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Every month, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors spotlight a group of rising artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover.
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Our latest edition of On the Radar Latin includes a wave of emerging artists, who we discovered by scrolling on social media, networking, or coming across their music at a showcase, for example. See our March 2025 — in honor of Women’s History Month — recommendations below.
Artist: Chicarica
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Country: Chile
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: What happens when shimmering synths, poetic longing and electro-dance beats collide? You get Chicarica, a band that’s resurrecting the golden age of Chilean indie-pop, championed by acts like Javiera Mena, Alex Anwandter and Dënver. Composed of frontwoman Lorena Pulgar, Martín Pérez Roa and Felipe Zenteno, all masters of synths, this Chilean trio has spent years crafting a sound that’s equal parts introspective and euphoric — a delicate balance of dreamy textures and irresistible pop melodies.
Following its debut album Arde Lento (2021), released via the renowned Santiago-based label Quemasucabeza (Gepe, Ases Falsos, Fernando Milagros), Chicarica is readying for its big moment. The band’s latest single “Antes del día,” which dropped earlier this month, is a lush and captivating prelude to sophomore album, Invierno en la Playa (out May 30). According to a press release, the new album “raises the group’s BPM, where elements of 2-step and ‘80s synthpop breathe extra life into the band’s atmospheric sound.” And the single perfectly sets the tone for a bold new chapter in Chile’s synth-pop evolution. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song For Your Playlist: “Antes del Día”
Artist: Jacqie Rivera
Country: U.S.
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Five years ago, Jacqie Rivera stepped into the music realm, following the footsteps of her famous late mother, Jenni Rivera, and award-winning sister Chiquis. With her soft yet captivating voice, Rivera has released music in English and Spanish, primarily in pop, R&B, and Regional Mexican. Her latest single, “En Otra Vida,” honors her family’s legacy — blending banda, mariachi and norteño with a contemporary pop sound. The heartfelt tune is part of Rivera’s debut studio album of the same name that explores themes of love, heartbreak, healing and self-discovery. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song for your Playlist: “En Otra Vida”
Artist: Soley
Country: Colombia
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Soley (full name: Soley González Jaramillo) kicked off her career in 2019, first delivering Latin EDM and Guaracha tunes (an electronic music genre from Medellín, not connected with the traditional Cuban genre) before embracing reggaetón in 2021. The following year, the Colombian artist — known for her sensual vocals and coquettish aura — released “La Reina de la Noche,” her debut single under Sony Music Colombia. In 2023, Soley — who is signed to La Industria, Inc. for management — released her debut album La Bellakita, powered by hard-hitting perreos and trap songs while last year’s Sol EP is home to chill and breezy Afrobeats. After opening shows for artists such as Ryan Castro and Blessd, Soley will drop her next single “Lección” on Thursday (March 26). — J.R.
Song for your Playlist: “Coco Loco” (feat. Zaider & The Prodigez)
Artist: Sophie Castillo
Country: U.K.
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: Just after one of my South by Southwest (SXSW) panels earlier this month, Sophie Castillo and her team approached me to introduce themselves. With a thick British accent, Castillo — whose mom is Colombian and father is Cuban — spoke to me about her efforts to help grow the Latin music scene in London with her indie-pop sound laced with beats of reggaetón and bachata. Although I didn’t get a chance to check out her showcase at SXSW, I found her on Spotify and her the first song on her profile, “Call me By Your Name,” really hooked me. Released in 2022, the bachata song is bilingual (Spanish and English), like a lot of her songs, a testament to her commitment to popularize Latin music in the U.K. Castillo has an upcoming EP due in April. — GRISELDA FLORES
Song for Your Playlist: “Call Me By Your Name”
Artist: Suanny
Country: Honduras
Why They Should Be on Your Radar: As an indie artist born in Tegucigalpa and based in Los Angeles, Suanny seeks to bring together the best of both worlds by fusing hip-hop and Latin urban music with R&B, pop and other rhythms. In recent months, she’s released singles including “Catracha,” “Pegaíto,” “Mala” and “Musa,” all featuring bilingual (Spanish/English) lyrics of female-empowerment. After a couple of decades paving her way in the entertainment world as a model and actress (she participated in Univision’s reality show Nuestra Belleza Latina in 2006 and appeared in an episode of the TV show Gentefied in 2020), Suanny is now fully committed to music, getting ready to release her debut EP. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Song For Your Playlist: “Pegaíto”
Anthony Raneri says the person least surprised that his band Bayside is still around to celebrate its 25th anniversary may be the teenage version of himself, the one from Queens, NY, who knew he wanted to be a rock star.
