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Sen. Bernie Sanders made an unexpected appearance at Coachella 2025.
The 83-year-old Vermont independent took the stage at the Indio, California, festival on Saturday (April 12) to introduce Clairo and deliver a politically charged message.
“This country faces some very difficult challenges, and the future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation,” Sanders told the crowd, according to Time. “Now you can turn away and ignore what goes on, but if you do that, you do so at your own peril. We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, social justice, and racial justice.”
At one point, after referencing the “President of the United States,” the audience responded with boos. “I agree,” he replied.
The longtime politician went on to criticize President Donald Trump’s stance on climate change. “[Trump] thinks that climate change is a hoax. He’s dangerously wrong,” the senator said. “And you and I are going to have to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet.”
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Sanders also addressed wealth inequality and corporate power. “We have an economy today that is working very well for the billionaire class, but not for working families,” he said, calling for action against insurance and pharmaceutical companies. “Healthcare is a human right,” he added.
The senator praised Clairo for using her platform to advocate for critical issues. “I’m here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women’s rights, to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being killed,” he said.
Later that evening, Sanders reflected on his appearance through X, posting a photo from the stage. “Thank you, Coachella. I enjoyed introducing the great @clairo tonight,” he wrote. “These are tough times. The younger generation has to help lead in the fight to combat climate change, protect women’s rights, and build an economy that works for all, not just the few.”
Earlier in the day, Sanders appeared at Los Angeles’s Gloria Molina Grand Park as part of his ongoing “Fighting Oligarchy: Where We Go From Here” tour alongside Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The event also featured including Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers.
The Sanders-AOC tour has drawn thousands at rallies across Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Utah. At a March 7 stop in Kenosha, Wisconsin, Sanders invited musician Laura Jane Grace to the stage to perform a provocative new song titled “Your God (God’s D—),” which sparked controversy online for its profane lyrics and religious themes.
Over the last several years, Kota The Friend has been busy intentionally carving out a very normal life compared to other rappers.
While his rap peers may be chasing fame, fortune and relentless visibility, Kota’s been quietly utilizing what he’s got, building out a comfortable life for him and his family that’s fulfilling, sustainable and most importantly: Peaceful.
“One thing I really had to do was disconnect from social media, and disconnect from the numbers and what people think about me,” Kota tells Billboard. “Being so detached from that has allowed me to live a completely different life.”
The Brooklyn rapper returned with his latest album, No Rap on Sunday, last month, releasing the project exclusively on Even and avoiding DSP’s for the time being. Throughout the recording process, Kota was — and still is as of this interview — knee deep in renovating a new house he bought in Brooklyn. Throw in two kids and a wife to care for, there’s undeniably a lot going on, but in a way that Kota says keeps him focused and motivated on creating authentic music and an authentic life.
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“At the beginning I told myself if I could pay my bills, keep a roof over my head, I’d be good. If I can feed my kids, I’m great,” Kota says. “I kinda set my life up in a way where I can focus on the art.”
Since the beginning of his career, he’s rapped extensively about chasing that lifestyle. Throughout his Lyrics To Go series and on projects like Once In a Blue Moon, Memo and Everything, Kota has served as the Every Man rapper. His biggest songs have included numerous motivational gems about getting back to the basics. Get off your phone, connect with people that cherish you. Go. Outside. These are the fundamentals that Kota lives by.
“We tryna live in the now, I really ain’t tryna get caught up in back in the day,” Kota raps on his latest song “Michigan,” which Billboard premieres today (April 13), and which features a stellar verse from Big Sean. Being present in your life is the most important gift you can give yourself, and Kota knows what it costs to get to that point.
“It’s almost like, you go through something and it kind of is a struggle, and you get out of it and you’re a much wiser individual,” Kota says. “The wisdom plus the authenticity, I think it just created this beautiful album.”
Below, Kota reflects on his latest single, working with Big Sean, and how it feels to be an indie rapper in 2025.
