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Shakira called off her concert in Santiago, Chile, tonight (Sunday, March 2), just hours before the show at Estadio Nacional was scheduled to go on.
“I am heartbroken that I cannot sing for you today for reasons beyond my control,” the Colombian superstar wrote in a statement posted on social media. In her note, she explained that there were safety concerns regarding her stage production at the stadium, which is located in Santiago’s Ñuñoa district. Shakira was expected to perform at Estadio Nacional for two nights, both of which were sold out.
It’s the second Latin American city to be postponed citing local production issues on Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour, following the cancellation of her Feb. 24 show in Medellín, Colombia — and the third total that she’s had to reschedule since bringing her world tour to the region in February. On doctor’s orders, Shakira couldn’t perform in Lima, Peru, on Feb. 16, as she was hospitalized with an abdominal condition.
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“To my fans,” Shakira wrote in her Sunday update, “you who have been with me for more than 30 years know more than anyone else my professional ethics and how much I strive to always give you the best. For a year I have worked tirelessly, night and day, on the smallest details to achieve an unforgettable experience for my fans as they deserve and as we have been able to enjoy together during the concerts I have been performing.”
The star expressed that connecting with fans every night on tour “is a big part of what makes me wake up every day wanting to celebrate life,” then broke the news that her performance in Chile must be postponed:
“You can imagine how painful it is for me as an artist to see that after so many efforts to come to this country that I love so much, my show in Chile on this occasion must be rescheduled due to circumstances beyond my control or that of my production.
“When an artist travels to a country, their production and team become directly dependent on the local producers. My staff and I trusted at all times that the production company hired by the local promoter would follow to the letter the specifications that were diligently provided by us so that a show of the magnitude of this one could take place.
“The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour, which I wanted to start in my home, Latin America, is the biggest tour of my career and currently one of the biggest productions in the world. With a stage that weighs 62 tons, unfortunately we have found that the floor of the place where my stage would go is uneven and is not properly stabilized to ensure the safety of my band, dancers, my fans and myself.
“There are two things I would never compromise and that is the safety of my team and my fans, and I would never offer you a show below the quality standards you deserve.”
Shakira intends to return to Chile as soon as possible — even if she has to “inspect the floor and every last screw in the structure that supports my stage” herself, she says.
On the event’s ticketing page, Fenix Entertainment shared the same information in a statement on Sunday: “We regret to inform you that during the assembly process of the show scheduled for today (March 2) at the Estadio Nacional de Santiago de Chile, we have encountered technical problems beyond the control of the artist and their production that prevent the correct development of the concert, since the floor where the stage would be located is uneven.”
The next city on Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran Tour itinerary is Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she’s set to perform at Campo Argentino de Polo on March 7-8.
See her full note about the Chile concert postponement here.
LISA‘s Alter Ego topped this week’s new music poll, which highlights artists from a variety of genres.
Music fans cast their votes in a poll published Friday (Feb. 28) on Billboard, selecting the BLACKPINK star’s debut solo album as their favorite new release of the past week.
Alter Ego received 49% of the vote, leading other notable new music releases such as Feid’s “Nos Desconoximos,” Benson Boone’s “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” Lizzo’s “Love in Real Life,” D4vd and Kali Uchis’ “Crashing,” and more.
After months of anticipation, LISA dropped her first album on Feb. 28, featuring 15 new tracks and collaborations with Megan Thee Stallion, Future, Tyla, and others. The highly anticipated project includes previously released singles like “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalía, “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me),” and “Born Again” with Doja Cat and RAYE.
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Alter Ego showcases the Thai rapper embodying five distinct personas: Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni and Speedi. “It represents five characters of me as well, like I feel related with them,” she told Sean Evans on Hot Ones ahead of the album’s release.
Before Alter Ego, LISA had released only two solo singles: 2021’s “LALISA” and “MONEY,” both of which charted on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year, she also appeared without her bandmates on DJ Snake’s “SG” with Ozuna, and on “HISS” with the rapper, who features on Alter Ego track “Rapunzel.”
