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. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Myke Towers Takes Over New York Myke Towers’ 2023 is off to a great start, with the star making big moves in New York City. This week, the Puerto Rican rapper stopped by The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to perform his Daddy Yankee-assisted track “Ulala,” which entered the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart last week. “Jimmy Fallon, thanks for having me see yall soon,” he wrote on Instagram. The following day, he took the feel-good track to Good Morning America, where he was rock...
Shakira, the powerful rockera singer-songwriter from Colombia who we all came to know for her heart-wrenching ballads and pop anthems, didn’t really collaborate with any other well-known artists in the first decade of her career. It wasn’t until 2005, when she released Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, that she turned heads with superstar collaborations, the Alejandro Sanz-assisted “La Tortura” and “Hips Don’t Lie” with Wyclef Jean. The only other artists she featured in those two albums were Gustavo Cerati and Carlos Santana. Since, Shakira has been more open to collaborations, teaming up with an elite list of partners that includes Maluma, Prince Royce, Maná and Black Eyed Peas, for songs that are also more experimental sonically — embracing urban-leaning beats and incorpo...
The element of surprise is one of the many things that make Bizarrap‘s music and freestyle sessions some of the most watched videos on YouTube. Who will his next guest be? No one really knows, but when the Argentine producer drops a new session, it gets millions of views in a matter of hours. His music session with the Spaniard Quevedo is among his most watched, and it’s the one that has catapulted him to global success. Their “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” scored both their first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Currently, it has more than 400 million views on YouTube. Additionally, the track is only the second fully Spanish-language song to top the Global 200 in the chart’s two-year history, following Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez’s “Dákiti” in 2020. “The first ‘session’ b...
Shakira and Bizarrap‘s new song has been trending on social media since its release Wednesday night, with fans, artists and celebrities (mostly) applauding the Colombian star for speaking out against her ex in “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53.” But two names mentioned in the tune also had something to say. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news No, we’re not talking about Shakira’s ex, soccer star Gerard Piqué, and his girlfriend, Clara Chía Martí. The brands Casio and Renault, manufacturer of the Twingo car, jokingly responded to their respective mentions in the song, when Shakira implies that the soccer player left her for someone of lesser status. “You traded a Ferrari for a Twingo/ You traded a Rolex for a Casio,” she sings. “Today we ...
Fuerza Regida kicks off the year with a double win, scoring two top 10s on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart: Pa Que Hablen and Sigan Hablando debut at No. 5 and No. 6, respectively, on the Jan. 14-dated ranking. The Mexican corridos group becomes the first act to have two projects bow in the top 10 in the same chart week since 2016. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “We worked on every track like if it was a single,” Jesús Ortiz Paz, the act’s lead singer, who goes by JOP, tells Billboard. “We spent more than 24 hours on each track, we worked on it with our heart and that is something that I remember a lot.” Both Pa Que Hablen and Sigan Hablando were released Dec. 30 through Street Mob/Rancho Humilde/Sony Music Latin. While the former w...
Shakira did not hold back on her first single of the year, “BZRP Music Session #53,” helmed by Argentine hitmaker Bizarrap. In the nearly four-minute dance-pop track, the Colombian artist is more unapologetic and empowered than ever, spitting diss verses to her ex-boyfriend and soccer star Gerard Piqué and even throwing a jab at his new girlfriend, Clara Chia Marti. “I’m not getting back with you, don’t cry for me, nor beg me/ I understood that it’s not my fault that they criticize you/I only make music, sorry that it bothers you,” she chants, also saying in the lyrics, “You left me the in-laws as my neighbors, media outlets at my door and in debt/ You thought you hurt me, but you made me stronger/ Women don’t cry anymore, they cash in.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See lates...
Mr. Worldwide has made it to the Billion Views Club once again. This time, it’s the video for his inescapable 2011 club anthem “Give Me Everything,” featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer. The hit song was No. 1 on the year-end Rhythmic Songs chart in 2011 and also marked Pitbull’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, seven years after his 2004 debut “Culo” alongside Lil Jon. Pit has reached 1 billion views on YouTube three times before: with “Timber” (featuring Ke$ha), “Rain Over Me” (featuring Marc Anthony) and Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor.” “Give Me Everything” marks Ne-Yo and Afrojack’s second entry into the Billion Views Club and Nayer’s first. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The track, produced by Afrojack, boasts a number of sonic eleme...
Rauw Alejandro is officially 30 years old! On Tuesday (Jan. 10), the artist born Raúl Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz shared a sweet birthday post with a carousel of six never-before-seen photos and wrote: “Something I can tell you is that the small details are the ones that fill the heart!! Grateful because there’s health and today, there’s nothing missing. Starting the year with a lot of energy!! Crazy to see you and celebrate by singing with all of you.” The Puerto Rican artist is set to kick off his 2023 Saturno World Tour — during which he’ll be joined by renowned dance crew Jabbawockeez — this February in the Dominican Republic, followed by soon-to-be-announced dates in Puerto Rico, the United States and Canada. He will continue the trek in Mexico, Central America and Europe throug...
The Latin Alternative Music Conference, or LAMC, has set dates for both its 2023 virtual and in-person events, Billboard can exclusively announce. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The LAMC, which spotlights Spanish-language alternative music — as well as artists in rock, hip-hop, and electronic music — will return in virtual form April 26-28. Its in-person conference, which will be a five-day event, is set to take place from July 11 to 15 at the Crowne Plaza Times Square in New York City. Both the virtual and in-person events will feature panels, workshops, showcases, and networking opportunities for attendees. According to figures provided to Billboard, more than 100,000 registrants tuned in online, a...
Madrid is hosting the first UMusic Hotel, a venture that aims to become an entertainment hub in the heart of the capital of Spain. Co-created by Universal Music Group and Dakia Entertainment Hospitality Group, the hotel is located inside the historic Albéniz Theater building, just a few steps from downtown tourist sites such as Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor. The hotel opened on Nov. 14, 2022, at a 60% capacity and is now fully operating, with Antonio Banderas‘ take on the musical Company showing at the theater until Feb. 14. Next, Spanish singer-songwriter David Bisbal will take the stage for 20 days between March and April as part of the celebrations of his 20th music career anniversary. The Albéniz Theater was inaugurated in 1945 and was in operation for more than 60 ye...
We’re only three and a half months away from the 2023 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, which means this year’s headliners should be announced any day now. However, before that big reveal comes, we want to know who you think should take the main stage in Indio, Calif. this April. Frank Ocean is, obviously, the best bet for this year’s festival in the desert, considering he was originally supposed to headline the 2020 iteration along with Rage Against the Machine and Travis Scott before it was canceled by the onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic. He’s also previously been announced as one of the main acts this April, so if that holds true, two other headliners will be joining him on the lineup. Both Bad Bunny and Rihanna are also strong contenders among Billboard‘s predictions. T...
Bad Bunny kicked off 2023 defending himself on Twitter after a mishap with a fan went viral on social media. In a recent video that began circulating the Internet, the superstar Puerto Rican artist is seen walking with his group of friends and team when an excited fan approached him with her phone and began recording in selfie mode. Just seconds later, an annoyed Bunny grabbed the phone and threw it into the bushes. “You have to respect his space,” said someone from the crew. The fan encounter occurred in the Dominican Republic, where the artist spent the holidays. On Monday (Jan. 2), the “Tití Me Preguntó” singer took to Twitter to express his point of view. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “The person who comes ...