What inspired No Rap on Sunday? Where does that phrase come from?
I think it was really me coming back home and building a house out here, basically from scratch. Ripping all the walls out, ripping all the ceilings out and going through that process. It really made me feel like, “Damn I’m actually building something in my hometown.” It inspired me to create this album that was about where I’m from that was about my roots, about my family, and really honoring them and honoring everybody that raised me in the city that raised me. [No Rap on Sunday] is about taking that time to focus on what’s real. Cause we’re living in a digital world. So No Rap on Sunday is really that breath of fresh air when you look around and you’re really planted in the moment of what really matters.
Like you said though, you’re building a new house, you’re a dad. How has your relationship to staying in the moment changed as life has thrown more things at you that demand your attention?
I’ve definitely been feeling like I appreciate the small things in life a lot more than I used to. I forgive a lot a lot easier. There’s a lot of things that used to really weigh on my shoulders and and kind of bring me down that don’t exist in my life or hold the same weight as they used to. So I feel much lighter. I’ve definitely been moving through life with a lot less baggage and it feels great. I feel like this is something that I’ve wanted for a long time that I finally got a hold of.
How has that feeling changed your creative approach? Or has it?
Yeah, with this album I was able to really speak from that authentic place that you can only really speak from when you get certain things out the way. When you stop caring about stuff that doesn’t matter and start focusing more on your contributions in the world versus the perceptions of other people. My mental has been changed so much that I feel like when I listen to [the album] I’m like, “man I’ve never had this perspective on life before even in my older music.”
Pivoting into “Michigan.” You sound hungry on that record. Tell me about where that hunger is coming from a little bit more.
The hunger is coming from a place where I feel like I’ve achieved so much and done a lot of things that I’ve I’ve wanted to do in this life, and on “Michigan” I’m basically expressing that this is the way that I’m moving to life from now till the end. I’ve got my head down on my work. I’m not focused on the drama. Like, I see it, I feel it! And I see the people trying to bring me down. I see people trying to bring other people down, and I’m telling everybody that I’m one, I’m not here for it so please don’t bring it my way. Secondly, I just don’t care about it. I’m too focused on what I need to do. I’m too focused on making sure my people are good and we are collectively moving forward in every sense of the word.
How did you link with Big Sean and how important was it to get him on that record?
Man, I loved it. I love that he got on the record. I don’t think that there’s anybody else that should’ve done that record and I feel like the universe really put everything in line for that to happen.
How do you feel about his verse? ‘Cause he was going crazy.
I love it. I feel like he really gave me one of those great Big Sean verses and I think it’s gonna be legendary when it drops.
The music video for “Michigan” is very cinematic. What was your vision for this video?
I wanted to make a video that really paid homage to Michigan. We went out there and went to different parts. We went to Detroit and then went to Sleeping Bear National Park and [the video] just shows the contrast between both places and that was kind of what I loved about it. I really wanted to show people that we were appreciating the town from the city to the middle of nowhere.
Tell me more about the rollout of the project. What made you want to release the little differently and go through Even before dropping it on streaming?
I’ve been kind of thinking about the music and the industry and the way I’ve been releasing music and just putting it on DSP’s, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. and I realized that it made me feel like all this work I put into the music, once I released it on [DSP’s], it made me feel like it’s over. It kind of ruined the album experience cause people are gonna listen to the album and then they’re just gonna add their favorite songs to the playlist, and now it’s out for all the critics and all of the spectators. I realized that I didn’t want to do that to my art. I didn’t want to just give my art out like that for free just for people to comment on. So I wanted to put it on Even for my true fans to invest back in me. I invested a lot into this album and so I don’t plan on releasing the album on DSPs until July, and for the next four months I feel like this is time that me and my fans can kind of celebrate this album uninterrupted. It’s not even about the money, it’s about the energy, you know? I put so much energy into making this, and it’s not just me! So many artists put in a year two years to make an album, and I was just saying the other day how the fact that it’s not on DSPs makes me feel good. because I feel like I’ve created value for this piece of art that I put so much work into.
