course, a repertoire of his biggest hits. (Here’s the complete setlist of the tour, which slightly changed to add “Amorfoda” and “Tití Me Preguntó.”)

This was part of his Most Wanted Tour — in support of his Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana album — which kicked off on Feb. 21 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Live Nation-promoted tour is halfway through its schedule, with forthcoming performances in cities including Austin, Texas (Apr. 26-27), Atlanta, Ga. (May 14-15), and Miami, Fla. (May 24-26). See the full dates here.

According to Billboard Boxscore, the tour has already been a commercial success, grossing $84.2M and selling 282K tickets over its first 18 shows. It has consistently sold out venues, demonstrating Bad Bunny’s continued widespread appeal.

Here are five standout moments from the first night of Bad Bunny’s Most Wanted Tour at the Barclays Center:

The Grandeur of an Orchestra

Gilberto Santa Rosa brought his class and elegance to New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Saturday (April 6), where he made it clear once more why he is considered El Caballero de la Salsa (The Gentleman of Salsa).

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Accompanied by a stellar orchestra of 15 musicians — including brasses, keyboards, strings, percussion, and backup singers — the Puerto Rican icon delighted a mostly Latino audience in New York City with classics from his repertoire such as “Derroche,” “Conciencia,” “Conteo Regresivo” and “Perdóname.”

He also performed a set of boleros, which he introduced with an anecdote told with his characteristic grace and charm.

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“My life has gone between bolero and salsa, and I say it in that order because the first thing I started singing was bolero,” he remembered. “I started singing bolero because I suffered a very strong love disappointment… at the age of 6,” Santa Rosa continued, making the audience burst in laughter.

With the idea of winning over a girl, he said, the singer teamed up with a buddy who also sang and played the guitar.

“I thought, ‘When I start singing, that girl is going to go crazy for me’. Well, guess what? I went out to sing on the first school program that I could, and the girl didn’t even look at me. But she gave me a profession, and thanks to that, you and us we are here tonight.”

On his third occasion at the Radio City Music Hall, this time as part of his Auténtico Tour, Santa Rosa recalled his long history with New York City, where he began playing as a teenager in the 1980s at the Corso nightclub as part of Willie Rosario’s orchestra, and where he recorded his iconic 1995 live album En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall.

“Tonight we come to give you everything here at Radio City Music Hall, which is an iconic place in New York City and the United States,” he said with a smile. “This is our third time on this stage and we are happy about that.”

One of the most joyful moments was led by conguero Gerardo Rivas, a former member of the musical duo NG2 who also has a solo career as a singer. The son of Jerry Rivas from El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Gerardo momentarily left the congas to take center stage, where he first sang “Suma y Resta” with Santa Rosa — who originally recorded this song with El Micha — and then a track from his own repertoire, “Happy”, which got everyone dancing.

The orchestra, whose talent was matched by their grace and elegance, includes veteran musicians such as musical director and trombonist Georgie Torres, pianist Luis Marín, bongo player Rafael Echeverría, backup singer Gino Ramírez and trumpeter Rebeca Zambrana, many of whom have been playing with Santa Rosa for decades. They all spread their enthusiasm with amusing choreographies, and Santa Rosa took the time to introduce each one of them with great affection and admiration.

With an uninterrupted and successful decades-long career, Gilberto Santa Rosa continues to be one of the undisputed references of salsa. His Auténtico Tour began last year in Puerto Rico and arrived in South America in February. His U.S. stint continues next week in Charlotte, N.C., and also includes stops in cities such as El Paso, Houston, and Dallas, before moving on to Europe. (For a full list of dates, click here).

Gloria Trevi took the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Friday (March 15), captivating a sold-out audience with a two-hour electrifying performance. As part of her Mi Soundtrack Tour across the U.S., a highlight was the debut of the “Zorra” remix with Spanish duo Nebulossa, whom Trevi introduced as surprise guests.
“We are inviting a group from Spain. I want to feel that applause… for Nebulossa!” Trevi announced. Dressed in a stunning dark cloak with shimmering black feathers and a metallic bodysuit, the Mexican icon exuded a captivating presence. Nebulossa’s María Bas and Mark Dasousa complemented her style, with Bas in a sparkling deep purple outfit and Dasousa in a striking black and white striped suit, à la Beetlejuice, clutching a red keytar.

“Estoy en un buen momento, reconstruida por dentro/ Y esa zorra que tanto temías se fue empoderando,” Bas and Trevi chanted in unison against the high-energy electro-pop backdrop of “Zorra” (“I’m in a good moment, rebuilt from the inside/ And that zorra you feared so much got empowered”).

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This collaboration stemmed from a meeting in Miami, where Trevi and Nebulossa discovered a shared connection with the song’s empowering message, quickly leading to the recording of the remix. The original song by the Spanish duo, released in December 2023, boasts more than 10 million streams on Spotify.