LISA is the latest BLACKPINK member to release solo music in recent months. ROSÉ released her debut solo album, rosie, in December, and two months later, JISOO dropped her EP, AMORTAGE. JENNIE is set to follow with her debut LP, Ruby, scheduled for release on March 7. The foursome announced a summer 2025 world tour in February.
Trailing behind Alter Ego in this week’s poll is Feid’s “Nos Desconocimos,” which earned nearly 38% of the vote. The Colombian star’s new single arrives ahead of his European tour.
Check out the full results of this week’s poll below and visit Billboard’s Friday Music Guide for more must-hear releases.
Joey Molland, the guitarist and last surviving member of the rock band Badfinger, has died. He was 77.
Molland passed away on Saturday (March 1) while surrounded by his longtime partner, Mary, his two sons and other family members, according to a post on Badfinger’s Facebook page. While a cause of death was not specified, Molland had faced ongoing health challenges in recent years, including a recent battle with pneumonia.
“Thank you, Joey…for keeping the band’s music alive for so long and for being a friend to us all,” the Facebook post read.
Badfinger, originally known as the Iveys, was one of the first bands signed by The Beatles‘ Apple Records. Molland joined the group in 1969, after the recording of their debut album, Maybe Tomorrow, which featured the Paul McCartney-written hit “Come and Get It.” The song reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970.
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Molland’s first album with Badfinger was No Dice (1970), co-produced by Beatles road manager Mal Evans. The set featured two of the band’s most iconic tracks: “No Matter What” and “Without You.” The latter became a hit after being covered by Harry Nilsson and Mariah Carey.
Badfinger’s main lineup of Molland (guitarist), Pete Ham (singer/guitarist), Tom Evans (bassist) and Mike Gibbins (drummer) recorded five albums together through 1974, producing hit singles like “Day After Day” and “Baby Blue,” both co-produced by George Harrison. “Baby Blue” was notably featured in the closing scene of the final episode of Breaking Bad in 2013.
After the death of Ham, who died by suicide in 1975, Molland and Evans (minus Gibbins) reunited to revive Badfinger, with the guitarist taking on a larger role in songwriting and vocals for the albums Airwaves (1979) and Say No More (1981).
Outside of his work with Badfinger, Molland contributed to Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and The Concert for Bangladesh albums, and played guitar on John Lennon’s 1971 classic “Jealous Guy” and Imagine‘s “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier.”
Throughout his career, Molland recorded music both as a solo artist and as a member of the band Natural Gas. In the early 1980s, he formed his own version of Badfinger, known as Joey Molland’s Badfinger, and continued to tour with the act until the summer of 2024.
Molland was the last surviving member of Badfinger’s core lineup, following the deaths of Ham, Evans (who also died by suicide in 1983) and Gibbins, who passed away from natural causes in 2005.
Tate McRae scores her first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart as her third full-length studio set, So Close to What, debuts atop the list dated March 8. It arrives with 177,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 27, according to Luminate — marking the biggest debut week, by units, for a studio album by a woman in five months.
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It’s the second top 10-charting effort for the singer-songwriter, who previously visited the region with the No. 4-peaking Think Later in December 2023. The album generated a trio of charted songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the No. 3-peaking “Greedy.”
So Close to What was announced in November 2024 and its release was preceded by three charted titles on the Hot 100, including a pair of top 40 hits: “It’s OK I’m OK” (No. 20, September 2024) and “Sports Car” (No. 21 in February).
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The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new March 8, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 4. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of So Close to What’s 177,000 first-week equivalent album units, SEA units comprise 105,000 (equaling 137.30 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; McRae’s biggest streaming week ever, and it debuts at No. 2 on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 71,000 (her best sales week ever, it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 1,000.
With So Close to What’s launch of 177,000 equivalent album units, the set tallies the biggest debut week for a studio album by a woman since Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet bowed at No. 1 with 362,000 units on the Sept. 7, 2024-dated chart.
So Close to What’s streaming activity was led by the tracks “Sports Car,” “Revolving Door,” “It’s OK I’m OK” and “Dear God,” which collectively comprise a little more than a third of the album’s total streams for the week.