Tell me about some of the other features on this album. You got Fivio Foreign on here as well.
Specifically I wanted Fivio on the album because he’s one of those rappers from New York who, he’s a drill rapper, but I respect him as a rapper. So one thing that I wanna do in the city is just bring art — like me and Fivio being on record? For some people it’s like, “What are y’all doing on a song together?” and I love that. I love that because I feel like that’s how we can bring New York together. We don’t have to make the same kind of music to make a good record together. We’re all from here and we all represent a different part of the city, and a different aspect, but we all walk on the same grounds.
How do you feel about New York’s standing in rap right now? Do you feel it’s lacking that sort of unity?
Yeah, I feel like New York definitely has to come together. We’re the Mecca of hip-hop, and I feel like we haven’t really had that resurgence of artists that are international artists and really doing that thing on a big level. I’m at the point where I’m tired of it and I see what Kendrick is doing on the West Coast and it honestly inspired me because we need to do that here.
How do you feel you fit in on the current state of rap?
Honestly, I don’t think I fit in at all with the current state of rap, and it’s not a bad thing either! Lately, I’m motivated to just work on music. That’s what I look forward to more than anything, being able to collaborate with different artists and create different opportunities for all of our music to be heard. One thing that I’m doing is definitely keeping my ear to the streets, cause I just wanna make good music with talented people.
Watch the video for “Michigan” below.
Lizzo has a message for President Donald Trump’s economic policies.
During her April 12 appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the 36-year-old rapper-singer wore a black T-shirt with the word “TARIFFIED” in bold red letters — a clear jab of Trump’s newly announced 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
Appearing on the Jon Hamm-hosted episode, Lizzo used the platform to promote her upcoming fifth album, Love in Real Life, which currently has no official release date. This marked her fourth appearance on the iconic sketch comedy show (she also hosted once in 2022).
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For her opening performance, Lizzo took the stage with a trio of backup singers and an electric guitar to perform a medley of “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad.” After a brief shredding session, she ditched the guitar and was joined by a crew of dancers, all dressed in black, to finish off the high-energy performance — all while rocking her politically charged “TARIFFIED” shirt.
Later in the show, Lizzo delivered a show-stopping performance of “Don’t Make Me Love You,” a likely track from Love in Real Life. Channeling an ’80s vibe, she stunned the audience in a shimmery gold dress, with her hair blown by wind machines as she belted out the powerful song.
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Lizzo confirmed last month that Love in Real Life is officially complete. “ALBUM IS DONE YALL!” she shared on Instagram, posting a photo of herself in the studio with a playful caption: “ASTROLOGY EXPERTS Do my mercury got micro braids? Cus I got an emergency root canal, announced SNL & finished my album all in one day today.”
So far, Lizzo has released two tracks from the upcoming album: “Still Bad” and the title track. Aside from “Pink” for Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Barbie soundtrack, the first singles from the project mark the Yitty founder’s first proper releases since 2022’s Special, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “About Damn Time.”
Watch Lizzo’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Cactus Jack was always meant for the desert. Travis Scott told Complex he always wanted to headline Coachella — he even rapped about the decorated festival on ASTROWORLD’s “SKELETONS” and he took full advantage of the spotlight on Saturday night (April 12).
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La Flame was tasked with designing the desert, and he continued to push the envelope with his innovative world-building when it comes to his performances, which are simply unmatched in hip-hop at the moment.
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A 60-plus person marching band combining brass members from Jackson State’s Sonic Boom and Florida A&M University’s Marching 100 gave Scott’s “4×4” and anthems like “SICKO MODE” and “FE!N” a renewed texture and shelf life.
Scott had wrung about as much as he could out of the UTOPIA era and delivered on his promise of Coachella marking a “new chapter” for the Houston rapper.
