Patrick Stevenson
María Corina Machado aprieta los labios en una sonrisa larga mientras sostiene con su mano derecha una esquina del cuadro que resguarda la medalla del Premio Nobel de la Paz que recibió en 2025. A su lado, el presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, la sujeta con firmeza, con ambas manos, y exhibe una sonrisa amplia, de esas en las que muestra todos sus dientes. La escena, cargada de simbolismo, retrata el momento en que la líder opositora venezolana decide cederle de manera pública un reconocimiento que formalmente le pertenece solo a ella, pero que Trump ha manifestado reiteradamente que merece.
Desde su primer periodo en la Casa Blanca, Donald Trump ha dicho que es digno del Nobel. En 2019, durante una sesión conjunta de preguntas con el entonces primer ministro pakistaní, Imran Khan, afirmó que probablemente debería recibir el premio por sus esfuerzos en el escenario internacional. “Creo que voy a recibir un Premio Nobel por muchas cosas, si lo otorgaran de manera justa, algo que no hacen”, dijo entonces, en una queja directa contra los criterios del galardón. Ahora, de una manera extraña, tiene el premio en su poder.
El gesto de Machado se convirtió en la controversia más reciente, pero definitivamente no la única, de una extensa lista de cuestionamientos al Premio Nobel de la Paz. Ante la decisión de la política venezolana, el Instituto Noruego del Nobel recordó que “una medalla puede cambiar de dueño, pero el título de laureado del Premio Nobel de la Paz no”. El Centro del Nobel de la Paz reforzó el mensaje al decir que cuando se anuncia este premio, no puede ser revocado, compartido ni transferido a otras personas. A pesar de las aclaraciones, la particularidad de la cesión del premio marca un hito más en lo que para muchos es una pérdida de sentido de un premio que nació con unos criterios muy concretos que reiteradamente han sido ignorados.
Luego de ese 15 de enero de 2026 en la Casa Blanca, las críticas llegaron no solo desde la organización del Nobel, sino desde la sociedad noruega y la comunidad internacional por lo que muchos señalan como una contradicción intrínseca. Entregar un símbolo asociado a la paz a una figura que ha promovido y recurrido a acciones militares como estrategia para resolver conflictos, y que además ha mantenido una política de discriminación dentro de su propio país, como lo ha hecho Trump, resulta difícil de conciliar con los principios que definieron en un inicio al Nobel de la Paz.
Este episodio es ahora uno más del proceso de erosión de la credibilidad del premio. La controversia no solo rodea la decisión de Machado de ceder la medalla, sino también su propia designación. En su momento fue cuestionada por varias voces por haber solicitado una intervención militar en Venezuela, lo que abrió un debate sobre la coherencia entre su trayectoria política y los criterios tradicionales del galardón.
Aunque el Nobel de la Paz se presenta como un reconocimiento al margen de la política, sus efectos son inevitablemente políticos. A lo largo de su historia ha premiado procesos, liderazgos y expectativas en contextos de alta complejidad geopolítica. La distancia entre el ideal de la paz y la realidad de los premiados ha generado tensiones recurrentes.
El caso de Barack Obama en 2009 es quizás el ejemplo más citado. El entonces presidente estadounidense recibió el Nobel en los primeros meses de su mandato, en gran medida por las expectativas que generó su discurso multilateralista. Aunque no se dijo en estos términos, para cualquier analista político era evidente que ese premio correspondía más a algo simbólico por tener al primer presidente afroestadounidense, que a hechos activamente vinculados con la paz. Sin embargo, al dejar la Casa Blanca, Estados Unidos había permanecido en guerra durante más tiempo bajo su presidencia que bajo la de George W. Bush o cualquier otro mandatario. La paradoja fue evidente: un Nobel de la Paz cuya administración transcurrió íntegramente en un contexto de conflictos armados activos, incluidos Afganistán e Irak, y el uso intensivo de drones.
