NEWS
Shakira has called off tonight’s (May 31) WorldPride Welcome Concert only days after her show at Boston’s Fenway Park was cancelled.
Ahead of the Fenway Park gig earlier this week – where the pop singer was set to perform as part of her ongoing tour, ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’ – Shakira had teased guest appearances from Wyclef Jean and Will.i.am in the lead up to the gig, with all appearing to be going smoothly.
However, just hours before the doors were set to open, an announcement was shared by Live Nation saying that it would no longer be going ahead. Reports from local outlet 7News seemed to suggest that the decision may have been reached following an inspection of the venue.
As has since been shared to the social media accounts for Nationals Park, complications carried over and nixed tonight’s the Fenway Park gig.
“Due to complications with the previous show in Boston, Shakira’s full tour production cannot be transported to Washington, D.C. in time for her scheduled performance at Nationals Park on Saturday, May 31,” the ballpark statement reads. “As a result, the D.C. show has been canceled. Despite every effort to make it happen, it is not possible to move forward as planned.”
It goes on to say refunds will be “issued automatically for Ticketmaster and Nationals.com purchases,” while anyone who bought tickets through third-party resellers should contact their point of purchase directly.
It marks the latest in what’s proved to be a very turbulent tour, after the ‘Whenever, Wherever’ star had to postpone a show in Medellín, Colombia due to stage safety concerns back in February, and was also forced to reschedule a show in Lima, Peru on after being hospitalised. Even more recently, the singer went viral after falling onstage mid-performance.
This is Shakira’s first tour in seven years and comes in support of her 2024 album ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran’. In NME’s four-star review of the record, Lucas Villa wrote: “With a career that spans four decades, she continues to push the envelope for Latin pop music and make the genre a global event.
“All her previous records had at least one song in English, but this time, she opts to sing fully in Spanish. With this vulnerable yet versatile collection, Shakira shows there are no limits to the art of her catharsis through song.”
Taylor Swift believes Nashville has a music scene that stands apart from anywhere else.
The 36 year old singer moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when she was young to chase her dream of becoming a country music star. After being inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame on Monday (26.10.26), Taylor took the opportunity to recognise the city and the talented writers who have helped shape its music scene.
In her acceptance speech, Taylor said: "I believe you really get to master a craft by doing it again and again. That's exactly what the incredible songwriters in this wonderful town do every day."
Taylor also spoke about what makes Nashville such a special place for musicians.
The award winning singer, who ranks among the best selling music artists of all time, said: "You won't find another music community quite like this one. Trust me, I've checked them all."
Taylor also shared how being part of Nashville's songwriting scene had taught her valuable lessons about life and working with others.
She joked: "I've learned to be flexible when your co writer turns up with a hangover, or when they need to spend ages talking about their divorce before we can even get started on a song."
Taylor previously spoke about how Faith Hill and Shania Twain inspired her decision to move to Nashville.
Speaking to Time magazine, the singer said: "I couldn't get enough of watching TV biographies about Faith Hill and Shania Twain, and I realised they had both moved to Nashville to get their careers started. After that, I kept asking, pleading and begging my parents to take me there.
"When I was 11, my mum took my brother and me to Nashville during spring break, and we spent the trip driving around Music Row. She stayed in the car while I rushed into record companies one after another, giving my demo CD to the receptionists. I found it fascinating that so many major record labels were gathered along a single street, often inside little buildings and old houses.
"What really stayed with me was how welcoming people were to newcomers and complete strangers like us. We started visiting Nashville more often, and when I was 13, I received an offer for a development deal from a major record label. That was when my parents finally agreed to leave Pennsylvania and move with me."
