Victor Willis co-founded the Village People; the group defined 1970s disco with songs like Y.M.C.A., Macho Man, and In the Navy. Willis has died at 74. New Mexico politics sparked by map-name debates highlight ongoing cultural conversations around identity and representation.
Victor Willis, founder and lead singer of Village People, has died after a short, aggressive illness. He co-wrote hits including YMCA, Macho Man and In the Navy, helping define late-1970s disco. Willis left the group in 1980, later rejoined in 2017, and his passing ends a turbulent, influential career.
New Mexico’s name remains unchanged as lawmakers urge Apple and Google to keep the state labeled New Mexico on maps. President Trump has sparked a broader renaming conversation by suggesting changes to Gulf of Mexico, Lake Ontario, and now New Mexico, drawing swift pushback from state officials and lawmakers.