La crítica a la coherencia del premio no es nueva y no solo es de opinión. En 2010, el libro The Nobel Peace Prize: What Nobel Really Wanted puso bajo escrutinio al Comité Noruego del Nobel. El abogado y activista Fredrik S. Heffermehl, su autor, sostuvo que el comité había malinterpretado la voluntad de Alfred Nobel y, más aún, que había vulnerado los términos del testamento de 1895. Incluso llevó el caso ante un tribunal en Estocolmo alegando incompatibilidades con las leyes de herencia suecas y noruegas, aunque la denuncia fue desestimada. Heffermehl acusó al premio de haberse vuelto una herramienta política, comercial y alejada de su propósito original.
El debate gira en torno a la interpretación del testamento de Nobel, que establece que el premio debe reconocer esfuerzos por promover activamente la paz. El mensaje antimilitarista en sus palabras es evidente, pues pide que “el Premio de la Paz se confiera a la persona que haya trabajado más o mejor en favor de la fraternidad entre las naciones, la abolición o reducción de los ejércitos existentes y la celebración y promoción de procesos de paz”. Según Heffermehl, el comité ha ampliado de forma indebida esta última cláusula que apela a la fraternidad entre las naciones para justificar decisiones contemporáneas que se alineen con intereses de la política de Occidente. Si bien el testamento de Alfred Nobel puede leerse como abierto a cierto margen de interpretación, su intención antimilitarista marca un horizonte que contrasta con varios de los elegidos.
Los aparentes sesgos políticos, particularmente occidentales, en la valoración de los conflictos globales, dejan lo ocurrido con Machado no como una anomalía aislada, sino como parte de una trayectoria marcada por decisiones calculadas.
Una historia de controversias
En la lista de galardonados cuestionados, que no es corta, el caso de Henry Kissinger y Lê Đức Thọ en 1973 es uno de los más emblemáticos. El Nobel fue concedido por los Acuerdos de Paz de París para poner fin a la guerra de Vietnam, pero el conflicto continuó tras la entrega del galardón. Lê Đức Thọ rechazó el premio, subrayando que no existía una paz real, mientras que Kissinger arrastraba el peso de bombardeos masivos y operaciones encubiertas.
Kissinger, de origen alemán, fue una de las figuras más importantes de la política de EEUU en el siglo XX. Como asesor de seguridad nacional y luego como secretario de Estado durante el gobierno de Richard Nixon, se hizo público al recibir el Nobel. Sin embargo, con el tiempo se conocieron documentos y testimonios que mostraron su cuestionable forma de hacer política, marcada por la manipulación y por una valoración tan alta de los intereses nacionales y corporativos de Estados Unidos,que estos pasaban sin problema por encima de los derechos humanos. Kissinger respaldó la invasión de Timor Oriental por parte de Indonesia, toleró convenientemente el régimen del apartheid en Sudáfrica y fue una pieza clave en la intervención de la CIA en el derrocamiento del presidente chileno Salvador Allende, que dio paso a la dictadura de Augusto Pinochet.
Otro caso. En 1994, Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres e Isaac Rabin fueron reconocidos por los Acuerdos de Oslo que intentaban dar solución al conflicto entre Israel y Palestina. En ese entonces, los líderes palestinos e israelíes venían de un proceso de diálogos que culminó con la firma de un pacto que muchos vieron como el inicio de una posible paz en la región. El apretón de manos entre el primer ministro israelí Isaac Rabin y el líder de la Organización para la Liberación de Palestina (OLP), Yasser Arafat, acompañados por el canciller Shimon Peres, simbolizó esa esperanza y les valió el Premio Nobel de la Paz. Sin embargo, las décadas posteriores demostraron el fracaso del proceso donde la ocupación israelí continúa y la aspiración palestina de un Estado propio permanece lejana.
Aung San Suu Kyi, galardonada en 1991 como símbolo de resistencia pacífica en Myanmar, enfrentó años después acusaciones de silencio y complicidad frente a la persecución del pueblo rohingya. Abiy Ahmed recibió el Nobel en 2019 por un acuerdo de paz con Eritrea, pero poco después Etiopía entró en una guerra civil devastadora en Tigray. La rapidez con la que algunos premios pierden legitimidad ha profundizado el escepticismo.
