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Listen to Karol G’s ‘Barbie’ Soundtrack Song & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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Karol G Meets Barbie

The upcoming Barbie movie — starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken — has unleashed its second single from the motion picture soundtrack called “Watati,” from Karol G featuring Aldo Ranks. A hard-hitting reggaeton with EDM tones produced by Ovy on the Drums, the uptempo track finds the Colombian singer and Panamanian veteran singing about having a good time at the club. “Watati” follows the soundtrack’s lead single “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa. Other artists featured on the album include Nicki Minaj, Lizoo, Ice Spice, Tame Impala, and many more. Listen to Karol and Aldo’s number below: 

Puerto Rico Celebrates Victor Manuelle

This week, the House of Representatives in Puerto Rico celebrated Victor Manuelle’s 30-year prolific music career with an intimate ceremony. “Honor to whom honor deserves […] Thank you Victor for always putting our island so high,” wrote a tourist Instagram account called “Enjoy Isabela Puerto Rico.” “Puerto Rico! this would not have been possible if it were not for the love you have given me during these 30 years of experience,” Manuelle shared on Instagram. “Thank you for watching me grow as a performer and loving me so much! I will always be grateful to you.” The salsa singer, known for hits such as “Tengo Ganas,” “He Tratado,” and “Si Tu Me Besas,” is set to perform two concerts on June 3rd and 4th at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, as part of the commemoration.

She Said, Yes!

Chiquis is an engaged woman! Earlier this week, the Mexican-American singer revealed the exciting news via an Instagram reel, where she shared a getaway recap with her now-fiancé and photographer Emilio Sanchez. “Today really took a turn … for the better,” she said of what was meant to be her boyfriend’s birthday but turned into a wedding proposal. “Thank you for making me feel safe enough to believe in love again. Thank you for choosing to love me even on the ugliest of days. Simply, thank you for being you, and loving me the way you do,” she expressed in the sweet post.

Get Ready for Latin Music Week

Billboard announced this week the official launch of the 2023 Latin Music Week website. Now open, the online platform offers new and up-to-date information on all things Latin Music Week, which is set to return to Miami the week of Oct. 2nd to 6th. Tickets and confirmed lineup announcements are coming soon. Billboard‘s Latin Music Week is the longest-running and biggest Latin music-industry gathering for more than 30 years. The weeklong event brings together emerging and renowned artists, industry leaders, creators, and decision-makers in Latin music from around the world for showcases, networking, exclusive conversations, panels, workshops, activations, and concerts. The 2022 star-studded edition included Romeo Santos, Chayanne, Camilo, Bizarrap, Ivy Queen, Grupo Firme, Nicky Jam, Maluma, and many more. 

Camilo, Eduin Caz, Edgar Barrera

Camilo, Eduin Caz and Edgar Barrera speak onstage during “Superstar Q+A with Camilo” panel at Billboard Latin Music Week 2022 held at Faena Forum on September 27, 2022 in Miami, Florida.

Gus Caballero for Billboard

Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year

Italian-born singer Laura Pausini, known for Spanish-language hits such as “En Cambio No,” “Vivemé,” and “Se Fué,” was named the Latin Recording Academy’s 2023 Person of the Year. With a 30-year trajectory, Pausini, “will be honored for her career as a multifaceted, multi-lingual performer as well as for her continued commitment to supporting social justice causes that are close to her heart, including equality for women and LGBTQ+ people and world hunger,” according to an official statement. Read more on the exciting news here.

Laura Pausini

Laura Pausini

Nima Benati

Brandon Lake Leads K-LOVE Fan Awards With Three Wins

Brandon Lake, for King & Country, Lauren Daigle and MercyMe were among the evening’s big winners on Friday evening (June 2), when the K-LOVE Fan Awards aired on TBN, having previously been taped at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House on May 28.

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Lake led this year’s winners, taking home three honors, including male artist. He also earned song of the year and worship song of the year, both for “Gratitude.”

Sibling duo for King & Country earned artist of the year, while Daigle took home female artist of the year, and MercyMe earned their first K-LOVE Fan Award, for group of the year.

The evening also featured an array of powerful performances, as Colton Dixon was joined by Gabby Barrett for their duet “Build a Boat.” A plethora of collaborations filled the evening, including MercyMe with David Leonard on “Then Christ Came,” Katy Nichole and Big Daddy Weave on “God Is in This Story,” Lake teamed with Benjamin William Hastings for “Gratitude,” while Mac Powell and Jason Crabb performed “New Creation.” Tasha Layton offered “How Far,” while Jon Reddick performed “I Believe It.”

