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Another red carpet in the books. This time, in Madrid for Los40 Music Awards, which took place Friday (Nov. 4) at the WiZink Center.
Before heading into the awards show ceremony, artists such as Rosalía, Manuel Turizo and Pol Granch, among others, strutted the alfombra roja with their stunning and high-fashion looks that were captured on camera.
Spain’s very own Rosalía turned heads with a classy long black dress with a twist: a cutout on the top part of the outfit that semi-exposed her left side (including arm and stomach) that was covered with mesh-like fabric. Meanwhile, Turizo was dressed in a modern-vintage three-piece that was composed of oversized burgundy slacks, a bicolor vest that was paired with a sweater-like blazer. To add another layer of coolness, he accessorized his outfit with black platform shoes and a silver chain with a pendant.
Los40 Music Awards, produced by the Los40 radio station, are fan-voted awards. They were launched in 2006 in celebration of the station’s 40th anniversary. This year, the awards were broken into three categories: Spain, International and Global Latin.
The artists among the top nominees of the night were Rosalía, who was up for best album (Motomami) in the Spain category and Bad Bunny, who was nominated in the Global Latin category for best album (Un Verano Sin Ti) and best song (“Titi Me Preguntó”). The international category was ruled by David Guetta thanks to “Crazy What Love Can Do,” his collaboration with Becky Hill and Ella Henderson, and Adele who was up for best album (30), best song (“Easy On Me”) and best music video (“Oh My God”).
Just minutes after nominations to the 2022 Latin Grammy Awards were announced in September, Manuel Abud called all of the nominees in the best new artist category.
“One of our nominees was at school,” the Latin Recording Academy CEO says, referring to 15-year-old Yahritza Martinez, frontwoman of sierreño trio Yahritza y Su Esencia. “She stepped out to take my call and then went back to class.”
Artists don’t usually learn about their nominations in a personal call from the academy’s CEO. But Abud — who stepped into the new role in 2021, succeeding longtime president/CEO Gabriel Abaroa Jr. after 18 years — says a top priority is making the academy more accessible to the Latin music community. The goal is more participation and greater representation across what Abud calls the “four Gs”: geography, genre, gender and generation.
“Those four Gs need to be adequately represented in my membership, in my staff, in everything that we do,” he says.
Abud’s background is in TV, not music. He came to the academy as COO in 2019 after five years as president/CEO of Azteca America and was elevated to CEO at a time when the academy was under scrutiny, criticized by the reggaetón and regional Mexican artistic communities for lack of inclusion in the main categories. In response to that criticism — which included a Latin Grammys boycott by artists such as J Balvin in 2019 — the best reggaetón performance and best rap/hip-hop song categories were created for the 2020 edition. But to date, regional Mexican music has remained largely left out.
“It’s not something you can change in a day,” says Abud. “There’s only so much we can do as the academy to expose the different genres to the membership,” he says. “[But] I’ve been meeting with the regional Mexican community. I’ve invited them to be more active in the meetings, making surethey understand how to get involved. We need to evolve the artists to be more participant and the membership to be more receptive.”
While change doesn’t happen overnight, Abud is launching new initiatives. The Latin Grammy Acoustic Sessions is a globally minded series of concerts that have included performances by artists such as El Fantasma, Becky G and Giulia Be and taken place in Mexico, Brazil and Spain ahead of the Latin Grammy ceremony on Nov. 17. Notably, the Mexican show featured exclusively regional Mexican acts. “These Acoustic Sessions, which represent the four Gs, are a first step to make sure we’re getting closer to every community.”
As one of the four Gs is “generation,” Abud has beefed up the digital side of the academy to reach Facebook and TikTok users. “My responsibility is to get our celebration to as many people as possible. Of course, we love our partnership with Univision, but it is a bigger picture now and we want to be everywhere.”
Also, Abud and his team are spotlighting the best new artist nominees with a first-ever showcase event during Latin Grammys week. “This year, there’s importance of nurturing future talent. You’ll see some of that in the actual ceremony, but I’m also very excited that we’ll be able to provide a platform to all nominees for best new artists.
This story will appear in the Nov. 5, 2022, issue of Billboard.
Yahritza Y Su Esencia has signed a label deal with Columbia Records, Billboard can confirm. The deal is a partnership between Columbia and the trio’s regional Mexican indie label Lumbre Music, who first signed them in February.
Composed of 15-year-old singer-songwriter Yahritza Martinez and her brothers Armando (guitar) and Jairo (bass), the sierreño band is currently managed by their older sister, Adriana Martinez. In April, Yahritza y Su Esencia made chart history with their heartbreak track “Soy El Unico” as the youngest Latin performer to enter the Billboard Hot 100 debuting at No. 20. Since then, major Latin and mainstream record labels had expressed interest in signing the regional Mexican act.
“Lumbre is really happy to partner with Columbia Records for Yaritza Y Su Esencia. It speaks volumes for an American-Mexican indie label like us to work hand in hand with a major label,” says Ramon Ruiz, CEO of Lumbre Music. “We have been working hard to develop and really get the kids’ music out to the masses and we have done some great work with them, including their first diamond certification, but are so excited to take them to the next level. We are all so passionate about this project it was important that whoever came into the project felt that same passion, and both the artists and Lumbre felt that with Columbia from the get-go. It felt like the right choice. Great things are coming for Yahritza Y Su Esencia!”