En la historia más reciente y en esta zona del planeta, el Nobel concedido a Juan Manuel Santos en 2016 también abrió debate. El acuerdo de paz con la guerrilla de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-FARC supuso un avance en el país, pero fue rechazado inicialmente en un plebiscito antes de ser reformulado. Aunque el proceso continuó, persistieron la violencia, los asesinatos de líderes sociales y se rearmaron disidencias de la antigua guerrilla. La discusión giró en torno a si se premiaba un proceso político o una paz efectiva y duradera. A Santos además se le había cuestionado su accionar como ministro de Defensa en el gobierno de Álvaro Uribe Vélez, y su responsabilidad en la doctrina militar que dio origen a las ejecuciones extrajudiciales de jóvenes civiles, en el dramático caso conocido como los “falsos positivos”.
Otros casos, como el de Menachem Begin y Anwar el-Sadat en 1978, la Unión Europea en 2012 o incluso Mijaíl Gorbachov en 1990, evidencian tensiones entre la valoración internacional y las percepciones locales o regionales. El Dalai Lama, ampliamente respetado en Occidente y muy cercano a Estados Unidos, fue galardonado en 1989 con el premio, algo que fue considerado por China como una provocación política.
Pero las controversias también vienen desde la ausencia de reconocimientos. Y la ausencia histórica de Mahatma Gandhi, referente indiscutible de la no violencia, es citada con frecuencia como el mayor error moral del comité. Pero no solo Gandhi, sino múltiples liderazgos mundiales en favor de la paz existen en países con graves conflictos. Su trabajo por la justicia social y las amenazas sobre sus vidas son constantes, pero que no ostentan una notoriedad política que los haga resaltar como las figuras que el premio usualmente destaca.
La postulación de Donald Trump por Benjamin Netanyahu y el propio gesto de Machado alimentan la percepción de un vaciamiento conceptual del Nobel. En un mundo atravesado por la polarización política, el resurgimiento de líderes de ultraderecha y regímenes autoritarios, el premio parece funcionar cada vez más como intervención simbólica en disputas de poder que como certificación de una paz verificable que cuestione el orden político y económico que da origen a las guerras.
Un proceso opaco y posiblemente sesgado
Parte de la controversia en torno a este premio radica en la falta de transparencia de su proceso de selección y en sus estrictas políticas de confidencialidad, que impiden conocer las nominaciones, deliberaciones y evaluaciones internas. La opacidad es tal que no se sabe con claridad quién nomina ni bajo qué criterios se elige a los galardonados; aunque se afirma que las propuestas provienen de personas calificadas, el hermetismo puede facilitar sesgos e intereses institucionales.
Si bien toda organización enfrenta sesgos, estos solo pueden revisarse y cambiar cuando se reconocen y se promueve diversidad en los procesos, algo difícil de verificar bajo el esquema actual. Lo que sí es evidente es que, como institución occidental, sus referentes históricos han estado vinculados principalmente a universidades de élite del norte global.
En especial el Nobel de la Paz nos permite ver que su foco se ha puesto en intenciones, procesos o gestos diplomáticos, pero sin saber cómo funcionan sus procesos de elección, lo que queda para el análisis es el resultado de los ganadores. La reiteración de controversias ha erosionado su autoridad como árbitro ético global. La pregunta que surge tras el episodio protagonizado por María Corina Machado y Donald Trump no es solo sobre la validez de un gesto individual, sino sobre el significado actual del galardón.
Cabe preguntarse finalmente si el Nobel de la Paz es solo un espejo de su tiempo, si está atravesado por tensiones geopolíticas y luchas simbólicas de un orden político occidental y si tiene todavía la capacidad de actuar como referente moral. La escena de la medalla compartida, más allá de su carga mediática, vuelve a poner en el centro un debate que el premio arrastra desde hace décadas y que no parece tener una solución.
The post Entre el prestigio y la controversia: el Nobel de la Paz appeared first on Rolling Stone en Español.
Mariah Carey has heard of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but she just can’t be bothered to worry about whether she’s in it or not. TMZ caught up with MC in Manhattan on Monday (April 20) and asked her if she was peeved that she did not make the cut for induction again this year. “No,” Carey said as she climbed into a luxury SUV.
