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Taking a regional Mexican music route has led Thalia — often referred to as the Queen of Latin Pop — back to her roots, as she embraces the resurgence of música mexicana on her latest EP, A Mucha Honra.
“This album was created at the source from which this [new corridos] movement comes and emanates,” the superstar tells Billboard Español. In collaboration with Jimmy Humilde of Rancho Humilde and music producer Edgar Rodríguez of Yellow Room, the singer dives deep into the musical heritage of her beloved home country.
She reflects on the power of songs like the timeless “Amor a la Mexicana” as a key inspiration for this project. “It’s the perfect circle of why I’m singing regional [Mexican] right now,” says Thalia about the classic 1997 Mexican cumbia-pop hit. “[This genre] evokes a nostalgia in me. It gets into the Mexican DNA and provokes a catharsis in you, this style, this sound, these chords.”
The 9-track EP, released on Friday (April 26) under Sony Music US Latin, includes the corridos tumbados of “Bebé, Perdón,” “Para Qué Celarme” and a remake of “Amor a la Mexicana.” There’s also the sierreño pop jam “Choro” featuring Estilo Sin Límite, the norteño song “Silencio,” and a nor-techno remix of “Te Va a Doler,” courtesy of Deorro, which she premiered last night at the 2024 Latin American Music Awards; the original version features Grupo Firme.
“For me it has been a pleasure to be able to create this music for such a long time, to be able to perform it”, the artist explains. “It has been incredible for me to release A Mucha Honra little by little. I always try to experience different things, new things, things that challenge me and add to me.”
Below, Thalia breaks down five essential songs from her new EP, in her own words.
“Te Va a Doler” (with Grupo Firme)
“Te Va a Doler” is a song that despite being regional [Mexican], has a little bit of both worlds. It has a little more of the Thalia universe, of my musical and interpretative style, but it still has the power and sonority of the new regional Mexican. For more than a year we have been talking with Eduin Caz [of Grupo Firme] about doing something, about working together, and for me this song was the perfect ring for this union. The truth is that our styles merged well, his voice sounds very powerful in this story, and it was spectacular.
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From the same song, “Te Va a Doler,” a more electronic version was done with Deorro, who since I heard his work I loved it, so I said: “You have to do something for me.” I love Deorro’s work, and he did the remix version of this song.
“Amor a la Mexicana”
It’s the perfect circle of why I’m singing regional right now. For me, singing to Mexico and singing in the styles of our musical [heritage] has been a constant in my discography. If you look for songs, videos and hits by Thalia that have a regional or Mexican sound, there are many, and the classic of my entire career is “Amor a la Mexicana.” So, it could not be missing in this album called A Mucha Honra. I feel honored to be Mexican, to celebrate what is happening with culture, with music globally at this time. And what more than with the icing on the cake, which is to sing a new version of “Amor a la Mexicana”, which really turned out spectacular. Without a doubt, it is one of my best versions of “Amor a la Mexicana.”
“Troca” (with Ángela Aguilar)
It is a song that has such beautiful lyrics, so pure, so simple, so much love, that I needed. It resonated with me to sing something with beautiful, with delicate lyrics of love. It made me feel good to pronounce these words and these lyrics. It was also a great opportunity to bring together two generations, two Mexicans, singing at this time. I feel that our voices came together very cool, and very velvety, like a cozy blanket around you. And that makes me very happy to be able to say how cool it is that two Mexicans from different generations coexist in a love song.
We made an animated video which is also something new and different for me. It’s super cute.
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“Choro” (with Estilo Sin Límite)
“Choro” features Dania from Estilo Sin Límite, an emerging artist who has incredible talent, and is a great songwriter with a very special voice. When I heard her, I said, “Let’s do the song, let’s work”, and we recorded “Choro.” The interpretation is super cool. I feel a responsibility, of someone who has already come a long way [in my career] to extend a hand and support new talents.
[Choro] is a very Mexican thing to say. I thought it was a good title, a good concept for a song. Later it made me laugh because in other countries it has different connotations.