La Flame previewed a pair of unreleased songs with the first being a lucid track that’s tentatively titled “She Goin Dumb.” “You getting wasted, just don’t waste mine,” he sings on the chorus. While the second finds Scott in a fun pocket on the smokey tune seemingly titled “On Jacques.” “We brought magic to the stu because it get tricky,” Trav raps.
It’s unclear if they’re intended to kick off Scott’s next solo effort or will end up on the JACKBOYS 2 compilation project, but it’s a welcome sign for where La Flame is headed sonically.
Scott is always looking for new ways to test the limits of what’s possible with his shows. He had dancers suspended in mid-air like the cover of NSYNC’s No Strings Attached album. They were flipped upside down like a pack of bats in the midst of the ethereal “Stargazing.” Tate McRae, a potent dancer in her own right, appreciated the theatrics and lent her stamp of approval on her IG Story from the crowd.
In a shoulder pad vest equipped with sunglasses and a Nike headband, Scott himself got in on the action to scale the stage’s stanchion wall while rappelling down and performing “Skyfall.”
The 33-year-old isn’t shy about how much Kanye West has meant to his career. Being a branch on the West artistic family tree, Scott having a model strut down the catwalk as the muse for “90210″ felt like something out of Ye’s “Runaway” playbook.
An interesting moment and perhaps olive branch to mend the fences with Drake came when Scott performed a mash-up of “Modern Jam” and Drizzy’s “NOKIA,” which comes on the heels of a “Modern Jam” and “NOKIA” blend that went viral on X from user Spectre earlier this year. It seemed to make it onto La Flame’s radar and he messed with it so much, it made the cut for his Coachella set.
The HBCU-led marching band gave Scott another avenue of creativity to explore as an orchestrator and made his performance art feel that much richer. Catalog anthems like “SICKO MODE” and “FE!N” felt like they received a fresh coat of paint with the brass band’s involvement in the arrangement meshing with Scott’s AutoTune-laced vocals. Of course, in typical Trav and DJ Chase B fashion, they had to run back the chaos of “FE!N” a few times.
The thrilling 70-minute solo set took fans on a rollercoaster ride through Scott’s career from when he was couchsurfing in the early 2010s looking for his break to becoming one of the most lucrative brands in all of music. Whether it was “Mamacita,” “Goosebumps,” the dreamy “My Eyes,” or his verses on Playboi Carti’s MUSIC, there was something representing every era of La Flame.
“That was a great set,” a fan was heard saying as “TELEKINESIS” and a firework show ended the night, while another attendee looked visibly emotional when the lights came on.
And perhaps the best part after everything? He’s still not satisfied, as the hunger for greatness remains. A photo emerged on social media shortly after Scott’s set of the Cactus Jack honcho back in the studio, tweaking tracks with the Coachella euphoria fueling him.
While Scott’s called arenas home for the majority of his past two U.S. treks, La Flame’s creativity thrives when the stakes are highest and venues are biggest. Buckle up, the next chapter is here.
The long tail of Brat is visible to the naked eye at Coachella 2025, where this weekend a not insignificant portion of the crowd is dressed in the kind of asymmetrical ruffled skirts, wraparound sunglasses and black knee-high boots that Charli XCX has popularized during her culture-shaking marathon run around the album, which came out two months after last year’s Coachella.
Given that we’ve all been living through the many seasons of Brat ever since, it felt apt, reasonable and more or less expected that Charli kept her Saturday night performance almost entirely album-centric, using the slot on the Coachella mainstage — where she last appeared in 2023 — to spotlight the LP’s music, collaborators, aesthetic and attitude. The biggest twist came at the end, when she raised questions about whether or not it might be coming to a close.
The set began promptly at 7:20 p.m. with strobe-light black and white graphics on Coachella’s giant screens building a feeling of hype. Then began the strains of “365,” with Charli appearing at the center of the giant stage dressed in black micro-shorts with a chain belt, black knee-highs, a black bra, sheer black over shirt and black sunglasses, which, per usual, stayed on for the duration of the show.