As for her message to the members of the Lambily who have been defending Grammy-winner Carey — who first became eligible for induction into the Rock Hall in 2016 and was first nominated in 2024 — the singer said “I love my fans, always.” Reminded that she’s already won “a lot of awards” in the past, Carey shrugged the slight off, saying, “Who cares? Like, give it to somebody else, fantastic.”
As you may have heard already, this year’s inductees in the performers category are: Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Wu-Tang Clan and the late Luther Vandross. Passed over this year alongside Carey were: The Black Crowes, Melissa Etheridge, Lauryn Hill, INXS, New Edition, P!nk, Shakira and Jeff Buckley.
It was the third year in a row that Carey was passed over for the honor despite her platinum chart track record, which includes 19 No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 and five Grammy Awards, including best new artist in 1991 and best R&B song and female R&B vocal performance for “We Belong Together” in 2006.
Carey released her 16th studio album, Here for It All, in September.
The 2026 induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles, and air on ABC and Disney+ in December, at which point MC will be super busy anyway with her second job as Queen of Christmas.
Lil Tjay is in a moving car somewhere with bad signal, and he has a lot on his mind that he’s not allowed to say.
Two weeks ago, he walked out of Broward County Jail in Hollywood, Florida — arrested the night before on disorderly conduct charges in connection with the shooting of Offset outside the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino — and gave reporters an interview that lit up every music blog within the hour.
He called Offset a “rat.” He recounted the scene. He threatened the Atlanta native with the kind of language that doesn’t leave a lot of room for interpretation.
Today, he’s considerably more composed.
“I’m just as confused as everyone else about that,” he says, when the situation comes up. “My lawyer told me not to touch on it too much. What I can say is the album will really hit home for my fans.”
One sentence. Door shut. On to the album.
The short version: a $10,000 casino debt, months of public beef, and then on April 6, Offset was shot outside the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood, Florida. Tjay was arrested that night on disorderly conduct charges. His lawyer called the reports linking him to the shooting “false rumors.”
Authorities never named him as the triggerman. He was out on bond by morning.
Two weeks later, he’s on the phone to talk about new music. The chaos is still there, humming in the background. But Tjay seems genuinely uninterested in feeding it.
“My week’s been active,” he says. “I’ve been putting everything together for my album, keeping content rolling so fans have things to watch.”
The album is They Just Ain’t You, due May 1 via his own imprint TrenchKid Records/ADA. It is, structurally and sonically, the most deliberate thing he’s put his name to — and the most personal, in ways that go beyond the music itself. This is his first fully independent project, built without major label infrastructure behind it. That shift is not incidental. It’s the whole point.
“The main thing — it’s completely me,” he says. “It’s an in-house project, no major label backing this time, unlike before. But the body of work should be just as strong.”
He’s not bitter about the label years. Good people, sometimes useful opinions — but a system that has its own gravitational pull. “You can get tied up in the business and people get too passionate,” he says. The outcome, for him, is simple: “Now I’m able to be my own boss.”
The lead single “Life On Edge,” out today, sounds like what that independence feels like from the inside — stripped back, a little isolated, pressure coiled underneath calm production. “
The more the struggle, the better the shine,” he delivers. “My life is a puzzle, but I’ve been hustling and juggling with times.” It doesn’t sound like a victory lap. It sounds like a man still in the middle of something, working it out in real time.
The album’s short film — a three-part visual series rolling out alongside the release — pulls from his Bronx upbringing in ways his earlier work touched on but never fully excavated. Going back to that material, he says, does something specific to him.
“It feels unrealistic sometimes,” he says. “The Bronx is different from anywhere else. When I go back it gives me a sense of accomplishment — reminds me what I’ve done.”
He acknowledges the gap between now and his last album plainly, without excuses. His 2023 release 222 was critically well-received — anchored by “June 22nd,” a raw account of the near-fatal shooting that nearly ended his career before this chapter could begin. But the label transition created a silence he knows cost him momentum.
“I fell short transitioning off the label and haven’t dropped an album since,” he says. “Now I plan to keep my foot on the gas and not take long breaks again.”
When asked about his musical inspirations, he brings up Justin Bieber — the recent Coachella moment, what it stirred up for him. Growing up in the Bronx, certain things were and weren’t acceptable to admit to. Liking the Canadian pop star was firmly in the second category. Tjay didn’t care then. He’s not apologising for it now.
