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Shakira Says She Put Her Career ‘on Hold’ for Ex Gerard Pique: ‘A Lot of Sacrifice for Love’

Shakira is opening up about her 11-year romance with Gerard Piqué.

In a new interview with The Sunday Times, published Saturday (March 16), the 47-year-old Colombian superstar spoke out about the sacrifices she made during her relationship with the soccer star, 37.

“For a long time I put my career on hold, to be next to Gerard, so he could play football,” said Shakira, whose first new album in seven years, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don’t Cry Anymore), arrives on March 22.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer added, “There was a lot of sacrifice for love.”

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Shakira and Piqué — who share two children, sons Milan, 11, and Sasha, 9 — announced their split in June 2022.

“We regret to confirm that we are separating,” they said in a joint statement at the time. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”

Shakira met the Barcelona defender while she was promoting her 2010 World Cup anthem, “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa).” The pair confirmed their relationship on social media the following year.

In her Billboard cover story last year, Shakira said she believed in “till death do us part” in regards to her relationship with Piqué.

“My priority was my home, my family. I believed in ’till death do us part.’ I believed that dream,” she said. “My parents have been together, I don’t know, 50 years, and they love each other like the first day, with a love that’s unique and unrepeatable,” she continued. “So I know it’s possible.”

She continued, “It’s what I wanted for myself and my children, but it didn’t happen.”

Last March, the soccer star spoke out publicly for the first time about his high-profile breakup with Grammy-winning artist.

“I won’t say, I don’t want to,” Piqué said when pressed by Spanish media outlet El Pais about how the split had affected him. Instead, he chose to speak about their two young sons.

“Everyone has their responsibility to do what’s best for their kids,” he said. “It’s about protecting them. That’s the job of all parents with their kids. That’s what I’m focused on and that’s my role as a father.”

Meanwhile, Shakira has been outspoken on her side of the breakup, taking hard-hitting aim at Piqué on her Bizarrap collab “BZRP Music Sessions #53,” which rocketed to No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and ultimately broke 14 Guinness World Records.

Zach Bryan Debuts Unreleased Song ‘Sandpaper’ at Concert in New Jersey

Zach Bryan performed his unreleased song “Sandpaper” during his concert in New Jersey on Friday (March 15).

Toward the end of his 27-song set at Newark’s Prudential Center, the country star treated fans to the live debut of the new song, which he teased earlier in the year on social media.

In January, Bryan teased 45 seconds of the then-unfinished “Sandpaper” on acoustic guitar. During his Quittin’ Time Tour stop on Friday, the 27-year-old singer-songwriter unveiled the full four minutes of the song, which features synths, extra guitars and background vocals.

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“You’re like sandpaper,” Bryan sings on the track, which is believed to be about his girlfriend, Brianna LaPaglia, according to Rolling Stone. “Baby you’re trying to smooth me out.”

The artist’s NJ concert also featured a performance of “I Remember Everything,” his Grammy-winning song with Kacey Musgraves. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Sept. 9, 2023, earning both Musgraves and Bryan their first Hot 100 chart-topper. It also debuted atop the Hot Country Songs chart, where it ruled for 20 weeks (through February 2024).

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Bryan’s Quittin’ Time Tour launched with three shows at Chicago’s United Center (March 5-7), before trekking across the country with stops in New York, Pennsylvania, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee and more. Among the openers on the tour are Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The War and Treaty, Sierra Ferrell and Sheryl Crow.

Bryan was named Billboard’s Top New Artist of 2023, landing No. 1s on both the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart and Hot 100 songs survey. Bryan, who charts on both the rock and country charts, is the first country act to be the year’s Top New Artist since Billboard began compiling the Top New Artists category, combining performance on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100, in 1977.

Watch Bryan perform “Sandpaper” in New Jersey in a fan-captured video clip here.

Vice President Kamala Harris & Fat Joe Team Up for Discussion on Easing Marijuana Penalties

Vice President Kamala Harris and rapper Fat Joe led a White House discussion Friday (March 15) on easing marijuana penalties, with Harris saying it’s “absurd” that the federal government classifies marijuana as more dangerous than fentanyl, the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually the United States.

