5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (January 8)

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.

Encanto Hits the Charts

This week, the soundtrack to the Walt Disney animated film Encanto jumped 110-7 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, entering the top 10 after the film’s premiere on the Disney+ streaming service on Christmas Eve. The album’s tracks “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure” are also on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, at No. 50 and No. 54, respectively. Encanto is the most recent soundtrack to hit the Billboard 200 top 10, following Disney’s Frozen II in 2019. Stream the soundtrack below:

Wisin & Rauw Alejandro Give Back

Wisin and Rauw Alejandro headed to the barrios in their native Puerto Rico to give out toys and gifts to their community in celebration of Three Kings Day. Though they were both in different cities, each Puerto Rican star did not hold back from giving back to their fans and community. Wisin joined forces with Stefano Foundation for a toy drive that took place in Caguas. “We want to bless all the children and in the midst of this pandemic be able to bring them joy,” he expressed on Instagram. Rauw, on the other hand, shared a video recap of his experience. Watch it below:

@rauwalejandroFeliz Día de los REYES 🇵🇷💙♬ original sound – rauwalejandro

J Balvin’s Inclusive Video

On Friday (Jan. 7), J Balvin released the official music video of his track “Lo Que Dios Quiera,” part of his album José (and one of Billboard’s Top Latin Albums of 2021). In the vibrant clip, where Balvin brings to life the heartwarming lyrics about leaving fate in the hands of God, we see biracial and same-sex couples and people with disabilities enjoying their best lives. “This video was not on YouTube but it will come out to kick-off 2022. Inclusion and love,” he wrote on Instagram ahead of the release. Watch the video below:

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Nio Garcia’s Tribute Tattoo

The Puerto Rican artist showed off his new ink in honor of his longtime producer Flow La Movie. The tattoo is on his shoulder and shows the late artist’s name in cursive with the years 1985-2021 below it. Flow died on Dec. 15 in a plane crash. The producer/artist, born José Angel Hernandez, was one of the seven passengers in a private plane that crashed near Las Américas International Airport in the Dominican Republic. Among the victims are also his partner Debbie Von Marie Jimenez Garcia and their children. The plane was headed to Florida. “Flow La Movie forever,” Nio captioned the photo.

Britney Spears Jams to Bad Bunny

Britney showed off her new bubblegum-pink bikini as she modeled it to a Bad Bunny medley. “This is my first high-waisted bathing suit ever,” she captioned the clip. “My fiancé likes it but I’m not sure. It’s crazy cool cause you can adjust it high or low!!!” In the short video, Spears is doing her signature side-to-side sway to Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dákiti” and Bad Bunny and Tainy’s “Calláita.” See the clip below:

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