So Close to What was released across an array of permutations and variants. It was issued as a standard 11-song digital download album, a 13-song physical set (on CD, cassette and vinyl), a 15-song digital download and streaming edition, a 16-song digital download and streaming set, and an 18-song digital download sold exclusively in McRae’s webstore. Each variation of the album beyond the 11-song set contained the core 11 songs found on the standard edition, as well as additional tracks (which varied depending on the version).
The album’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across four download variants (three widely available, and one exclusive to the artist’s webstore), three CD variants (including one signed), seven vinyl variants (including two signed editions) and a cassette.
McRae ushered in the release of the new album with an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, along with interviews with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, iHeartRadio and Allure, among other outlets. The performer’s Miss Possessive Tour kicks off on March 18 in Mexico City and has dates scheduled through Nov. 8 in Inglewood, Calif. McRae will play more than 80 dates in over 20 countries on three continents.
As for the rest of the top 10 on the latest Billboard 200 chart, it’s a quiet week, as McRae’s set is the lone new arrival in the region. PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U falls to No. 2 in its second week, earning 119,000 equivalent album units (down 52%). The next five titles on the Billboard 200 are all former No. 1s: Kendrick Lamar’s GNX holds at No. 3 (106,000 units; down 22%); SZA’s SOS is a non-mover at No. 4 (82,000; down 13%); Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet slips 2-5 (76,000; down 51%); Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos falls 5-6 (63,000; down 6%); and The Weeknd’s Hurry Up Tomorrow drops 6-7 (50,000; down 14%).
Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess dips 7-8 (46,000 equivalent album units; down 5%), Morgan Wallen’s chart-topping One Thing at a Time is stationary at No. 9 (41,000; up 4%), and Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard and Soft falls 8-10 (nearly 41,000; down 11%).
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.
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Source: The Washington Post / Getty / Elon MuskWell this doesn’t sound efficient at all. The New York Times reports Elon Musk is definitely getting in gaming time while at his DOGE office.
DOGE is laying off federal workers nationwide to “cut costs” and “shrink government.” While this is happening, Elon Musk, who is in charge or isn’t, depending on who you ask, of the temporary department Trump made a reality via an executive order, is still making sure he is playing Diablo IV, Path of Exile 2, or whatever other game he is cheating at.
According to the New York Times, Musk originally planned to work out of the West Wing in the White House, but found the accommodations unfitting for a rich bozo such as himself referring to it as a “hovel,” decided to set up his gaming rig in the Secretary of War Suite in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building across the street.
“He installed a gaming computer with a giant, curved screen and blinking LED lights, and decorated his desk with a DOGE sign and a MAGA hat,” The New York Times reports. “He also had a DOGE T-shirt emblazoned with a quote from one of his favorite movies, Office Space: ‘What would you say you do here?”
Elon Musk’s Gaming Rig Looks Cheap
Musk’s gaming setup is getting clowned on BlueSky with one person calling out his “appalling cable management,” his curved monitor and the missing period at the end of his “D.O.G.E” sign.
Like his behavior and style, his gaming setup screams tacky, and he seems to be playing it very cheap with his rig. We guess that’s him being efficient with his money because this whole operation he has going on is anything but that.
We wonder how those federal workers who lost their jobs over the last two months feel about two billionaires firing them. One pretending to be president chills at his lame golf club and golfs after throwing a temper tantrum in the Oval Office, while the proxy president, Elon Musk, plays video games on company time and ruins people’s lives.
Elton John is speaking out against the Trump administration’s proposed cuts to USAID.
The Trump administration announced plans on Thursday (Feb. 27) to eliminate more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s foreign aid contracts, as well as $60 billion in overall U.S. assistance worldwide, according to the Associated Press. USAID has been the world’s largest single aid provider for decades.
“The U.S. Administration’s abrupt decision to cut over 90% of USAID contracts could have devastating effects on the HIV response,” John wrote on Instagram Saturday (March 1) alongside an official statement from his Elton John AIDS Foundation. “We are working with our 90+ partners to ensure they can continue to provide lifesaving services and are launching The Rocket Response Fund to help cover immediate gaps in essential care.”