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Harris, a former state prosecutor in California, also criticized the federal classification of cannabis as “patently unfair.” The government currently is reviewing how it classifies marijuana, and Harris urged that the process be wrapped up as quickly as possible.

Fat Joe, a Grammy-nominated artist and philanthropist whose real name is Joseph Cartagena, moderated a subsequent closed-door discussion that included Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and individuals who received pardons for prior marijuana convictions.

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President Joe Biden has issued pardons to thousands of people for federal marijuana possession and commuted long sentences handed down for nonviolent drug offenses. In 2022, he urged governors to pardon state offenses. Beshear then invited people convicted of simple marijuana possession to apply for pardons in Kentucky. Biden launched the process to review how marijuana is classified in 2022.

A full seven in 10 U.S. adults favor legalizing marijuana, according to Gallup polling. Support for legalization is closer to eight in 10 among 18- to 34-year-olds, a demographic whose support for Biden, who is seeking reelection, has softened since he took office.

“I cannot emphasize enough that they need to get to it as quickly as possible and we need to have a resolution based on their findings and their assessment,” Harris said of the Departments of Health and Human Services and Justice, which are handling the review.

“But this issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin,” she said during the public portion of the meeting. “Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin and more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd. Not to mention patently unfair.”

“So I’m sure DEA is working as quickly as possible and will continue to do so and we look forward to the product of their work,” the vice president said, referring to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of deaths annually in America.

U.S. regulators are studying reclassifying marijuana shifting it from a drug that has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” known as “Schedule I,” to the less tightly regulated “Schedule III.”

Biden mentioned the marijuana classification review during his State of the Union address earlier this month. He said during a campaign appearance in Milwaukee this week that “no one should be jailed for marijuana.”

“If you’re just using, you should have that wiped off your record,” Biden said.

Cartagena opened the roundtable by saying he’s hot on the issue of price transparency in health care “but, today, when the vice president calls me, I stop everything.”

He got a little ahead of himself when he proceeded to dismiss journalists so the closed-door discussion could begin, prompting Harris to tell him to “hold on” because she had a statement to make, too.

Celine Dion Shares Heartfelt Message on Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day: ‘We Can Do It!’

Celine Dion is speaking out on International Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day.

The Grammy-winning singer, 55, took to social media on Friday (March 15) to share words of encouragement and show her appreciation to fans after being diagnosed with the rare neurological disorder in recent years.

“Today the world recognizes International SPS Awareness Day,” Dion wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of her smiling with her three sons. “As many of you know, in the fall of 2022, I was diagnosed with Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS). Trying to overcome this autoimmune disorder has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I remain determined to one day get back onto the stage and to live as normal of a life as possible. I am deeply grateful for the love and support from my kids, family, team and all of you!”

She continued, “I want to send my encouragement and support to all those around the world that have been affected by SPS. I want you to know you can do it! We can do it!”

Since December 2022, the “My Heart Will Go On” singer has remained largely out of the public eye due to her diagnosis with stiff person syndrome, a rare neurological disorder known for causing uncontrolled muscle spasms that make it hard to move. Dion was forced to postpone all of her 2023 tour dates, before ultimately canceling the rest of her tour entirely. Last December, her sister Claudette revealed that Celine had “no control” of her muscles.

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Dion made a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammy Awards in February, presenting the coveted album of the year tropy to Taylor Swift for Midnights. As the crowd cheered for her return to the public eye, the “Power of Love” singer applauded them right back. “Thank you all,” she said, showing no signs of weakness. “I love you right back. When I say that I’m happy to be here, I really mean it from my heart.”

See Dion’s International Stiff Person Syndrome Awareness Day post below on Instagram.

We See You R. Shelly: Why Draya Michele’s Relationship Is Predatory, Not Goals

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Protect young Black men.

Yes, I am going there, because for some reason women have been way too comfortable with championing other women doing deplorable things to young men that we have been crucifying our male counterparts for.

