Entertainment
How Visa Issues Are Threatening Artists’ Careers — And the Music Companies That Work With Them
Just a day before his sold-out show at the AT&T Stadium in Texas, regional Mexican star Julión Álvarez posted an “urgent” announcement on his social media, informing the 50,000 fans who purchased a ticket to the May 24-dated show that it was cancelled.
The reason: Álvarez’s work visa had been revoked and the artist could no longer legally enter the United States. The last-minute cancellation not only led to a total loss of over $2 million that went into the production of the event, but it also derailed an entire promotional plan that had successfully launched a month before with three sold-out dates at SoFi Stadium in L.A., marking the long-awaited return of the norteño artist. The “Box Office King,” who hadn’t performed in the U.S. since 2017, was once again sidelined by visa issues. To this day, his highly anticipated 4218 Tour USA 2025 remains in limbo.
Over the past few months, an increasing number of acts — from Mexico, Cuba and other Latin American countries — have publicly or privately dealt with visa hurdles that have led to tour or show cancellations in the U.S. For some, their O-1 or P-1B visas, generally reserved for artists and musicians, have been suddenly revoked. Others have found their applications under stricter vetting by multiple U.S. government agencies who, under the Trump administration, have only made an already complex process even more complicated.
The impact a denied or revoked visa can have on an artist varies case by case, taking into consideration where a particular artist is in their career. But either way, the recent cases have shaken up the Latin music industry. “Touring the U.S. is an important part of a release plan, whether it’s a bar with 600 capacity or an arena,” says Tomas Cookman, founder of Nacional Records and the LAMC, and partner at Magnus Talent Agency. “Many musicians feel that touring here is an important part of their process and trajectory as a global artist. It’s difficult to be at a certain level and not have toured the U.S., especially as a Latin artist who can visit so many Latino-populated hubs within the country that historically has always supported tons of live shows.”
Nonimmigrant visas are not an indefinite type of visa; they offer a temporary stay in the United States for a specific purpose, as opposed to, for example, a green card or a permanent resident card that grants the holder the status of a lawful permanent resident. While visa revocations are not common, they can happen to anyone, at any time, holding a nonimmigrant visa and can occur for multiple reasons, including criminal activity, security concerns or violation of visa terms, to name a few factors.
The State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs generally does not publish statistics on revocations. But since Trump took office in January, the State Department has revoked over 6,000 student visas, to name one classification, according to news reports. “No one knows how it’s being brought to the attention of those who are in the position to make these revocation decisions, or why they are deciding to do this now,” immigration attorney Daniel Hanlon previously told Billboard. “It could be completely politically motivated.”
Regional Mexican artists have mainly borne the brunt of this situation with publicly known cases for Álvarez; Los Alegres del Barranco, who lost their visa after the group portrayed images “glorifying” drug kingpin “El Mencho” at a concert in Mexico in March; and Grupo Firme, which canceled its participation at La Onda Fest in June over visas delayed in administrative processing.
For one executive at a regional Mexican indie label, who prefers to remain anonymous and is not associated with the aforementioned acts, their marquee artist suddenly having to cancel shows in the U.S. over visa uncertainty led to higher-than-usual stress levels, to the point where they questioned if the company could survive those cancelations. “When our main source of income loses a large percentage of that income, you enter a moment of uncertainty because we didn’t know if this would be remedied quickly or if there was a bigger problem than just losing a visa,” the executive explains.
Even today, when Latin music has gone global and there’s a huge number of Latin artists touring in other markets, including Europe, the U.S. remains the No. 1 market for any artist, and losing a gig here is a major financial blow. “You get guys like Firme and Julión who gross $10 million in one night [in the U.S.],” CMN’s Henry Cárdenas previously told Billboard. “This is where you make the big money — you don’t make that money in Mexico, with all due respect.”
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Besides touring in the U.S., promoting their work here — from radio shows to making the rounds at DSPs and attending major award shows that take place in the U.S. like the Billboard Latin Music Awards and Latin Grammys — remains crucial for any artist. The country continues to be the No. 1 global music market, with music revenue growing 2.2% year-on-year, according to the IFPI Global Music Report 2025, powered by streaming revenue that is greater than in any other country.
