Everything was running smoothly until the surprise guest appeared stage left with an acoustic guitar in hand.

Bad Bunny's 2023 Coachella headlining show on Friday night was delivering on its promise of extreme spectacle. The Puerto Rican superstar is the first Latino solo artist to headline the music festival, and he smashed this barrier with a commanding charisma and a heartfelt homage to the music that made him.

During the Friday night set, the artist appeared in a coat of many colorful plaids backed by elaborate stage designs — the first appearing like a gas station in the desert with the artist on a suspended stage addressing the mammoth crowd from his altar.

The set began with his arresting 2022 single "Tití Me Preguntó" and ran through global favorites such as "I Like It" (sans Cardi B and J Balvin) and "Si Veo a Tu Mamá," which remixes the immortal song "The Girl From Ipanema" for a new generation.

Speaking in between songs predominantly in Spanish — early on, he asked the crowd what language they'd prefer and the results were clear — Bad Bunny confidently explained to thousands how, "Nunca antes hubo uno como yo," or: "Never before has there been someone like me."

Bad Bunny used his spotlight on the main stage of Coachella to honor the music history that inspired him, using short documentary interludes appearing on screen during the show's transitions.

Starting by praising the origin of drums and rhythm from Congo and Nigeria to the history of salsa and reggaeton (along with a nod to the illustrious Tito Puente), his set paid respects to the numerous artists and musical styles that blended to inform his opening headline act for the festival.

The sole setback came toward the end when he decided to share the stage with a previous Coachella headliner.

While Bad Bunny was working his way through the crowd, a mysterious figure appeared off to the side of the stage. It wasn't until Bad Bunny returned to the spotlight that the cameras revealed the surprise guest: Post Malone.

Shock waves of excitement (and ambivalence) reverberated to the back of the polo field, and the two artists brought down the tempo for a somber duet, with Post Malone strumming a guitar.

They began to play Bad Bunny's song "La Canción" and within the first minute, Post Malone's guitar began sounding choppy and staccato. At first, it seemed like the tattooed face artist was intentionally creating a rhythmically rich alteration to the song, but within a few seconds, it became clear that the microphone amplifying his guitar was failing.

Awkwardly, the two artists scrambled to fix the sonic issues. Bad Bunny even tried to hold a separate microphone to the guitar while singing with another one, but his plan B quickly failed. The crowd assisted with an a cappella version of the song "Yonaguni," but the act was quickly losing steam.

Post Malone — who's known for drawing questionable eyeballs from locals when visiting Indio, the city that hosts the festival — soon shuffled off stage and left Bad Bunny to finish his set without any more technical difficulties.

Fireworks blasted into the sky as Bad Bunny recovered from the snafu to close out the first night of Coachella 2023.

Mugler, French fashion icon known for sculpted designs, dies

Updated: 3:12 AM EST Jan 24, 2022

French fashion designer Manfred Thierry Mugler, whose dramatic designs were worn by celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga and Cardi B, has died. He was 73.He died Sunday, his official Instagram account said. "May his soul Rest In Peace," it said in a post that was all black with no image. It did not give a cause of death.Mugler, who launched his brand in 1973, became known for his architectural style, defined by broad shoulders and a tiny waist. The use of plastic-like futuristic fabric in his sculpted clothing became a trademark. He defined haute couture over several decades, dressing up Diana Ross and Beyonce at galas, on red carpets and runways. His designs weren't shy about being outlandish, at times resembling robotic suits with protruding cone shapes. Mugler also had a popular perfume line, which he started in the 1990s.The fashion world filled with an outpouring of sympathy. Bella Hadid, an American model, said "Nonononono," followed by an image of a sad face, while American actress January Jones responded with a heart mark, from their official Instagram accounts. Besides clothes, Mugler created films and photographs, and was a dancer, acrobat as well as avid body-builder, stressing he always wanted to explore the human body as art. "I've always felt like a director, and the clothes I did were a direction of the everyday," Mugler told Interview Magazine. Queries on his funeral arrangements were not immediately answered.

NEW YORK CITY — Rapper Cardi B has offered to pay the funeral costs for the 17 people killed in an apartment fire in New York City.

Cardi B was raised in the Bronx, the same borough where the fire happened.

In a statement, Cardi B said, “I’m extremely proud to be from the Bronx and I have lots of family and friends who live and work there still. So, when I heard about the fire and all the victims, I knew I needed to do something to help.”