Let me explain. When Diddy, 54, confirmed he was dating Yung Miami, 29, the world was up in arms calling for the City Girl to be protected while pointing out that Diddy was even older than her parents, who were both satisfied with the relationship at the time. Even when it was announced that Cher, 77, was dating music producer and Amber Rose’s ex, Alexander “AE” Edwards,38, many women had words for Edwards dubbing him a “gold digger” despite Cher publicly stating the “two just get each other.”

Regardless of both of the relationships above being significant in age difference, another important fact that everyone missed in their outrage is both of the younger partners are at least 30 (or approaching) while Jalen Green is not. Let’s talk about why that is important. Under most laws, young people are recognized as adults at age 18. However, according to the National Library of Medicine, brain development is not complete until near the age of 25. This refers specifically to the development of the prefrontal cortex–the part of your brain responsible for making “executive decisions,” such as thinking and problem-solving–confirming that most people don’t reach full maturity until their mid-20s.

So the truth is, Draya Michele isn’t “goals,” she’s a predator who knowingly took advantage of a young man who doesn’t neither understand the true trap that he was being placed in, allegedly, nor did he have any wisdom from his male colleagues to protect him.

Of course with the number of men spilling the tea about their time with her growing daily, Draya took to her Instagram Story to share her feelings nearly a week after she announced she was allegedly expecting a baby with the 22-year-old Houston Rockets player, writing:

“I feel like I am at the bottom of a pile of heavy humans. Most hours of the day I feel like I am struggling to breathe.”

For the record, it’s unclear if the post was the Mint Swim CEO expressing discomfort due to symptoms of being seven months pregnant or a reaction to the internet dragging her for the 17-year age gap between her and her daughter’s rumored father. But the post resulted in women expressing sympathy and calling for the backlash from men to stop. Although the truth is, she should be shamed for her predatory behavior. The fact that her latest child’s father is one year older than her eldest son, Kniko Howard, born in 2002, should be a red flag for most and is extremely problematic.

For those who still want to argue that they are two equally consenting adults, despite science proving otherwise, let’s discuss the age gap rule of thumb.

If you subscribe to the “rule of seven,” the question of where the boundaries of a socially acceptable relationship lie isn’t a matter of opinion—they’re clearly defined. According to the rule, the age of the younger partner (regardless of gender) should be no less than seven more than half the older partner’s age. Summarizing the point that based on Draya’s age, she shouldn’t date anyone younger than 27, once again proving the relationship borders the line of predatorial.

It’s important to call out this type of behavior because outside of her being an influencer with a massive platform, publicly championing her inappropriate relationship not only sets an unhealthy trend in age-gap relationships but also excuses the abuse against young men as being part of “manhood,” which not only creates trauma for the individual but also further perpetuates the pattern of men feeling unheard when it comes to various forms of abuse.

Sexual abuse for underdeveloped men and boys has been on the rise with many teachers manipulating young men and having children with little to no consequences. According to a study funded by the U.S. Justice Department, about 10% of all students experience sexual misconduct by a school employee sometime between kindergarten and the time they graduate from high school. Male abusers outnumber females, the study said. But the number of reports of female educators charged with sexual abuse of students is rising — not necessarily because there are more women abusing children, but because they’re getting caught.

Sexual abuse also has long-term effects on male victims, making it difficult to understand the magnitude of its impact. For male survivors, the long-term effects can be devastating, leading to depression, low self-esteem and post-traumatic stress disorder; along with difficulties forming healthy relationships and engaging in healthy sexual behavior; then, we wonder why all of these broken men are grabbing a podcast mic.

The truth is we can’t “Me Too” and call for an end to toxic masculinity and patriarchy while trying to co-opt it. It’s time to stop championing toxic and predatory behavior knowing that it creates victims–regardless of gender, even if the behavior is legal.

Gloria Trevi Lights Up New York, Debuts ‘Zorra’ Remix With Nebulossa

Gloria Trevi took the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Friday (March 15), captivating a sold-out audience with a two-hour electrifying performance. As part of her Mi Soundtrack Tour across the U.S., a highlight was the debut of the “Zorra” remix with Spanish duo Nebulossa, whom Trevi introduced as surprise guests.

