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Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on Monday (April 7) over the deaths of two photographers on Saturday (April 5) during the AXE Ceremonia music festival in Mexico City. The president said her government would review the license granted to the venue at Parque Bicentenario.
“We regret and send our solidarity to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” Sheinbaum said during her morning press conference. “Beyond the fact that it was an accident, we need to look into how the equipment that fell was set up. An investigation needs to be carried out. There should be no impunity in this case.”
Photographers Miguel Ángel Rojas Hernández and Citlali Berenice Giles Rivera died over the weekend when a crane carrying a decorative metal object collapsed during the festival. The accident prompted city authorities to cancel the second day of the event on Sunday (April 6). The attorney general’s office of Mexico City announced the start of an investigation..
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Sheinbaum noted that the mayor’s office of Miguel Hidalgo, the borough where Parque Bicentenario is located, is responsible for authorizing such events, regardless of the federal ownership of the property. As a result, she instructed the Secretariat of Agrarian, Territorial, and Urban Development (SEDATU) to review the venue’s license, assess the conditions under which it was granted, and determine whether it is feasible to revoke their license.
Earlier on Monday, the AXE Ceremonia festival released a statement on the fatal accident, extending its condolences to the victims’ loved ones. “From the very first moment, we have been by the families’ side, providing them with all the support and assistance we can,” it reads.
British band Massive Attack, who, along with rapper Tyler, the Creator, headlined the festival on Sunday, joined in expressing their condolences on social media over the deaths of the photographers. “We are shocked and saddened by the tragic and avoidable deaths of Berenice Giles and Miguel Hernández. Our thoughts are with their families and friends during this difficult time,” the band said in their Instagram Stories.
On Sunday (April 6), friends of the two victims, photographers, journalists, content creators, and members of the public held a protest outside Parque Bicentenario to honor them and demand that there be no impunity in the investigation.
“There wasn’t any clarity about what had happened until we left the event. It’s absolutely devastating,” Mexican artist Luisa Almaguer, who performed as part of Saturday’s lineup at AXE Ceremonia, told Billboard Español. “The show definitely should not have continued.”
On Monday, the funerals for Miguel Ángel Rojas and Berenice Giles were held in Mexico City, according to reports from the N+ Foro news channel.
“Cozy” hitmaker Braxton Keith has been on the road promoting his debut EP, Blue, and during a recent tour stop, he brought the concert to a halt to call out some concertgoers for throwing a barrage of beer cans at the stage.
While performing his song “Honky Tonk City” at a show in Gilmer, Texas, he continually dodged beer cans being thrown onstage, before finally stopping the show to address the crowd. “Hey listen up, pause this s–t,” he said, signaling to his band to stop playing. “I didn’t come here to get beer cans thrown at me, alright? This isn’t a godd–n Gavin Adcock concert, okay?” he added, referencing his fellow country musician’s audiences.
Keith continued, admonishing his crowd and reminding them to be respectful not only to him, but to their fellow concertgoers. “Don’t be throwin’ f–kin’ beers out here,” he said. “These people at the front are gettin’ wet up here and it’s gonna piss them off and it’s gonna piss me off.”
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He also noted the presence of a younger concertgoer in the audience, in an attempt to get the crowd to curb their can-tossing behavior. “This little girl right here’s never been to a country concert before, and it’s her first d–n time, okay? We’re gonna have a good show for her, okay?” he said, before concluding that “we’re comin’ here to listen to country music” and continuing with his song “Honky Tonk City.”
Keith shared a video clip of the moment on TikTok, and doubled down on his on-stage comments in the caption. “This is unacceptable behavior for any concert including my brother @GavinAdcockMusic,” he wrote. “Nobody likes beer and trash getting thrown at them. I love live music and when given the opportunity to speak up about unruliness in the concert community, I will protect my audience, band, crew, equipment, and most importantly, the integrity of live performance experiences.”
Adcock offered his own take on the situation, writing a comment admonishing Keith for bringing his name up on Country Central’s Instagram post about the incident. “Maybe he should learn how to handle HIS fans without bringing someone else into it,” he wrote. “I do it every night without bringing anybody else up. Welcome to the big leagues kid.”
Keith’s next show is April 11 at the Galveston County Fair and Rodeo in Hitchcock, Texas.
After two decades of snipes and barbed words traded back and forth, Madonna and Sir Elton John are here to report a groundbreaking piece of news — their feud is apparently over.
