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25 Mar 2023

Los Tigres del Norte Help Farmworkers Affected by California Floods & 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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Los Tigres del Norte give back

Mexican supergroup Los Tigres del Norte announced that they’ve teamed up with venue SAP Center, in San Jose, Calif., to donate partial proceeds from the band’s upcoming hometown show April 1. The donations will benefit Local organizations Ayudando Latinos a Soñar and Hijas del Campo, who aid area farmworkers in the aftermath of recent floods and the Half Moon Bay shooting.

“It has also been important to us to show our gratitude by giving back to the community,” the norteño ensemble said in a statement. “Farmworkers already face many hardships in daily life and we could not stand by when so many people close to home have had to face these additional horrible events. We also encourage more people to join us once again in supporting this hardworking, but underserved community.”

Maná’s Alex González to be honored

Drum Workshop presented Alex González, Maná’s legendary drummer, with a DW Collectors Series Icon Snare, as a tribute to the musician. The snare drums, created by DW drum designer John Good, “pay tribute to some of the most iconic drummers in the history of rock,” according to a press release. Each snare is sized and configured to reflect the snare the artist plays and features an inlaid design made from “exotic wood veneers.”

“I am very happy and excited that my icon snare drum will be able to help others that are in need, that’s why my charity of choice is Nariz Roja A.C. that helps and supports low income children with Cancer in Mexico,” González said. “Thank you DW and thank you to those who have purchased my Icon Snare for your support and help! Big Hug!”

J&N Records receive special award

Executives Juan Hidalgo and Nelson Estévez received the Premio Soberano Especial from the Dominican Republic’s Asociación de Cronistas de Arte (ACROARTE). The special award honors their “productive” career as label executives and owners of J&N Records, which the brothers launched in 1981 in Queens, New York. Some of the artists they’ve worked with include Monchy & Alexandra, Tito Rojas and Johnny Ventura, among others.

“Thank you ACROARTE and to the many artists who’ve been with us for 43 years working for music,” Estévez expressed as they received the award at the Teatro Nacional in Santo Domingo.

Laura Pausini said “I do”

After 18 years with her partner Paolo Carta, Laura Pausini is a married woman. The longtime couple said “I do” on Wednesday (March 22) during a surprise wedding ceremony. The singer-songwriter and the Italian producer married in the city of Solarolo at Pausini’s parents’ house. Pausini and Carta exchanged vows with an original song “Davanti a Noi / Frente a Nosotros” penned by both. They then shared the special moment on social media.

Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro are engaged

Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía revealed that they are engaged in their “Beso” music video, from their three-track joint EP RR. The clip features a collage of moments the couple has spent together during their three-year relationship. At the 3:15 minute mark, a teary-eyed Rosalía appears flaunting her diamond ring while holding the box on the same hand. “Oh my god, and my mascara is all runny now. I love you,” she says before kissing her now fiancé.

25 Mar 2023

Taylor Swift Shouts Out ‘Generous King’ Lana Del Rey, Plus More Brand-New Moments From Las Vegas Eras Tour Stop

Taylor Swift fans in Las Vegas who couldn’t wait until Friday night (March 24) to learn all the details of The Eras Tour might have read up on the setlist, stage production and fashion from last weekend’s opening concerts in Glendale, Ariz. But even the most well-researched Swifties were still in for surprises at the first of her two-night stand at Sin City’s Allegiant Stadium, as Billboard witnessed from the crowd.

Of course, those fans already knew they were in for two songs that weren’t on the previous two setlists, after Swift performed “Mirrorball” and “Tim McGraw” during night 1’s acoustic set and “State of Grace” and “This Is Me Trying” on night 2. The Vegas crowd was in for a double-barreled treat, as she went back to her self-titled debut album for “Our Song” (by request of debut opening act Beabadoobee) — Swift’s only track from the 2006 project for the night — and then paid tribute to Lana Del Rey’s Friday-released album Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by playing her LDR collab “Snow on the Beach” from November’s Midnights for the first time.

That last one came with a disclaimer. “I’m going to talk about something, but I just have to tell you first of all: I’m going to talk about another artist, but that artist is not here, OK?” Swift warned the 60,000-person crowd. “I’m not going to bring somebody out. You’re stuck with me. We don’t have guests at this show, OK?”

So what was different from opening weekend at the first Las Vegas Eras Tour stop? Read below for five brand-new moments from Friday night’s concert.