Nebulossa, poised to represent Spain in Eurovision 2024, expressed their amazement at the opportunity to collaborate with Trevi. “Who would have thought that a few months ago someone would tell us that we’d be recording a duet with Gloria Trevi,” they said in a statement. Fans can look forward to the “Zorra” remix release with Trevi on streaming platforms in April.

The Mexican superstar’s NYC show also highlighted her illustrious 30-year career, filled with nostalgia and celebration. From the opening number “Medusa,” to a string of ’90s hits (“Hoy Me Iré de Casa,” “Zapatos Viejos,” “El Recuento de los Daños,” “Con Los Ojos Cerrados”) and more recent releases (“Inocente,” “Ellas Soy Yo”), the concert was a journey through the artist’s musical legacy.

About a dozen costume changes, a troupe of male dancers with washboard abs, and elaborate set designs kept the energy high throughout the night. The set ranged from the intense “Dr. Psiquiatra” with its psych ward theme and giant fake syringes, to a devilish scene where she wore a sparkly red cloak on “Virgen de las Vírgenes,” and a whimsical note with “Cinco Minutos” in a glimmering pink pilot outfit, culminating in the powerful finale “Todos Me Miran.”

Trevi’s tour, which began in Hidalgo, Texas, on Jan. 26, will continue to grace stages across the U.S., including upcoming performances in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and a notable stop at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on April 26. The New York show, her eighth tour stop, not only showcased Trevi’s enduring talent and charisma but also highlighted her ability to innovate and connect with audiences across multiple generations.

Click here to check out her full tour dates.

At this stage in his life, nearly 30 years after making history with his hit “Corazón Partío” and following decades of arena touring, Alejandro Sanz could invest pretty much anything on his shows.

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He has, and it’s all gone into the music. At a time when Latin shows have leaned into special effects, dancers and staging, Sanz put together a musical tour de force with more than 10 musicians, plus back-up singers on stage, all moving freely about in service of the music — including several instrumental interludes that sounded like A-plus jam sessions, traversing from flamenco-tinged pop to funk.

Which is not to say that the production Saturday night (Sept. 23) at Miami’s Kaseya Center was anything to scoff at. The video packages were stunning, and the stage risers allowed Sanz to operate from multiple locations.

But his biggest prop was his band, which Sanz used freely to navigate around the stage and set up moments: performing alongside his (upright) bassist, playing his guitar and singing fully acoustic with guest Beatriz Luengo, and perching cross-legged atop a set of stairs for one track, then standing beside the piano for another.

For Sanz’s avid fans, it was more than enough. The show, part of his En Vivo Tour presented in the U.S. by Loud and Live, was his highest-grossing ever in Miami, selling more than 12,000 tickets, according to management, for a complete sell-out.

Sanz plays next in Chicago on Sept. 27 and in New York on Sept. 30. Here are five standout moments from the show.

The Guests

Sanz is an artist with many artist friends, and many were there to either perform with him or cheer him on. “Miami is like our home,” said Sanz, and it felt like it. Performing guest artists included locals Camilo (beautifully performing their joint hit “Nasa”); Elena Rose (who guested on “Paraíso Express,” originally recorded with Alicia Keys in 2009, and who belted those vocals); Yotuel on “Labana,” Sanz’s homage to Havana; and last but not least, Yotuel’s wife Beatriz Luengo in an all-acoustic rendition of “Viviendo Deprisa.” Then there were the plentiful celebrity guests that were not on stage, including El George Harris, Camila Cabello and, up in a suite far from cameras, Sanz’s good friend Shakira.

The Band

It’s so refreshing to see a big band on stage these days. Sanz’s was plentiful and included two grand pianos, one in each corner of the stage, drums, percussion, bass, guitars, trumpet and three phenomenal backup singers. All told, over 10 musicians regaled us not only with top accompaniment for Sanz that at times resembled an intoxicating wall of sound, but also with dazzling, virtuoso interludes.

The Look

Sanz went ’80s and ’90s on the crowd with a pink suit, sunglasses and his spiky, white-blonde hairdo. It was classic, and he looked like a boss.

The Repertoire

It’s hard to encompass everything Sanz has to offer, but he managed to get through many of the big hits in the first quarter of the show before navigating into lesser-known gems like “Contigo,” “one of those songs that I say, ‘Damn, I wish I had written it,’” says Sanz (Joaquín Sabina is one of the co-writers of the song). Of course, there was room for “Corazón Partío” as a grand finale, and, as part of the encores, an all-time favorite, “Y Si Fuera Ella,” which doesn’t make it to every show, but luckily, it got here.

The Overall Vibe

Sanz’s arrangements are complex. His lyrics are complex. Watching 12,000 people sing along demonstrates that simplicity is not the only avenue to success.