Pandemonium at pop star Rosalía's flash mob prompts criticism from Madrid's mayor

Rosalía’s surprise unveiling of the cover her new album has drawn criticism from Madrid’s mayor after thousands of fans of the pop star gathered in a flash mob in Spain’s capital on Monday

Spain Rosalia (Invision)

Madrid’s mayor on Wednesday 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 downtown 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. Fans chased after Rosalía along a busy main road as she dashed from a car and into a 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.

She “could have done things differently," he said, adding that she “put in jeopardy the physical safety” of her fans and bystanders.

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.

“Lux,” her fourth studio album, will be released on Nov. 7.