In a photo posted to her Instagram on Monday (April 7), the “Material Girl” singer is giving the “Rocket Man” star a side-hug, and reported that she and the star are on the same page at long last. “We Finally Buried the Hatchet!!!” Madonna wrote in her caption. “I went to see @eltonjohn perform on SNL this weekend!! WOW.”
In the caption, Madonna revealed that seeing one of John’s shows when she was in high school “changed the course of my life,” helping her realize that she wanted to become a pop sensation. So, when John publicly expressed his disdain for her, she says she felt wounded. “I had always felt like an outsider growing up and watching him on stage helped me to understand that it was OK to be different —to stand out — to take the road, less traveled by,” she wrote. “Over the decades it hurt me to know that someone I admired so much shared his dislike of me publicly as an artist. I didn’t understand it.”
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The pair’s feud officially started in 2002, when John said that Madge’s “Die Another Day” was “the worst Bond tune ever” and that the track “hasn’t got a tune.” He continued to throw digs at the pop singer at the 2004 Q Awards, where he lambasted her winning the best live act award at the ceremony. “Madonna, best live act? F— off. Since when has lip-synching been live?” he asked. “I think everyone who lip-synchs on stage in public when you pay, like, 75 quid to see them should be shot.”
The feud escalated in 2012, when both Madonna and John were up for best original song at the 69th annual Golden Globes — Madonna for “Masterpiece” from W.E., and John for “Hello, Hello” from Gnomeo & Juliet. When Madonna eventually won the award, John’s husband, David Furnish, blasted her win on his Facebook account, claiming that her victory showed the awards had “nothing to do with merit.” Madonna, for her part, reacted to John and Furnish’s comments backstage, saying “[John]’s been known to get mad at me, so I don’t know. He’s brilliant, and I adore him, so he’ll win another award. I don’t feel bad.”
But on her latest Instagram post, Madonna revealed that when she went to go visit with John backstage at SNL on Saturday (April 5), the “Your Song” singer was immediately apologetic. “I needed to go backstage and confront him. When I met him, the first thing out of his mouth was, ‘Forgive Me’ and the wall between us fell down,” she wrote. “Forgiveness is a powerful tool. Within minutes. We were hugging.”
Madge even revealed that this reconciliation could potentially bear fruit. “Then he told me had written a song for me and he wanted to collaborate. It was like everything came full circle,” she wrote. “And you can tell everybody , This is Your Song……….”
John thanked Madonna for “forgiving me and my big mouth” in the comments of the post, highlighting her work as an activist for the fight against HIV and AIDS as one of the many reasons he admires her. “I’m not proud of what I said. Particularly when I think about all the groundbreaking work you have done as an artist,” he wrote. “I’m grateful we can move forward.”
The star added that he hoped the two of them could serve as an example to people around the world of what reconciliation looks like in a divided political landscape. “I’m increasingly distressed by all the divisiveness in our world at the moment. Both you and I have wholeheartedly been accepted and embraced by communities who are under threat around the world,” he wrote. “By pulling together, I’m hopeful that we can make great things happen for those who really need support.”
It’s been seven long years since the release of DJ Koze’s brilliant and beloved 2018 album Knock Knock, with his followup, Music Can Hear Us, released April 4 of the German wizard’s own Pampa Records label.
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The project’s 15 tracks are classic Koze — music that feels at once totally organic and deeply considered, weaving in acoustic guitar, hand drums and bird calls while occasionally veering into dancefloor territory, but altogether equally as well-suited to a soundbath.
Featuring collaborations with artists including Damon Albarn, Sofia Kourtesis, Marley Waters and Ada and Sophia Kennedy (the latter two both Pampa Records signees), the project extends and expands Koze’s reputation as a sort of sage of electronic music, an artist who exists within the genre, but doesn’t always necessarily seem of it. It comes ahead of DJ Koze sets at summer festivals including Barcelona’s Primavera Sound in June and San Francisco’s Outside Lands this August.
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Here, the artist born Stefan Kozalla engages in a characteristically existential conversation about the right setting in which to listen to Music Can Hear Us, the proudest moments of his career so far and more.
1. Where are you in the world right now, and what’s the setting like?
I am everywhere and nowhere, floating in the echo chamber of creation. The sun hums the rhythm, the moon sips the bassline.
2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?
The first music I did not buy, only receive. Sound is a gift from the universe, in my case from my mother, who sang me a lullaby while holding me against her chest.
3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do or did they think of what you’ve done and do now?
