Madrid Mayor Rebukes Rosalia Flashmob Album Launch
Madrid’s mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, has rebuked Spanish pop star Rosalia for briefly unleashing pandemonium earlier this week by convening a flash mob that prompted riot police to control the rowdy, impromptu gathering.
The Barcelona-born singer and songwriter gave about an hour’s notice to her social media followers that she would be on Madrid´s Gran Via on Monday night to promote the launch of her new album, “Lux”. Thousands of people flocked there in time to see the Grammy winner make a quick appearance while the album cover was shown on a large screen.
The launch was rumoured to be held at the Plaza Callao cinema – instead – amid scenes of histeria fans chased after her entourage along Gran Via before she ran into a nearby hotel.
Officials deployed several police units to control traffic and closed a nearby metro station. City Hall is evaluating whether the singer could be fined for staging the event without first obtaining permission, Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida said Wednesday.
Rosalía, 33, has twice won the Latin Grammy for Album of the Year, first for “El mal querer” in 2019 and then for “Motomami” in 2022.
