As the only person of color in One Direction‘s lineup, Zayn Malik — who was the target of widespread racism and Islamophobia in the 2010s — had a very different experience in the public eye from his bandmates.

And in a teaser for an upcoming song posted Friday (July 4) on Instagram, the musician appears to address the discrimination he endured during his time with the group. Rapping over a sauntering hip-hop beat, Malik — who later posted the lyrics on his Instagram Story — spits, “Do you remember every conversation?/ ‘Cause I have been conscious of every connotation.”

“I’m a convert to the concert, and I did that for inflation/ ‘Cause I worked hard in a white band, and they still laughed at the Asian,” he continues on the track, seemingly titled “Fuchsia Sea.” “If my granddad could go back, lad, there’s a fat chance of a backhand/ Just a young man with his own kid and a wife now, in a new land/ I know he dreamed hard, cause they’re my dreams/ And I grabbed hard with these two hands.”

Malik didn’t share when the song will arrive, but in text over the video, he wrote that it is “coming soon.”

The “white band” in question is presumably 1D, which Malik joined in 2010 with fellow X Factor auditioners Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne. The original lineup released four albums before Malik announced his departure in 2015, after which the remaining four members released one more LP (Made in the A.M.) before going on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.

But as the group shot to fame at the beginning of the decade, the public was quick to project hateful narratives onto Malik, who was raised Muslim by a Pakistani father and English mother. At times, the internet was rife with offensive and baseless rhetoric about the musician supposedly being involved with the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks or joining ISIS, something he spoke about in a 2015 The Fader cover story.

“I’m just a normal person as well as following my religion, and doing all the normal things that everybody else does,” he told the publication at the time. “I feel proud that people actually look to me and can see themselves in that … I always felt good that I was, like, first of my kind in what I was doing. I enjoyed that I brought the diversity.”

Malik last dropped music in 2024, unveiling album Room Under the Stairs and reaching No. 15 on the Billboard 200 that year. The LP also features a track titled “Fuchsia Sea” with different lyrics from the ones he posted on Friday.

Check out Malik’s “Fuchsia Sea” teaser below.

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A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn)

This week, Bad Bunny is set to transform Puerto Rico’s typically quieter season with a 30-show residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli).

Choosing not to tour globally this summer, the Puerto Rican superstar will instead showcase his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, exclusively on his home turf from July 11 to Sept. 14 with the concert series No Me Quiero Ir De Aquí (I Don’t Want To Leave Here). The extraordinary demand for tickets — with 400,000 selling within four hours, half to international tourists — confirms the residency’s global appeal and its potential to substantially enhance the island’s local economy during its sweltering summer months.

This residency concept represents a first for Puerto Rico. Although the Coliseo has hosted multiple back-to-back shows in the past, with artists such as Daddy Yankee and Wisin & Yandel performing on consecutive weekends, the scope and magnitude of Bunny’s residency has never been seen before. This series of 30 shows is unprecedented not only for the number of shows but also for the intensity of the preparation and the international anticipation it’s been generating.

The initial nine shows in the lineup are reserved exclusively for Puerto Rico residents, who had to provide proof of residency at one of nine designated locations to purchase tickets, resulting in 125,000 tickets sold. The other 21 shows will be available to anyone willing to travel to the Caribbean island.

On Jan. 5, Bunny released Debí Tirar, which reached No. 1 on multiple all-genre charts, including the Billboard 200 and Top Streaming Albums. Reflecting on this success, Benito told Billboard a few weeks after releasing the album, “Man, obviously I’m thankful with the way the world has embraced this album. The thing is, this project… it isn’t mine. It belongs to many people: everyone who worked with me, it belongs to Puerto Rico, my friends, my family. This project belongs to all of us who feel proud of being from Puerto Rico and being Latin.”

Alejandro Pabón, the Move Concerts promoter behind the residency, details the extensive preparations necessary to accommodate such an unprecedented influx of fans. “We’re expecting around 200,000 people from abroad visiting the island,” he says. “All the local businesses are going to be impacted. All the hotels are sold out. Today [Feb. 13], a local newspaper put out an article saying that for the residency dates, there’s a 70% surge on AirBnB.” While the volume of business will be overwhelming, Pabón mentions that the event’s organization relies on local labor, creating more job opportunities for Puerto Rican residents. “All the hotel staffing are going to have to level up because they’re expecting 100% capacity for those three months,” he says.

