djfrosty

27 Mar 2024

Ramy Youssef Desperately Wants to Be a History-Making Host in New ‘SNL’ Promo

Ramy Youssef is gearing up to host Saturday Night Live for the first time this weekend (March 30) and the comedian was really, really, really hoping to be a history-making host in his hilarious new promo.

See latest videos, charts and news

“I’m honored to be the first Arab host of Saturday Night Live,” he says in the clip, to which cast member Kenan Thompson noted is not the case.

However, Youssef was determined, declaring that he is the first-ever Egyptian host and even the first-ever Egyptian host named Ramy — though Thompson reminded him that actor Ramy Malek also has hosted the show.

“Being first is dumb anyway. It doesn’t matter who’s first. It just matters that there’s room for all of us, right? That’s what diversity is,” Youssef inspirationally noted, before ultimately concluding that he’s the first-ever Egyptian host named Ramy from New Jersey.

Trending on Billboard

Watch the promo below, Saturday Night Live with Youssef as the host and Travis Scott as the musical guest on Saturday (March 30) at 11:30 ET on NBC, before the episode begins streaming on Peacock.

27 Mar 2024

Paul McCartney’s Original, Handwritten ‘Lovely Rita’ Lyrics Are Headed to An Iconic NYC Book Fair

If you’re a fan of the Beatles (and who isn’t?) and have well over half-a-million dollars to spare (who doesn’t?!) you may want to grab a ticket to ride to the ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, which returns to Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory from April 4-7.

See latest videos, charts and news

The 64th edition of this celebrated book fair boasts a rare piece of Beatles memorabilia that is up for sale: Paul McCartney’s handwritten rough draft of the Beatles classic “Lovely Rita” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, one of the most acclaimed and influential rock albums of all time. On a piece of paper, torn from a spiral notebook, you can check out McCartney’s first go at the lyrics in black ink, as well as Macca’s later revisions in blue ink (he changed “writing all the numbers in her little black book” to “filling in a ticket with her little blue pen,” neither of which made it to the final product). Biblioctopus Rare Books brings the item to the fair with an asking price of $650,000. (And you thought renting a cottage on the Isle of Wight was too dear.)

That piece of Beatles history is far from the only bit of music memorabilia available for viewing (and purchase) at the book fair. Royal Books, Inc., is selling three alternate artwork proof designs for the Pixies’ 1989 cult classic Doolittle, designed by Vaughan Oliver with photography by Simon Larbalestier. Elsewhere at the fair, B&B Rare Books is set to host a collection of vintage Nirvana posters and flyers, including one from Dec. 1988, as well as an MTV guest book from the late ‘90s, signed by everyone from *NSYNC to TLC to Foo Fighters. And Schubertiade “B” Dry Goods has everything from a Bob Dylan paper dress from the ‘60s to a Nat “King” Cole Trio bowtie rack to a tank top signed by Miles Davis (the shirt is, in fact, a Kind of Blue).

Trending on Billboard

And if you’re a Beatles fanatic who can’t quite cover the “Lovely Rita” asking price, you can also check out an original artwork by Dutch art collective The Fool (Marijke Koger and Simon Posthuma) that the Beatles commissioned for Sgt. Pepper’s. The piece, available from Voewood Rare Books, is signed by Ringo Starr as “Billy S” (Billy Shears, his fictional Pepper persona).

Details about the ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair can be found here.

27 Mar 2024

Gwen Stefani’s GXVE Beauty Debuts $50 Festival Bundle With Makeup Must-Haves for Coachella: Shop It Here

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Gwen Stefani wants to make sure you’re ready for Coachella. The pop star’s GXVE Beauty released a makeup bundle filled with festival must-haves on Wednesday (March 27).

The makeup bundle is valued at $113, but you can get it for just $50, while supplies last. The bundle features four products packed in a hot-pink makeup bag: Line It Up 24-Hour Gel Eyeliner in the shade bathwater, Eye See in Sparkle glitter eyeshadow in the shade twinkle, a travel-size Can’t Stop Staring Mascara, and I’m Still Here Liquid Lipstick in Stefani’s signature fire-engine red.