“Para Qué Celarme”
I think it’s my favorite of the album. The arrangements are nostalgic, it does something to my heart. I love the lyrics, the story is so awesome, and it allows me as an actress to sing it and get into character. And that’s what I really like about this song. It’s a ballad with pride, with strength. It reminds me a little bit of that song of mine, “Equivocada,” in the subject matter. My fans likes to see the party Thalia, the Thalia who sings irreverent songs, dance songs, but also the romantic one, the one who sings songs of broken hearts, and intense ballads. This is the ballad of this album.
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It’s time to refresh your sneaker collection for spring. On Friday (April 26), Nike released the Air Jordan 3 Retro in a new colorway, and the sneaker is already out of stock in select sizes.
The Air Jordan Retro 3 ($200) — available in white with cement gray, cosmic clay and the classic “elephant print” crafted by designer Tinker Hatfield — boasts the classic silhouette with a leather upper, foam midsole and rubber outsole.
Most of the larger sizes are sold out at Nike.com, but the Air Jordan 3 is currently stocked in women’s sizes 5-10 and men’s sizes 3.5-10.5, while supplies last.
Air Jordan Retro 3 in Cosmic Clay
Want free shipping? Become a Nike member to get free shipping on orders over $50, plus you’ll save an extra 20% off select Jordan styles. (Use code FAMDAYS to redeem the discount.)
Nike released the original Air Jordan 3 in 1988. It was Hatfield’s first collaboration with Nike, and launched a partnership between the shoe designer and sneaker brand that not only stretched decades, but helped solidify the Air Jordan legacy.
Hatfield discussed the creation of the Air Jordan 3 in an interview with Hypebeast in 2018. “We had some models made up and I put it on some apparel to go along with it,” he recalled of Jordan. “Michael was not in a great mood when we arrived. He said, ‘Show me what you got.’ I had the shoe there under a black cloth, like a shroud. You couldn’t really see very well what the design was like, but he had already seen some of the stuff in the two previous meetings.”
“When I picked the AJ3 up, Michael grabbed it from me and started looking at it. Within a few minutes he was smiling and asking all kinds of questions,” he continued. “Within 20 minutes, the meeting was pretty much over.”
Michael Jordan wore the Air Jordan Retro 3 in the 1988 Slam Dunk Contest, which he won against Dominique Wilkins.
Watch Latin American Music Awards Doja Cat isn’t here to run a day-care center or host your family outings. The Scarlet rapper discussed the explicit nature of her music on X Friday (April 26), and pointed out that the lyrics she writes aren’t necessarily for children’s ears. “idk what the f–k you think this is […]
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The Schomburg Center is buzzing as its annual Black Comic Book Festival takes place this weekend featuring some of the best of the industry.
Harlem is once again playing host to The Black Comic Book Festival this weekend, which will be held at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. This year marks the 12th time that the festival that celebrates comics, anime, films, and more will be held at the venerable institution. The two-day festival which begins Friday (April 26) will feature panel discussions, workshops, a marketplace for attendees to purchase items from established and independent Black creators, and a cosplay showcase to close out the festival that’s held across two floors of the center.
“Our creators are telling remarkable stories you often don’t see on TV or get to read when you’re in the classroom,” said Kadiatou Tubman, the curator and executive producer of the event at the Schomburg. “The event is critical because it provides representation, it provides the liberation of imagination.” She also stressed that promoting literacy among the young is the key goal. “The event was really founded to encourage young people to read, to see themselves in the books and enjoy literature,” she said in an interview with Gothamist. “It’s a great entry point for young people and for all types of readers.”
The “SchomCom” panel discussions include a look at the upcoming IYANU animated series based on the “Iyanu: Child of Wonder” graphic novel series set in West Africa. The team behind the series will share details about it ahead of its upcoming premiere on Cartoon Network and Max. Another discussion will focus on Black women creators who are making strides in the resurgence of Black horror and fantasy. Attendance for the Black Comic Book Festival is free, but pre-registration is highly recommended – last year, the Schomburg reported that the festival had 8,000 in attendance. More details and registration can be found on their website.
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After years of playing the sideline of the Hip-Hop game, Eminem seems ready to return with a brand new album, but judging from the title of it, this just might be the last time the rap icon releases an LP in his illustrious career.
