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Top 5 Latin Music Short Films of 2024 So Far: Nathy Peluso, Bizarrap & More

Plus, an honorable mention for the SoundCloud short documentary Scenes: Música Mexicana, starring Ivan Cornejo, Xavi, DannyLux & Conexión Divina.

As the global appetite for Latin music continues to swell, a wave of impactful cultural and visual storytelling in the form of short films has emerged. So far in 2024, Latin artists across multiple Spanish-language subgenres have turned to audiovisual media to effectively enhance their stories, songs and overall artistic ethos.

This phenomenon is evident in productions ranging from Bizarrap’s artificial intelligence dilemma, BZRP.ia, to the multi-faceted and theatrical presentation of Nathy Peluso’s latest album, Grasa. There is also the captivating exploration of Tijuana in Todos Los Caminos Conducen al Hipódromo Agua Caliente (All Roads Lead to the Agua Caliente Racetrack) by music producer Espectro Caudillo — who directed the film under the stage name Gallo Fortuna — where somber electronic music meets the dark mystique of the border city. These films act as windows into the artists’ world, bridging the gap between sonic expression and cinematic narrative.

Our curated selection also includes notable works by Argentine duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amorosa (Baño María), and Apple’s short film ¡Suerte! shot on iPhone 15 Pro — featuring regional Mexican prodigy Ivan Cornejo, which showcases a diverse range of approaches and visions. In addition, we give an honorable mention to SoundCloud’s short documentary, Scenes: Música Mexicana, featuring Mexican-American talents such as Xavi, DannyLux, Ivan Cornejo, and Conexión Divina.

This list aims to highlight five of the best Latin music short films we have seen so far in 2024. Check out our varied selection, and dive into each of the videos below.

Note: all these short films are under 30 minutes.

Gospel Star Kim Burrell Apologizes for ‘Hurtful’ Remarks About LGBTQ+ Community; GLAAD Responds

After making a series of homophobic remarks throughout her career, gospel singer Kim Burrell made an official apology over the weekend.

While accepting the Aretha Franklin Icon Award at the 39th annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards, Burrell offered an apology to the LGBTQ community for the “hurtful” comments she’s made over the years.

“I have, over the course of time and with much soul-searching, come to fully understand the reach and impact of my voice beyond Gospel music,” the singer explained. “There is such a care to take when you realize you’re not just preaching to the choir anymore. You’re preaching to the ones who wanted to be in the choir and were too scared to come because they didn’t understand our language. … [I] understand that some of my past words, comments, preaching have been received by the LGBTQ+ community as negative and hurtful. There’s nothing more hurtful than to think — to imagine — that you’ve said something in the name of God, and it hurt somebody.”

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The singer continued, claiming that her use of “church lingo” may have contributed to her ignorant comments. “We have a church jargon that everybody doesn’t get. And sometimes you have to say it for the people in the back. And for that, I want to apologize to the LGBTQ community. Let’s give them a great big round of applause,” she said to the audience. “We want them to have strength and to sincerely know that we must all do the work to embrace all of God’s people. Tonight, I hope this award and this moment can be the beginning of bridge-building and listening to each other as we follow peace with all men and develop the character of God, which requires seeing God.”

In a now-infamous sermon in 2017, Burrell called LGBTQ+ people “perverted” and told those living with a “homosexual spirit” that “I love you and God loves you but God hates the sin in you and me.” As a result of Burrell’s sermon, Ellen DeGeneres canceled the singer’s appearance on her talk show, saying at the time, “There’s no room for any kind of prejudice in 2017.”

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In response, Darian Aaron, the director of local news: U.S. South for LGBTQ+ advocacy organization GLAAD, published a statement calling Burrell’s apology merely “a first step” toward “accountability and healing” for the community.

“Black LGBTQ people who remain in traditional faith communities are very familiar with the anti-LGBTQ rhetoric Burrell and others have espoused throughout her career,” he wrote. “We are well-versed in the ‘lingo and jargon’ of Black church culture and a gospel music industry that benefits from our gifts but demands us to be silent about our truth. …  Burrell’s speech is evidence of a tipping point where Burrell, the Black church, and the gospel music industry can recognize and accept us all as people of faith and as worthy of Black liberation as anyone else.”

Watch a clip of Burrell’s apology below, and read the entirety of GLAAD’s response on their website.