Trending on Billboard

Use the code: FESTIVAL or COACHELLA to redeem the discount. The limited-edition bundle includes a red bandana, which will come in handy if you’re hitting up outdoor music festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach.

GXVE’s Festival Bundle will be available from March 27 until April 21, or while supplies last.

Stefani is slated to take the stage for Coachella 2024 for a reunion performance with her No Doubt bandmates Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young.

“It just happened so fast, and that’s my favorite kind of thing to happen. We haven’t really figured out the next steps of how we’re going to do this, but we’re just all so excited,“ Stefani told People in January of reuniting with the band. “And I think really just watching the internet blow up [with] how excited that the fans are? It’s inspiring us.”

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival returns to Indio, Calif., on April 12-14 and April 19-21.

Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, Doja Cat and No Doubt are set to headline the annual music festival, which will also feature performances from Peso Pluma, Lil Uzi Vert, Ice Spice, Tinashe, Skepta, J Balvin, Jhené Aiko, Justice, Victoria Monét, Sabrina Carpenter, Coi Leray, Reneé Rapp, Bebe Rexha, Tems, Bizarrap, LE SSERAFIM, Deftones, ATEEZ, Young Miko, Grimes, Jon Batiste, Carin León, John Summit, DJ Snake, LUDMILLA and other acts.

27 Mar 2024

Charitable Organization Belonging To Will Smith and Jada Pinkett To Close Due To Donations Drying Up Following Oscars Slap

HipHopWired Featured Video

Will & Pinkett Smith's Foundation To Close After Donations Dry Up

Source: Variety / Getty / Will Smith / Jada Pinkett

A new report reveals that the Oscars slapping incident was extremely detrimental to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith’s philanthropic endeavors and sheds light on how donation money was handled.

Variety exclusively reports that the Will And Jada Smith Family Foundation will shut down after donations began drying up following Will Smith slapping the taste out of Chris Rock’s mouth for not KEEPING HIS wife’s NAME OUT OF HIS MOUTH.

Per Variety:

According to tax records from the Will And Jada Smith Family Foundation reviewed by Variety (via ProPublica), the foundation’s revenue dropped from $1,760,000 in 2020 and $2,138,660 in 2021 to $365,870 in 2022. The year-over-year drop of 83% included the departure of contributors such as American Airlines, which donated $76,160 in 2021, and CAA, which contributed $100,000 in 2021.

The website also reports the charitable organization that focuses on matters the couple cares deeply about, like health and wellness, arts education, and sustainability, gave large sums of money to two organizations, Rebecoming and World Rebirth Foundation. that didn’t do a damn thing with the money they received.

The Will and Jada Smith Foundation gave $15,000 to Rebecoming in 2022, an organization “dedicated to understanding and unlocking the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness through clinical research into the mechanism-of-action behind trauma release.”

When Variety did more digging on Rebecoming, they learned the organization’s website had not been updated since 2020 and continued to file tax paperwork through 2022.

World Rebirth Foundation Inc. received $10,000 from the Smiths in 2022. Variety reports the organization’s website is not live, and the last update on the Facebook page happened in 2023 while adding the organization’s mission statement is full of typos.

Bruh.

The Foundation’s Troubling Spending

Variety also touches on the Will and Jada Smith Foundation’s 2022 expenditures, which included office equipment and computers plus an eyebrow-raising $3,304 in “bank overdrawn” fees.

As of 2023, there are no more paid employees at the foundation, which began cutting back on staff in 2021, signaling the Smiths to move away from the organization.

Despite the Smith’s philanthropic failures, Will Smith is still one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors, making $25 million per project, which includes Bad Boys: Ride or Die and his upcoming Netflix project Fast and Loose.

27 Mar 2024

Nova Music Festival Exhibit Coming to NYC Following Tragedy at Israeli Event

It’s been six months since the devastating terrorist attack at Nova Music Festival in October 2023, where Hamas militants invaded the event at sunrise, killing 370 people from the concert and holding 44 people hostage at the electronic dance music festival celebrating the Jewish holiday Simchat Torah.