24 Mar 2023

Anitta Teases New Music & Reveals Her Next Album ‘Really Represents Me as an Artist’

Anitta sat down with Billboard News to to play a game, during which she let slip some fun details regarding her next album, which she describes as “very cultural” and “very Brazilian.”

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The Brazilian pop star was tasked with playing a game with Billboard‘s Dance Director, Katie Bain, in which she would be asked a question or told a statement, and is required to share the first thing that comes to her mind. The first statement thrown at Anitta was “You’d be shocked to know that I’m a big fan of…” to which the she replied rock band “[The] Strokes.”

As for “the last song [she] listened to was,” Anitta treated viewers to a little vocal performance before answering the question. “That’s not my deal/ That’s not your deal…” she sang, before scrolling through her phone for the answer. “If you saw this playlist, you would be like ‘You Listen to this?’ You’d be shocked to know I listen to Chris Stapleton. The last song I heard was this [“Our Deal” by Best Coast].”

Bain then asked what Anitta has planned for the future for her music and touring plans, and while a tour is out of the question for now, fans will be delighted to know that a follow up to her 2022 smash, Versions of Me, is on the horizon.

“I’m working on new music for sure. Not touring [retches]. Jesus Christ, I never wanna tour ever again, but I do have new music coming,” she explained. “I working on this album, very cultural, very Brazilian but in English and Spanish, finally the album that I think really represents me as an artist, I finally got it ready. And now I’m just working on music videos, the nice part.”

Watch Anitta’s chat with Billboard News in the video above.

24 Mar 2023

Cam’ron, Ma$e & Jadakiss “GLH,” Freddie Gibbs “Zipper Bagz” & More | Daily Visuals 3.24.23

HipHopWired Featured Video

It’s been decades in the making but it’s finally happened, Cam’ron and Ma$e have finally buried the hatchet and got on the same cut together, and to make things better have added the Verzuz MVP to the mix, Jadakiss.

Dropping off some new visuals to “GLH (Gorilla. Lion. Hyena), Cam and Jadakiss take to the rooftop of a high-rise building to lay down some spectacular bars that OG Hip-Hop heads can bop to while Ma$e reverts back to his Murda persona and proves he’s still got a lot left in the tank of his iced out stepdad bod (no shots).

Speaking of rappers that got bars, Freddie Gibbs has no qualms about keeping his head high regardless of how y’all feel about him and for his clip to “Zipper Bagz,” Gibbs posts up in a motel with some work in a leather bag and blazes on some chronic while awaiting to complete the transaction.

Check out the rest of today’s drops including work from NLE Choppa featuring Lil Wayne, DaBaby, and more.

CAM’RON, MA$E & JADAKISS – “GLH”



FREDDIE GIBBS – “ZIPPER BAGZ”



NLE CHOPPA FT. LIL WAYNE – “AIN’T GONNA ANSWER”



DABABY – “HATE IT OR LOVE IT”



SAUCE WALKA – “FIRST TESTAMENT”



QUANDO RONDO – “WHERE WOULD I BE”



PG RA – “JITTABUGS”



EST GEE FT. KADA – “KADAS SONG”



COAST CONTRA – “CONTRADICTIONS”



24 Mar 2023

Music Stocks Mixed This Week as Universal, HYBE & Warner Raise Index 2.1%

The largest publicly traded music companies gained this week as investors digested the impacts of another increase in the Federal Reserve’s benchmark interest rate.

Billboard‘s Global Music Index rose 2.1% this week to 1,213.30 despite 11 of its 20 stocks being in negative territory. Shares of Universal Music Group, the most valuable component of the 20-stock Index, rose 6.7% to 22.82 euros ($24.58). K-pop company HYBE rose 4.5% to 187,500 won ($144.70), Warner Music Group improved 4.3% to $31.50, SiriusXM rose 3.6% to $3.77 and Spotify was up 1% to $128.30.

The Index’s greatest gainer was streaming company LiveOne, which climbed 13.1% to $1.12. On Tuesday, LiveOne said it is extending the record date for the previously announced spinoff of its PodcastOne subsidiary to April 7. “We expect the special dividend and trading of PodcastOne to begin in April,” said Robert Ellin, LiveOne CEO and chairman. The company also announced it gained 136,000 paid subscribers since Jan. 1, to more than 2 million monthly paying members, and plans to reach 2.75 million subscribers by the end of the year.