“We are inviting a group from Spain. I want to feel that applause… for Nebulossa!” Trevi announced. Dressed in a stunning dark cloak with shimmering black feathers and a metallic bodysuit, the Mexican icon exuded a captivating presence. Nebulossa’s María Bas and Mark Dasousa complemented her style, with Bas in a sparkling deep purple outfit and Dasousa in a striking black and white striped suit, à la Beetlejuice, clutching a red keytar.

“Estoy en un buen momento, reconstruida por dentro/ Y esa zorra que tanto temías se fue empoderando,” Bas and Trevi chanted in unison against the high-energy electro-pop backdrop of “Zorra” (“I’m in a good moment, rebuilt from the inside/ And that zorra you feared so much got empowered”).

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This collaboration stemmed from a meeting in Miami, where Trevi and Nebulossa discovered a shared connection with the song’s empowering message, quickly leading to the recording of the remix. The original song by the Spanish duo, released in December 2023, boasts more than 10 million streams on Spotify.

Nebulossa, poised to represent Spain in Eurovision 2024, expressed their amazement at the opportunity to collaborate with Trevi. “Who would have thought that a few months ago someone would tell us that we’d be recording a duet with Gloria Trevi,” they said in a statement. Fans can look forward to the “Zorra” remix release with Trevi on streaming platforms in April.

The Mexican superstar’s NYC show also highlighted her illustrious 30-year career, filled with nostalgia and celebration. From the opening number “Medusa,” to a string of ’90s hits (“Hoy Me Iré de Casa,” “Zapatos Viejos,” “El Recuento de los Daños,” “Con Los Ojos Cerrados”) and more recent releases (“Inocente,” “Ellas Soy Yo”), the concert was a journey through the artist’s musical legacy.

About a dozen costume changes, a troupe of male dancers with washboard abs, and elaborate set designs kept the energy high throughout the night. The set ranged from the intense “Dr. Psiquiatra” with its psych ward theme and giant fake syringes, to a devilish scene where she wore a sparkly red cloak on “Virgen de las Vírgenes,” and a whimsical note with “Cinco Minutos” in a glimmering pink pilot outfit, culminating in the powerful finale “Todos Me Miran.”

Trevi’s tour, which began in Hidalgo, Texas, on Jan. 26, will continue to grace stages across the U.S., including upcoming performances in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and a notable stop at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on April 26. The New York show, her eighth tour stop, not only showcased Trevi’s enduring talent and charisma but also highlighted her ability to innovate and connect with audiences across multiple generations.

Click here to check out her full tour dates.

Los Tigres del Norte Breaks Its Own Record & 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.

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Los Tigres del Norte Make History — Again!

This week, Los Tigres del Norte broke its own stadium attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, drawing 75,595 fans during the rodeo’s Go Tejano Day. As part of their Siempre Contigo tour, the renowned norteño band, known as The Voice of the People, performed at the sold-out NRG Stadium just days after also closing out the Besame Mucho Festival with more than 70,000 fans in attendance. At the former, Los Tigres broke its own 2019 record by topping it with nine more attendees this year.

“Thank you to our beloved fans […] without you, this wouldn’t have been possible,” the Regional Mexican group wrote on Instagram. 

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Karol G’s Tour Also Makes History

Karol G is currently on the Latin American leg of her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, where she also broke records in Costa Rica this week. Billboard recently reported that the “Bichota” singer sold nearly 105,000 tickets between her two sold-out shows in San José (March 9-10), becoming the  highest ticket sales ever for a concert in the Central American country; the record was previously held by Coldplay in 2022.  

Additionally, as the trek moves to Europe, the Colombian superstar also achieved a groundbreaking feat by becoming the first artist to sell out four shows at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, where she will perform from July 20 to 23. Click here to see an updating list of all her MSB tour records. 

Karol G

Karol G at Billboard Women In Music 2024 held at YouTube Theater on March 6, 2024 in Inglewood, Calif.

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From Billboard Latin Music Week to “Existo” 

On Friday (March 15), Pedro Capó and Carin León dropped their first collaborative effort “Existo,” a song they created in real time, in front of a live audience and in 30 minutes at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week in October. The captivating track starts off with country-tinged guitar riffs and transitions into a mid-tempo cumbia, and resembles the resilience and empowerment of human beings in the midst of adversity. The lyrics are based on the real experiences of both singers: “How can I not be successful if I exist?” they passionately chant.