See latest videos, charts and news

Since then, thousands of Israeli and Palestinian people have been killed as the violence and conflict continues, despite pleas for a ceasefire in Gaza. To remember those who have lost their lives at the festival and beyond, the Nova Music Festival founders are teaming up with creative director Reut Feingold to bring a remembrance installation to New York City this spring.

The exhibition, titled The Nova Music Festival Exhibition: October 7th 06:29AM, first premiered in Tel Aviv for 10 weeks and will be open to the public in NYC in April, with the exact date and location to be announced in the coming weeks.

The installation includes remains salvaged from the festival grounds, including scorched cars, bullet-riddled bathroom stalls and personal belongings all left behind. Nova survivors of the brutal attack will be also attending the exhibition, per a press release. There will additionally be a healing tent, a lighthouse with the declaration, “We will dance again.”

Donations from the exhibition will go to the Nova Healing Journey, an initiative that supports mental health treatment for victims and families of the October 7 massacre.

The Nova founders include Omri Sassi, Yoni Feingold, Ofir Amir and Yagil Rimoni, and the United States partners for the exhibition include Scooter Braun, Joe Teplow and Josh Kadden.

27 Mar 2024

How ‘Latin’ & Spanish Artists Can Conquer the Charts on Both Sides of the Atlantic

Back in the 1980s and even the 1990s, Spanish artists like Raphael, Julio Iglesias and Camilo Sesto were hugely popular both in Latin America and among U.S. Latin audiences — a situation replicated in the 1990s and 2000s by the likes of global superstars like Mecano and Alejandro Sanz, both of whom hailed from Spain.

The advent of reggaetón in the early 2000s changed that, as a new, youth-oriented urban movement in Latin America took over Spanish music charts around the world and the term “Latin” rose to encompass music made in Spanish.

Following the advent of streaming, an influx of immigrants from multiple countries and the pandemic, “Latin” artists gained an even bigger stronghold in Spain, and now, acts like Bad Bunny and Karol G dominate that country’s chart. At the same time, a retro-pollination is happening in real-time, with Spanish acts increasingly collaborating with their Latin counterparts to create a new world of cross-cultural, collaborative hits. Witness Argentine DJ Bizarrap’s sensational “Session” with Spanish rapper Quevedo, which topped the Billboard Global Excl. US chart.

This crossover on both sides of the Atlantic was the topic of the opening panel at Billboard’s first-ever Spanish Language Music Summit, which took place in Madrid on March 19, presented by la Comunidad de Madrid. Superstar managers Walter Kolm (Maluma, Carlos Vives), Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas (Camilo, Rels B), Fede Lauria (who owns Dale Play Records and also manages Bizarrap and Nicki Nicole), Rosa Lagarrigue (Rozalén, Raphael) and Sony U.S. Latin president Alex Gallardo candidly discussed the challenges and opportunities currently facing artists both in Spain and in Latin America.

Here are five takeaways from the conversation. You can also watch the full panel here.

Spaniards and ‘Latins’ Have Found Common Ground

“Today, Spain has accepted being seen as part of the Latin movement, and the Latin movement has accepted being seen as part of the Spanish movement,” said Ferradas, citing collabs like the one between Bizarrap and Quevedo. Years ago, added Ferradas, who has long worked between Spain, the United States and Latin America, the word “Latin” in terms of music didn’t have the positive connotation it has now among Spaniards. “The pandemic allowed people to really listen, and it opened ears and doors.” For Ferrada’s client Camilo, collaborating with Spanish stars Dani Martín and Pablo Alborán opened the doors to his vast acceptance in Spain, where he now sells out arenas.
Conquering the World Without Leaving Your Country Is Tough

Spanish artists sometimes aren’t willing to make the sacrifices needed to “conquer the world,” said Kolm, who manages Maluma, Vives, Wisin and Emilia, among others, via his WK Entertainment. “Look at the Colombians: Vives, Maluma, Camilo, Shakira, Karol G, Fed,” he said. “They made a decision to conquer the world, and that takes commitment. Conquering the world without leaving your country is tough.”