The Grammy-winning artist will partner with the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City to help the fire victims’ families.

The donation will also help pay for repatriation expenses, as many of the victims had ties to Gambia in West Africa.

New York State is also giving $2 million to survivors and victims’ families.

The high-rise fire has been described as New York City’s deadliest in 30 years.

Fire officials say a malfunctioning electric space heater sparked the blaze.

All victims died of smoke inhalation, the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner reports.

Cardi B's "WAP" had new meaning at the BET Awards: winning and pregnant.

The Grammy-winning star debuted her baby bump during a live performance Sunday alongside husband Offset as well as Quavo and Takeoff of Migos. She also won video of the year for her Megan Thee Stallion-assisted No. 1 hit "WAP."

Cardi B didn't stay to accept the honor at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, but Megan Thee Stallion rushed to the stage to pick up the award, forgetting to thank Cardi during her speech.

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET

But the "Savage" rapper made up for it when she won best female hip-hop artist moments later.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

"I really forgot to say 'thank you Cardi' for even putting me on 'WAP' because it makes me feel so good to be acknowledged by one of my peers, who I think so highly of," said Megan Thee Stallion, who was the big winner of the night with four trophies. "I think so highly of all the women who was nominated in this category."

Along with celebrating female artists, the BET Awards also highlighted gay pride with a seductive performance by Lil Nas X and Queen Latifah, who thanked her reported partner and son when she accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

As she rattled on thank you's, she said: "Ebony, my love, Rebel, my love." The 51-year-old ended with: "Peace! Happy pride!"

Queen Latifah was honored for her illustrious career as a Grammy-winning rapper, a Golden Globe-winning actor and an Emmy-winning TV producer. Rapsody and Monie Love kicked off the tribute with a performance of "Ladies First," which was followed by Lil Kim and MC Lyte rapping the classic "U.N.I.T.Y."

Lil Nas X won over the crowd with his No. 1 hit "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," which ended with the rapper locking lips with a male background dancer, as the crowd roared loudly. Some audience members jumped out of their seats in praise.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

His stage was set in Ancient Egypt, much like Michael Jackson’s "Remember the Time," which Lil Nas X paid tribute to with a skilled dance break during the performance.

Mothers were also saluted during the three-hour-plus show: Queen Latifah, who attended with her father, held a photo on her mother onstage; Megan Thee Stallion remembered her mother, who died in 2019, during her speech: "She can’t be here with me today, but I still think about her everyday and she is the reason why I keep going." And Jazmine Sullivan — who won album of the year for her critically acclaimed EP "Heaux Tales" — attended the show with her mother, who is battling cancer.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

"My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago so we didn’t see any of this happening, but God has been so faithful to us and my mom is in remission," she said. "This is my prize. This is my gift. It means more to me than anything that she’s here with me. She supported me all my life."

The ceremony was dedicated to "the year of the Black woman," as actor and host Taraji P. Henson put at the top of the show. Rep. Maxine Waters said her signature phrase — "reclaiming my time" — before Sullivan hit the stage for a sultry, top-notch performance featuring fellow R&B singer Ari Lennox. The first award of the night went to Andra Day, who won best actress, while Darnella Frazier — the teenager who pulled out her cellphone and began recording when she saw George Floyd being pinned to the ground by a police officer — was given the Shine a Light Award.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Frazier didn’t attend the awards show but the honor came weeks after she was awarded a special citation by the Pulitzer Prizes for her video that helped to launch a global movement to protest racial injustice.

H.E.R., who also wowed the audience with her performance, won best female R&B/pop artist. The Grammy winner told the crowd that it is "important for us to recognize each other and celebrate each other."

"If we don’t, who else will?" she added.

AP Photo/Chris Pizzello

Rapper Lil Baby won best male hip-hop artist and joined forces with gospel artist Kirk Franklin to kick off the show with a performance that got Issa Rae, Queen Latifah, DJ Khaled and Zendaya bouncing in their seats.

Swizz Beatz curated the tribute to DMX, who died in April at age 50. Performers included Busta Rhymes, Method Man, The Lox, Michael K. Williams and Griselda.

Other winners Sunday included Chris Brown, who won best male R&B/pop artist; Giveon, named best new artist; and Silk Sonic — the duo of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — took home the best group award. Chadwick Boseman posthumously won best actor.