In one of the evening’s most affecting moments, Blessing Offor had students from Nashville’s Covenant School join him for a performance of Offor’s “Brighter Days.” Steven Curtis Chapman, who was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2018, was honored for his lengthy history of enduring songs, as he was joined by Bart Millard, Matthew West and Mac Powell.

See the full list of K-LOVE Fan Awards winners for 2023 below:

Artist of the Year
for KING & COUNTRY

Male artist
Brandon Lake

Female artist
Lauren Daigle

Group of the year
MercyMe

Worship song of the year
Brandon Lake
“Gratitude”

Song of the year
Brandon Lake
“Gratitude”

Breakout single
“Perfectly Loved”
Rachael Lampa ft. TobyMac

Film & television impact
The Chosen
Season Three Finale

Book impact
On Our Knees
Phil Wickham

Podcast impact
UNASHAMED
Phil & Jase Robertson

How to Watch TLC’s Lifetime Documentary Without Cable

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Tionne “T-Box” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas will share the story of their lives in how they “broke boundaries, influenced an entire generation and survived against all odds” in the Lifetime documentary TLC Forever, premiering Saturday (June 3) at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

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The two-and-half-hour documentary chronicles the group’s journey through music – from their start in the ‘90s to their message, style, legacy and the tragic death Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. The documentary will feature appearances from other music industry colleagues such as Missy Elliott and Dave Grohl.

After Left Eye’s tragic death in 2002, T-Boz and Chili were not only grieving the loss of their group member and friend, but they were also uncertain about the future of TLC. In an interview with USA Today, T-Boz theorized that Left Eye would be the “female Kanye West” if she were alive today.

“I said that because Lisa was always just saying things. If she had Twitter fingers, she’d be all over the place and have something to say about everything and not care,” she explained. “She’d be making all of the shocking comments. And Kanye was the only comparison I could think of about what my sister would be like now.”

T-Box and Chilli are executive producers alongside Bill Diggins for Diggit Entertainment Group and Rick Krim; Roger Ross Williams and Geoff Martz for One Story Up. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson are executive producers for A+E Networks. The documentary is produced by One Story Up and Lauren Fulton for Lifetime and A&E Network.

Keep reading for ways to watch and stream TLC Forever live and on-demand.

TLC Forever: Best Ways to Stream Online

TLC Forever will simulcast on Lifetime and A&E at 8 p.m. ET/PT ahead of Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Movie airing at 5:30 p.m. ET/PT. The biopic and documentary, which will be available to watch and stream on Lifetime, Lifetime.com and on Lifetime app, will re-air on Sunday (June 4) starting at 3:00 p.m. PT/ET.

Even if you’re not already signed up for a streaming platform, cable or satellite, you can stream TLC Forever online and for free – depending on which streamer you choose.

Lifetime is available on streaming platforms like Philo, DirectTV Stream, Vidgo and SlingTV. Viewers streaming internationally can use ExpressVPN to access Lifetime, Philo and more.

If you’re shopping for a streaming deal, Philo is one of the most affordable streamers around at $25/month and a free trial for the first week.

Philo

$25/month after 7-day free trial

Philo features over 70 channels including Lifetime, MTV, BET, TLC, VH1, CMT, WEtv, A&E, ID, Trvl Channel, OWN, AMC and Comedy Central. The subscription includes unlimited DVR that can be stored for up to a year.

Watch the trailer for TLC Forever below.

 

Lil Durk “Sad Songs,” Tobe Nwigwe & Nas ft. Jacob Banks “On My Soul” & More | Daily Visuals 6.2.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

2023 Dreamville Music Festival

It’s been a week since Lil Durk dropped his latest album Almost Healed but already the Chicagoan has dropped a few visuals in support of his 8th album and today continues to give life to some of his standout cuts.

This time around Durk chose to drop a video for the emotionally driven cut “Sad Songs” in which Durk finds himself going through the motions as he comes to terms with breaking up with his wifey in the darkness of his own home. You’d think any rapper would be happy to be single again, but not Durk. He musta really loved her.

Elsewhere Tobe Nwigwe and Nas take over an abandoned factory for their Jacob Banks-assisted clip to “On My Soul” and use the space to fill with choreographed dancers, hot whips, and Optimum Prime. Well, not the actual Autobot superhero, but the lifeless truck that he’s modeled after.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from Krayzie Bone, Mozzy, and more.