“You need to have desire and a spirit of sacrifice,” added Lagarrigue, who, from her home base in Spain, has managed superstars like Sanz and Mecano in the past. “You have to move, travel, work a lot and get to know the other markets without losing your identity.”
There Is No Single Path

“I identify with how each artist decides to develop his or her career,” said Lauria, noting that an artist like Argentine rapper Duki is playing a stadium in Spain this summer and is only now beginning to play arenas in the United States. “The industry may not always see it, but there’s a young fan that’s engaging strongly in other ways.” Plus, added Ferradas, different cultures embrace different music. When reggaetón came to the forefront, “Youth culture in Spain, Argentina and Mexico responded with their own cultural answer of what they were living in their own countries. Exporting that takes more time.”
Success in the U.S. Is More Important for Some Artists Than Others

There was no clear consensus on how important the U.S. market is to global success. While Lauria has worked his artists first in their local markets, and then in places like Spain and Mexico, Kolm is a big proponent of U.S. success in the global journey. “The U.S. market may not be as profitable unless you sell a lot of tickets, but it’s a major window,” he said. “It’s where the most important award shows take place and it reflects what people are consuming. You have to work it. We did it 10 years ago with Maluma, when he moved to the U.S., and now we’re doing it with Emilia. Things move very quickly in pop and competition is fierce. You have to be ready.”
You Need a Plan

It sounds obvious, but it’s worth repeating. “There needs to be a strategy,” said Gallardo, noting that in the physical album days, there was a threshold of 100,000 albums that had to be sold before an artist could be exported. Streaming has, of course, changed that. But still, “If a Spanish artist wants to break in America, what does that mean? It’s a giant continent. You need to build a plan and start small where you already have a fan base, whether it’s Argentina or Mexico.” Gallardo, like Kolm, cited Emilia as an example. Originally signed to Sony when she was a brand-new solo artist living in Miami, she moved back to Argentina to build her fan base there. “And now, she sold out 10 Movistar Arenas in Buenos Aires,” and is breaking in the United States, he noted.

27 Mar 2024

First-Ever ‘Succession’ Funko Pop! Figures Let You Bring the Roy Family Home

HBO’s Succession dominated television with funny one-liners, high-stakes drama and a series of unforgettable musical moments. While the dramedy officially came to an end in May 2023 — though the show is still available to stream on Max — Funko is memorializing the iconic program with Succession Pops! The new collection is set to be released on April 1, but Amazon and Funko.com have opened preorders to ensure every legendary member of the Roy family is in your possession.

See latest videos, charts and news

The toy brand is gearing up for major releases including artists and musician Funko Pops! like exclusive Avril Lavigne figurines slated to drop later this year. Now, the hit drama series will get its first-ever collection made up of some of the most iconic Roy members including Logan, Shiv, Roman, Greg and Kendall.

Trending on Billboard

Fans can now watch each character compete for the center of your display shelf or you can give it can make the perfect gender-neutral gift for the Succession lover in your life. Prices for each Funko Pop! start at $12, but some characters have already risen up to $15 on Amazon due to popularity.

Keep reading to stock up on the Succession Funko Pops! below.

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Kendall Roy

Kendall Roy’s Funko Pop! comes complete with a furrowed brow and a figurine that stands a 3.88 inches tall. For an outfit, you can admire his chain necklace paired with a vest, jacket, neon green top and tennis sneakers.

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Roman Roy

Roman’s figurine comes with his classic beard as he nonchalantly holds a glass in his hand. Just like his onscreen character, the collectable also dons a sharp crisp outfit featuring a button-down and trousers.

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Shiv Roy

Shiv fans can take home her Funko Pop! that comes complete with her standard arms crossed stance and a power suit to go with it. The figurine also comes in a collectable box that you can choose to keep it inside or take it out to display.

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Greg Hirsch

Even cousin Greg has worked his way up to a Funko Pop! of his own complete with a notebook and smartphone in hand. He’s also dressed in a suit and standing ready to write down exactly what you need from him.

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Logan Roy

Logan Roy’s Funko Pop! exudes power with his statement disgruntled face and a copy of his own book in hand. His character also comes decked out in his iconic navy blue sweater with matching pants.