Preparing for the residency presents a complex challenge, introducing a level of scale and coordination previously unseen in Puerto Rico’s entertainment history. But it also promises to bring a raft of economic benefits to the island not typically seen during the summer season.

“Traditionally, July is the slowest month show-wise for the venue since forever. So we went and found the slowest period and booked it, which definitely is helping the economy,” says Pabón.

Travel and concierge expert Rob Dellibovi, who serves as founder/CEO of RDB Hospitality, elaborates on the strategic timing of the residency and its benefits to the local economy. “A time where it’s probably 30-40% occupancy, it’ll be like 90% because of all these shows,” he says. “The fact that they’re doing this in July and August is going to be a huge win for the island because nobody’s there at those times [due to the heat]. They’re not displacing any other kind of revenue; they’re just bringing people during the slow season to Puerto Rico.” 

Pabón notes that Puerto Rico is well-equipped for major events, boasting a “state-of-the-art arena,” abundant “natural resources, great restaurants, and a lot of hotels.” Unlike typical residencies in cities like Las Vegas that feature international artists, this local showcase will potentially alter perceptions of the island as a global tourist hotspot.

Building on this framework, Coliseo de Puerto Rico has established itself as a rite of passage to Latin pop superstars and beyond. Situated in the heart of San Juan’s Milla de Oro, the venue has held some of Latin music’s most important events of the 21st century. A sold-out Coliseo performance is an affirmation of star power.

El Coliseo is no stranger to record-breaking events. In 2021, Karol G made history by becoming the first international female artist to set the record for the fastest ticket sales at the venue with two sold-out dates. More than a decade earlier, on March 14, 2010, Metallica became the fastest-selling concert ever at the Coliseo, drawing a crowd of 17,286. However, Bad Bunny has already surpassed Metallica’s record twice: first in March 2019 and again in July 2022. In 2019, Daddy Yankee broke Wisin & Yandel’s record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at the venue with a total of 10 concerts as part of his Con Calma Pa’l Choli tour — a record Benito is now poised to break.

Jorge L. Pérez, the general manager of Coliseo de Puerto Rico, calls Bad Bunny’s upcoming residency a “historic event.” He tells Billboard that in August 2023, Pabón and Noah Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager, unveiled the concept of the residency to him. “I was blown away,” says Pérez, underscoring the complexity of keeping the plans under wraps. “When they started working the room blocks, I got calls from a lot of skeptical hoteliers. They were like, ‘Why are they asking for so many rooms?! What is happening?!’ I was like, ‘I can’t reveal that information, give them all the available inventory that you have. We have a signed contract at Coliseo. This is legit.’” 

With the months-long advance notice of 30 sold-out shows, Pérez says the planning becomes much more manageable. Helping matters, he says, is the fact that they are sourcing all concessions products locally, with the venue to feature a special menu highlighting local delicacies such as “alcapurrias and bacalaitos,” embracing Puerto Rican culinary traditions. 

“[This residency] will position Puerto Rico as a premier entertainment destination,” says Pérez. “It will open the eyes of visitors who have never come to Puerto Rico. It will create awareness of Puerto Rico as an entertainment and leisure destination.” 

Pérez says that growth has been evident in the post-COVID era, as the Coliseo has consistently ranked in the top 20 on Pollstar’s year-end list of highest ticket sales among arenas globally. On Billboard’s 2024 year-end list of Top Venues (15,001+ capacity), Coliseo de Puerto Rico was ranked No. 39, with a gross of $52.5 million and 750,000 tickets sold.

With the Bad Bunny residency and other scheduled events, Pérez says he expects to set a sales record at Coliseo, projecting total ticket sales between 1.3 and 1.4 million for the first time in a single year. He adds that the venue is on track to hold more than 100 events in a single year — another milestone. Because of Bunny’s residency, he says there’s potential for the Coliseo to place among the top five on Billboard’s year-end Top Venues chart. At a minimum, projections show 2025 sales increasing by 73% from last year.

While the venue has hosted residencies before, such as Daddy Yankee with 12 shows in 2019 and Wisin & Yandel with 14 in 2022, this is the first time the Coliseo has accommodated a residency of this magnitude, says Pérez. “The uniqueness about this is a call made by the artist, saying, ‘I released a new album that’s at the top of the charts globally, and I am not going on tour. If you want to see these concerts, you have to come to my island.’ I believe that this call is what makes this residency very special — and the impact it will have on the island’s economy,” he says.