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John founded the Elton John AIDS Foundation in 1992 to fund research aimed at eradicating HIV and AIDS. Over the past three decades, the organization has grown into one of the world’s largest independent AIDS charity organizations.
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The iconic musician continued, “We urge the U.S. government to continue the lifesaving work of bipartisan programs like PEPFAR.”
PEPFAR, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, was launched by President George W. Bush in 2003. The program has reportedly been credited with saving millions of lives globally by providing access to antiretroviral treatment, which helps people living with HIV manage the virus and stay alive.
The Trump administration’s announcement follows a 90-day review period initiated in January, during which all projects funded by U.S. taxpayer money were evaluated to ensure alignment with the president’s “America First” policy, Reuters reports.
The decision to cut funding has sent shockwaves through HIV programs in South Africa. “We are being pushed off a cliff,” Dr. Kate Rees, a public health specialist with one of the largest nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) fighting HIV in South Africa, told the AP.
“We will see lives lost,” added Professor Linda-Gail Bekker, director of the Desmond Tutu HIV Center. “We are going to see this epidemic walk back because of this.”
Bekker told the AP that they expected the Trump administration to target specific programs, such as those supporting gay men and sex workers, but were surprised to find that the cuts affected almost every program. She noted that she wasn’t aware of an HIV NGO or health center in South Africa that hadn’t lost its USAID funding.
“This has been across the board,” Bekker said. “This is programs for children, orphans, for young women and girls. It is not hyperbole that I predict a huge disaster … unless we can fill the gap.”
Ahead of Sebastián Yatra’s performance at Viña del Mar, the singer sits down with Billboard to share the inspiration behind his upcoming single, “La Peliroja,” reveals a new album is coming this year, his friendship with Carlos Vives, performing on Broadway and more! Leila Cobo:Hi, Sebas. Sebastián Yatra:Hi, Leila. How are you? It’s been many […]
Tate McRae made her return to Saturday Night Live on March 1, delivering a pair of standout performances from her latest album.
The 21-year-old pop star graced the stage for her second appearance on the iconic NBC sketch comedy show, captivating viewers with electrifying renditions of “Sports Car” and “Dear God.” Both tracks are from her third album, So Close to What, which was released on Feb. 21.
For her first performance of “Sports Car,” McRae stepped onto a stage filled with stacked metal chairs, surrounded by male dancers in suits who appeared to be snapping photos of her. Later in the episode, she returned to the same minimalist stage design for a slower, emotional performance of “Dear God.”
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Saturday’s episode was hosted by comedian Shane Gillis.
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McRae is fresh off the release of her latest album, So Close to What. The project features previously released viral singles like “It’s OK I’m OK” and “2 Hands,” as well as a collaboration with Flo Milli (“Bloodonmyhands”). The set also includes a track with McRae’s boyfriend, The Kid Laroi, titled “I Know Love.”
So Close to What follows her 2023 album, Think Later, which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. The album was bolstered by singles like “Greedy” and “Exes.”
The Canadian-born star first appeared on SNL in November 2023, with Jason Momoa as the pre-Thanksgiving episode’s host. She performed two songs, “Greedy” and “Grave,” to promote her then-upcoming sophomore album, Think Later.
Later this month, McRae will launch a world tour in support of So Close to What. The Miss Possessive Tour will begin on March 18 in Mexico City and will see the singer touring through Europe, Canada and North America until the end of September 2025. Special guests for the tour include Zara Larsson and Benee.
Watch McRae’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.
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Donald Trump’s approval rating among Black Americans has crept above 20 percent, but let’s not get carried away—it’s still far from mainstream acceptance.
In 2024, Trump secured 16 percent of the Black vote, a record for a Republican since 1976, but still trailing well behind his support from white (56 percent) and Hispanic voters (43 percent). Gains in battleground states were minor, with a 13 percent increase in Wisconsin and a 5 percent uptick in Georgia and North Carolina.
The increase in reported popularity among Black voters in Georgia and North Carolina comes as a surprise after Trump’s recent policies, especially his executive actions targeting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These states have some of the largest Black populations in the country and are home to many HBCUs—institutions that have historically played a vital role in Black upward mobility.
