5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (January 21)

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

A Star-Studded Paris Fashion Week

Spanish-language artists were present at the 2023 Paris Fashion Week, starting with Rosalía, who served as the musical curator at the Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall-Winter 2023 Fashion Show and was also the first woman to ever perform live on the coveted runway. Rocking an outfit from the new collection, the Spanish singer performed some of her biggest hits at the top of a vintage car including “Despecha,” “Saoko,” and “Candy” from her Latin Grammy-winning album Motomami, to name a few. Additionally, J Balvin, who’s kept a low profile on social media as of late, was also present at Paris Fashion Week, where he was spotted at various events, interacting with his fans, and having dinner with industry friends and artists such as Spanish artist Omar Montes.

Live with Billboard Latin

Billboard kicked off its first “Live with Billboard Latin” episode of 2023 with guests Grupo Frontera and Fuerza Regida. In a nearly 25-minute conversation, Billboard’s Jessica Roiz caught up with the two Regional Mexican acts who, for the first time in their careers, hit No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart this week with their viral hit “Bebe Dame.” During the Instagram Live, the groups reflected on their successful track, how they met and began working together, and future projects for 2023. Watch the complete video below:

Maffio’s “Better Than Wonderful” Initiative

With his foundation “Better Than Wonderful,” Maffio—alongside film director Jessy Terrero, former basketball player Luis Felipe Lopez, and journalist Bolivar Valera—headed to the barrios of his beloved Dominican Republic to give children free basketball balls and sports uniforms. Through the initiative and his “Make a Child Smile” campaign, the Dominican artist and hitmaker hopes to offer the correct resources to motivate, inspire, and encourage kids in the barrios to dream big and follow their dreams.

Anuel AA Makes Late-Night TV Debut

Anuel AA kicked off the year by making his late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week. The Puerto Rican trap star performed a live medley of his tracks “El Nene” and “Sufro” from his latest album Las Leyendas Nunca Mueren 2. That same day, he announced his next collaborative effort will be with Dominican artist Messiah and expressed of their song that “it’s for all the women who work hard and don’t need anyone.” Watch Anuel’s performance on Fallon Tonight below:

Romeo Santos’ Baby Announcement

In the new music video for “Solo Conmigo,” part of his latest album Formula, Vol. 3, Romeo Santos, who’s known for keeping an ultra-private life, surprised fans in two different ways. First, he finally unveiled his longtime girlfriend as the model of his music video, and then, he announced they were expecting a baby—all in the same video clip! Directed by Fernando Lugo, the video starts off with a steamy love-making scene and ultimately shows off the baby bump. This will be the couple’s third child together and Santos’ fourth.

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