Broadcast radio company Audacy, a relatively small component of the Index, had the week’s biggest decline of 21.4%. On March 16, a B. Riley analyst cut the price target for Audacy shares from 50 cents to 10 cents. The stock closed at 11 cents per share on Friday and is down 52% year to date.

The U.S. Federal Reserve Bank raised its benchmark interest rate a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday — from 4.75% to 5% — and suggested additional hikes may not be needed “to return inflation to 2% over time,” the Federal Open Market Committee said in a statement. That decision sent markets into negative territory on Wednesday: both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq composite fell 1.6% while the S&P 500 dropped 1.7%. But stocks rallied on Thursday and Friday. The Dow finished the week up 1.2% while the Nasdaq composite and S&P 500 rose 1.7% and 1.4%, respectively.

24 Mar 2023

50 Cent Settles Lawsuit Against Miami Spa Over Alleged Penis Surgery ‘Insinuation’

50 Cent has reached a settlement to end a lawsuit in which he accused a Miami medical spa of falsely suggesting that he’d had penis surgery, according to court documents filed Friday (March 24).

The rapper claims that Angela Kogan and her Perfection Plastic Surgery & MedSpa exploited an innocent photo he’d “graciously agreed” to take with her to imply that he was a client — and, more startlingly, that he had received penile enhancement surgery as part of his work.

But in a joint filing made Friday in Miami federal court, attorneys for both 50 Cent (real name Curtis Jackson) and Kogan said they had “reached an agreement in principle to settle Mr. Jackson’s claims” and were “in the process of preparing an agreement to finalize and memorialize” the deal.

An attorney for 50 Cent did not immediately return a request for comment. A lawyer for Kogan declined to comment.

50 Cent sued Kogan in September, arguing that he took a photo with “someone he thought was a fan” and had “never consented” to the use of the image for commercial purposes in any form. He says Kogan not only posted the image to Instagram herself but also engineered an article on the website The Shade Room that used the post to make the “false insinuation” that she’d provided him with penile enhancement.

The article in question (“Penis Enhancements Are More Popular Than Ever & BBLs Are Dying Out: Cosmetic Surgery CEO Angela Kogan Speaks On It”) did not directly claim that Jackson had the surgery. But it allegedly said he was a “client” of the practice while repeatedly using the image of him with Kogan, leading Jackson’s lawyers to say the “implication was clear.”

“Defendants’ actions have exposed Jackson to ridicule, caused substantial damage to his professional and personal reputation, and violated his right to control his name and image,” the star’s lawyers wrote at the time. They included social media comments in which users mocked the rapper, including one that “crudely” said the rapper should be called “50 inch.”

Kogan strongly denied the allegations and immediately moved to dismiss the case, saying 50 Cent actually was a client and had consented to the use of the image as payment for the work he received. She argued it was just an “innocuous” use of the photo, not a direct suggestion that he’d endorsed the office.

But in December, Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr. denied Kogan’s request to toss out the case, saying that 50 Cent might eventually be able to prove his allegations at trial.

“As the proverbial saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words,” Scola wrote. “This one in particular depicts a worldwide celebrity next to Kogan with MedSpa’s name repeated all throughout the background. The promotional value is evident.”

24 Mar 2023

What Will Become of TikTok? After Bitter Congressional Hearing, App’s Future Is ‘Shakier Than Ever’

As the U.S. government considers banning social media app TikTok, the U.S. music industry faces a few scenarios regarding the platform that’s become a lifeline for discovering and breaking artists — and most aren’t good.

The grilling of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew by members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on Thursday (March 23) had all the political theater expected from a Congressional hearing. It also had one important characteristic unusual for the United States in 2023: bi-partisan agreement. Despite Chew’s insistence that U.S. TikTok users’ data cannot be accessed from China, home of parent company Bytedance, neither Democrats nor Republicans seem intent on allowing TikTok to operate within their borders.

The showdown seemed inevitable given TikTok’s foreign entanglements and the app’s quick ascendence. The app accounted for 17% of total time spent on mobile apps globally in 2022, according to Data.ai — second behind WeChat’s 19.5% and well ahead of No. 3 YouTube’s 12.7%. Chew told lawmakers that TikTok has 150 million users in the U.S. That’s 50% more than the 100 million figure TikTok previously made public (and eMarketer’s latest estimate of 95.8 million at the end of 2022). Among U.S. Gen Z consumers aged 18 to 24, TikTok ranks No. 2 behind Instagram in monthly average users, according to Data.ai.