Song of the Summer Race Heats Up: Can Shaboozey or Kendrick Lamar Unseat Post Malone & Morgan Wallen? 

The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, we take stock of the current Song of the Summer race, which is tighter this year than the past few, thanks to sparring smashes between Post Malone & Morgan Wallen, Shaboozey, Kendrick Lamar and Sabrina Carpenter

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Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen, “I Had Some Help” (Mercury/Big Loud/Republic): A couple months ago, it seemed like a pretty safe bet that Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” would reign all season on Billboard’s Songs of the Summer chart. The song blasted to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 immediately upon its May release – zooming past an unusually stacked array of major hits in the top 10 at the time — with staggeringly big numbers across the board. As radio airplay picked up for it at a blinding pace and its sales and streaming numbers stayed strong, it looked like it might follow the path of Wallen’s 2023 smash, “Last Night,” which both started and ended the season atop the Songs of the Summer chart, while reigning for four total months on the Hot 100.  

And in truth, it still very well might. “I Had Some Help” has ruled the Songs of the Summer chart for all eight weeks of the list’s 2024 existence thus far, and has topped the Hot 100 for six frames, as well. Its numbers remain strong in all areas: On this week’s charts (dated July 27), it remains in the top five on Radio Songs (No. 1, its fourth week atop the chart) Streaming Songs (No. 3) and Digital Song Sales (No. 4). It’s still gaining on the airwaves, and should get an extra late-summer boost when Posty releases his long-anticipated full country album, F-1 Trillion (due Aug. 16).  

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But “I Had Some Help” has had some competition. After towering over the rest of the Hot 100 for its first five weeks of release, “Help” briefly ceded the crown to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Please Please Please.” Then after recapturing it the next week, “Help” again let the title slip the following frame — and in the two weeks since, it’s yet to reclaim it, as Shaboozey and Kendrick Lamar have taken turns trading off the top spot.   

Which is hardly to say that “Help” has fallen off dramatically or unexpectedly: It’s naturally experiencing a slow decrease in streams and sales, but it’s also still No. 2 on this week’s Hot 100, and very much still a threat to jump back up to No. 1 any time the competition sags for a week or two. However, its chances of matching or even nearing the 16 weeks (!!) “Last Night” spent atop the Hot 100 last year are growing slim — and while it remains the clear Song of the Summer frontrunner, it also remains vulnerable in the race if any of the songs beneath it experience another power surge.  

Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/EMPIRE/Magnolia Music): Though it initially seemed like it would be scrapping with Tommy Richman’s “Million Dollar Baby” on the undercard for this summer’s title fight, Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” has elbowed its way into the main event. With consistently impressive streaming numbers and downright stunning sales since its April release, radio was the final piece of the puzzle for “A Bar Song” — and it has delivered on that front, attracting airplay from a historic array of radio formats, and climbing all the way to No. 2 on Radio Songs so far, behind “Help.” Like that song, “Bar Song” ranks in the top five on each of the Hot 100’s three component charts this week — and actually tops “Help” with its No. 2 placement on both Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales.  

More crucially, “Bar Song” also tops “Help” on the Hot 100 this week — its second frame atop the chart. That’s still four behind Post and Morgan, of course, so “Bar Song” has plenty of catching up to do if it wants to really challenge “Help.” But it helps that “Bar Song” has also been in the fight since the very beginning of this SotS season — debuting at No. 4 on Songs of the Summer and working its way up to No. 2 by the end of June — so if it continues growing on radio as it has so far and “Help” starts to recede a little, or if it gets a momentum-boosting remix or new video, there’s certainly a chance that “Bar Song” could steal this race yet.  

Kendrick Lamar, “Not Like Us” (pgLang/Interscope/ICLG): Pre-”I Had Some Help,” it looked like “Not Like Us” was going to be the song to beat this summer. It debuted atop the (already very crowded) Hot 100 with an incomplete first week of tracking, thanks to otherworldly levels of excitement around it as the knockout punch in the increasingly fevered back-and-forth between Kendrick Lamar and rival-to-the-north Drake. “I Had Some Help” quite impressively managed to lap it the very next week, and as interest in the beef died down (and radio understandably was slower to pick up the virulent missive than the cartoonishly crossover-friendly “Help”), it seemed like “Not Like Us” would bow out of the Song of the Summer race before it even really began.  