“Where I’m from it wasn’t cool to be a Bieber fan, but I always rocked with him,” he says. “Honestly, if it wasn’t for him, I might not be an artist today.”
It lands quietly, but it lands hard. Because it explains something — about the melodic instinct that runs through Tjay’s catalogue, the emotional directness that helped him accumulate more than 18 billion global streams and a string of platinum certifications going back to his 2019 debut True 2 Myself. That sound didn’t come from nowhere. It came from a kid in the Bronx paying attention to whoever actually moved him, regardless of whether that was the approved choice.
That same instinct is what’s driving They Just Ain’t You. Not the noise. Not the drama. Not the version of Lil Tjay that walks out of a Florida jail and says what he says to the cameras. The version that gets back in the car, turns the phone on, and tries to make something true.
Asked what he wants fans to take from this era, he keeps it short.
“Stay on your own mission,” he says. “Rainy days come, but keep moving forward.”
From someone who has survived a near-fatal shooting, a public feud that ended in a casino parking lot, and more industry turbulence than most artists twice his age — it doesn’t read like a platitude. It reads like the only logical conclusion a person could reach after all of that.
They Just Ain’t You is out May 1.
Violent Soho are returning to the stage, announcing a three-date Australian tour for September 2026 that marks their first run of shows since entering an indefinite hiatus four years ago.
The Brisbane rock band will perform at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre on Sept. 11, Melbourne’s Forum on Sept. 18 and Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall on Sept. 25. The run represents their first official headline tour since stepping back from the spotlight in 2022.
News of the band’s return had been building in recent weeks, with speculation intensifying after frontman Luke Boerdam and guitarist James Tidswell joined blink-182’s Mark Hoppus onstage at the Sydney Opera House for a performance of “Dammit.”
During the appearance, Hoppus told the crowd the band were “getting back together,” signaling what has now become a confirmed reunion.
In a statement shared alongside the announcement, Violent Soho framed the tour as a natural return rather than a reset. “Some dudes play golf, we play in a band,” they said. “For us, that band is Violent Soho, and we missed making noise together… When we took a break, we said, ‘Until Next Time’ — and now feels like that time.”
Joining the band on tour are Beddy Rays, who will open all shows, with Teenage Joans appearing in Sydney and Brisbane and Secret World set for the Melbourne date.
Formed in 2004, Violent Soho built a reputation as one of Australia’s most consistent and in-demand live acts, with a run of releases that bridged alternative rock, punk and grunge influences. Their 2016 album WACO and 2020’s Everything Is A-OK both debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, while earlier record Hungry Ghost has continued to resonate, with its 10th anniversary edition returning to the charts in 2023.
The band’s impact has extended beyond commercial success, with tracks like “Covered in Chrome” maintaining a lasting presence in Australian music culture, including a recent placement at No. 40 in triple j’s Hottest 100 Australian Songs of All Time.
Pre-sale access for the tour begins April 23 at 10 a.m. local time via the band’s mailing list, with general tickets available April 24.
For longtime fans, the September shows mark a long-awaited return — and the next chapter for a band that had, until now, left its future open-ended.
From Miss Americana to Miss American Idol.
During Monday night’s (April 20) new episode, American Idol revealed that it will host a Taylor Swift Night next week, which will find the top seven contestants celebrating the pop superstar’s “chart-topping hits and defining eras.”
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The April 27 episode — which will feature guest judge Nikki Glaser, a loud-and-proud Swiftie — will be the first night entirely dedicated to Swift’s music in the show’s 24 seasons.
Idol debuted on Fox in 2002, four years before Swift released her self-titled debut album, and ran for 15 seasons on the network until 2016. It then picked back up on ABC in 2018 for its 16th season and is currently airing season 24 live on Monday nights.
Though Swift has never appeared on Idol as a performer or guest judge, her music has definitely had a presence on the show — including just this season, when Bryant Thomas covered “Champagne Problems” from her 2020 album Evermore during Hollywood Week back in February. Other notable Swift moments include McKenna Breinholt singing 2020 Folklore lead single “Cardigan” and eventual winner Abi Carter covering the 2012 Red fan favorite “All Too Well,” both in season 22.