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“I was just so sure it was gonna happen,” Raneri, 42, tells Billboard. “You could ask me (at a different age) and I would be shocked there was a version of me still doing this. But at 15 or something, I was just so sure. I started this band so young that reality never factored in. I was a kid. I was a dreamer. Bills weren’t part of my life. It was all hopes and dreams at that point. I was too young to know better. And now fast forward…and it’s actually happened.”
Raneri and Bayside — which still includes first-album member Jack O’Shea on guitar, with Nick Ghanbarian on bass since 2004 and drummer Chris Guglielmo since 2006 — will be celebrating the group’s overall 25th anniversary this spring with The Errors Tour. The three-leg outing kicks off March 29 in Buffalo, NY, and all but one of its 23 stops will be two-night affairs with completely different setlists; the first show will feature songs from Bayside’s first four albums, and the second from the subsequent five titles, leading up to last year’s There Are Worse Things Than Being Alive.
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“We conceptualized this years ago, and we decided the 25th anniversary was the right time to put it into place,” Raneri explains. “Every tour we try to shake things up a little bit. It can’t just be the same show all the time. At this point in our career, with the back catalog we have, so many singles over the years, it’s hard to get songs into the setlist. That means track eight on our first record or track five on our fifth record, when do you ever get to that? So this way, if we can dedicate an hour and a half to just the first four records and then the next night to the next five, we get to those deeper cuts and songs that have been left out, which makes it more interesting for us and, I think, for the fans.”
Not surprisingly, Raneri says preparations for the tour have been “very intense” for the quartet. In addition to its own choices Bayside solicited fan requests via social media, which yielded surprises such as “Indiana,” a B-side from 2014’s Cult that also appeared as a bonus track on a deluxe edition of the album.
“We’ve bought into the concept,” Raneri says. “The cool thing about our band, and something we’re so insanely lucky with, is that we can pull something like this off. There’s a lot of bands that exist that have as many records as we do that couldn’t dedicate nights of a tour to newer albums. But we’re lucky that people like and buy and still enjoy our new albums. Our anniversary doesn’t mean we have to go out and just play old records.”
Bayside has, of course, scored some must-play hits from its nine albums as well as EPs, including “Devotion and Desire” from its self-titled 2005 set and “Sick, Sick, Sick,” a top 40 Alternative Airplay chart hit from 2010’s Killing Time. “The second night might not have ‘Devotion and Desire,’” Raneri notes, “but ‘Sick, Sick, Sick,’ it’s crazy to think that’s in the second half of our career, and ‘Already Gone’ and ‘Go To Hell.’ I think there’s plenty to keep people happy either night, if you don’t come for both.”
Raneri feels he and his bandmates have become “more proficient” players during the intervening years, while diving deep into the catalog has given him a perspective on why Bayside has been able to maintain a loyal following for all this time.
“I just think there is an honesty in what bands from our world have always done that’s different than other genres,” he explains. “What we do, it’s not image stuff. With other genres, there’s a lot of things that are of their time. You look at A Flock of Seagulls or something like that, and it’s just so ’80s; they look like the time, they sound like the time, the lyrics are of the time. Same thing with hair metal: [Cinderella’s] ‘Hot and Bothered’ is a bad-ass song when you’re in high school, but when you’re 40 or 50 does it still connect like that? Do you still wear your hair like that? Do you still dress like that? Of course not. I think our scene, it’s earnest as a pillar of its identity. The emotions are more timeless and not as much about the moment the (songs) were made in.”