But as the hip-hop and pop worlds should’ve learned from his bout with Drake in the first place, you can never count out Kung Fu Kenny. Lamar’s new signature smash was doubly adrenalized by his much-publicized, nationally-streamed Juneteenth concert spectacular The Pop Out, and then by the song’s official music video, which dropped on July 4. Following the boost from the latter, “Not Like Us” even reclaimed the Hot 100’s top spot for the first time in two months. It’s back down to No. 3 on this week’s listing, and may have finally run out of extra lives, but we’re twice bitten, three times shy there — especially since it’s up 6% in airplay this week, according to Luminate, and at No. 9 on Radio Songs, and we still haven’t gotten any kind of official remix for the song.  

Sabrina Carpenter, “Espresso” & “Please Please Please” (Island/Republic): If you could somehow merge the popularity and momentum from Sabrina Carpenter’s two summer singles so far, you’d undoubtedly have yourself the song of the season: “Espresso” and “Please Please Please” both reached the Hot 100’s top five (the latter marking her first leader), and have been fixtures of the Songs of the Summer’s top 10, with Carpenter the only artist with multiple entries in the 20-position seasonal chart’s top half this week. With Carpenter’s new album due the week after Post Malone’s in August, her two four-quadrant smashes will undoubtedly receive a sizeable bump. But if she wants to challenge for the SotS No. 1 spot with either song, she won’t be able to wait around for that — neither is higher than No. 5 on the chart this week, and Billboard’s summer season officially ends following the chart dated Sept. 7.  

Snoop Dogg’s Picks for a Dream Team If Rapping Were an Olympic Sport | Billboard News

Snoop Dogg shares his picks for his dream team if rapping were an Olympic sport. Who do you think should be on the dream team?

Tetris Kelly:
Snoop Dogg has become an Olympic staple, but if rapping were an Olympic sport, who would be on his team? Snoop talked to Billboard ahead of the Paris Olympics and chose three other rappers to join his hypothetical gold winning group.

He said he’d definitely take Billboard 200 topper Eminem, saying, “Gotta have that global experience. And I would definitely take Rakim. Old school.” And for his final pick, he said, “I would go grab a female. I’d go grab Queen Latifah. Just so that way, I got some royalty.”

Snoop will join NBC’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics as a host of Primetime In Paris, but it’s not his only Olympic duty. He’ll walk through the streets of Paris as a torchbearer. He said of the opportunity, “I look at it as a prestigious honor. I would’ve never truly dreamed of something like this. I’ma be on my best behavior. I’ma be on my best athleticism.”

Nickelback Hilariously Defends ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ From Hate & Ryan Reynolds Loves It

Canadians have each others’ backs!

Nickelback shared a video on Tuesday (July 23) defending the upcoming Deadpool & Wolverine film from any hate. In the clip, all four members of the band rock Deadpool and Wolverine masks, though they soon decide that the costumes are too itchy and unmask themselves.

“We’re Nickelback, experts in navigating irrational hate in the face of tremendous success,” the band’s frontman Chad Kroeger tells the camera. “We have an important preemptive message for anyone thinking of criticizing the film Deadpool & Wolverine or Ryan Reynolds.”

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Kroeger then begins listing off the film franchise’s list of accomplishments, including that the first two Deadpool films grossed more than $1.5 billion at the box office, and accolades including two Critics Choice Awards, four MTV Movie & TV Awards, one GLAAD Award, a People’s Choice Award, two Teen Choice Awards and many more.

“As for Mr. Ryan Reynolds, just look at this photograph,” Kroeger adds, before the screen flashes to a photo of the Deadpool star as Nickelback’s 2005 hit “Photograph” begins to play. “That is a beautiful Canadian man right there.”

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Upon seeing the clip, Reynolds was overjoyed. “My god. I love those guys,” he said in response.

Nickelback’s video was a hilarious parody of a 2018 Once Upon a Deadpool teaser, in which Reynolds’ Deadpool vehemently defends the rock band after someone likened the Marvel franchise to “if the Beatles were produced by Nickelback. It’s music, but it sucks.”

“I’ve had it with all this Nickelback hating. You think that makes you cool with the cool kids in school?” Deadpool angrily says in response, before listing off Nickelback’s array of accomplishments, including selling 50 million albums worldwide, and an array of nominations and awards.

Watch the original video below. Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on Friday (July 26).