On Monday night’s episode, the season 24 top nine performed for Disney Night, in which they each performed a song from a Disney movie, with Idol alum Jennifer Hudson returning as a guest mentor and guest judge. Hudson — who now hosts the daily talk show The Jennifer Hudson Show and has become an EGOT winner — finished in seventh place on the third season of the talent competition show.
Next week, the nine contestants will be whittled down to the top seven during Taylor Swift Night.
The estate of Prince has released a previously unheard recording of “With This Tear,” a song the late artist originally wrote and later gave to Celine Dion in the early 1990s.
The newly unveiled version, issued via NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, features Prince’s original recording of the piano-led ballad, which he wrote, produced and performed himself. The track was first recorded at Paisley Park in November 1991, but had remained unreleased until now.
Dion’s version of “With This Tear” appeared on her 1992 self-titled album, marking one of several instances in which Prince contributed material to other artists while keeping his own recordings in the vault. His original take offers a more stripped-back interpretation of the song, foregrounding his vocal and piano arrangement.
The newly released recording has been updated with a fresh mix by Grammy-nominated producer Chris James, who has previously worked on multiple Prince-related projects. The release forms part of a broader effort by the Prince Estate to continue opening the artist’s extensive archive of unreleased material.
The timing of the track’s arrival is notable, coming just ahead of the 10th anniversary of Prince’s death. Since his passing in 2016, a steady stream of archival releases — including deluxe editions, vault recordings and previously unheard collaborations — has helped maintain his presence within contemporary music conversations while offering deeper insight into his prolific output.
“With This Tear” also reflects Prince’s long-standing role as a songwriter for other artists. Over the course of his career, he wrote and produced songs that were recorded by a wide range of performers, often delivering compositions that took on new forms outside of his own catalog.
The release follows renewed interest in Prince’s archive in recent years. In 2024, a demo of “Baby Doll,” a previously unheard collaboration between Prince and Kylie Minogue, surfaced online, highlighting the depth of material still contained within the vault.
While details about a potential larger vault project have not been formally confirmed, reports have suggested that additional archival releases may be forthcoming.
A little more than 12 years after its release, Justin Bieber’s Journals album debuts on the Billboard 200 chart (dated April 25). It’s one of seven albums (including five re-entries) from the entertainer on the chart – the most he’s ever had on the chart at once.
The flurry in activity comes after his headlining turn during the first weekend of the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (on Saturday, April 11), which was also livestreamed on YouTube. He also headlined the following Saturday (April 18), which was livestreamed too.
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Journals debuts at No. 111 with nearly 13,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending April 16, according to Luminate (that’s a gain of 192% as compared to the previous week).
Journals was originally released exclusively for purchase only in the iTunes Store on Dec. 23, 2013. However, sales from the iTunes Store were not reported to Luminate (then-named Nielsen SoundScan), and in turn, the title did not debut on the Billboard 200. The album eventually became widely available to all digital download and streaming services (and eventually iTunes began reporting the album’s weekly sales), and on CD and vinyl, but this week marks the first week the album had enough activity to chart in a single week.
Meanwhile, Bieber’s most recent album, SWAG, zooms 55-7 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned (up 160%), while five more titles re-enter: Purpose (No. 32 with 22,000 units; up 173%), Believe (No. 34 with 21,000, up 241%), My World 2.0 (No. 38 with 20,000, up 268%), Justice (No. 110 with 13,000, up 100%) and My World (No. 147 with 12,000, up 563%).
With seven albums on the Billboard 200 at the same time, that marks the most titles Bieber has placed on the tally concurrently. The most he’s ever had on the chart at once is four, last achieved in January 2012.
The May 1-dated Billboard 200 will reflect any additional gains gleaned by Bieber’s catalog from the second weekend of Coachella, as that chart’s tracking week runs from April 17-23.
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 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 25, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 21.
Coachella 2026’s three headliners — Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G — all make waves on the latest Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 25), following their star turns over the first weekend of the festival (April 10-12).