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She then went directly into “360” and then “Von Dutch,” during which she strutted through the crowd before returning to the stage and demanding “You ready to sing? Louder b—h!” before launching into the chorus and then going directly into “Club Classics.” By this point, the “I want to dance to me, me, me” refrain felt thematic in the sense that the entire show was kept very spare in terms of production, with the only major set piece being a riser that was used to once or twice lift Charli off the stage so she could be a bit higher while she danced. It was altogether a stark contrast to the absolute maximalism of Lady Gaga’s set on the same stage the night prior.
By comparison, Charli’s set was truly a spotlight on and a showcase for her and her stage presence. While she was able to carry the massive mainstage on her own without many bells, whistles or a single backup dancer, it also demonstrated that things are more fun with friends, as a litany of Brat collaborators joined Charli at various points to perform their respective album cuts.
The first of these moments was from Troye Sivan, Charli’s co-headliner on the 2024 Sweat Tour, who came out to sing their jaunty sex romp duet “Talk Talk” — with the great chemistry these two have palpable throughout and Charli seeming a bit more overtly joyful while performing alongside her pal.
After this came Charli’s solo performances of “I Might Say Something Stupid” and then “Apple,” which in extremely Brat fashion she sang while walking around the stage while carrying the party world drink vessel of choice, a red Solo Cup. Meanwhile, the camera panned to regular Charli associates Gabbriette, Alex Consani and Quenlin Blackwell doing the viral Apple dance in front row.
Then it was Lorde‘s turn, with the Australian star (whose jeans and t-shirt contrasted with Charli’s more club-ready outfit), coming out to sing her part on the “Girl, so confusing” remix. It was a pleasure to see the pair strutting side-by-side down the stage’s catwalk, with the moment reminding one of the power and beauty of these two working it out on the remix and catharsis in the duo’s confessional edit of the song. “Make some f—ing noise for Lorde,” Charli demanded from the crowd, before declaring “Lorde summer 2025” into the mic and Lorde then exiting after a big hug between the two.
It was moments later that Billie Eilish (wearing baggy shorts, an oversized polo shirt and a backward baseball hat) was onstage to do her part on the undeniable “Guess” remix, with the crowd having one of its biggest bursts of energy of the entire show during the song’s electro build. Quick cut edits of the pair dancing in strobe-ey lights flashed on the screen with the word “GUESS” intermittently transposed over them.
After Eilish’s exit, Charli literally crawled down the catwalk, with the crowd cheering as she thrust her hips on the stage and then crawled back towards the camera while screaming. She then stood up and just headbanged, her signature long black hair flailing. The show then shifted into softer, lovier territory while Charli sang her 2019 Lizzo collab “I Blame It On Your Love,” one of a three non-Brat songs that made it into the show. “Unlock It” from 2017’s Pop 2 had come earlier, with Charli then closing the entire performance with her classic 2012 Icona Pop collab “I Love It,” a crowd favorite and a high-energy closer.
But that wasn’t quite the end of the show. After the music, Charl stood onstage flanked by the giant screens that flashed messages seemingly beamed directly from her stream of consciousness: “Does this mean that Brat summer is finally over?” the words asked. “Idk? Maybe? Wait was it? No?? Yeah cuz duh it was already over like last year. Wait. Was it? NO??? I don’t know who I am if it’s over???” F–KKKKKKKK.”
Then the declaration momentarily took hold of itself, declaring “Wait. I remembered. I’m Charli” with images of the her name in various fonts flashing on the screen before the statement resumed by saying “and honestly… I just want this moment to last forever.” After a series of images at Charli at various points throughout her career, the screens flashed a clip of a green flag emblazoned with “Brat” waving, and then consumed in flames.
“PLEASE DON’T LET IT BE OVER,” the statement declared, at which point the show was officially done. But rest assured, Charli will be back next Saturday — same time, same place — for Coachella’s second weekend.