The idea of the song was first created during the Making the Hit, Live! panel at Latin Music Week. In the Instagram Live video below, Capó and León talk to Billboard about finally bringing it to life. 

Goyo’s Daughter Shines on Stage

Goyo and her young daughter, Saba, had a shining moment this week when the pre-teen shared her talent on stage with CeeLo Green. “Last night was simply magical,” the Colombian artist, who shares her daughter with former Chocquibtown singer Tostao, expressed on Instagram. The sweet moment was captured on video, in which Saba is seen singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as CeeLo and her mom hype her up on stage. “My daughter Saba demonstrated that the best pathway to empower is with example. CeeLo Green asked who knew the song and without doubting a second, made her dreams come true. The younger, the more wild,” she wrote.  

Christian Nodal Brings Mariacheño To SXSW: 5 Best Moments From His Billboard Headlining Set

On Friday, March 15, rising regional Mexican artist Christian Nodal headlined Billboard’s annual THE STAGE at SXSW concert series, which takes over Austin’s Mood Amphitheater within Waterloo Park. Nodal delivered the second of three stellar performances as part of the series, including PartyNextDoor, who kicked things off on Thursday, and Illenium, who will close out the set on Saturday.

Following a rousing opening set from Estevie, at 9:23 p.m. Nodal’s expansive band had started to line up along both sides of the staired stage – prompting the crowd to burst out in screams. Two minutes later, Banderas’ “Alma de Guitarra” begins to blare from the speakers as everyone settles into place. And just before 9:30, Nodal himself emerges atop the stairs while triumphantly raising his arms in the air and taking a bow. 

Throughout the set, Nodal – who pioneered mariacheño, a subgenre that fuses mariachi’s strings and horns with the norteño accordion – leans into his heartthrob appeal, blowing kisses and flashing his warm smile that could melt an iceberg. “The most beautiful thing is to flow with what is happening,” he said in his recent Billboard cover story. “I’ll just keep releasing music from my heart [and] enjoy the process and what my fans have given me.”

THE STAGE takes place from March 14-16 as part of SXSW, Austin’s annual music, film and tech festival, and features performances from Billboard’s latest cover stars: Party, Nodal, and Illenium. Tickets can be purchased here.

Last year’s THE STAGE headliners included Lil Yachty, Feid and Kx5.

Read on for the five best moments from Nodal’s show below.

Live Nation Stock Hits Highest Closing Price Since 2022, K-Pop Labels Rebound After Weeks of Losses

Live Nation shares gained 4.0% to hit $103.77 this week, marking the stock’s best closing price since May 2, 2022, and the first time the concert promotion giant had five straight closes above $100 since late April and early May that same year.

Other music stocks didn’t fare as well. Most of the 20 companies in the Billboard Global Music Index dropped this week, with 13 stocks losing ground and just seven finishing the week in positive territory. The index fell 0.1% to 1,697.90, marking the first time it’s decreased in successive weeks since it fell during three consecutive weeks in October 2023. Multi-week declines are rare for the index: Since the beginning of 2023, it has had just two two-week declines, two three-week declines and one four-week decline (in July and August 2023). This week’s slight drop brought the index’s year-to-date gain to 10.8%.

In a relatively quiet week free of earnings releases or market-moving news, there was roughly an even mix of gains and losses from the most valuable companies. Universal Music Group increased 2.1% to 27.32 euros ($29.77) while Spotify dropped 1.7% to $254.89 and Warner Music Group (WMG) fell 2.9% to $32.94. Elsewhere, German promoter CTS Eventim rose 2.1% to 76.70 euros ($83.56) and reached a new 52-week high of 77.80 euros ($84.76).

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K-pop companies rebounded after a string of weekly declines. HYBE improved 2.3% to 199,000 won ($149.59) and SM Entertainment climbed 2.5% to 74,900 won ($56.30). YG Entertainment jumped 6.3% to 43,050 won ($32.36) but is still down 19.6% year to date.