Bieber has a career-high total of seven albums on the chart — including five re-entries and a debut — led by a top 10 return for SWAG. And all seven post individual gains of at least 100% in equivalent album units earned (in the United States in the week ending April 16) as compared to the previous week, according to Luminate. Carpenter has two titles on the chart, including one in the top 10; while Karol G re-enters the list with Tropicoqueta.
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Carpenter, Bieber and Karol G headlined the evenings of April 10, 11 and 12, respectively, over the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and their performances were also livestreamed on YouTube. The trio repeated their headlining turns the following weekend (April 17, 18 and 19), and those gains will be reflected on next week’s charts (dated May 1).
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 2,500 ad-supported or 1,000 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 25, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 21.
Bieber’s SWAG zooms 55-7 with 43,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending April 16, a gain of 160% compared to the previous week. The increase was largely owed to streaming activity, as SWAG’s songs generated 42,000 SEA units (up 158%), equaling 41.48 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs — across both its SWAG and deluxe SWAG II reissue that contained additional songs. (All versions of the album are combined for tracking and charting.)
Five more Bieber sets re-enter the list: Purpose (No. 32 with 22,000 units; up 173%), Believe (No. 34 with 21,000, up 241%), My World 2.0 (No. 38 with 20,000, up 268%), Justice (No. 110 with 13,000, up 100%) and My World (No. 147 with 12,000, up 563%).
Debuting on the chart is Bieber’s 12-year-old album Journals, entering at No. 111 with nearly 13,000 units earned (up 192%). Journals was originally released exclusively for purchase only in the iTunes Store on Dec. 23, 2013. However, sales from the iTunes Store were not reported to Luminate (then-named Nielsen SoundScan), and in turn, the title did not debut on the Billboard 200. The album eventually became widely available to all digital download and streaming services (and eventually iTunes began reporting the album’s weekly sales), and on CD and vinyl, but this week marks the first week the album had enough activity to chart in a single week.
With seven albums on the Billboard 200 at the same time, that marks the most titles Bieber has placed on the tally concurrently. The most he’s ever had on the chart at once is four, last achieved in January 2012.
As for Carpenter, her former No. 1 Man’s Best Friend jumps back into the top 10, climbing 18-10, with 40,000 equivalent album units earned, up 44%. Like SWAG, Man’s Best Friend mostly gained from streaming increases — it earned 34,000 SEA units (up 60%), equaling 34.39 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs.
Carpenter’s previous set, Short n’ Sweet, sizzles with a 24-17 jump (nearly 31,000 units, up 23%).
Rounding out the Coachella headliners is Karol G, who sees her Tropicoqueta album re-enter at No. 116 with nearly 13,000 units (up 51%).
SYDNEY, Australia – Fifteen years after Poof Doof first began spreading joy at parties across Australia, the legendary queer events and nightclub brand is entering the label business.
Poof Doof Records launches proper with its first release, “All I Need,” dropping Thursday (April 23) from resident Poof Doof artist Jimi the Kween, the beloved drag queen and musician.
The label is an extension of the colorful business formed in Melbourne in 2011 by founder and Anthony “Hockers” Hocking. “We built up the community and we’ve seen so many young, queer artists come through the doors and perform and play for our events, that it was kind of like a natural progression to start our label,” Hocking tells Billboard.
Its mission: to continue uplifting, nurturing and providing pathways for queer talent in Australia. And to share their music with the world. The new venture, Hocking continues, “has been on my mind for many years.”
Distribution is handled by AWAL Records, with Poof Doof Records partnering with Positive Feedback and Powerhouse Management, and with John Davis, creative director / festivals co-ordinator, playing a guiding hand.
In its early stages, the label will accept submissions. “Over time,” explains Davis, “we intend to evolve toward a more traditional A&R model, proactively identifying and developing emerging queer talent.”
The inspiration behind the first release isn’t hidden from view; it’s right there in the title. “All you really need is the people that love and support you around to lift you up and have a really good time,” Jimi the Kween tells Billboard. “So it’s kind of all centered on being around like-minded humans and celebrating each other, and then you can, you know, live your fantasies and be yourself. So that’s also kind of why it’s the perfect message for the first release on the label, too. The messaging behind it is celebration, and it’s pride, it’s joy.”