LIL DURK – “SAD SONGS”

TOBE NWIGWE & NAS FT. JACOB BANKS – “ON MY SOUL”



KRAYZIE BONE – “WE DON’T GO HOME”



MOZZY – “10 PERCENT”



SLIM – “DOUBLE R’S”



LUCKI – “NO BAP”



LIL KEKE – “MOTION”



CENTRAL CEE & DAVE – “SPRINTER”



Photo: Astrida Valigorsky / Getty

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iHeartMedia’s 30% Gain Leads Music Stocks This Week Amid Robust U.S. Jobs Report

Shares of iHeartMedia jumped 30.5% to $3.12 this week, making the radio giant the best-performing stock on the Billboard Global Music Index. The company gained 25.3% on Friday (June 2) without any clear signal — such as an SEC filing or earnings release — to drive such a sharp movement. On Thursday, CEO Bob Pittman told The New York Post that “radio is as strong as ever” and is not in competition with streaming services like Spotify. “The consumer uses us both,” he said. iHeartMedia’s share price is down 49.1% year to date.

The Billboard Global Music Index increased 1.3% to 12,47.74 overall this week, as 11 of the index’s 21 stocks finished in positive territory. Korean music company HYBE was unchanged, while the remaining nine stocks posted losses between 0.9% and 4.2%. The index has gained 6.8% year to date. 

Stocks closed the week on high notes following a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics jobs report that showed non-farm payroll employment increased by 339,000 in May. Although the music industry is experiencing a rare series of layoffs and notable tech companies like Meta continue to downsize, the jobs market has remained strong in the face of inflation and higher borrowing costs following a year of interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve.

The S&P 500 gained 1.5% on Friday, bringing its one-week increase to 1.8%. The Nasdaq composite gained 1.1% on Friday and closed 2.0% higher on the week. Overseas, the United Kingdom’s FTSE 100 index fell 0.3% this week while Korea’s KOSPI index improved 1.7%.

Madison Square Garden Entertainment (MSGE) was the only other stock on the Billboard Global Music Index that showed a double-digit gain, with shares gaining 14.4% to finish at $40.09. On Wednesday, Macquarie initiated coverage of MSGE with a $43 price target and an “outperform” rating; speaking with the TD Ameritrade Network on Friday, Macquarie analyst Paul Golding noted the company’s “high-quality assets that are very well known in the largest market in the country” and “desirable assets” for concerts and tours. 

Outside of the Billboard Global Music Index, radio company Townsquare gained 16.9% this week, bringing the company’s year-to-date improvement to 44.7% despite a soft advertising market that has hurt most radio stocks. K-pop company JYP Entertainment, home to Stray Kids and Twice, steadily rose throughout the week to close at 128,700 KRW ($98.53) on Friday, up 13.2%, for a year-to-date gain of 89.8%. JYP announced on Wednesday that it expanded its partnership with Imperial and Republic Records to help market and promote its music in the United States.

‘The Idol’: How to Watch & Stream The Weeknd’s New Show

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.

The Weeknd is about to take over your TV screens once HBO’s highly-anticipated new drama, The Idol, premieres on Sunday (June 4).

Besides having a stellar cast lineup, which also includes actress Lily-Rose Depp as the leading lady and Schitt’s Creek star and creator Dan Levy, the series from Euphoria creator Sam Levinson tells the story of Jocelyn (played by Depp), an aspiring pop star who after having a nervous breakdown, begins an entangled relationship with Tedros, a self-help guru and the head of a contemporary cult (played by The Weeknd).

Abel 'The Weeknd' Tesfaye

The Weeknd Reveals ‘The Idol Vol. 1’ Soundtrack Release Date & Cover Art

“Angel Baby” singer Troye Sivan, Moses Sumney, Suzanna Son and BLACKPINK’s Jennie Ruby Jane also appear in the series.

Read on for ways to watch and stream The Idol from anywhere.

How to Watch The Idol Without Cable

The Idol premiers Sunday, June 4, at 9 p.m. ET. In order to catch the premiere without cable — and avoid any spoilers from social media — you’ll need to make sure you have Max, HBO’s new streaming service. If you’re already a subscriber to HBO or previously subscribed to HBO Max, then you don’t need to worry about downloading a new streaming service, but for those who don’t have a subscription, there’s an easy way to sign up. Simply log into Max.com to join.

New episodes of The Idol will air on HBO on Fridays starting on June 4 until June 25.

You can watch HBO without cable through streamers such as DirecTV Stream and Hulu (use ExpressVPN to access the cable channel and other streaming platforms from outside of the U.S.)

Amazon Prime members have the ability to add Max as a premium channel onto their Prime Video subscription.