French indie music company Believe finished at 15.52 euros ($16.91), still well above the 15.00 euros ($16.34) tender offer by a consortium that seeks to take the company private. WMG has expressed interest in Believe at 17.00 euros ($18.52) per share.

The companies with the largest gains and losses are among the least valuable on the index. The week’s greatest gainer was Abu Dhabi-based music streamer Anghami, which rose 15.6% to $1.11 and has a market capitalization of just $30.7 million — less than 0.1% of Spotify’s. Radio broadcast giant iHeartMedia and French music streamer Deezer had the index’s biggest losses of 10.0% and 10.3%, but iHeartMedia’s market cap is only $255 million while Deezer’s is about 245 million euros ($267 million).

The index’s four live music stocks had an average gain of 0.9% this week, topping the 0.4% gain of the seven record label and publishing stocks. Five streaming stocks averaged a less than 0.1% decline. Three radio companies — iHeartMedia, Cumulus Media and SiriusXM — had an average decline of 5.1%.

Key U.S. indexes also saw small declines this week. The Nasdaq composite fell 0.7% to 15,973.17. The S&P 500 fell 0.1% to 5,117.09. In the United Kingdom, the FTSE 100 gained 0.9% to 7,727.42. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index declined 0.5% to 2,666.84. China’s Shanghai Composite Index grew 0.3% to 3,054.64.

How the Global Streaming Boom Helped Local Music Consumption Surge in Latin America

In their much-cited 2023 paper “Glocalisation of Music Streaming within and across Europe,” Will Page and Chris Dalla Riva note that the rise of global streaming platforms correlates with the strengthening of local music.

This seemingly contradictory state is what the authors refer to as “glocalisation” — or “glocalization” in the American spelling. And in Latin music, that phenomenon has led to a spike in local genres like corridos, banda, funk and Argentine rap in recent years.

According to Pedro Kurtz — Deezer’s head of music for LATAM, speaking on a SXSW panel titled “Latin Music Momentum In The Age of ‘Glocalization’” on Tuesday (Mar. 12) — it’s about relatability.

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“We listen to music that we relate to, that represents us culturally. You look at artists and they’re speaking my language, and everything moves from there.”

Kurtz appeared on the panel alongside Cris Garcia Falcão, MD of label and artist strategy/GM of Latin at Virgin Music, and Sandra Jimenez, head of music in Latin America at YouTube — and the conversation (which I moderated) often turned lively between the three Brazilian executives.

Their points of view not only highlighted the glocalization phenomenon and how democratization and streaming dramatically changed Latin music, but also the similarities and differences between the Brazilian and Latin American markets, which many tend to lump together — even though they’re vastly different.

Although Brazil is an enormous and powerful market, the music is in Portuguese, and there is still a language barrier that must be broken down in order to break through internationally; even Brazilian megastar Anitta had to sing in Spanish to get noticed.

But, notes Jimenez, “There is no language barrier for Spanish. It’s almost like one big country. It’s a region with more than 300 million people. It’s a huge region.”

Its sheer size has given the region clout.

On YouTube, Latin America is “one of the top three regions in the world in terms of music consumption,” said Jimenez. For Deezer, added Kurtz, “It’s the second most important region in terms of streaming and engagement.”

And the vast majority of the content consumed on streaming platforms in Latin America is local.

For example, Falcão said that before the pandemic, “It was more about Anglo content. Now, it’s more democratic. Everyone should understand our region and our culture and adapt.”

Those who do, win. In Brazil, more than 80% of music consumption is local. In Mexico, says Kurtz, “72% of our streaming comes from local artists. It’s a big number, and local branches are getting more autonomy. Back in the day, we had other forces pushing music.”

Beyond the numbers, there are other intangibles. The Latin diaspora globally has led to music in Spanish, in particular, being consumed all around the world — and that phenomenon was accentuated during the pandemic. “It made us more internal,” said Jimenez. “It wasn’t possible to meet with friends and family, so we created community.”

As Latin music consumption has increased, so has music creation and investment in the region. Kurtz says that starting in 2020, Deezer has seen its number of weekly pitches in the region almost double — reflecting an increased interest in making music.

“It’s about people valuing their own cultures, and the charts are basically a mirror of that,” he said.