“They’re digging into what the whole Vegas set up is,” says Dellibovi, describing the economic strategy behind such events. “The casinos know that if they have a huge act like Adele, Céline Dion or whoever is doing a residency…people are going to fly in for it — and the casino itself is going to make a ton of money.”

Of the potential ripple effects the Bunny residency might have on the global entertainment scene, Dellibovi hints that it could spawn a new potential trend. “Is Andrea Bocelli going to do an Italian residency? I have no idea,” he says. “I just think it’s super cool that this is going to spark a whole new residency game, in my opinion, where people are going to go to all these places to see the artist in their homeland. Every international artist from any country is going to be like, ‘Oh s—, I’m going to go back to wherever I’m from and have a month of shows and make a lot of money.’ Those cities are going to want it because there are slow seasons. They need it. Everyone’s going to want to support this.” 

Echoing this sentiment, Pabón emphasizes the significance of cultural representation and local benefit: “Who wouldn’t want to showcase their hometown or contribute to it in a positive way? It’s not just going to be the Sphere or the MGM [Grand in Las Vegas] doing residences.”

Traveling to Puerto Rico is particularly convenient for Americans, as only a driver’s license is required for entry. Given this ease of access, Puerto Rico is well-positioned to outpace other popular Caribbean destinations such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic in attracting American tourists, Dellibovi points out. 

“This is a big trip for people. That’s a party weekend,” he says. “Make sure you’re stocked and make sure your vibe is right. Make sure that you’re ready to deal with a crowd that’s there to have fun. This is not your typical beach crowd. This is going to be people who are in town to party.”

With more than 1.1 million Puerto Ricans residing in the New York metropolitan area, accounting for 6.7% of New York City’s population in 2020, according to the New York Academy of Sciences, the city not only serves as a significant cultural epicenter for the Puerto Rican diaspora but also stands as a primary source of attendees for major events in Puerto Rico. He expects that will be the case here as well.

“New York is the number one [demographic] of people that are going to come visit,” Pabón says. “I’m definitely expecting a lot of second and third-generation Puerto Ricans to come back home. I know that for a lot of them it is going to be the first time that they’ll come visit, because not all of them have had the chance to be here. I know it’s going to be a special [destination] that’s going to let them connect with their island. It was the artist’s idea to create this synergy between them and their island.”

According to the Puerto Rico Report, there are about 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States, compared with 3.2 million on the Island.

“This is like a pilgrimage, a Hajj for Puerto Ricans,” echoes Dellibovi. “If you’re Puerto Rican, and you love Bad Bunny, who’s not going to want to go to the homeland and see him? It’s the coolest experience ever for actual Puerto Ricans [living abroad].’ He continues, “Bad Bunny is the biggest Latin artist in the world. He is the only Latin artist who can sell out a stadium in any city in the world. He can go to Sweden, Tokyo, Sydney, anywhere. It’s very rare for a Latin artist to be able to do that.”

Pabón emphasizes the deeper motivation behind the residency, reflecting a sentiment shared by his team: “We’re doing this not just for business, that’s secondary. This is done for our country, for our identity, because we really love Puerto Rico. The artist really loves it. Noah really loves it, and all the team. It’s personal. We’re all really excited and happy about this.”

This article was originally published on March 7.

Skepta and Joyner Lucas have been going back and forth on social media after the U.K. rapper said that he wanted to “clash an American rapper” to “get this UK/US rap debate sorted” on X July 3.

Over the weekend, the U.K. legend had a message for Lucas that he posted on his Instagram Story as he was getting off a flight. “Hey Jonah, I wasn’t even gonna reply back but I’m a rapper’s rapper,” he said in response to Lucas saying this was the moment he’s been waiting for on his X account. “I’m gonna respect the fact that you stood up and said something. The first man, you get me? But this is just another example of the ignorance. Jonah, if you was from the UK, fam? Quiet, bro, understand?”

1st 👏🏿 you’re a brave man Jonah.
How long you been waiting for this moment though? https://t.co/6P6euSNtME

— Big Smoke – (@Skepta) July 6, 2025

However, while being slightly offended that he was the first American rapper to speak up, Skepta said that he may give him some acknowledgement in a diss track that he has planned for A$AP Rocky. “You may cut the numbers out there and I respect it,” he said of Lucas’ listenership. “So, when I make my diss track for Rocky, I’m gonna give you two bars and then make one of the young Gs just rub you out… I didn’t do the work that I did for Jonah Lucas just to be saying my name anyhow. I got diss track on YouTube with 30 million views, no ad-libs. It’s levels, bro.”