My father was an attorney, sharp with words and justice, while my mother was a midwife, bringing new life into the world. They saw me weaving rhythms out of thin air and said, “You’re an attorney of sound, defending truth with every beat, and a midwife to melody, helping music be born.“ I’m still Koze from da block.
4. What is the first non-gear thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as an artist?
The first thing I bought was a pair of shoes to walk a little further, a book to open my mind wider, and a Tascam 4 track to capture the thoughts that danced in my head.
5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you give them?
Matthew Herbert’s Bodily Functions from 2001 is a truly unique album that blends house music with deep conceptual exploration.
6. What’s the last song you listened to?
“Remember to Remember” from Rick Holme.
7. If, as you say, Music Can Hear Us, what exactly does it hear?
Music hears everything — the heart, the soul, the past, the future. It hears thoughts before they are spoken.
8. Seriously though, please tell me the story behind or meaning of that album title?
Nothing to add.9. I know you remixed Gorillaz’s “Humility” in 2018. Did that lead to Damon Albarn being on your album? Or if not, how did he end up on “Pure Love“?
Yes, the reincarnation of the old song was the birth of the new song.
10. Please, tell the story behind the name of “The Talented Mr. Tripley.” Does the title in any way nod to the song’s inspiration?
Mr. Tripley is a man with three faces — one for truth, one for lies, one for the space in between. It’s what you don’t hear or tell in a song that’s important!
11. What does success for the new album look like for you?
Success is making hearts resonate, not numbers.
12. Do you feel like there’s an ideal setting for it to be played in? Do you have recommendations for listeners, in terms of an optimal experience?
Play it in the desert at sunrise, play it underwater so the fish can listen, play it in a dark room with only a candle and the spirit beside you.
13. Pampa Records signees Ada and Sophia Kennedy are on the album. What is the label’s prevailing philosophy and approach?
Pampa Records is like a spaceship flying through sound, piloted by the rhythm itself. No borders, no walls—only music in its purest form.
14. The album cover art is gorgeous. What’s the story behind it?
The album cover art is truly special. My girlfriend, Gepa Hinrichsen, loves to paint with oils. She is my favorite painter. I feel incredibly lucky that her beautiful creations help to visualize the music, weaving together sound and vision in a way that transcends the ordinary.
15. In the sprawling world of electronic music and DJ culture, what pocket do you feel most connected to and comfortable in?
A little sparrow, who comes and goes, never staying too long but always leaving a trace of light and freedom.
16. What are the proudest moments of your career thus far?
The proudest moments of my career are when I see my work resonate with others. When someone tells me my music has sparked something in them or helped them navigate a difficult moment, I know I’m doing something meaningful. It’s those genuine connections that make it all worthwhile.
17. And what are you currently finding most challenging?
Maintaining a positive mindset amidst the cacophony of malicious men’s voices around us.
18. What’s the best business decision you’ve ever made?
To work together with my lovely problem solver, my manager Patric.
19. Who’s been your greatest mentor and what’s the best advice they ever gave you?
My dear wife: always s–t on the same pile please, but the s–t itself can always be different.
20. What’s one piece of advice you’d give your younger self?
Don’t fear the fire — become it.
While Ye (formerly Kanye West) has continued to badger J. Cole and his music, the North Carolina rapper took the high road during his set at Dreamville Festival 2025 on Sunday night (April 6). Cole saluted the embattled rapper ahead of performing “Work Out,” which samples Yeezy’s “The New Workout Plan” off his acclaimed The […]
Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” scores a 15th week atop the Billboard Global 200 chart. The song also rebounds for a 12th week atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. survey. The ballad first led both lists last September.
Plus, Ariana Grande’s “Twilight Zone” debuts in the top 10 of both rankings.
The Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the United States.
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Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
“Die With a Smile” continues atop the Global 200 with 95.1 million streams (down 1% week-over-week) and 6,000 sold (essentially even) worldwide March 28-April 3. At 15 weeks, the song ties for the second-longest No. 1 run since the chart began:
19 weeks at No. 1, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” Mariah Carey (2020-25)
15 weeks, “Die With a Smile,” Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars (2024-25)
15 weeks, “As It Was,” Harry Styles (2022)
14 weeks, “Flowers,” Miley Cyrus (2023)
12 weeks, “APT.,” ROSÉ & Bruno Mars (2024-25)
11 weeks, “Stay,” The Kid LAROI & Justin Bieber (2021)
“APT.” holds at No. 2 on the Global 200; Alex Warren’s first top 10 on the chart, “Ordinary,” climbs 5-3 for a new high; Doechii’s “Anxiety” dips to No. 4 from its No. 3 best; and Billie Eilish’s “Birds of a Feather” rises 6-5 following three weeks at No. 1 last August.