Raneri and company plan on adding to Bayside’s catalog soon. The group is concentrating on The Errors Tour for the time being, but the frontman promises that “the day after our big, final 25th anniversary show on Long Island (Sept. 26), I’m writing the new record, and that will be our main focus. All of next year we’ll be working on a new record.
“I always start with finding influences,” Raneri explains, “so I’m just listening to a lot of music, and I’m writing down ideas. When I hear a song that I think would be a cool inspiration for something, I write it down. I have notepads around my house with my ideas, notes apps in my phone, playlists that I’ve made of songs I want to take inspiration from for the next record. I’m not at a stage where I know what that inspiration turns into, but I’m shaping. It’s almost like I’m making this very large Pinterest board in my head, and then when it comes time to actually put pen to paper, I’ll have that board to reference.”
Bayside
Courtesy Photo
Bayside’s The Errors Tour itinerary includes:
(with Sincere Engineer)3/29 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom3/30 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom4/1 – Toronto, ON @ The Opera House4/2– Toronto, ON @ The Opera House4/4 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues4/5 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues4/6 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues4/7 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues4/9 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre4/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
(with Smoking Popes)6/6 – Denver, CO @ Summit Theater6/7 – Denver, CO @ Summit Theater6/8 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot6/9 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot6/11 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox6/12 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox6/13 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall6/14 – Portland, OR @ Revolution Hall6/16 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall6/17 – San Francisco, CA @ August Hall6/19 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues6/20 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues6/21 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club6/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Fremont Country Club6/24 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile6/25 – Mesa, AZ @ The Nile6/27 -Austin, TX @ Emo’s6/28 -Austin, TX @ Emo’s
(with The Sleeping)9/6 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues9/7 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues9/8 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)9/9 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)9/11 – Nashville, TN @ Main Stage at Eastside Bowl9/12 – Nashville, TN @ Main Stage at Eastside Bowl9/13 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground9/14 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground9/16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl9/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Brooklyn Bowl9/19 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza9/20 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza9/21 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club9/22 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club9/24 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony9/25 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony9/26 – Huntington, NY @ The Paramount
Who knew Playboi Carti did his own stunts? After releasing a deluxe version of his No. 1 album Music — which included four new songs in “Different Day,” “2024,” “Backr00ms” and “FOMDJ” — Carti dropped the video for the latter and channeled Tom Cruise by not needing a stuntman. After the video went up on […]
The Long Feng art car will serve as the stage for the upcoming Framework in the Desert parties happening around the first weekend of Coachella 2025.
Electronic events producer Framework announced Wednesday (March 26) that the lineups for these parties will feature Dutch producer Mau P, Manchester’s Interplanetary Criminal and California native Max Styler on Saturday, April 12, and Alesso playing one of his underground Body Hi sets on Sunday, April 13, with special guests Francier Mercier and Layton Giordani. The lineup for Friday, April 11, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Framework in the Desert will be the first time that the Long Feng art car has appeared outside of Burning Man, where it made its debut last year. Featuring sets by a flurry of underground DJs, the car was an immediate standout for both its Funktion-One sound system and dragon design.
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These festival afterparties are happening at the Atlantic Aviation airport hangar in Thermal, Calif., a few miles from the Coachella site. Tickets are on sale now.