The per-stream rate varies from country to country, but a stream coming from Mexico is worth about 2% of a stream coming from the U.S., Josh Norek, president of Regalias Digitales, previously explained to Billboard. For a DSP like Spotify, a premium account is worth more on a per-stream basis than a free account. “You go from paying like $10 a month for Spotify Premium here to the [more common] free ad-supported tier in Mexico, Guatemala or Venezuela and it will generate almost nothing,” added Norek. That makes it even more important for Latin artists to build fan bases in the U.S., given how dominant streaming is in the current music business.
For Cuban artists — who have another set of challenges to deal with due to the ever-shifting diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba, and sanctions that have cut off the island from Spotify or Amazon Music (YouTube is available but it’s not monetized) — the impact goes beyond just financial. “There’s a toll on their mental health as well,” says Collin Laverty, whose expertise on U.S.-Cuba relations has led him to work closely with several Cuban artists, including Cimafunk. “Being able to travel to the U.S. and tour is an important outlet economically and psychologically, so complicating that on the immigration front is so detrimental to a career but also the psyche.”
The most common issue for Cuban artists under President Trump is approval delays and extreme vetting at U.S. embassies and consulates following the Trump-imposed travel ban on several countries, including Venezuela and Cuba. The ban partially restricts and limits the entry of both immigrants and nonimmigrants from those nations. “There’s still a legal avenue but it’s hard to meet the threshold to get approval for a visa and root out the politics,” Laverty says. Because Cuba is on the state sponsors of terrorism list under the Trump-imposed travel ban, “90% of visa applicants get sent to admin review status, which is a multi-agency review that can take months,” he adds. “They are almost always approved but almost always delayed, so that makes it difficult for promoters and festivals to even book Cuban artists.”
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Travel restrictions for Cuban artists already existed pre-Trump. In the early 2000s, U.S. visa restrictions tightened under the Bush administration, which made it difficult to get permission to travel to the U.S. During that time, the U.S. State Department’s crackdown on Cuban visitors impacted Latin Grammy-nominated artists who secured visas just days before the event, while others, for lack of visas, were forced to miss the Latin Grammys ceremony in Miami in 2003. That was reversed during the Obama administration which, like the Biden administration, facilitated visas as much as possible, allowing for more cultural exchange between the two countries, albeit with some challenges created outside of the executive branch.
Trump’s latest administration overturned that policy just as a burgeoning new urban movement, led by a new generation of reparto artists, has gained momentum outside of Cuba, including in Miami, home to the largest Cuban population outside of Cuba.
“It’s more essential now than ever for an artist to be able to promote their music in the U.S.,” says Laverty. “It’s a tough reality to be a Cuban artist and feel trapped because Cuba is going through a real difficult moment economically, socially and politically. There is a fan base here, with more than 2 million Cuban Americans living in the U.S. Sure, you can go to Europe and Latin America but there are less Cuban nationals living there, less money, less industry infrastructure. And, if you’re trying to get nominated for an award and you can’t participate in showcases or in person meetings, it makes it really difficult for career growth.”
Entertainment
Justin Bieber Throws Water Bottle Toward Paparazzi During L.A. Date Night With Wife Hailey
Justin Bieber had yet another tense encounter with paparazzi during a recent date night in Los Angeles with wife Hailey.
On Friday (March 6), the 32-year-old pop superstar lost his cool as photographers swarmed him in a parking garage following a late-night dinner at Sushi Park in West Hollywood.
Footage captured by TMZ shows Justin visibly frustrated, covering his face as he and Hailey made their way toward a black SUV. Once inside, the singer hurled a half-empty Fiji water bottle toward the paparazzi. The bottle didn’t hit anyone and fell to the ground, and the couple quickly drove off.
The incident marks yet another clash between Bieber and photographers. Last summer, ahead of the release of his seventh studio album, Swag, the “Yukon” singer went viral for seemingly confronting intrusive paparazzi, irritably asking, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?” The phrase quickly became a widespread meme.