These are the first and only five characters available for preorder and purchase, but it’s not uncommon for Funko to expand collections with more characters — especially for TV shows and series with large fan bases.

For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best coffee table books, board games for adults and dorm essentials.

27 Mar 2024

Live Nation Adds to New York Portfolio With Opening of ‘Beautiful Masterpiece’ Brooklyn Paramount Venue

The Brooklyn Paramount, Live Nation‘s new 2,700-capacity venue in downtown Brooklyn, opens its doors Wednesday (March 27) with its first show: A headlining performance by Damian and Stephen Marley.

The concert kicks off an inaugural season at the venue that will bring artists including PinkPantheress, Oneohtrix Point Never, Waxahatchee, Norah Jones and Sting to its stage in the coming months.

For Live Nation, Brooklyn Paramount fills a gap in the New York market between the promoter’s two 1,100-capacity clubs, Manhattan’s Irving Plaza and Brooklyn’s Warsaw, and its 3,500-capacity outdoor venue, The Rooftop at Pier 17.

Trending on Billboard

“It was my journey for the last 10 years, finding this exact capacity within our pipeline of venues in New York City, because it was the one that we were missing,” says Stacie George, senior vp of Live Nation Northeast. “Now we have a home for artists in between those two stages [of development].”

The addition of Brooklyn Paramount to Live Nation’s portfolio allows the promoter to better compete with AEG and its regional affiliate The Bowery Presents, which operates three venues across the city — Webster Hall, Brooklyn Steel and Terminal 5 — that range in capacity from 1,500 to 3,000, as well as Madison Square Garden Entertainment’s Beacon Theatre (2,900 capacity). And, taken in conjunction with Live Nation’s Manhattan clubs Mercury Lounge and Bowery Ballroom, which hold about 250 and 600, respectively, Brooklyn Paramount now creates a clear path for an artist in Live Nation’s ecosystem from small rooms all the way up to the 5,000-capacity Central Park Summerstage, with which the promoter inked an exclusive booking partnership in late 2022.

“We want an artist, manager, agent to feel that we invest in their artist all the way from the beginning,” George says. “We want to grow with your artists and continue to give them amazing venues to play at. Your hope is always that you retain that relationship and that history.”

That doesn’t only apply to artists “on their way up” to the arena level but “on their way down”: “We want to be with them across their full journey and long musical career,” George says.

Brooklyn Paramount’s new chapter is just the latest in its rich, nearly century-long history. First opened in 1928, the venue hosted seminal artists including Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino and Buddy Holly throughout the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Long Island University (LIU) purchased the space in 1954 and, shortly after, converted it to a gymnasium. Nearly a decade ago, LIU began working to renovate the dormant theater; the venue’s re-opening is the culmination of a five-year planning, design and construction process by Live Nation.

For George, one of Brooklyn Paramount’s strongest assets is its location, which is immediately accessible by several subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road. And she expects the venue’s fusion of old Brooklyn history — its Rococo ceiling is among the many design details the renovation preserved — and modern amenities to attract fans and artists alike. For the former, the venue offers multiple high-end cocktail bars and a VIP balcony and lounge (Ella’s, taking its name from Fitzgerald). For the latter, Brooklyn Paramount provides spacious artist accommodations with showers, a workout space and even a game room with Pac-Man and a pinball machine.

From a production standpoint, the theater has parking space for three buses. “In New York, that’s a luxury,” George says with a laugh. “Half the time the buses have to drive to, like, New Jersey to park at a Walmart, because they can’t park in front of the venue.”

In terms of booking, Brooklyn Paramount plans to continue to program a spectrum of genres in keeping with its initial calendar and to satisfy the diverse clientele it’s courting. While the venue was designed primarily as an all-general-admission space, some shows, like the multi-night runs by Jones and Sting, will be seated. Brooklyn Paramount has already announced more than 60 shows through October, and George says it has locked in an additional 50 that have yet to be unveiled.

Several hundred guests received a first look at the venue — “this beautiful masterpiece,” as George puts it — on Tuesday night at its re-opening preview party, with live music including a DJ set by St. Vincent in Ella’s. “Seeing people walk in and just have that ‘wow’ moment — that’s exciting,” George says.