04/13/2025
Plus, highlights from Enhypen, Gustavo Dudamel with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Original Misfits and more.
04/13/2025
Marc Nathan, the promotion and A&R executive who in his 55-year career helped Barenaked Ladies, 3 Doors Down and more get record deals, has died. He was 70.
He passed away earlier this week at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville, a representative says. A statement said Nathan had “been ill for some time and he finally succumbed to a variety of afflictions.”
Nathan got his foot in the door in the music industry at just 15 years old, when the then-Queens, New York, kid wrote a letter to Todd Rundgren and received a reply from Ampex Records’ Paul Fishkin, in regards to a track listing anomaly he found on Rundgren’s Runt album.
“He just so happened to open a stack of Todd’s fan mail that day. If he hadn’t opened that stack of mail that day, you know … My life would have been altered forever,” Nathan said in an interview in 2019.
Nathan soon landed his first industry job in radio promotion at Ampex, which led to him building a career with roles in promotion at labels including Bearsville, Casablanca, Playboy, Sire and Atlantic.
“I lost my best friend of 55 years,” Fishkin noted following his death. “Marc Nathan walked like he talked as well as anyone I’ve ever known. His irascible, acquired taste persona was what I enjoyed the most, even though maddening at times. We had much in common chiding and deriding phonies and pretentious fools in sports, politics, but most importantly, the music business. We occasionally enjoyed busting each other as well. We delighted in having our own sometimes hilarious shorthand putting us on the floor at times with uncontrollable laughter. He was a great record man, and a baseball and hockey chronicler supreme, among his many talents and passions. And yes, I have stories! But most important was his loyalty and support for all the right people and issues. And he never let me down in all those 55 years.”
Over the years — with stints in New York, Los Angeles and, most recently, Nashville — Nathan also worked in A&R, having a hand in Universal’s acquisition of Cash Money Records, and in talent development for Universal, Capitol, Atlantic/ATCO and imprints.
Among the artists he got signed were the bands 3 Doors Down (at Universal) and Barenaked Ladies (at Sire). He later established a label, Flagship Records, to release solo work from Barenaked Ladies co-founder Steven Page.
“Marc was a record person of the highest order,” Page wrote following his death. “He was absolutely and passionately obsessed with music and amassed an encyclopedic memory for songs, charts and artists. He played a huge role in my career and in my life — a role that arced across our entire shared timeline. Marc was a guy who loved big, emotional music and also too-smart-for-its-own-good pop and had a huge soft spot for silly novelty songs too. We kind of fit the bill perfectly for him and he got us. Marc took our demo tape to Seymour Stein at Sire records, and, thankfully, Seymour got it. While everyone else was calling us a throwaway, Seymour looked at Marc and said, ‘They’re a Simon and Garfunkel for the ‘90s.’ Marc was always especially proud of his involvement, and I’m eternally grateful to him for it.”
Page added, “He was among the first and most persistent of my friends to lend me support, advice and solidarity. He could be a nudge, but that’s only because he had a huge heart and he really, really cared. There were many, many people in his life that he would counsel and coach and cajole and mentor through their darkest hours — he’d been there and back several times himself — and I’m proud and grateful to be one of those friends. I’m lucky to have known him.”
When asked where he was most excited to perform after finally regaining his freedom following a 13-year prison stint, Vybz Kartel responded, “The entire Caribbean and New York — that’s Jamaica outside of Jamaica!”
In the eight months since he walked out of prison, the King of Dancehall has barely taken a minute to sit down. To ring in the new year, Kartel mounted Freedom Street on Dec. 31, 2024, marking Jamaica’s largest live music event in almost 50 years. The stadium-sized event featured appearances by dancehall giants like Skeng and Popcaan, as well as Kartel’s sons — both recording artists in their own right — Likkle Vybz and Likke Addi. Freedom Street kicked off a global comeback tour for Kartel that has since included an appearance at February’s Grammy Awards (where he enjoyed his first nomination for best reggae album, thanks to his 2024 Party With Me EP), a performance at the U.K.’s MOBO Awards (where he was honored with the impact award), and the announcement of a set at Wireless in support of Drake‘s three-night takeover of the Finsbury Park festival.