In April 2025, Bieber criticized the “darkness” in L.A., particularly the treatment he faces from paparazzi. At the time, he shared an Instagram video showing his perspective as he stepped outside amid blinding camera flashes, with photographers following his every move and often blocking his path to the car.
“Look at these guys, man,” Bieber’s voice says disapprovingly from behind his camera, while his security guard repeatedly told the paps to back up.
Bieber has long battled with the paparazzi. Since his debut in 2009 at just 15 years old, the “Baby” artist has endured relentless hounding and spoken out against the invasive practice multiple times. The April 2025 incident echoed a similar moment in 2014, when his Ferrari was rear-ended by a persistent photographer.
“There should be laws against what I just experienced,” he posted on X at the time. “We should have learned from the death of Princess Diana…”
Entertainment
Bad Bunny Performs First Asia Concert at Star-Studded Spotify’s Billions Club in Tokyo
Bad Bunny made his Asia debut at Spotify’s Billions Club in Japan.
Fresh from his headline performance at Super Bowl LX, the 31-year-old Puerto Rican superstar performed at Tokyo’s Tipstar Dome Chiba for an invite-only show attended by roughly 2,300 of his top Spotify fans in the country on Saturday (March 7).
During his first-ever performance in Asia, Bad Bunny delivered 17 of his biggest hits, including “DtMF,” “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” “NUEVAYoL” and “EoO.” The artist has a total of 29 songs that have surpassed one billion streams on Spotify.
Adding to the spectacle, the stage was transformed with a Japan-inspired sakura theme, featuring cherry blossom trees, yakisugi wood accents and a glowing sun that illuminated the performance.
The show — Spotify’s first Billions Club Live in the region — also debuted a salsa version of his 2018 hit “MIA,” featuring guest appearances by Puerto Rican musicians Los Pleneros de la Cresta and Los Sobrinos. Other highlights included “Yonaguni,” during which fans sang along to the Japanese lyrics, a salsa rendition of “BAILE INoLVIDABLE,” and a surprise appearance by Jowell & Randy for “Safaera.”
The evening opened and closed with music provided by DJ Nasthug. Celebrities in attendance included BLACKPINK‘s Lisa and contemporary artist Takashi Murakami.
Bad Bunny has been shattering numerous records in recent weeks. Last month, he landed a record-breaking 29 simultaneous titles on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including the entire top 25 — led by “DtMF” for a 47th week — while also bagging the top spot on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
The Latin star’s Super Bowl halftime show on Feb. 8 also pulled in 128.2 million viewers, marking the fourth-biggest halftime audience in history.
Check out more photos from Bad Bunny’s Spotify Billions Club event in Tokyo on Instagram here.
Bruno Mars notches his second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, and first in more than a decade, as The Romantic debuts atop the tally (dated March 14). The set launches with 186,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States in the week ending March 5, according to Luminate. Mars was last on top with his second full-length studio album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which climbed to No. 1 in March 2013 (nearly three months after it debuted). In turn, The Romantic is also Mars’ first No. 1-debuting album.
All told, The Romantic marks the fifth top 10 for Mars, following his An Evening With Silk Sonic collaborative project with Anderson .Paak (No. 2, 2021) and his solo set 24K Magic (No. 2, 2016), Unorthodox Jukebox (No. 1, 2013) and Doo-Wops & Hooligans (No. 2, 2010).
Mars’ gap of nearly 13 years between No. 1s is the longest for any living solo male artist since Paul McCartney returned to the top in 2018 with Egypt Station, 36 years and three months after he was last No. 1 with the third and final week atop the chart with Tug of War on the June 12, 1982-dated chart. (Before Mars, the last male soloist to wait longer to come back to No. 1 was the late Toby Keith, who hit No. 1 after his death, on the Feb. 17, 2024, chart, with 35 Biggest Hits — 14 years and four months after he was last on top with Bullets in the Gun (Oct. 23, 2010).
Also debuting in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200: Gorillaz’s The Mountain, BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE and Mitski’s Nothing’s About To Happen to Me.