27 Mar 2024

Latin Grammy Awards Add New Categories for Regional Mexican and Electronic Music

In a bid to stay attuned to an ever-evolving musical landscape, the Latin Recording Academy has announced two new categories: best contemporary Mexican music album and best Latin electronic music performance.

After criticism arose in 2023 for a lack of representation for regional Mexican artists, especially within the top four categories, the Latin Academy is now paving a way for better recognition of the música Mexicana scene. The newly introduced best contemporary Mexican music album category will spotlight Spanish vocal or instrumental albums, requiring at least 51% new material while maintaining at least 60% of the essence of Mexican music genres.

Simultaneously, the Latin Recording Academy is embracing a new field of electronic music, introducing the category for best Latin electronic music performance. Songs apply, whether vocal or instrumental, that contain a minimum of 51% playing time of Latin electronic music genres, including remixes.

Trending on Billboard

In addition to these new categories, several amendments to existing categories have also been made. These include a name change for the best MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) / MAPB (Música Afro Portuguesa-Brasileira) album category (adding the second acronym) in the Portuguese language field; and a definition amendment for the best singer-songwriter song category in the singer-songwriter field (for songs that contain at least 60% of the lyrics in Spanish, Portuguese or any native regional dialect; before that percentage was 51%).

There’s also new eligibility criteria for the best long form music video category in the music video field. “Eligible videos in best long form music category consist of at least 12 minutes of duration (reduced from 20 minutes),” the press release notes.

These updates are effective immediately and will be reflected in the upcoming 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards taking place in November. For more info visit the Latin Grammys’ website .

27 Mar 2024

On the Radar Latin: Greyvi, Irepelusa & More Artists to Discover

Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.

See latest videos, charts and news

Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a wave of emerging artists, who we discovered by scrolling on social media, networking, or coming across their music at a showcase, for example. See our March 2024 — in honor of Women’s History Month — recommendations below.

Artist: Alé Araya

Trending on Billboard

Country: U.S. (of Chilean descent)

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Whether embodying a fairy-like figure in music videos (see below) or channeling the essence of a mythical forest creature, as depicted in her vinyl artwork for in visions, Alé Araya stands out with her captivating imagery. However, it’s her music that truly enchants. As a singer-songwriter and producer, her compositions exude R&B sensuality infused with atmospheric yet jittery productions, reminiscent of artists like Kali Uchis, Ibeyi, or PinkPanthress.

Her latest single, “Bella,” released on International Women’s Day, serves as an homage to “divinity, female ferocity, and female transgression,” as highlighted in her press kit; in just two and a half minutes, the Chilean descendant mesmerizes listeners by layering her serene vocals with the potential to spellbind. Now signed to Rostrum Records, Alé has spent recent years honing her craft, writing and producing for notable figures such as Alice Glass of Crystal Castles fame, Saba, Joseph Chilliams and Lexa Gates. With a classical jazz background and a deep understanding of digital composition, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Alé is poised to release her next EP this May. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Song for Your Playlist: “Bella”

Artist: Greyvi

Country: Honduras

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I discovered Greyvi while she performed at the renowned Calle Ocho Festival in Miami earlier this month. With such edge and grace, the young artist — who was born in Honduras to Colombian parents and resides between Guatemala and Miami — can easily navigate from Latin pop to urban music with her sweet vocals and fierce dance moves. Further demonstrating her hunger in the music industry and effortless versatility, her latest single “El Luto” is a catchy salsa bop co-produced by Colombian hitmaker Saga WhiteBlack, which narrates the story of a girl who’s over an ex and is not mourning the heartbreak anymore. In 2022, she collaborated with Dominican rapper Mozart La Para on “Nos Fuimos Mundial” and released her debut EP Soy Greyvi in 2023. — JESSICA ROIZ

Song for Your Playlist: “El Luto”