Max on Prime Video

$15.99/month after 7-day free trial

Click here or the buy button above to take advantage of a 30-day free trial to Prime Video and a week free trial to Max to stream The Idol and other content in the mega-library of films, movies, and TV shows.

Max, which launched on May 23, carries a large selection of content including Max Originals as well as programs from HBO, Discovery, TLC, HGTV, TCM, Food Network, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, Trvl Channel and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Stream HBO hits, original movies and shows such as Love & Death, Succession, Barry, The Last of Us, Reality, Clone High, White House Plumbers, And Just Like That, Love to Love You: Donna Summer, Bama Rush and Being Mary Tyler Moore.

Check below to watch the trailer for The Idol.

Indie Rockers OK Go Settle Cereal Lawsuit With Post Foods

The band OK Go has reached a confidential settlement to end a bizarre legal battle with Post Foods over a new line of on-the-go cereal packages called “OK Go!”

Just months after OK Go — a power pop band best known for its viral music videos — vowed to fight back against a “big corporation” that “chose to steal the name of our band to market disposable plastic cups of sugar to children,” attorneys for both sides asked a Minnesota federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit permanently, with each side paying their own legal bills.

The filing said that the two sides had “settled this action on terms agreeable to all parties,” but did not include specific terms of the agreement in public court records, like whether the band would be paid or if Post would change the brand name. Neither side immediately returned requests for comment on Friday (June 2).

The settlement will resolve an unusual legal dispute that pitted a pop band against a multinational food company, asking the question: Will consumers who see a portable snack package of Fruity Pebbles on a supermarket shelf think that a band with a similar name had endorsed it?

The fight started in September when an attorney for the band sent a cease-and-desist letter warning Post that OK Go was “surprised and alarmed” to see Post’s new product line. He claimed the name infringed the trademark rights to the band’s name since it would “suggest to consumers that OK Go is endorsing Post’s products,” or falsely imply that the cereal company had received permission to use it.

“Our client regards this matter with the utmost seriousness and has authorized us to take all steps necessary in any venue to protect its rights,” OK Go’s attorney wrote in the September letter. “If we do not hear from you within 10 days of the date of this letter, we will assume that Post does not wish to resolve this matter amicably.”

A week later, an attorney representing Post responded, saying that the company must “respectfully disagree” with the band’s accusations. The attorney argued that rock music and breakfast cereal were “clearly unrelated” products and that the phrase “OK Go” was merely a common term that had previously been used by many other companies on their products.

In January, Post took the battle to court, asking a federal judge for what’s known as a “declaratory judgment” — meaning a pre-emptive ruling that the company did nothing wrong. Post argued that the trademark rights of a rock band like OK Go don’t extend to an unrelated product like cereal and that the new cups are clearly marked with Post’s own brand names to avoid any confusion.

“Without resolution by this court, Post will be unfairly forced to continue investing in its new OK GO! brand while under the constant threat of unfounded future litigation by defendants,” the cereal company wrote in its lawsuit.

In a statement to Billboard at the time, the members of OK Go said they’d been surprised to learn of Post’s lawsuit.

“A big corporation chose to steal the name of our band to market disposable plastic cups of sugar to children. That was an unwelcome surprise, to say the least,” the band wrote. “But then they sue US about it? Presumably, the idea is that they can just bully us out of our own name, since they have so much more money to spend on lawyers? I guess that’s often how it works, but hopefully, we’ll be the exception.”

According to Post’s lawsuit, the company had offered to pay the band as part of a “good faith effort” to resolve the dispute without resorting to litigation, despite its belief that the accusations lacked legal merit. The company claimed OK Go rejected that offer and made no counter-proposal, leaving Post with no choice but to file a lawsuit.

Beyoncé, Rihanna & Taylor Swift Make Forbes Richest Self-Made List, New Music From Latto, Stray Kids & More | Billboard News

Beyoncé, Rihanna and Taylor all make Forbes’ 2023 richest self-made women list, Kelly Rowland responds to whether she would do a Destiny’s Child reunion, Billboard takes a look at the songs that are resurging on our charts thanks to TikTok and we get new music from Latto and Cardi B, Paris Hilton and Kim Petras, The Weeknd, Stray Kids, Jelly Roll and more.

Tetris Kelly:  

New Music from Cardi B, Stray Kids, The Weeknd, Madonna and more. Kelly Rowland responds to Destiny’s Child reunion rumors. Beyoncé, Taylor and Rihanna battle it out for the richest self-made women in music. We catch up with Yahritza y Su Esencia and run down the top songs recharting thanks to TikTok. Welcome to Billboard News. It’s Friday June 2 — Happy Pride Month! We have lots of new music today. So let’s start with our Friday music guide.