But the app’s fate in the United States “is on shakier ground than ever,” according to eMarketer principal analyst Jasmine Enberg. “TikTok’s decision to highlight how entrenched the app has become in US society was miscalculated,” Enberg said in a statement. “It actually strengthened U.S. lawmakers’ argument that TikTok poses a threat to both national security and young people.”

Brendan Carr, a commissioner with the Federal Communications Commission, agrees. The vocal TikTok critic told CBS News “the day could not have gone any worse for TikTok” and that Chew “completely failed” to gain “some level” of trust and credibility with members of Congress.

While a TikTok ban appears popular amongst politicians, not everybody is supportive. The Cato Institute’s Paul Matzo called a ban “a hamfisted mistake” born from “neo-Cold War paranoia.” It wouldn’t necessarily make America safer, he argued, and would amount to a bail-out for Meta, whose TikTok competitor, Instagram, has failed to win on a level playing field. The Brookings Institute’s Darrell M. West and Michaela Robison argue that a ban would open up U.S. companies in China — such as automaker Tesla — to similar scrutiny.

If a ban could withstand a legal challenge — former President Donald Trump’s attempt to ban TikTok and Chinese messaging app WeChat both failed — TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, would be forced to sell the company. President Joe Biden’s administration has encouraged Bytedance to sell TikTok. But it wouldn’t be a straightforward process. China would “strongly oppose” a forced sale, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Thursday, and TikTok is subject to Chinese law on tech exports and would require government approval.

A prompt sale of TikTok, which is reportedly valued at $60 billion, would be the best outcome for the music industry in search of new sources of streaming revenue. TikTok’s revenue rocketed from $4 billion in 2021 to $10 billion in 2022, according to reports. Research firm Omdia projects that TikTok’s ad revenue will climb to $44 billion by 2027 — presumably assuming there are no geopolitical interferences — and surpass the combined video ad revenues of Meta and YouTube. Although TikTok is not a major source of revenue for labels and publishers, rights holders expect to eventually have licensing agreements that give them a share of advertising revenue for user-generated content (like their deal with YouTube).

The current hodgepodge of bans also hurts both TikTok and the music industry. In the United States, TikTok has already been banned by some federal agencies, state and local governments and universities. Elsewhere, TikTok has been banned from the official phones of staff of the European Commission, U.K. parliament, Canadian government, Belgian government, Danish Defense Ministry and Latvian Foreign Ministry, to name a few. Fewer TikTok apps installed on fewer smartphones is twice the punishment for an app that depends on user-generated content. Lower usage means fewer people creating and viewing videos.

Perhaps the biggest question is what would happen to TikTok under new ownership. If, say, Oracle owned a stake in TikTok, as was proposed during the Trump administration, would the app continue to have the same magical recommendation algorithm that has made TikTok so irresistible and its competitors unable to keep up? New ownership would eliminate restraints on TikTok’s revenue and user growth, but if the product suffers, the music industry would be handed a less effective promotional tool and a less valuable source of revenue. The only certainty in this TikTok controversy is that such unintended consequences are guaranteed.

24 Mar 2023

Snoop Dogg Proved He’s a Major ‘Game of Thrones’ Fan While Meeting Emilia Clarke

Snoop Dogg, rapper of dragons? On Friday (March 24), the superstar came face to face with Game of Thrones actor Emilia Clarke and shared his love of the hit HBO fantasy series.

“SNOOP. DOGGY. DOGG.” Clarke posted alongside a sweet photo of the pair on social media, backstage at the rapper’s show at The O2 in London. “The man, the myth, the legend. When he calls, you (I) come running.” She even geeked out with her hashtags, writing, “#my16yearoldselfishavingalifealteringmomenthere #soismy36yearoldself.” Meanwhile, Snoop commented under the post, “I’ love me some you” with the requisite dragon, flame, paw prints, TV camera and smiling heart emojis.

In a sweet video in the slideshow, Snoop proved the love was nothing but mutual. He can be heard telling the actress, “I would protect your eggs any day…I’m here for you, baby, I’m here! You know I’m a fan of the show, right?” referring to Clarke’s famous role as Daenerys Targaryen. Visibly blown away, Clarke quips, “Can I get that in writing?” before responding, “You know I’m a fan of you since forever and ever and ever?”

Earlier this month, the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show performer made major business moves by starting Shiller, his very own Web3 livestreaming platform with British tech entrepreneur Sam Jones and returning the entire catalog of releases on Death Row Records — including classics like 1993’s Doggystyle and 1996’s The Doggfather — to streaming services. Other albums in the deal included Tupac’s All Eyez on Me and The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory as well as Lady of Rage’s Necessary Roughness and Kurupt’s Against the Grain.

Check out Snoop’s adorable meet-up with Clarke below.

24 Mar 2023

Childish Gambino Beats Rapper’s Copyright Lawsuit Over ‘This Is America’: ‘Entirely Different’

A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit accusing Donald Glover of ripping off his chart-topping Childish Gambino hit “This Is America” from an earlier song, ruling that the two tracks are “entirely different.”

A rapper named Kidd Wes (real name Emelike Nwosuocha) sued in 2021, claiming Glover’s 2018 song was “practically identical” to his own 2016 called “Made In America.” But in a decision issued Friday (March 24), U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said they were anything but.

“A cursory comparison with the challenged composition reveals that the content of the choruses is entirely different and not substantially similar,” the judge wrote.

In reaching that conclusion, Judge Marrero briefly explained how Nwosuocha’s lyrics were a “short, simple, self-aggrandizing proclamation,” while Glover’s song was about “what America means and how it is perceived.”

“More could be said on the ways these songs differ, but no more airtime is needed to resolve this case,” the judge wrote.

Released in 2018, “This Is America” spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 and eventually won record of the year and song of the year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards. It was accompanied by a critically acclaimed music video, directed by Hiro Murai, that touched on issues of race, mass shootings and police violence.

Nwosuocha sued in May 2021, claiming there were “unmissable” similarities between the song and his own “Made In America,” including the “flow” — the cadence, rhyming schemes, rhythm and other characteristics of hip hop lyrics.

“The distinctive flow employed in defendant Glover’s recorded performance of the infringing work’s chorus … is unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical, to the distinct and unique flow that was employed by Nwosuocha,” his lawyers wrote at the time.

But in Friday’s decision, Judge Marrero said the “flow” and other similar characteristics “lack sufficient originality” to be protected by copyrights. And “no reasonable jury” could find that the lyrics themselves were similar enough to constitute copyright infringement, the judge said.

The judge also ruled that the case failed for an even simpler reason: That Nwosuocha had failed to secure a federal copyright registration for the underlying composition to his song. “Accordingly, dismissal of Nwosuocha’s complaint is warranted.”

In a statement to Billboard, Nwosuocha’s attorneys Imran H. Ansari and La’Shawn N. Thomas said their client was “understandably disappointed” and considering appealing the ruling. “He stands by his music, creativity, and the independence of grassroots artists to create their own music, and receive credit where credit is due, without the fear of it being apportioned by another.”

An attorney for Glover did not immediately return a request for comment on the decision.

24 Mar 2023

Which Latin Music Couple Should Drop an EP Next? Vote!

Rauw Alejandro and Rosalía have dropped a three-track joint EP called RR (styled R♾Я) that not only navigates from old-school reggatón beats to bolero fusions but also staples their over three-year relationship.

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In “Beso,” the couple sings about not wanting anyone else’s kisses only each other, and comes accompanied by their sweetest moments together in a homemade video that reveals they are officially engaged. In “Vampiros,” they mutually throw each other flowers saying they are talented, authentic and badass. Whereas in “Promesa,” they get honest about loving each other no matter what.

“After more than 3 years together, here are these 3 songs made with all the love in the world. I hope you enjoy this little piece of us,” Rauw and Rosalía expressed in a collaborative Instagram post.

But the Puerto Rican act and Spanish artist are not the only ones who have joined musical forces. Recently, newlyweds Guaynaa and Lele Pons revealed to Billboard Español their plans for an album together.

To celebrate their love, their 10-track collaborative album, tentatively titled Capitulations, will span a variety of genres from urban pop (“Abajito”) to reggaetón (“Natural”) to reggae (“A Que No”) and bachata (“Todo Sabe Más Rico”). They assure the set will be very relatable to couples.

Two days before their wedding day on March 4, Lele and Guaynaa dropped their first single off of the set called “Abajito,” a playful dembow that finds the pair promising to always love and take care of each other, but also has witty lyrics about “down there.” The single follows 2020’s “Se Te Nota,” which spent 18 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Global 200 (where it peaked at No. 44), and 25 weeks on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (No. 19 peak) and 11 weeks on Hot Latin Songs (No. 25).

In addition to these two pairs of lovebirds, which Latin music couple should drop an EP or album next? Vote below!