Yesterday (April 25), Eminem dropped by the NFL Draft which was being held in his hometown of Detroit. While he was there he took the time to announce the news that he’d be releasing his latest album, The Death of Slim Shady, this summer. To get the album buzzing he released a trailer for the project, which featured clips of some of Em’s most popular songs released over the last two decades. (Feel old yet?)
Playing off of Unsolved Mysteries, the trailer asks the question of “who killed Slim Shady” and comedically features a cameo from 50 Cent who says, “He’s not a friend. He’s a psychopath.”
Though no new songs were featured in the trailer to give us an idea of what the album would sound like, it’s a pretty safe bet that fans will tune in regardless as this man has had a loyal following since breaking into the game in 1999.
Check out the trailer to Eminem’s forthcoming album, The Death of Slim Shady, and let us know if you have any expectations for it in the comments section below.
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NBA All-Star center Joel Embiid revealed that he’s been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, which is the reason for his recent eye trouble.
On Thursday night (April 25), Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid finally cleared up the speculation concerning his eyesight at a post-game press conference, informing the media that he’s suffering from Bell’s palsy. Bell’s palsy is a form of facial paralysis that causes sudden muscular weakness on one side of the face, making the eye on that side hard to close. Embiid said that he’d started dealing with the effects before the Sixers’ play-in tournament game with the Miami Heat at the outset of this year’s playoffs.
“I think it started a day or two before the Miami game [in the play-in tournament], and I had bad migraines and thought it was nothing,” Embiid said after the Sixers’ win over the New York Knicks. “It’s pretty annoying, you know, with the left side of my face, my mouth and my eye. So yeah, it’s been tough. But I’m not a quitter, so gotta keep fighting. But yeah, it’s unfortunate. That’s the way I look at it. But it’s not an excuse. Gotta keep pushing.” He also said that he was informed that the condition could last weeks or months.
He also spoke about how the condition is yet another addition to the list of ailments that he’s endured throughout his playing career, including a knee injury he’s still recovering from after surgery in February. “It is unfortunate,” he began. “Every single year, you start asking yourself questions like, ‘Why?’ Every single year it’s … very annoying. Yeah. Maybe it’s just meant to be. Just gotta take it as it is. But the one thing I’m not going to do is give up no matter what happens.”
The news comes after Embiid put up a historical 50 points on fewer than 20 shot attempts, making 19 of 21 free throws and five three-pointers, all playoff records for the 30-year-old. The effort gained Philadelphia their first victory in the first-round series against the surging second-seeded Knicks, who they’ll play against at home on Sunday (April 29) as the Knicks hold a two games to one lead.
Watch Latin American Music Awards Jelly Roll adds his fourth top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Halfway to Hell” rides 11-9 on the list dated May 4. The song increased by 11% to 20.3 million audience impressions in the April 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate. Explore See latest videos, charts and news […]
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Drake may be willing to go to war with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Rick Ross and whoever else may have a problem with him, but he doesn’t want any smoke with Tupac Shakur’s estate.
Less than a week after releasing his “Taylor Made Freestyle” which featured an AI version of the late-great Makaveli, Tupac Shakur’s estate threatened Drizzy with a lawsuit for using Pac’s “vocals” on his Kendrick Lamar diss record. They gave him 24 hours to take the song down or face the legal consequences. Sho’nuff, the song has now been removed from Drizzy’s Instagram page with no explanation (not that one was needed).
Last weekend, Drake shocked the Hip-Hop world when he released the aforementioned song, which not only featured an AI generated verse from Tupac, but also Snoop Dogg who’s alive and well. With many fans bemoaning the artificially created verse from one of the biggest Hip-Hop icons of all-time, others praised Drake for the surprise move and crowned him the GOAT for taking rap battles into the digital age.
Needless to say, Snoop Dogg was shocked that he somehow ended up on a new record without his knowledge. Tupac Shakur’s estate wasn’t amused at all and slapped Drake with a cease-and-desist letter, which threatened him with a lawsuit if he didn’t take the song down from his page.
According to USA Today, the message was received and the song is now as ghost as the spirit of the man who was featured on it.