Poof Doof’s cheeky name made the leap into Australia’s mainstream many years ago, where the team has hosted major activations, including queer precincts and stage takeovers at such shows as Splendour In The Grass, Beyond The Valley and Pitch Festival. Wherever Aussies want to party.
Many of the biggest names in dance music have played its stages, including Carl Cox, Faithless, Seth Troxler, Melanie C, the Veronicas and many others.
Each year, the brand is front and center at Sydney Mardi Gras, getting the good times humming with a series of pool, boat and underwear parties, culminating in its iconic Mardi Gras Parade After Party. Its specialized events include Red Rave, Snap Crackle Pop XXL, POOF DOOF Drag Brunch and outdoor micro-festivals including A Gay On The Lawn and Yasss Queens Park.
“The Poof Doof audience at heart, a Poof Doof party, can be absolutely anything,” explains Davis, “but at the core of it, it’s about queer joy. Uplifting the community, good fun. Fun is the name of the game. If we’re not having fun, you’re not having fun. We are always about having a great time, making sure everything is colorful, inclusive.” And yes, “there’s confetti.”
With the launch of Poof Doof Records, out rolls its official website at poofdoofrecords.com. Label submissions can be made at music@poofdoofrecords.com.
Sonically, the label will be a broad palate, welcoming future-forward house and techno tunes, to artist-led pop and other styles. It’s unified not by genre, but by a joyful queer creative perspective, Hocking enthuses.
“If the music’s good, if the songs are good, we’ll put it out,” he says. “We don’t want to overpromise, we don’t want to stretch ourselves. But we’ll see what comes in the door.”
Timing is everything. Poof Doof Records launches ahead of June’s Global Pride Month. WorldPride 2026 will take over Amsterdam from July 25 to Aug. 8, 2026. Poof Doof will be on the ground, representing with its famous parties.
“With what’s going on, the world’s a pretty wild place right now,” notes Hocking. “All I Need” is a “feel good song that really speaks out to communities all over the world. The timing is right.”
Shaboozey is set to return with a new album this year, and it just might be his most creatively ambitious project yet.
On July 31, he will release his fourth album, the concept project The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, via his record imprint American Dogwood in partnership with EMPIRE.
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Overall, the concept album will feature a story arc that follows an outlaw revenge story. After watching as her sheriff father is killed by the Bootcut Boys, Cherie Lee begins to take revenge, until she unexpectedly begins to fall in love with one of those outlaws. That decision ultimately leads to disastrous consequences.
Shaboozey is known for his collaborations with artists including Jelly Roll, Stephen Wilson Jr., Sierra Ferrell and BigXthaPlug, and his upcoming album is set to feature more genre-melding collabs. Meanwhile, the lead single from The Outlaw Cherie Lee & Other Western Tales, “Born to Die,” will release Friday.
Shaboozey will celebrate the album with a pop-up saloon experience at Stagecoach this year. The pop-up will run April 24-26 and will take fans inside a saloon environment that is inspired by the album’s narrative.
The new album follows his 2024 breakthrough project Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going, which featured his smash hit “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” a song that reigned at the pinnacle of the Billboard Hot 100 for 19 weeks. The song also spent seven weeks atop the Country Airplay chart, and Shaboozey followed with more Country Airplay No. 1s: “Amen” with Jelly Roll, and “Good News.” “Amen” also earned a Grammy for best country duo/group performance.
“Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going was a journal entry and an opportunity for the world to get to know more about me as a person,” Shaboozey said in a statement. “That album changed my life. I never expected people to connect with the album and enjoy it the way they did. But now I want to show the world who I am as an artist and storyteller. The Outlaw Cherie Lee is a project that’s been several years in the making and has gone through many iterations. It’s a western about revenge told continuously through every song, centered on the character Cherie Lee.”
He added, “It explores so many themes, as many timeless westerns have: revenge, redemption, and romance, through the eyes of a protagonist looking to challenge everything she once thought true about her world. I poured all of myself into this and I hope people become as immersed in the world and the journey as I have. This album was a promise to myself and something, no matter what, I had to keep. It pushed my songwriting and storytelling to new heights, and I couldn’t be more proud to say it’s done and almost yours.”
See the album trailer for The Outlaw Cherie Lee and Other Western Tales below: