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Lana Del Rey Hypes Up Camila Cabello’s New Song: ‘I Luv It’

Lana Del Rey appears to be a fan of Camila Cabello‘s new music.

On Saturday (March 23), the “Summertime Sadness” songstress took to Instagram to show some love to Cabello’s recently teased song.

“i luv it,” Del Rey captioned two black-and-white photos of the “Senorita” singer.

In one snapshot, the newly blonde artist is seen with a lollipop in her mouth and the “Parental Advisory” warning on the bottom right. The other image finds Cabello donning an off-the-shoulder white top while flipping off the camera and flashing a subtle smirk.

The former Fifth Harmony member took to the comments section of Del Rey’s post, leaving a series of crown emojis. She also shared the post in her Instagram Story on Saturday.

In early March, Cabello shared a 30-second teaser of what appears to be her upcoming untitled single, accompanied by the caption “coming soon(er than you think).” In the brief clip, she’s riding in the passenger seat of a car, her blonde tresses whipped by the wind, as she sings an exuberant, summery pop ditty.

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“I’m seeing stars/ Oh my God/ I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it,” Cabello joyfully exhales in her breathy voice, adding, “I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it, I love it,” while making a hand heart in the song that features a sample of Gucci Mane’s 2009 single “Lemonade.”

Cabello’s last album was 2022’s Familia, which featured her No. 21-charting Billboard Hot 100 hit “Bam Bam.”

During an early March episode on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the musician said the making of her upcoming album has been “such a journey.”

“It started off with me really having that intention of going back to how it started with me,” she told host Alex Cooper. “Sitting with myself, and really getting back to that first passion of songwriting.”

Del Rey, meanwhile, announced in February that her next album, Lasso, will arrive in September. The announcement arrived while she paid tribute to Jack Antonoff at the Billboard and NMPA Songwriter Awards in Los Angeles on Jan. 31.

”If you can’t already tell by our award winners and our performers, the music business is going country. We’re going country. It’s happening,” she told the crowd. “That’s why Jack has followed me to Muscle Shoals, Nashville, Mississippi, over the last four years.”

Del Rey’s forthcoming release is the follow-up to 2023’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

See Del Rey’s post about Cabello’s new music on Instagram here.

La entrevista Icono con Raphael: 60 años de estrellato | Encuentro de la Música en Español

El panel Ícono con Raphael es moderado por Leila Cobo de Billboard.

Raphael:
Pero lo más importante para la gente nueva o no nueva que quiera estar en esta profesión es que hay que tener un sello muy personal. Lo que no se vale es venir a este mundo artístico copiando o bebiendo de otras fuentes. Uno tiene que tener un sello muy especial. En estos últimos días me han preguntado mucho que cuándo me retiro, porque como parece ser que está como de moda, últimamente se van retirando compañeros míos y yo digo muy tajante que yo no voy a retirarme.

Leila Cobo:
¿Por qué?

Raphael:
¿Por qué? Porque no. Es que no hay otra respuesta. Porque yo no me veo… Yo, lo primero, no me veo no haciendo nada. Vegetando, yo no me veo. No. Entonces, mientras esta responda, yo voy a estar cantando.

Leila Cobo:
Nos da muchísimo gusto tener al O.G., como me gusta decirle yo, el artista que realmente empezó a hacer todo esto y que todavía lo está haciendo, señores y señoras, el incomparable Raphael.

Leila Cobo:
Estamos hoy en Madrid, llegaste hoy de Londres.

Raphael:
Hace un rato.

Leila Cobo:
Hace un rato, hace dos horas. Hoy es el Día del Padre, además. Y en un mes te vas a México.

Raphael:
Antes, antes. Voy a México el día 8.

Leila Cobo:
Y después a Colombia.

Raphael:
Y después a Colombia.

Leila Cobo:
¿No te has cansado todavía?

Raphael:
¿Te lo sabes todo? Suéltalo.

Leila Cobo:
Yo hice mi tarea.

Normani Announces ‘1:59’ Single Featuring Gunna

New Normani is officially on the way, as the singer announced her new single “1:59,” featuring Gunna, appropriately at 1:59 p.m. ET on Saturday (March 23).

“soo basically my first single 1:59 will be coming out 4/26,” she captioned a post on X (formerly Twitter).

“1:59” will arrive April 26 via RCA Records. It will be the first single Normani has dropped since announcing her debut album Dopamine one month ago.

“cryingg typing this rn. DOPAMINE THE ALBUM,” she captioned her Feb. 21-dated Instagram post, which features the black-leather bikini-clad singer riding on top of a black rocket. But when inquiring minds on X (formerly known as Twitter) circled back with the singer regarding her silence after the initial album announcement, she sent a follow-up message: “Hi, Thank you for your patience. This matter will be addressed tomorrow at 1:59pm EST. – Management.”

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The ex-Fifth Harmony member has yet to reveal the release date of her album, but it will come out sometime this year. In her recent Who What Wear cover story, she said, “The album feels like liberation, like a season of freedom. Not just because the record is finally coming out, but because it’s a celebration of everything I have been through to get to this moment.”

Since embarking on her solo career in 2018, Normani has released only seven singles as a lead artist, with 2019’s “Motivation” and 2022’s “Fair” being the only songs she’s released without another artist on it. She’s had two Billboard Hot 100 top 10 hits with the Sam Smith-assisted “Dancing With a Stranger” (No. 7) and the Khalid-assisted “Love Lies” (No. 9). “Motivation” and “Wild Side,” featuring Cardi B, have also charted on the Hot 100, peaking at No. 33 and No. 14, respectively.

Prince Jukebox Musical to Be Produced by ‘Black Panther’ Director

Ryan Coogler is working on a jukebox movie musical based on the music of Prince.

The Black Panther director is set to produce the untitled project of the late musical icon’s songs for Universal Pictures, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film, which has been in the works since 2018, has a script by Bryan Edward Hill, who has written for comic books including  Kilmonger and Ultimate Black Panther.

Proximity Media’s Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian are producing the project, with the company’s Rebecca Cho serving as an executive producer. Atom Factory’s Troy Carter and Universal Music Publishing Group chair Jody Gerson will also produce, THR reports.

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Further details about the movie — including the title, director and actors — were not available at press time.

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Coogler is currently working on an untitled Warner Bros. film starring Michael B. Jordan that is scheduled for release in March 2025. It will mark the director’s first movie since Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022. Coogler and Jordan previously worked together on 2013’s Fruitvale Station, 2015’s Creed and 2018’s Black Panther.

In January, it was announced that Prince’s Purple Rain film and soundtrack would be adapted into stage musical. The adaptation is set to feature a score by the late Prince, with a book by Pulitzer Prize-finalist Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, who is currently enjoying the Broadway run of his acclaimed drama Appropriate.

Jacobs-Jenkins’ book will be based on the original Purple Rain screenplay, which was written by Albert Magnoli (who also directed the original film) and William Blinn. Lileana Blain-Cruz — who picked up a Tony nomination in 2022 for best direction of a play (The Skin of Our Teeth) — is set to direct, with Tony winner Orin Wolf on production duties.

La Academia de la Música Española en conversación con Luis Cobos | Encuentro de la Música en Español

En conversación con Luis Cobos: La Academia de la Música Española y un nuevo capítulo para la música en España, moderado por Sigal Ratner-Arias de Billboard.

Luis Cobos:
Lo que vamos a hacer es hacer una gran muestra internacional de la música española y tratar de ser el puente de unión, el nexo de unión, meeting point, entre América, no solamente Latinoamérica, América y Europa, que es lo que realmente es España, es un punto de convergencia de estos dos territorios. Me he encontrado con muchísima gente, con equipos que trabajan muy bien y que me han permitido seguir practicando mi trabajo. Ahora tengo casi más que nunca. Bueno, la fundación Latin Grammy, la academia, hay un gran equipo, que lo sabéis, que funciona en Miami. Yo estoy a varios miles de kilómetros, pero era el presidente del Consejo. Aunque decidíamos todos, había un presidente, que por cierto quiero mencionarlo, Gabriel Abaroa, un presidente ejecutivo que puso el Latin Grammy de 2 a 20. El objetivo de la fundación es desarrollar a músicos latinos, a muchachos y muchachas. Tenemos ahora unos cuantos. Tenemos una Beca Prodigio, que es de 200.000 dólares, para estudiar cuatro años en Berkeley.

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
Soy Sigal Ratner-Arias, la editora de Billboard Español. Como dijo Leila antes, estamos súper emocionados de estar aquí conectando con España por primera vez. Nuestra próxima conversación va a ser con un gran músico, pero no solo un gran músico, compositor, director de orquesta, sino también un gran activista y promotor de la cultura, las artes y la música. Por favor, demos la bienvenida a Luis Cobos.

Luis Cobos:
Muchas gracias. Gracias, querida Sigal. Me parece, antes de nada, que es muy importante la presencia de Billboard en España, para hacer, aparte de periodismo, colaboraciones y actos de presencia en este país, que quieras que no, algunos que quieren y otros que no, es importante en cuanto a su poder y su intervención en la música en español.

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden Welcome Second Child: ‘We Are Blessed’

Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden are proud parents to a new baby boy.

The actress, 51, and Good Charlotte co-founder, 45, announced the birth of their second child through social media on Friday (March 22).

“We are blessed and excited to announce the birth of our Son, Cardinal Madden,” the couple wrote in a joint statement on their Instagram accounts. “He is awesome and We are all so happy he is here!”

A colorful illustration accompanying the post includes words that read, “A little bird whispered to me,” likely a nod to Cardinal’s name.

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Diaz and Madden added that fans won’t be seeing photos of their new bundle of joy anytime soon. “For the kids safety and privacy we won’t be posting any pictures- but he’s a really cute,” they wrote. “We are feeling so blessed and grateful … Sending much love from our fam to yours … Best wishes and Good Afternoon!!”

The joyous post drew comments from celebrities including Katy Perry, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz and Lionel Richie, among others. “Another earth angel,” the “Firework” singer wrote alongside a black heart emoji.

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Diaz and Madden met in 2014 through Benji’s twin brother and bandmate, Joel Madden, and his wife, Nicole Richie.

In January 2015, the actress and musician tied the knot and later welcomed their first child, daughter Raddix, in December 2019.

“She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family. While we are overjoyed to share this news, we also feel a strong instinct to protect our little one’s privacy,” Diaz wrote on social media at the time. “So we won’t be posting pictures or sharing any more details, other than the fact that she is really really cute!! Some would even say RAD:).”

See Madden’s announcement about his son’s birth on Instagram below.

Ultra Music Festival 2024 Day 1 Shuts Down Due to Severe Weather

Day one of Ultra Music festival 2024 has been shut down due to severe weather.

As thunder and lightning storms and strong winds moved through the Miami area, where the festival takes place in the city’s downtown Bayfront Park, organizers posted an announcement that “for your safety, Ultra Friday is temporarily shutting down. Please calmly leave the park now.”

This announcement came at approximately 9:00 p.m. local time on Friday (March 22), just before Dutch producer Hardwell was scheduled to play the festival’s main stage. The shutdown ended the festival three hours early, with sets by Fisher and Chris Lake playing as Under Construction, Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens and Joris Voorn and Kolsch also cancelled due to the weather. On Instagram, Lake wrote that he was “gutted that we couldn’t perform for you at Ultra tonight. Get home safe and we’ll see you soon.”

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The festival is scheduled to re-open Saturday (March 23) and extend through Sunday (March 24). Saturday’s forecast in Miami calls for thunderstorms until 3 p.m. local time and partially sunny skies on Sunday.

Ultra Music Festival draws roughly 55,000 fans per day to Bayfront Park, where Ultra has been happening since 2001. The festival reports bringing in 165,000 attendees from more than 100 countries to its 2023 edition, with 42 million people watching the festival’s livestream.

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The Ultra 2024 lineup for the rest of the weekend includes David Guetta, Peggy Gou, Eric Prydz, Nora en Pure, Steve Aoki, Seven Lions, Madeon and San Holo, Calvin Harris, Orbital and many more.

Carin León to Open for The Rolling Stones & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Carin León & The Rolling Stones

Regional Mexican star Carin León is set to open for The Rolling Stones at their show in Glendale, Ariz. on May 7. “This is one of those things I dreamed about when I was a little boy,” León posted on social media. The “Según Quién” singer will join the rock band, which is set to embark on its Stones Tour ‘24 Hackney Diamonds in the U.S. in April. Most recently, León teamed up with Kane Brown to release “The One (Pero No Como Yo),” a landmark crossover between country and música mexicana. In February, León achieved a career milestone with his debut performance at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry.

Lupita Infante’s version of “Canto del Bracero”

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Mexican American singer Lupita Infante has released a new version of “Canto Del Bracero,” a song originally released by her grandfather, the iconic Mexican singer and actor Pedro Infante. The track shines a spotlight on the sacrifices and hardships experienced by immigrants, particularly Mexican laborers, in their pursuit of the so-called “American Dream.”

“I felt a special connection to this beautiful song by my grandfather, which speaks about the difficulties of being an immigrant living in this country,” Lupita said in a statement. “My maternal family (not Infantes), came to this country to work as braceros (Mexican agricultural laborers), and my mom would work on the grape vines. The lyrics of the track are about the braceros who came to this country in the hope of achieving their dreams of a better life but instead suffered. I wanted to bring my grandfather’s powerful message back to the forefront, as it still resonates true today.” 



First ever Billboard Spanish-Language Music Forum in Madrid

The inaugural Forum on Spanish Language Music in Madrid, presented by the Community of Madrid and powered by Billboard, took place March 19 at the WiZink Center. The one day event — attended by some 500 artists, managers and industry execs — sought to highlight the growing consumption of music in Spanish across continents, and featured four panel conversations, as well as a Q&A and performance by Nicki Nicole. The Argentine superstar shared that she made music with Alejandro Sanz and talked about putting her mental health first in her career and on a personal level.

Check out highlights from Nicki Nicole’s Q&A here.



Shakira’s new album is finally here

Good things come to those who wait and Shakira’s fans have waited long enough. The Colombian hitmaker released Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, her new album in seven years. The project, the superstar’s most personal album yet, takes her on a healing journey following a very public breakup. With this set, Shakira takes control of her narrative declaring that women no longer cry, a statement she made in her Bizarrap-produced music session that became a motto for women around the globe. “I hope that with this album you can celebrate, laugh, dance and find your own strength, just how I’ve found mine” Shakira said at an album release party in Miami on March 21.

Billboard ranked all of the songs on Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. See which one took the No. 1 spot.

Seeing double?

J Balvin has two new Madame Tussauds wax figures: one in New York and one in Las Vegas. The Colombian artist expressed his excitement on Instagram over his two likenesses. “Amazing how dreams come true seldom you find yourself face to face with yourself and it’s not a reflection in a mirror hehehehe Triple JoSSSe,” he captioned the clip. “Keep dreaming and believe it yourselves ⚡️ Go see it and take a picture with me Thanks @madametussaudsusa PA LA CULTURA.”

“J Balvin’s wax figures at Madame Tussauds New York and Madame Tussauds Las Vegas epitomizes his indelible influence on music and culture,” said Matthew Clarkson, head of marketing at Madame Tussauds USA. “With our newly renovated Music experience in New York and the brand new Club T in Las Vegas, his presence adds another dimension to the immersive experiences we offer. It’s a testament to his enduring impact and our dedication to creating dynamic experiences that resonate with visitors worldwide.”

See the wax figures below:

J Balvin

J Balvin

Madame Tussauds

Entre Dos Aguas: Managers y ejecutivos de la industria | Encuentro de la Música en Español 

En el panel Entre Dos Aguas, los ejecutivos y managers más poderosos de la industria de la música latina analizan lo que se necesita para tener éxito en ambos lados del Atlántico. Participan Alex Gallardo, presidente de Sony Music US Latin; Fede Lauria, fundador de Dale Play; Jorge Ferradas, fundador de FPM Entertainment; Rosa Lagarrigue, fundadora de RLM; y Walter Kolm, fundador de WK Entertainment, y es moderado por Leila Cobo.

Rosa Lagarrigue:
Creo que la gente joven es la que está moviendo toda la música ahora mismo. Y creo que históricamente todos los latinoamericanos, y tengo que decir los canarios, aparte de ser un género que funciona ahora mismo, que gusta la gente joven, que gusta a todo el mundo, le han tenido totalmente… Han perdido el miedo a la globalización.

Alex Gallardo:
Recuerdo el principio de la música urbana, que cuando en Sony firmamos a Juan Magán y era como incipiente todavía en España lo que era la música urbana. Yo recuerdo ponerlo en una reunión de lanzamientos y en la oficina compañeros casi que se burlaban de esta música y acabó siendo la música que dominó. La música urbana hizo algo muy inteligente que era colaborar múltiples artistas, se sumaban millones de seguidores y yo creo que sumado a streaming, seguidores, múltiples artistas y todos los fans, hizo que ese movimiento fuera a entrar en España y en el resto de Latinoamérica, como decía Walter [Kolm], en muchos otros lugares del mundo.

Leila Cobo:
Muy bienvenidos a nuestro primer Encuentro de Música en Español presentado por la Comunidad de Madrid, Powered for Billboard. Es un honor estar con ustedes. Mi nombre es Leila Cobo, soy la Chief Content Officer de Música Latina para Billboard y para Billboard Español, y realmente es un grandísimo honor estar aquí con ustedes esta tarde haciendo este primer encuentro. Es algo que habíamos soñado, habíamos planeado mucho tiempo. Quiero agradecer a la Comunidad de Madrid por creer en este evento y por creer en la música en español de donde sea que viene.

NLE Choppa Talks ‘Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile’, New Song With Flau’jae

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Choppa x Warzone Mobile Streamathon

Source: Activision / Activision

Activision just dropped Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and one of the millions of people who downloaded the app and gave it a spin was Memphis rapper NLE Choppa. The “Shotta Flow” rapper has been occupied with the whole rap star thing, so he now considers himself a former gamer.

Choppa x Warzone Mobile Streamathon

Source: Activision / Activision

“I don’t have too much time for it now,” Choppa, who participated in Thursday’s (March 21) Warzone Mobile Streamathon, told Hip-Hop Wired. “Once upon a time I was deep. I still do it in my free time, though. I was like 2K, [Grand Theft Auto], Call of Duty, all of those different games.”

Apparently, becoming a star rapper takes up a lot of time (a record deal with Warner Bros., two hit albums and touring will do that) so his hours spent on the sticks had to suffer.

Nevertheless, Choppa stays in tune with CoD (“Every new Call Of Duty I’m copping.”), and he gave Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile a thumbs up even though it seems he’s better on a PS5. “I was just playing it in my green room it’s actually kind of cool with the joystick thing connected to the phone. I don’t know if I’m as sharp with the tapping it on the screen, but the joystick, I could be able to work that for sure.”

Back to the music for a second, he just dropped a song called “AMF” with Flau’jae, the female rapper who happens to currently be a star guard on LSU’s women’s basketball team. “It came together with her, her mom, my mom, and me. Just respecting the relationship they have as a daughter and a mom-a-ger standpoint and it’s the same thing with my mom and my /manager,” said Choppa. “We connected that way and just always supported Flau’jae from basketball and we got the track in.”

Speaking of Flau’jae dropped 14 in LSU’s win over Rice.

Choppa also says he’s seriously retiring his “Shotta Flow,” with the last, “Shotta Flow 7” having been released in February. He’s starting another series but for the sake of Activision, we won’t mention the somewhat NSFW title here. But back to Call Of Duty: Warzone Mobile and gaming in general, he’ll always find time for a good reason.

“Really it’s just a break from the world,” explains Choppa of why plays video games. “It’s just a break from who I am. To just be able to live that inner child feeling again, just to be able to play games is the goal for me, just to feel like a kid.”

Sounds like a plan. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is available right now on iOS and Android mobile devices.

Choppa x Warzone Mobile Streamathon

Source: Activision / Activision