Celebrate National Tequila Day With Becky G’s Favorite Coco for Coconuts Cocktail: Here’s How to Make It

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It’s National Tequila Day! Get ready to celebrate cocktail time with Becky G. Tequila can be enjoyed in different ways: straight from the bottle, chilled or mixed into a refreshing cocktail. It’s a great day to discover what you like best and enjoy a fun, flavorful and refreshing drink.

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To celebrate, join Becky G as she guides you in making her favorite Coco for Coconuts cocktail. “My Coco for Coconuts cocktail is delicious and easy to make no matter where you’re spending your summer days,” she tells Billboard. All you need to do is simply combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Strain the mixture, serve it over ice and finish with a Tajín rim and cucumber garnish.

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If you have been busy this summer, making this cocktail is a great way to unwind. This refreshing summer beverage is one you can enjoy by the pool or at your next outdoor gathering. “It’s been a busy summer, but I love kicking back with a refreshing cocktail,” the “Mercedes” singer adds.



For those who want to recreate the singer’s go-to cocktail for the summer, here’s a list of her ingredients: lots of ice, Vita Coco Coconut, Patrón Silver, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, cucumber slices, and Tajín for the rim.

Target

Patrón Silver 1.5 oz Tequila

$20.99

$24.99

16% off

$55.19

$33.99

Target

Vita Coco Original Coconut Water

$3.29

$24.99

Amazon

Fresh Lime

Amazon

Collins Simple Syrup, Classic Simple Syrup, Real Sugar Cocktail Syrups, Soda Water Flavors, Cocktail Mixers, 32 Ounces, Set of 1

Amazon

Amazon Fresh Brand, Mini Cucumbers, 16 Oz

If you are looking for cocktail glasses, check out the options at Target, Walmart or Amazon.

For more product recommendations, check out these Grammys-inspired cocktails, alternative cocktail drinks and Snoop Dogg & Dr. Dre’s gin and juice cocktails.

Elevation Worship, Transformation Worship Debut Atop Billboard’s Faith-Based Album Charts

Elevation Worship scores its eighth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart as its latest LP, When Wind Meets Fire, ignites atop the tally dated July 27.

Released July 12, the set earned 8,000 equivalent album units in the United States through July 18, according to Luminate. It was recorded live over two nights, in May 2023 and March 2024, at Elevation Church in Charlotte, N.C.

“We’re so grateful and honored to have this new album hit No. 1,” the act’s frontman, Chris Brown, tells Billboard. “Our hope is that these songs will continue helping people encounter God’s presence just like they have for our church over the past year.”

Elevation Worship adds its eighth Top Christian Albums leader and first since Can You Imagine?, which started in the penthouse in June 2023. It most recently led before that in May 2021 with its collaboration with Maverick City Music, Old Church Basement. The collective earned its first No. 1 in March 2013 with Nothing Is Wasted.

Dating from its first leader, Elevation Worship boasts the most Top Christian Albums No. 1s. Lecrae and Passion follow with six each in that span, with Bethel Music, MercyMe, NEEDTOBREATHE and Chris Tomlin tied with five leaders each.

‘Dominion’ Dominates

Transformation Worship achieves its second No. 1 on Top Gospel Albums in as many appearances as Dominion opens atop the survey. The seven-song set earned 5,000 units in its opening week. It also debuts in the runner-up spot on Top Christian Albums.

The Tulsa, Okla.-based group broke through with Overflow: The Album, which opened at Nos. 1 and 2 on Top Gospel Albums and Top Christian Albums, respectively, just less than two months ago.

Transformation Worship launched at Tulsa’s same-named church by lead pastor Michael Todd.

All Billy Joel’s Guests and Milestones During His Record-Breaking Madison Square Garden Residency

His choices of onstage friends and cover versions made his decade-long MSG run a celebration of pop music history.

Billy Joel, the legendary singer-songwriter who is concluding his decade-long residency at Madison Square Garden Thursday (July 25), has a lot of friends — in addition to the nearly two million ticket-buying fans who have flocked to his repeat performances at the Manhattan arena he’s called home since 2014.