Per USA Today:
In a letter obtained by USA TODAY Wednesday, the estate of Tupac and his mother, Afeni Shakur, says it’s “deeply dismayed and disappointed by your unauthorized use of Tupac’s voice and personality in the ‘Taylor Made (Freestyle)’ record.”
The letter continues, “We demand that you immediately cease and desist from any further publication and exploitation of the Record, and that you immediately take ALL NECESSARY steps to remove it from all platforms where it is publicly available.”
The release is “a flagrant violation of Tupac’s publicity and the Estate’s legal rights. … The Estate would never have given its approval for this use,” the letter states. “The unauthorized, equally dismaying use of Tupac’s voice against Kendrick Lamar, a good friend to the Estate who has given nothing but respect to Tupac and his legacy publicly and privately, compounds the insult.”
And with that, the King of the North had to bow down to the rap legend’s representatives as he had no desire to take this battle to the courts.
Meanwhile, the Hip-Hop world continues to await a response from Kendrick Lamar. His silence has fans wondering if he’ll even continue to participate in the battle that he set off with his verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That” just last month.
We’re starting to lose faith that he will, but to each his own.
What do y’all think of this situation? Did y’all even like the song? Let us know in the comments section below.
Watch Latin American Music Awards With April coming to an end, music is still in full swing with a bunch of new releases. It’s a big day for hip-hop and R&B, as Normani teamed up with Gunna for the sultry “1:59,” which is set to be featured on the former Fifth Harmony singer’s long-awaited solo […]
Victims of the Astroworld music festival want their looming trial against Travis Scott, Live Nation and other organizers to be livestreamed to the public, citing a public demand for “transparency and accountability.”
After more than two years of litigation over the 2021 crowd crush at the Astroworld — a disaster that left 10 dead and hundreds injured — the first jury trial is set to kick off early next month. It will be a pivotal first test for hundreds of other lawsuits filed by alleged victims that claim the organizers were legally negligent in how they planned and operated the festival.
In a motion on Thursday (April 25), lawyers for the plaintiffs in the upcoming trial argued that it should be broadcast live on the internet, saying such a step was needed to “ensure that all those affected by the Astroworld tragedy can observe the proceedings and stay informed of the trial’s progress.”
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“The devastating scale of the events at Astroworld, combined with the involvement of high-profile defendants, has generated significant national attention and a legitimate public demand for transparency and accountability,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers write. “By livestreaming the trial, the Court will demonstrate its commitment to open and accessible proceedings, fostering public trust and confidence in the judicial system’s handling of this consequential matter.”
A ruling opening up her courtroom to cameras would be a major shift for the judge overseeing the Astroworld litigation. Back in 2022, citing the risk that potential jurors might become biased, Judge Kristen Hawkins imposed an unusually strong gag order that has severely limited public knowledge about the status of the case.
Media outlets like ABC challenged Judge Hawkins’ gag order, arguing that it was depriving the public of information about important judicial proceedings over a newsworthy event. But a Texas appeals court upheld the media ban last year without explanation.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed over the deadly crowd crush during Scott’s Nov. 5, 2021, headlining set at Astroworld. The cases, collectively seeking billions in damages, claim that organizers bear legal responsibility for the disaster because of poor safety planning and failure to stop the show after problems had been reported.
The lawsuits have spent much of the last two years in discovery, as the two sides exchanged information and took depositions of key figures. But now the first trial in the massive litigation — over a wrongful death case filed by the family of Madison Dubiski, a 23-year-old who died at Astroworld — is set to start on May 6.
In seeking to have that trial aired live, attorneys for Dubiski’s family argued that it was “impractical” for everyone involved in the litigation to attend the proceedings physically: “There are hundreds of plaintiffs and their family members, numerous defendants, and a multitude of counsel to account for.”
But they also hinted that they think the judge might have doubts about broadcasting the trial. The recording would be “conducted unobtrusively, with minimal disruption to the trial process,” the plaintiffs’ lawyers said, and the judge will have the ability to “pause or terminate the broadcast if necessary to preserve order or to protect sensitive information.” And witnesses would be sequestered and required not to watch the stream “to safeguard the fairness and impartiality of the proceedings.”
The judge will presumably rule on the motion in the next week before the trial gets underway.