In 2025, any Worl’ Boss performance is a special one, but the Billboard cover star wasn’t joking when he called New York “Jamaica outside of Jamaica.” On Friday (April 11), Kartel played his first of two sold-out shows at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center — his first Stateside headlining concert in over 20 years, organized by Reggae Fest. Brooklyn, which has an incredibly high population of first, second and even third-generation Caribbean-Americans, was the perfect host borough for Kartel’s return. For every BK neighborhood the DJ shouted out (Flatbush, Canarsie and Utica rightfully got a lot of love), a different island got the same amount of shine (Grenada, Trinidad, St. Vincent and, of course, Jamaica were among the most mentioned isles of the night). Kartel didn’t hit the stage until shortly after 10 p.m. E.T., but DJ Milan primed the crowd with over two hours’ worths of reggae and dancehall classics, spinning anthems by everyone from Buju Banton and Shenseea to Elephant Man and Teejay.
Kartel made his triumphant return to the stage with his legendary remix of Akon‘s “Locked Up.” “Look! 13 years inna prison, and mi come out a general!” he declared, sauntering across the stage and soaking up the rabid screams from the 19,000-capacity arena.
Worl’ Boss then launched into his litany of hits, tearing through “Dumpa Truck,” “Benz Punany,” “It Bend Like Banana,” “You and Him Deh,” “Street Vybz,” “Come Breed Me” and “Turn Up the F–k.” Kartel, who is currently dealing with Graves’ disease and a heart condition, smartly split up his set with cameos from several surprise guests, allowing him ample time to catch his breath and pace himself throughout the show.
Early in the night, Kartel brought out two former Portmore Empire affiliates, Jah Vinci and Black Ryno, both of whom helped amp the energy in the room. In fact, Black Ryno had so much energy, he got a little ahead of himself and wiped out while walking down the stage’s catwalk. Other special guests throughout the night included Latin Grammy-nominated producer Rvssian, Queen of Dancehall Spice and rap legend Busta Rhymes (who effortlessly rapped his entire “Look at Me Now” verse). Almost more impressive than Kartel’s stamina was just how much power he held over the crowd. If anyone sat down during his two-hour set, it was only for a brief minute to find their bearings after a particularly wicked wine. Kartel’s catalog isn’t littered with Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits or U.S. radio smashes, but none of that mattered on Friday night. When a catalog is so beloved that fans are rapping deep cuts that dropped before they were even born, there’s something very special taking place.
To close out his set, Kartel fired off his biggest crossover smashes, including “Summertime,” “Clarks,” “Fever” and, of course, “Brooklyn Anthem,” gifting Kings County one of the most memorable nights of live music in the borough’s storied history.
Here are the five best moments from Vybz Kartel’s first U.S. headlining show in over 20 years.
Rvssian Hits the Stage for ‘Straight Jeans & Fitted’
Billie Joe Armstrong made a surprise appearance during the Go-Go’s afternoon set at Coachella 2025 on Saturday (April 12).
Ahead of Green Day’s headlining performance that evening, the band’s frontman joined the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-inducted group for a rendition of their 1984 hit song “Head Over Heels.”
In the hours leading up to the collaboration, Armstrong teased a “special surprise” on Green Day’s Instagram account. “Go see the go gos,” he wrote alongside a photo of the festival’s three-day lineup poster.
Following the Go-Go’s set on the Outdoor Theatre stage, Armstrong returned to social media to celebrate the moment.
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“Head over heels after playing with @officialgogos at @coachella,” the singer-songwriter captioned a backstage photo with the band on Instagram. His post also featured a carousel of snapshots from the performance, including an official setlist.