Ariana Grande’s “Twilight Zone” journeys into a wondrous land known as the Global 200’s top 10 – signpost up ahead: No. 7. It starts with 43.2 million streams and 6,000 sold worldwide. Her seventh top 10 on the survey was newly released on the Brighter Days Ahead reissue of her 2024 album Eternal Sunshine, which blasts back to No. 1 on the U.S.-based Billboard 200.
“Die With a Smile” rebounds a spot for a 12th week at No. 1 on Global Excl. U.S. with 76.7 million streams (down 1%) and 3,000 sold (on par with a week earlier) outside the U.S.
“APT.” slips to No. 2 after a record 19 weeks atop Global Excl. U.S., beginning last September; “Ordinary” jumps 6-3 for a new best, after becoming Warren’s first top 10; JENNIE’s “like JENNIE” drops to No. 4 from its No. 3 high; and “Anxiety” falls 4-5 after reaching No. 3.
Plus, “Twilight Zone” debuts at No. 8 on Global Excl. U.S. with 27.3 million streams and 2,000 sold outside the U.S., becoming Grande’s seventh top 10.
The Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts (dated April 12, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 8. For both charts, the top 100 titles are available to all readers on Billboard.com, while the complete 200-title rankings are visible on Billboard Pro, Billboard’s subscription-based service. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
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.
DJ Peggy Gou is putting her own spin on Don Julio’s 1942 tequila bottle. The limited-edition artwork is emblazoned with a unique “194구” (구 is pronounced “Gou”) motif, which is inspired by her Korean heritage and love of fashion and art.
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The unique bottle itself features a light blue-meets-mint-green hue that feels like chrome, as well as a glistening chrome cap that replaces the traditional wooden style. It also comes in a stunning iridescent purple keepsake box that features an illustration of Gou’s tattoo-clad hand holding a cowboy hat. Inside, the box features a brightly colored drawing of Gou and a message from the artist. “The design captures the essence of my artistic spirit, alongside the iconic legacy of Don Julio Gonzalez,” it says.
Don Julio
We caught up with Gou during the launch party celebrating the brand’s first-ever global collaboration — and a line formed around the block of the Tribeca location with fans who were excited about the potential of seeing Gou up close. At the party, VIP guests were treated to a “Gouvenier Shop” that had cowboy hat-shaped incense-holders, tote bags, T-shirts, baseball caps and other fun, whimsical goodies that were somehow perfectly on brand for the artist. Gou opened up about designing the one-of-a-kind bottle, and even shared her favorite clubs to party at on a night off.
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Looking at the bottle, its design feels very much like you. Can you explain its look?That’s exactly how I wanted people to feel. I mean, it’s iconic, but I wanted people to feel like there’s a little Peggy in there.
I wanted this to be a bottle that you want to keep even when you finish it. I wanted this bottle to be a kind of souvenir that you keep in your house, you know? And I tried to put my identity to it, as well as respecting Don Julio’s Mexican culture as well.
What musical elements and genres would you say go along with the bottle?I would say — just because I was talking about my identity — it would be dance and electronic music. [Pointing at the lid] And this was supposed to be like a little disco ball!
You know, when I first saw it from a distance, I thought it was because a disco ball just makes so much sense!Really?! That’s nice. It is like a mini disco ball.
Do you have a favorite tequila-based cocktail?I just discovered it yesterday! It was something … I don’t think there’s a name. Maybe we need to give it a name. It was 1942 — well, 194Gou — butterfly pea and yuzu.
What’s one experience you wish everyone could have when drinking this bottle?I’m always thinking to myself, “I want to worry about today tomorrow.” I want everybody to feel that way because as soon as you start drinking it, it’s a kind of a sign of [saying] let’s have fun. You know? Let’s not worry about what’s happening today.
What shows are you performing this summer that you’re most excited about?I’m pretty excited about every show that I do, but I’m very excited to come back to New York in May. I’m coming to the Brooklyn Mirage on May 18. They renovated the whole thing and it’s just opening new and I believe I’m doing the opening. But the new space looks insane.
What’s your favorite club in NYC, and then around the world?I personally haven’t been there when I wasn’t working, so I can’t say, but I really love Knockdown Center [in Queens]. I loved it — it was a kind of club that made me feel like I would love to come here on my day off.