HBCUs, a pillar of Black education, have also suffered under Trump’s policies. While he initially signed a bill providing long-term funding for HBCUs, his administration later undermined their financial stability by slashing federal grants and research funding that many of these institutions rely on. Additionally, his rollback of DEI programs has made it harder for these schools to secure federal partnerships and corporate sponsorships, further limiting resources for Black students. While Trump’s slight gains among Black men might make headlines, the bigger picture reveals a presidency that has systematically undercut institutions and programs designed to support Black communities in these key battleground states.
Polls paint a mixed picture. YouGov/Economist found 24 percent of Black voters approve of Trump, while 69 percent disapprove. McLaughlin and Associates reported 29 percent approval, and Emerson College showed 23 percent. Meanwhile, a wildly optimistic AtlasIntel poll claimed 69 percent approval—highly suspect given Trump’s history with Black communities. Immigration remains a hot-button issue, but only 30 percent of Black voters approve of Trump’s handling of it, compared to 57 percent of white voters.
Trump’s immigration policies have been particularly harsh on Black and Brown Americans, making the issue a major concern for voters of color. His administration’s strict deportation measures, asylum restrictions, and travel bans disproportionately impact Black immigrants, who often come from African and Caribbean nations. These policies have led to increased detentions and deportations of Black migrants, many of whom already face racial discrimination in the immigration system. Meanwhile, Latino communities have been at the center of Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric, with family separations and border crackdowns creating widespread fear—it’s clear that Trump’s approach remains deeply unpopular among communities that bear the brunt of these policies.
The skepticism isn’t unfounded. Trump has a long track record of racially charged rhetoric and policies—from pushing the birther conspiracy to gutting DEI programs on day one of his presidency. His opposition to initiatives supporting Black communities hasn’t been a selling point. A 2040 Strategy Group poll found that while many Black voters feel Democrats aren’t doing enough, 68 percent want them to focus on protecting DEI from Trump’s attacks.
Yes, Trump has made slight inroads, particularly with younger Black men, but let’s be real—these are ripples, not waves. His policies continue to alienate much of the Black community, and as reality sets in, any gains could prove fleeting. Numbers don’t lie, and for most Black Americans, Trump remains as polarizing as ever.
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A group of Florida Republicans are under fire for inviting Andrew and Tristan Tate to an event while still charged with human trafficking.
Members of the Republican Party are at odds after an invitation was extended to controversial right-wing figures Andrew and Tristan Tate to speak at an event upon their arrival in the United States. The brothers were incarcerated in Romania after being arrested in 2022 on charges of human trafficking, allegedly luring women to the country to be sexually abused. The two were invited to speak to the Tampa Bay Young Republicans through a post by the group on social media, writing in a post on X, formerly Twitter: “As free speech absolutists, the Tates haven’t been formally convicted of any crimes and are welcome to speak to our group. We’re old enough to remember when a ‘Convicted Felon’ won the Presidency. #Freestate.”
https://x.com/TBYR/status/1895182356710936857
The invite was met with severe brushback from conservatives and right-wing figures calling the move “disgusting,” especially as speculation has arisen that President Donald Trump pressured the Romanian government into releasing the Tates. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis expressed his frustration at the situation. “I do know our attorney general, James Uthmeier, is looking at what state hooks and jurisdiction we may have to be able to deal with this,” he said to reporters. “But the reality is, no, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct in the air. And I don’t know how it came to this. We were not involved, we were not notified—I found out through the media that this was something that was happening.”
Other right-wing figures directly addressed the Tampa Bay Young Republican’s post. Megyn Kelly responded, “You’ve lost your way, boys.” The Capital Young Republicans blasted their counterparts, writing: “We strongly condemn this deliberate erosion of conservative principles, professional conduct, and common decency.”
The Tates landed in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday night (Feb. 27). “I think my brother and I are largely misunderstood. There’s a lot of opinions about us – all the things that go around about us on the internet,” Andrew Tate said to members of the press at the airport. The Romanian anti-crime agency, DIICOT, did confirm that a request was made for their release but didn’t disclose who made it. They also stated that the Tates are expected to return to Romania as they are under “judicial control.”