The Go-Go’s responded with a post of their own, sharing a photo on Instagram with Armstrong and writing, “We had the time of our lives!”
This year’s two-weekend Coachella festival runs April 11–13 and April 18–20. Saturday lineups are headlined by Green Day, with additional performances from Charli XCX, Anitta, Clairo, ENHYPEN, Jimmy Eat World, T-Pain, and more.
“Death, taxes and… rock n roll,” Armstrong told Billboard ahead of Green Day’s foray into the desert. “In this world gone sideways we know one thing for certain – rock n roll is forever, and its spirit is needed now more than ever. So bring your rage, your hope, and your loudest voice. Coachella, let’s have the time of our lives.”
The festival’s opening day on April 11 delivered standout moments from Lady Gaga, Tyla, LISA, Mustard, and more. Read Billboard’s full recap of day one here.
A concert by popular Mexican corrido singer Luis R. Conriquez ended in chaos on Friday night (April 11) when the musician announced that his performance at the Feria del Caballo in the State of Mexico would not include narcocorridos due to a ban on expressions that glorify violence implemented in several municipalities in the central region of the country.
The singer was performing at a “palenque” (a more intimate format at popular fairs) in the municipality of Texcoco, featuring covers of other artists and his own songs, when the audience booed him because the setlist did not include some of his most famous corridos — several of which have been criticized for allegedly glorifying drug trafficking. Upset attendees began jeering, throwing punches, and causing damage at the venue.
“There are no corridos. What do we do? Should I just go home instead?” Conriquez is heard saying to the audience in videos of the moment before the chaos erupted, which are circulating on social media.
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Hours before the show, the musician had already warned his followers that narcocorridos would be removed from his setlist at the Texcoco Fair. “We’re entering a new phase, without corridos and all that. It feels bad not being able to sing what people want to hear, but we’re joining the cause of zero corridos and moving forward,” the singer said in an Instagram Story.
Although Conriquez tried to explain to the audience the reason for the absence of narcocorridos in the night’s repertoire, the angry crowd expressed their displeasure with boos and shouts and began throwing empty and drink-filled cups toward the stage, as can be seen in videos circulating on social media. In response to this reaction, Conriquez left the venue, which provoked a barrage of chairs and other objects.
“There are many people who don’t understand. They think we’re the ones setting the rules, but the truth is there won’t be any corridos at events from now on, for any artist, my people. Cheer up. I love you all. The people who truly support us will continue doing so, even if we’re playing bachata,” the Sonoran musician expressed in another Instagram Story hours before the show.
In Texcoco, along with two other municipalities in the State of Mexico (Metepec and Tejupilco), which neighbor the Mexican capital, expressions that glorify violence have been prohibited since April 9 following the implementation of a law targeting popular fairs and mass events, with sanctions of up to six months in prison, according to reports from newspaper Milenio.
So far, neither Texcoco authorities nor organizers of the Feria del Caballo have commented on the incident. Billboard Español has sent a requested for comment to Luis R Conriquez’s team but has not yet received a response.
The ban on narcocorridos in municipalities in the State of Mexico adds to similar measures in other regions of the country, following controversy sparked by the projection of images of a famous cartel leader at an auditorium of the University of Guadalajara in Jalisco on March 29 during a concert by the group Los Alegres del Barranco. This incident led to the U.S. revoking the work and tourist visas of the group’s members.
On Friday (April 11), the Jalisco government introduced a bill to reform the law against the glorification of crime in public or private performances. This initiative “empowers municipalities to regulate, and if necessary, prohibit and sanction musical groups that engage in any type of glorification of violence,” according to a post on X.
Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum, through the Secretary of Culture of the Mexican Government, announced this week the binational contest México Canta (Mexico Sings), which seeks to encourage young artists — especially those in the trending genre of corridos tumbados — to create songs that don’t glorify violence or drugs.