And then around the world, there’s a club called OHM in Berlin. It’s a very tiny club and only has a capacity of 150 people, but that’s a very sick club.
The limited-edition 194구 bottle is available worldwide for $225, and is being released in limited quantities. It will be a true collector’s item for tequila enthusiasts and Peggy Gou stans alike. You can also find the regular edition of Don Julio 1942 on sites such as ReserveBar.com.
Don Julio 1942 añejo tequila
Three months after dropping his prideful and tropical-leaning set DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny visited the NPR headquarters in Washington, D.C., for his Tiny Desk debut.
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Surrounded by seven musicians — cuatros and congas in the mix — the Puerto Rican artist kicked off the nearly 35-minute set with his holiday-themed “Pitorro de Coco.” “I swear I didn’t know there were going to be so many people here … and even a few Puerto Ricans. The next song is so that — I don’t know how many people travel to Puerto Rico – I can take you there,” the artist said before performing a saucy plena version of his hard-hitting perreo “Voy A Llevarte Pa PR.”
Sipping coffee, vibing with the musicians and connecting with the intimate crowd, the artist born Benito Martínez Ocasio performed a bolero-version of “Kloufrens” before joking about the school desk he was sitting on. “I don’t know whose idea it was to give me this desk. It was mine, and I’m starting to regret it,” he laughed.
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He then performed the somber “Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii,” telling the audience that he wrote this song after dreaming about it. “The song didn’t let me go back to sleep, so I wrote it completely and that’s when I fell asleep,” he shared. After the tune, he admitted to having rehearsed the song outside of the White House before the Tiny Desk concert.
“The next song is not a song, it’s not a movie, it’s true … I think my story comes from the same place that many of ours come from. We’re proud to bring our music and culture to the whole world,” he said before delivering the salsa-heavy “La Mudanza,” during which each of his musicians flaunted their vibrant solos.
After telling heartfelt and witty anecdotes, Bunny and his colleagues proudly chanted the song’s popular line “yo soy de P f–king R!” before an impromptu and quick grand finale of the album’s title track, “DTMF.”
The 17-track set, released on Día de Reyes (Three Kings Day) on Jan. 5, hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Currently, the album is in its 12th week at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Meanwhile, the title track, “DTMF,” is No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs and Latin Streaming Songs; and “Baile Inolvidable” tops the Tropical Airplay chart.
Watch his full Tiny Desk concert below:
Benny Blanco is just as confused as others are about having been mixed up with Bad Bunny at the 2025 Oscars.
About a month after a photo of himself and his superstar fiancée walking the red carpet at this year’s awards was mistakenly captioned “Selena Gomez and Bad Bunny” on The Academy’s official X account, the producer swung by The Jennifer Hudson Show Monday (April 7) and revealed that he had no idea the snafu occurred — but he isn’t complaining.
“They did?” he replied incredulously when Jennifer Hudson informed him that he’d been confused for the Puerto Rican superstar. (The post was quickly edited to correctly state Blanco’s name, though screenshots and replies immortalize the hilarious oopsie.)
“I like that,” the “Eastside” musician continued, laughing. “What do you mean? He’s so hot! I’ll take it, I’ll take it. What do you mean?”
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“Look at how pretty he is — are you kidding?” Blanco added, looking at a photo of the “Titi Me Pregunto” displayed behind him. “Yeah, I’m Bad Bunny now.”
The producer’s visit to the talk show comes just a couple weeks after the March 21 release of his and Gomez’s joint album, I Said I Love You First, which recently debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The couple attended the 2025 Oscars together earlier that month in honor of Emilia Pérez, in which the Only Murders in the Building actress starred. The film had received 13 nominations, including best picture, which ultimately went to Anora.
Of attending the ceremony, Blanco told Hudson, “Every woman deserves a Purple Heart for going — you guys gotta get ready, it’s so much, it’s so long.”
“That dress weighed 35 pounds!” the hitmaker added, pointing to a phot of himself and Gomez on the red carpet. “And when we were traveling there, she couldn’t sit down — she had to stand up in the car, and a man is sewing her in!”
Speaking of fancy occasions, Blanco also shared the special celebration he planned for his 37th birthday last month. “Selena had never been to a prom before, so I thought I’d throw us a prom for my birthday,” he said, smiling. “She didn’t even know. She was like, ‘What am I supposed to wear? What am I supposed to do?’ It was like she was really going to prom. I got her a little corsage.”
Watch a clip of Blanco’s Jennifer Hudson Show interview above.