And through the course of his record-setting run at the Garden, Joel has welcomed many of his fellow artists — and family members, including daughters Alexa Ray Joel and Della Rose Joel — onstage for choice songs and unforgettable moments. The staggering list of big-name guests he’s invited to join the MSG stage with him over the past 10 years includes such legends as Sting, John Mellencamp, Elvis Costello, Tony Bennett, Paul Simon and John Fogerty, along with more 21st century hitmakers like John Mayer, Miley Cyrus, Gavin DeGraw and even Olivia Rodrigo.

Collectively, these famous buds and music luminaries have helped Joel host an ongoing celebration of his decades of success within pop and rock — one that’s lasted a decade in its own right by this point. In the meantime, he’s also managed to rack up an impressive number of milestones as one of the most esteemed and popular live performers of his era, particularly in conjunction with the Manhattan venue familiarly known as The World’s Most Famous Arena.

Here’s a look at all Joel’s guests and milestones during his MSG residency, organized by date — from the beginning of his run all the way back in January 2014, right up to the final show tomorrow night.

Target’s $30 Mule Flats Look Practically Identical to a Coveted $950 Designer Pair

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Just like Chuck Taylors for sneakers, flats of all shapes and forms seem to never go out of style. Mule flats specifically have been on an upward trend for awhile now, with fashion market data from Research Reports World predicting the elegant footwear will “remain favorable through 2032.” The most coveted design seems to be Gucci’s Princetown Leather Slipper, which celebrities including Vanessa Hudgens, Lucy Hale and even Jennifer Aniston have previously been spotted wearing.

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Gucci’s luxuriously smooth leather mules come with shimmering gold accents in addition to a $950 price tag. If you still want to hop on the trend, but aren’t ready to shell out almost $1,000 for the chic pair, Target has a pair of practically identical mule flats that reviewers are calling “sleek” and they’re only $30.

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Keep reading to shop the Gucci mule flat dupes below.

A New Day Sandy Mule Flats

Mule flats like this pair from Target are essential shoes to add to your rotation as they work with a variety of outfits from professional, business casual or if you want to add an Italian-chic vibe to your look. The slip-on design makes it simple to quickly throw on a pair of shoes that’ll instantly give you a sophisticated, put-together appearance no matter your outfit or occasion.

When you slide these Target mules onto your feet, you’ll notice the footbed has a memory foam cushion for added comfort as well as a medium width that’ll let your feet spread without feeling constricted.

Besides showing off an elevated construction, the mules are reviewer-loved, with shoppers claiming the fit is “great for wide feet” while the design is a “good lookalike for higher-end mules” since the shoes “look so much more expensive than they are.”

Compared to the original Gucci Princetown mules below, you can see the two dress shoes look almost indistinguishable, allowing you to save some major cash while showing of the elevated footwear.

Gucci Women’s Princetown Leather Slipper

Gucci’s flat mules were designed in Italy using a complete leather upper and interior. The top comes with a golden horseshoe bit for a touch of glimmering chicness. The brand recommends sizing up as the style tends to run small.

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboards roundups of the best platform sandals, cowboy boots and jelly shoes.

Get an Early Look at Latto’s Portrait from Spotify’s Upcoming ‘The Gold Standard’ Exhibition

Spotify is presenting The Gold Standard art exhibition next week to celebrate women in hip-hop, and Billboard is sharing an exclusive look at Latto‘s portrait Wednesday (July 24).

Fine artist Manon Biernacki illustrated larger-than-life portraits of some of the biggest female rappers today, including Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, City Girls, Saweetie, Sexyy Red, Ice Spice, GloRilla and Flo Milli.

“We’re in the midst of a golden age of women in hip-hop. We’ve never seen this many impactful female rappers at the same time, so we wanted to acknowledge the moment with The Gold Standard,” said Carl Chery, head of urban music and creative director at Spotify, in a statement. “The exhibition is an extension of our Feelin’ Myself playlist, where the team worked closely with artist Manon Biernacki to reimagine Renaissance-style portraits for the women who helped define this golden age. We’re looking to create more moments that celebrate and continue Spotify’s support of the growing number of female rappers in the future.”

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Spotify’s The Gold Standard exhibition will take place at The Hole at 312 Bowery in New York next Wednesday, July 31 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-serve basis.

“This whole female wave right now, we’re going to look back and be like, ‘2024, it was 10 female rappers performing!’ The female rap category went from three names to like nine. I love that,” Latto said in her recent Billboard cover story.

Check out Latto’s official portrait below:

LATTO

LATTO

Manon Biernacki