“Framework is back at the Atlantic Aviation hangar in Thermal, bringing our staple production and musical artists to the desert,” said Framework co-founder Kobi Danan. “After unforgettable moments like Chris Lake with Fisher, Black Coffee b2b The Martinez Brothers, Peggy Gou and last year’s standout sets from Charlotte de Witte, Dom Dolla and John Summit, Framework in the Desert has cemented itself as a pivotal extension of the festival experience. In 2025, expect a fresh lineup of global talent and forward-thinking artists, all set in an atmosphere for those craving something beyond the main stage. This year, we’re adding exciting new elements while keeping the unique vibe that’s made this event a fan favorite.”
Framework also curates the lineups for Coachella’s club space, the Yuma Tent, which will this year feature DJ/producers including Mercier, Indira Pagonotto, Vintage Culture, Amelie Lens, Haai, Tripolism, Damian Lazarus and many more. Coachella 2025 happens April 11-13 and April 18-20 in Indio, Calif., with headliners including Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone and Travis Scott.
See the poster for Framework in the Desert below:
Framework In The Desert
Courtesy Photo
GloRilla is currently trekking across North America while headlining her Glorious Tour, but ended up having to cut a St. Louis show short earlier this week after several fights broke out among the audience. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Per local affiliate FOX 2 Now, brawls […]
Sleep Token scores its first No. 1 on a Billboard multimetric chart, topping the Hot Hard Rock Songs tally dated March 29 with “Emergence.”
“Emergence” rises to No. 1 after debuting at No. 2 on the March 22-dated list via just one day of tracking data after being released on March 13. (It earned 2 million official U.S. streams, 211,000 radio audience impressions and sold 1,000 downloads that day, according to Luminate.)
In the week ending March 20, its first full seven days of tracking, “Emergence” accumulated 9.9 million streams, 528,000 impressions and 2,000 downloads.
The band’s Hot Hard Rock Songs reign follows a No. 2-peaking song in 2023 in “The Summoning.” “Emergence” became Sleep Token’s seventh top 10 on the ranking upon its debut, tying it with Ghost and I Prevail for the eighth-most top 10s since the list began in 2020.
Most Top 10s, Hot Hard Rock Songs
19, Bring Me the Horizon
17, Linkin Park
13, HARDY
10, Falling in Reverse
10, Five Finger Death Punch
10, Foo Fighters
8, Metallica
7, Ghost
7, I Prevail
7, Sleep Token
“Emergence” also rules Hard Rock Digital Song Sales for a second week and bows at No. 1 on Hard Rock Streaming Songs. It’s the band’s first ruler on the latter, eclipsing the No. 16 peak of “The Summoning,” and marks the survey’s first No. 1 debut since Linkin Park’s “The Emptiness Machine” in September 2024.
“Emergence” concurrently vaults 30-7 on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs, Sleep Token’s first top 20 (“The Summoning” peaked at No. 22), and starts at No. 57 on the all-format Billboard Hot 100, the band’s maiden appearance. Its 9.9 million streams are even enough for a No. 50 debut on Streaming Songs, the first hard rock song to reach the list since Linkin Park’s aforementioned “The Emptiness Machine.”
As the lead radio single from Even in Arcadia, Sleep Token’s upcoming fourth studio album (May 9), “Emergence” debuts at No. 31 on Mainstream Rock Airplay, equaling the peak of “Granite,” the band’s only previous appearance on the ranking, from 2024.
Even in Arcadia is the follow-up to 2023’s Take Me Back to Eden, which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Top Hard Rock Albums chart dated June 3, 2023, and has earned 744,000 equivalent album units to date.
Bad Bunny‘s Un Verano Sin Ti is the gift that keeps on giving. The LP’s “Me Porto Bonito” — featuring Chencho Corleone — achieved a new milestone as it surpassed the one billion views on YouTube, nearly three years after it was released. The feat scores the Puerto Rican superstar his 16th Billion Views Club entry […]
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Source: Getty Images / Greg Abbott / Jasmine Crockett
Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett continues to get under the skin of MAGA Republicans. The snowflakes are now BIG MAD after the Texas congresswoman referred to Governor Greg Abbott as “Hot Wheels.” X was quick to remind them of their blatant hypocrisy.