Tetris Kelly: 

We needed these ladies together. Cardi B joined my fave Georgia peach Latto on a remix to ‘Put It On Da Floor.’ And yes, that was a Britney reference. There will be more new music throughout the show, but let’s jump into our top story. Kelly Rowland responds to Beyoncé’s dad saying he wants a Destiny’s Child reunion.

Tetris Kelly:

While B keeps killing it on tour, fans have been begging for a Destiny’s Child reunion since they split back in 2005. Even their former manager and Beyoncé’s dad Mathew Knowles expressed wanting to see them back together. He told ET hopefully they do one last time in their career. Hopefully they give us one last album. Who knows you never know. Since disbanding they reunited for the Super Bowl and Beychella but a full-on reunion with an album? Kelly Rowland chimed in on the possibility to E! News.

Watch the full video above!

Kid Cudi Is ‘The Best Daddy’ Ever After Scoring Taylor Swift Tickets for His Teen Daughter

Kid Cudi is in the running for the father of the year award — at least, according to his 13-year-old daughter, Vada Mescudi. On Friday (June 2), Cudi shared a sweet text his daughter sent him after he was able to get her and her closest friends tickets to Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour.

“THANK YOU SO MUCH DADDY! YOUR THE BEST DADDY I COULD EVER WISH FOR! IM SO EXCITED I LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO MUCH!!,” she wrote, adding a red heart emoji. Cudi replied with a double row of crying-face emojis.

“Got Vada some Taylor Swift tix for her and her friends. This is the message I got. Man, shes never said this to me ever before,” he captioned the screenshot of his and Vada’s exchange on Twitter.

He continued and thanked the pop star for assisting him with scoring tickets. “Taylor thank u for being a great role model for my daughter. U got me the best text from her ever. THANK U so much for helpin out w the tix, ima hero because of you. Love!!” he wrote, adding #VadaIsASwiftie.

The sweet message comes after Swift expanded The Eras Tour to include stops in Latin America. “Really thrilled to tell you this!!” the pop star wrote in a post to her social media accounts. “Mexico, Argentina and Brazil: We are bringing The Eras Tour to you this year!”

See Cudi’s text exchange with his daughter in the Twitter post below.

LIT Killah, Daddy Yankee & More: What’s Your Favorite New Latin Music Release? Vote!

This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard‘s Latin and Billboard Español editors — is powered by new music from Daddy Yankee, Young Miko and Gocho, to name a few.

To everyone’s surprise, Daddy Yankee came out of retirement to drop a new collaboration with newcomer Omar Courtz (who he discovered on Instagram) for a summer-ready track called “BEACHY.” Co-written by Yankee, Courtz, Justin Quiles, and BCA, the song — part of the upcoming LEGENDADDY Goat Edition album — narrates the story of a girl who’s getting tanned at the beach and enjoying the sun while she’s living her best single life. The single, produced by Yankee, Dimelo Flow, BK, and PM, fuses reggaetón with Afrobeats, backed by Yankee’s signature sugary vocals and Courtz’s raspier tones.

Another rising act, Young Miko, also teamed up with reggaeton veterans Jowell y Randy on “ID.” With flirty, NSFW lyrics, the collab meshes reggaeton, reggae, and hard-hitting perreo melodies. 

A notable release this week is “Los Del Espacio,” an infectious cumbia-reggaeton track released by eight of Argentina’s hottest names right now: Lit Killah, Emilia, Duki, Maria Becerra, Rusherking, FMK, Tiago PZK, and Big One. “In slow motion/ You stuck with me and you didn’t realize/ That tonight I let you go’/ I know it tempts you,” says part of the chorus of the catchy song written by the octet of friends and produced and mastered by Big One. 

Additional releases this week include Francisca Valenzuela’s heartfelt pop ballad “¿Dónde Se Llora Cuando Se Llora?;” Gocho’s first solo project in eight years, a six-track EP titled No Soy el Mismo (Lado A); Sky Rompiendo’s adventurous “Cielo” with Feid and Myke Towers; Nico Hernández and Pipe Bueno’s “Una Noche;” Los Aptos and Cuco’s whirling love-letter ballad “Miel;” and many more. 

Last week, the new generation of Menudo and their single  “Feelin’” won the poll with over 54 percent of the votes. What’s your favorite new Latin music release this week? Vote below!