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 March 14, 2026-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on March 10. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X and Instagram.
Of The Romantic’s 186,000 equivalent album units earned in the latest tracking week, album sales comprise 93,500 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 90,500 (equaling 93.95 million on-demand official streams of the set’s nine songs, Mars’ best streaming week for an album; it debuts at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums) and TEA units comprise 2,000.
The Romantic’s first-week sales number was bolstered by its availability across 10 vinyl variants, in addition to a standard CD, cassette and digital download. Vinyl sales accounted for 48,000 of the album’s first-week — landing Mars his best week on vinyl ever. All versions of the album contain the same nine songs.
The album was preceded by its lead single, “I Just Might,” which became Mars’ 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 (and first to debut at No. 1) on the Jan. 24-dated chart, and spent its first two weeks atop the list. The track has also been lodged at No. 1 for seven weeks on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Hot R&B Songs.
Three former No. 1s follow Mars on the Billboard 200: Bad Bunny’s DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS holds at No. 2 with 77,000 equivalent album units earned (down 10%), Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem steps 5-3 (75,000, up 7%) and Don Toliver’s OCTANE pumps 6-4 (66,000, down 3%). Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving rounds out the top five, climbing 7-5 (60,000, down 2%).
Last week’s No. 1, Megan Moroney’s Cloud 9, floats down to No. 6 in its second week (55,000 equivalent album units earned, down 62%).
Gorillaz achieve their sixth top 10-charting album on the Billboard 200 with the No. 7 debut of The Mountain. The set launches with 53,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 38,000 (it debuts at No. 3 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 15,000 (equaling 15.86 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
The album’s first-week sales got a boost from its availability across nine vinyl variants, four CDs, five cassettes, a standard digital download and an iTunes Store-exclusive download edition with one bonus track.
Gorillaz previously visited the top 10 on the Billboard 200 with Cracker Island (No. 3, 2023), The Now Now (No. 4, 2018), Humanz (No. 2, 2017), Plastic Beach (No. 2, 2010) and Demon Days (No. 6, 2005).
The new album was led by a pair of charting titles on Billboard’s Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart: “The Happy Dictator,” featuring Sparks (No. 43 peak last September), and “The Manifesto,” featuring Trueno and Proof (No. 49 peak last October).
BLACKPINK scores its third top 10 on the Billboard 200 as DEADLINE debuts at No. 8 with 52,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 41,000 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 11,000 (equaling 11.46 million on-demand official streams of the set’s five songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
DEADLINE marks the return of the pop quartet to the Billboard 200 after more than three years. The group’s last release was BORN PINK, which marked the act’s first No. 1 (debuting atop the Oct. 1, 2022-dated chart). Since then, the four members (Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé) have all released solo album projects, all of which have charted on a Billboard album ranking.
The new album’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across 13 CD variants (all containing collectible items such as photocards and posters, with some items randomized). CD sales comprise 94% of the album’s first-week sales, with the remainder sold from digital downloads.
DEADLINE was preceded by the Hot 100-charting single “JUMP,” which peaked at No. 28 last July and spent 10 weeks on the list — the most weeks on the chart among the group’s 10 charted titles.
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping The Life of a Showgirl is a non-mover at No. 9 on the latest Billboard 200 with just under 43,000 equivalent album units earned for the week (down 3%).
Closing out the top 10 of the Billboard 200 is Mitski’s Nothing’s About To Happen to Me, debuting at No. 10 with nearly 43,000 equivalent album units earned — the artist’s best week ever by units. Of that sum, album sales comprise 31,000 (her best sales week ever; it debuts at No. 4 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 12,000 (equaling 12.16 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
First-week sales of the album were aided by its availability across seven vinyl variants (including a signed edition), two CDs and two cassettes, and a standard digital download. Vinyl purchases accounted for 69% of the set’s overall opening-week sales.
Nothing’s About To Happen to Me is the second top 10 on the Billboard 200 for Mitski, following 2022’s Laurel Hell (No. 5).
The new album was preceded by the charting hit “Where’s My Phone?” which hit No. 11 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart dated March 7 and No. 38 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs in January.
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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