Republicans are clutching their pearls and pounding their fists on their desks in anger after Jasmine Crockett referred to Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “hot wheels.”
Their bellyaching comes as they were loudly silent as Elon Musk referred to a user on his platform as a “chickensh*t “R” word” as well as other people he disagrees with.
Republicans also didn’t seem to care when the leader of their party, Donald Trump, mocked New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski, who has a disability.
Fox News reports that one Republican, Rep. Randy Weber, plans to introduce a resolution to censure Crockett. “Meanwhile, the actions of Jasmine Crockett – stooping to vile levels of discrimination and despicable political attacks – are nothing short of reprehensible,” Weber said to the news outlet.
Jasmine Crockett Defends Her Use of “Hot Wheels”
Crockett has responded to the “outrage” and defended her use of the term.
“I wasn’t thinking about the governor’s condition—I was thinking about the planes, trains, and automobiles he used to transfer migrants into communities led by Black mayors, deliberately stoking tension and fear among the most vulnerable. Literally, the next line I said was that he was a “Hot A** Mess,” referencing his terrible policies. At no point did I mention or allude to his condition. So, I’m even more appalled that the very people who unequivocally support Trump—a man known for racially insensitive nicknames and mocking those with disabilities—are now outraged,” Crockett wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
She continued, “Keep that same energy for all people, not just your political adversaries. Finally, this is yet another distraction. Instead of obsessing over and hanging on to my every word, maybe my political foes should focus on doing the work of the people who elected us to improve their lives.”
Crockett also shared a link to a story about Abbott spending $148 million bussing migrants to other parts of the country.
Social Media Is Siding With Jasmine Crockett
Jasmine Crockett can also count on social media to have her back as they are pointing out the hypocrisy and many instances of Republicans resorting to name-calling, racist remarks, and other egregious behavior.
“Stop with the performative outrage MAGA. You’re not offended by Jasmine Crockett calling Greg Abbott, Governor Hot Wheels. You had no issues with voting in a rapist, racist, habitual liar and felon into the presidency. I thought y’all liked it when people tell it like it is?,” one user on X wrote.
Another user on X wrote, “Don’t let Jasmine Crockett calling Greg Abbott “Governor Hot Wheels” distract you from his desire to take healthcare away from Texas women & children. Don’t let that distract you from how his state is 41st in education.”
We here at HHW and iOne Digital don’t rock with ableists. Still, in this case, we see the jig with Republicans, especially the same group of Republicans who have referred to Crockett as “ghetto” and “loud.” We are currently whitewashing the country by getting rid of DEI.
Just saying.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
Russell Wilson is heading back to the Empire State. A year after he signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the 10-time Pro Bowl quarterback signed another one-year deal this week — $10.5 million with the New York Giants to become their starter, the NFL announced on Tuesday (March 25). To celebrate, the football […]
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Michael Archer Jr., the son of the late Angie Stone and D’Angelo, took to social media earlier this week to honor his mother in a series of moving images and videos. An artist himself, Michael Archer Jr. used the moment to call attention to Angie Stone’s lasting musical contributions and the close bond the pair shared.
Michael Archer Jr., the only son of Angie Stone and D’Angelo, posted on his Instagram page on March 21 and posted a video that depicted his first thoughts about his mother’s loss, how he learned of her passing that fateful morning, and how he’s managing the process.
Between videos of Archer, who performs under the name SwayvoTwain, sharing his emotional remembrance with several images, he also mentioned the acknowledgement of observers that Stone and his two “aunties” from the group Sequence were the first female Hip-Hop group as being a fairly new occurrence.
In many respects, it appears that Archer is thankful for the love that fans had for his mother and the outpouring of support, but he seemed to say that was something his mother sought. In addition, Archer was clear in putting those who used his mother’s kindness and her passing as a means to call attention to themselves on notice.
The video can be video below.
—Photo: Matt McNeill – PA Images