Joyner then replied on X with a clip of comedian Aries Spears making fun of British rappers to which Skepta responded by writing, “I was wondering who’s perspective you were gonna diss me from, never would have guessed Aaron Spears.”

In the midst of all this back and forth, fans were confused by the mention of a Rocky diss track, being that he and the Harlem rapper seemingly have a close relationship and frequently collaborate together. Skepta cleared things up, though, by posting that it’s all in fun.

“It’s not beef, Rocky is my family,” he said. “Rap is a sport, same way we have dissing matches on the block we can do it on record.” And when one fan on X said that he and Rocky basically already clashed on their single “Praise the Lord,” Big Smoke said that he thinks a clash with his friend would be great. “I think me vs Rocky would be a [fire] clash,” he wrote on X. “No violence, just bars, punchlines and counteractions.”

During his spree of messages on X last week, Skepta even started suggesting matchups of what a U.S. vs. U.K. rap battle would look like. He matched up Chip with Kendrick Lamar, Dave with Lil Wayne, Central Cee with Jack Harlow, Queenie with Megan Thee Stallion, his brother JME with Tyler, the Creator, Eminem with Ghetts, Lancey with Travis Scott, Youngs Teflon with Meek Mill, and Blade Brown with Pusha T.

Billie Eilish, Shakira and more stars are speaking out amid the deadly floods in Texas.

Starting on the Fourth of July, natural disaster swept through much of central Texas as torrential rains caused catastrophic damage across multiple counties. At press time, CNN reports that at least 89 people — including 27 young girls and counselors belonging to the Camp Mystic summer camp along the Guadalupe River — have died as a result, while others are missing.

In response, Eilish shared a video capturing some of the flood damage and wrote Sunday (July 6) on her Instagram Story, “this is so sad.”

“sending love to Texas,” she added, following it up with a reshared video of a meteorologist warning how budget cuts to the National Weather Service under Donald Trump’s administration would inhibit its ability to properly warn people of disastrous weather crises such as the floods.

Shakira encouraged fans to join her in donating to Texans in need, sharing a link to a local crisis response charity and revealing that a portion of the proceeds from her July 5 concert in San Antonio would go toward the cause. “Our hearts and prayers are with those affected by the flood in Central Texas,” she wrote on X. “Your help is important and appreciated.”

Miranda Lambert also sprung into action, sharing posts on Instagram about how her pet charity, Mutt Nation, would be assisting displaced animals in her home state. “I can’t even come up with the words for the loss everyone is suffering,” the country star says of the floods in a video posted on her Instagram, after which she shared resources about fostering pets, dropping off supplies and donating on her Story.

Other Texas natives who posted about the disaster were Maren Morris and Hilary Duff. Sharing old photos of herself performing in the Lone Star State, the former wrote on Instagram that she was “thinking of my home state right now.”

“the floods are devastating and people are still missing,” she added in her post. “there are several places to donate but i’ll be donating to an incredibly impactful fund called the Texas Hill Country Community Foundation.”

The Lizzy McGuire actress shared a statement decorated with bluebonnets — the state flower of Texas — on Instagram. “Heartbroken doesn’t begin to cover it,” she wrote. “Praying for even a shred of a miracle — to find a child alive in the wake of this boundless disaster … I’m just so deeply, absolutely sorry. Your loss is felt across the world.”

Lana Del Rey mourned the loss of lives in both the Texas floods and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, sharing in a statement on Instagram, “We’ve been thinking of you every day since the floods … May all the angels be with you as you search for even more lost loved ones.”

“And yes of course we pray for Palestine every day,” Del Rey added in a comment on the post. “There is never a good way of wording things that will make all people happy but that is my personal truth. Politically I do keep up and have been very much hoping for cease fire.”

The musicians’ posts come as responders are still searching for survivors on rescue missions across the impacted areas in Texas. Even days after the disaster began, active flood warnings are currently still in place across the state.

State representatives are also now grappling with how they could have better protected citizens amid the crisis. Sen. Ted Cruz told reporters Monday (July 7) that “if we could go back and do it again, we would evacuate,” while Mayor Joe Herring Jr. of the heavily affected Kerrville, Texas, revealed in an interview with CNN that he hadn’t even received an alert before the floods hit seemingly out of nowhere.

“It all happened upriver at the worst possible place,” he told the news network. “And I think everyone in Kerrville, everyone in Kerr County, wishes to God we had some way to warn them. To warn those people … Everyone here, if we could’ve warned them we would have done so. And we didn’t even have a warning. We did not know.”