Artist: Irepelusa

Country: Venezuela

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Venezuelan singer/songwriter Irepelusa just debuted in Bogota’s Estero Picnic Festival, her latest notch in a career that’s been rising slowly and steadily and surrounded by fine musicians. Now based in Colombia, Irepelusa plays a mix of atmospheric electronica, pop, soul and R&B with frequent touches of Caribbean and urban beats. But she’s also capable of switching to a pure acoustic sound with a beautiful, bell-like voice. Irepelusa (real name Irene Alejandra) is prepping an upcoming album produced by Juan Pablo Vega, with a new single “Los Domingos la Paso Solita,” released February on indie Discos La Piña. — LEILA COBO

Song for Your Playlist: “Nervios de Acero”

Artist: NXNNI

Country: Mexico

Why They Should Be on Your Radar: I’m always on the hunt for up-and-coming talent in regional Mexican and, not surprisingly, when I do find new names they are almost always men. So, when sierreño artist Ivonne Galaz unleashed “Fumar Beber” earlier this month featuring only emerging women in música mexicana on her track, it made me really excited. One of those featured is NXNNI, a corridos bélicos singer-songwriter from Monterrey, Nuevo León, a Mexican state that borders Texas.

Like most of this generation’s regional acts, NXNNI is also a gifted guitar player, with which she powers her prickly corridos, along with her deep and rich vocals that demand attention. After launching her career in 2021 singing corrido covers and rapping alongside local artists, she scored a record deal with Fonovisa (the Mexican music imprint under Universal) and was part of its 2023 compilation album Bélico Indie (Vol. 1). Most recently, she released a cover of Belanova’s 2000s pop anthem “Rosa Pastel,” giving it a corridos bélico twist. — GRISELDA FLORES

Song for Your Playlist: “Rosa Pastel”

1 … 2,865 2,866 2,867 2,868 2,869 2,870 2,871 … 5,595

Tour

Sep

Amsterdam, NL

Heineken Music Hall

Buy Tickets

Sep

Lisbon, Portugal

Atlantico Pavillion

Buy Tickets

Sep

Asbury Park, NJ / USA

North Beach Asbury Park

Sold Out

djfrosty

Ramy Youssef Desperately Wants to Be a History-Making Host in New ‘SNL’ Promo

Trending on Billboard

Paul McCartney’s Original, Handwritten ‘Lovely Rita’ Lyrics Are Headed to An Iconic NYC Book Fair

Trending on Billboard

Gwen Stefani’s GXVE Beauty Debuts $50 Festival Bundle With Makeup Must-Haves for Coachella: Shop It Here

Trending on Billboard

Charitable Organization Belonging To Will Smith and Jada Pinkett To Close Due To Donations Drying Up Following Oscars Slap

The Foundation’s Troubling Spending

Nova Music Festival Exhibit Coming to NYC Following Tragedy at Israeli Event

How ‘Latin’ & Spanish Artists Can Conquer the Charts on Both Sides of the Atlantic

Spaniards and ‘Latins’ Have Found Common Ground

Conquering the World Without Leaving Your Country Is Tough

There Is No Single Path

Success in the U.S. Is More Important for Some Artists Than Others

You Need a Plan

First-Ever ‘Succession’ Funko Pop! Figures Let You Bring the Roy Family Home

Trending on Billboard

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Kendall Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Roman Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Shiv Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Greg Hirsch

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Logan Roy

Live Nation Adds to New York Portfolio With Opening of ‘Beautiful Masterpiece’ Brooklyn Paramount Venue

Trending on Billboard

Latin Grammy Awards Add New Categories for Regional Mexican and Electronic Music

Trending on Billboard

On the Radar Latin: Greyvi, Irepelusa & More Artists to Discover

Trending on Billboard

A Taste of New York

Thank you

djfrosty

Explore

Trending on Billboard

Explore

Trending on Billboard

Trending on Billboard

The Foundation’s Troubling Spending

Explore

Spaniards and ‘Latins’ Have Found Common Ground

Conquering the World Without Leaving Your Country Is Tough

There Is No Single Path

Success in the U.S. Is More Important for Some Artists Than Others

You Need a Plan

Explore

Trending on Billboard

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Kendall Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Roman Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Shiv Roy

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Greg Hirsch

Funko Pop! TV: “Succession” – Logan Roy

Trending on Billboard

Trending on Billboard

Explore

Trending on Billboard

Thank you