Farruko
Courtesy Imagine It Media / Mike HoFarruko is officially on the road with his La 167 tour that launched last fall in San Diego. With seven concerts left in the trek, as well as soon-to-be-announced festival performances, the Puerto Rican singer has opened up about his religious beliefs to fans.
During his concert on Friday (Feb. 11) at Miami’s FTX Arena, the artist born Carlos Efrén Reyes Rosado preached the word of God to the audience multiple times. “God loves you just the way you are,” he told the packed venue. “We’re all sinners, none of us are perfect.”
Farruko expressed that even though he has all the money and success in the world, he would feel empty and cry at night. “Me, being number one, having the best cars, having it all, I couldn’t see my children,” he explained. “I destroyed my first family. I hurt a woman who loved me just the way I was.”
During his show, the reggaeton singer did not perform his dance hit “Pepas” and in fact, asked fans to forgive him for the lyrics. “Pepas,” which instead was played during the set for the crowd to sing, scored Farruko his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart on the Aug. 28, 2021-dated tally.
“I believed my own lie because my song was number one. I didn’t know the message I was sending,” he said of “Pepas,” meaning pill in English and narrating the story of someone who only wants to party all night long and live the moment. “I’m not proud of that. Who knows how many of your kids I hurt. Now I ask you forgiveness because love starts from within. Value life because we do not know if we are going to save ourselves.”
In summer 2021, Billboard exclusively announced Farru’s return to touring, where he said, “I promise to provide you with a show full of energy and a lot of great music as you all deserve it.”
While some fans on Twitter expressed they were not expecting a religious experience, others applauded the singer’s message.
Following his Miami performance, the singer addressed the concerns of his fans, saying, “I’m sorry to say that Farruko has retired and who’s here is Carlos.”
“I’m truly sorry for those who want to see Farruko,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “You still have time to not go and we will reimburse your money. Those who go and want a new experience of love, are more than welcome. Even if one person goes, I’ll be there and I’ll love you the same whether you attend [my concert] or not. You still have time to not spend your money and time. No one is obliged. There are more artists that you can follow and go see. I am only fulfilling my commitments because I am from word and I owe respect to my fans and God.”
Named after his latest studio album and in honor of one of the main highways in Puerto Rico near his hometown, the La 167 tour made stops in Houston, Atlanta, and San Juan, among other cities. The tour — presented for the most part by Loud and Live and Live Nation on select shows — is set to wrap up on March 5 in Puerto Rico.
NEWS
Jacob Alon recently opened up to NME about collaborating with longtime inspiration Kae Tempest, while also sharing why they continue to admire artists who speak openly on political and social issues.
The Scottish singer songwriter spoke with NME backstage at the Ivor Novellos last Thursday, May 21, where they picked up both the Rising Star award and Best Song Musically and Lyrically for ‘Don’t Fall Asleep’.
The recognition follows a huge year for Alon, who also earned the Critics’ Choice Award at the 2026 BRITs and became the first Scottish artist to win BBC Music Introducing’s Artist of the Year title.
The success arrives alongside the release of their highly praised debut album ‘In Limerance’, which came out last year and led to a support slot on Kae Tempest’s recent ‘Self-Titled’ tour. During those shows, the pair performed a moving rendition of George Michael’s ‘Freedom’ together. Speaking backstage at the Ivors, Alon also confirmed that they have recently been in the studio with Tempest working on new music.
“Kae is one of my absolute heroes,” they said. “We’ve been in the studio this week actually, writing together. I’ve never felt closer to another creative mind before.”
Although Alon avoided revealing too much about the collaboration, they described the experience as “the biggest privilege to witness his genius and to be in the presence of something raw and beautiful”.
They went on to say they are “really excited for the world to witness” the music they have been creating together.
The ‘Of Amber’ artist also spoke with NME about the importance of using their platform to stand up for causes they care deeply about. In recent months, Alon held a Palestinian flag during the BRITs and appeared at the Trans Mission event in London, where they defended those being “scapegoated by people who want to distract everyone from the real problems in society”.
“I’m endlessly inspired by those that use their voices and their platforms to speak out about what matters. I’m trying to do that myself,” Alon explained to NME. “It’s not easy to know what the right thing to say is sometimes, but I think the effort made to do that is always worthwhile.”
The remarks echo comments Alon previously shared with NME at the BRITs earlier this year, where they said they believe “music is important and can make a difference”, while also teasing a brighter direction for future releases compared to their emotional and introspective debut album.
“Going into making something new, it’s already different. It’s a different place to create from because now I know what’s out there,” they shared, joking that the next era may lean into punk influences and that all the praise might finally go to their head.
Later this summer, Alon is set to join the packed line up for Lewis Capaldi’s headline performances at BST Hyde Park. The concerts take place on Saturday July 11 and Sunday July 12, with Conan Gray, The Vaccines, Absolutely, Nieve Ella and more also appearing across the weekend. Find any remaining tickets here.
At the 2026 Ivor Novellos, other major winners included CMAT for Best Album, Fraser T Smith and Kae Tempest for Best Contemporary Song, and Sam Fender taking home Songwriter Of The Year.
Rosalía was named International Songwriter Of The Year, while Radiohead’s Thom Yorke received the Academy Fellowship award presented by Harry Styles. George Michael was also honored posthumously with the Academy Fellowship award.