Yahritza Y Su Esencia, up for best new artist at the 2022 Latin Grammys, broke out on TikTok earlier this year where they uploaded covers and quickly created a zealous fan base. In March, after being discovered by Lumbre Music on the platform’s For You Page, they released their first single, “Soy El Único,” which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart.
Since, they scored their first No. 1 on the Regional Mexican Albums chart with their debut album, Obsessed, released in May. Elsewhere, the five-track set debuted at No. 7 on Top Latin Albums, and it also entered the all-genre Billboard 200 at No. 173.
Yahritza Y Su Esencia added in a statement: “We are so excited to be working now with not only Lumbre but also a big label like Columbia! For us it’s just another step forward in accomplishing our dreams. We still have to go to school, but we are working hard on recording new music for our fans that we love so much and who helped get us to where we are today. We are very grateful to our entire team for all their support, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Julieta Venegas, “La Nostalgia” (Altafonte)
The beloved Mexican artist knows her way around a perfect tune, the kind that instantly sticks and peeks into your soul. But above all, Julieta Venegas knows just how to capture those moments, the special ones, in just three minutes. “La Nostalgia” quintessentially embodies that feeling. In fact, the song came to fruition as she reminisced about her native bordertown, Tijuana — she’s now based in Argentina. Whether it’s her serene voice and whimsical wordplay (“I see you singing an old melody, the one you sang in another life,” she coos in Spanish), or the dusty acoustic guitar strums in the background, the single, off her upcoming album Tu Historia (due Nov. 10th), harkens back to another time. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Paula Arenas, “Un Día A La Vez” (Do Re Millions LLC)
This week, Colombian singer-songwriter Paula Arenas releases “Un Día A La Vez” (One Day At A Time), an introspective pop song that is the result of a period of reflection and internal struggle with depression and anxiety. “If I turn off the lights I know/ That I am only soul, bone and skin/ And what judges me/ I wish I didn’t care later/ One day at a time, one day at a time,” sings the Latin Grammy-nominated artist in the chorus of the mid-tempo tune, which she co-wrote with Valentina Rico. The music video, directed by her husband Beto Pérez Fleta, offers a glimpse into Paula’s thoughts and feelings while writing the song. “Un Día A La Vez” is the third single from Arena’s next studio, album after “Volando Bajito” and “Puro Sentimiento,” featuring Manuel Medrano. The album, still untitled, should be out in the first quarter of 2023. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Don Omar & Akon, “Good Girl” (Unisono/Saban Music Group)
In the past year, Don Omar has made a remarkable comeback, collaborating with artists such as Residente, Nio Garcia, Wisin, Gente de Zona, Lil’ Jon, and most recently, Akon. In “Good Girl,” the reggaetón veteran joins forces with the renowned Senegalese-American hitmaker for a certified club banger that starts off with a reggae beat and transitions into an electronic mambo. Produced by Don’s longtime producer Alcover and co-written by Don and Akon, “Good Girl” addresses the titular female, whose looks are deceiving. A music video directed by Carlos Perez in Miami features both artists singing to a model at a strip club. — JESSICA ROIZ
Rauw Alejandro, “Dime Quien???” (Sony Music Latin)
Amid the TikTok success he’s been having with “Punto 40,” Rauw Alejandro takes a full leap into the synth-pop sounds of the ’80s, following along a similar formula to the one that worked for his global smash hit “Todo De Ti.” “Dime Quién???” is Rauw’s third single of his upcoming album Saturno, which drops on Nov. 11. The electro-pop track tells the story of when you lose someone and your ex has already found a new love. “Tell me, who is that? The one who now makes love to you in the car? The last one who speaks to you at night?” he pleads in the chorus. — INGRID FAJARDO
Lupita Infante, “Las Flores del Camposanto” (Sony Music)
On her mariachi rendition of “Las Flores del Camposanto,” Lupita Infante revitalizes the storied, impassioned ballad about comparing withering flower fields to heartbreak and despair. Originally written by poet Luis Rosado Vega in the early 1900s, and sung by the Mexican troubadour Óscar Chávez, the young traditionalist recorded the song to honor a bygone era for Day of the Dead and resurrect it for a newer generation. With twinkling harp strokes, sweeping violins, and an invigorating brass section, Infante’s rousing voice is simply astounding. “Las flores de camposanto” is also a lyric to the classic “La Llorona,” famously sung by Chavela Vargas. — I.R.
Natalia Lafourcade, De Todas las Flores (Sony Music México)
In a prosperous career that spans alternative rock, indie pop, and Latin American folk, Natalia Lafourcade returns to the scene with De Todas las Flores, after a seven year hiatus. This time, the esteemed singer-songwriter turns her attention to careful orchestration and grand symphonic arrangements. Produced by Adanowsky and recorded on analog tape, her pandemic-era 10th studio album sees Lafourcade in lockdown from her beloved Veracruz. However, she draws from a world inspired by her native landscapes, beaches and hummingbirds. For instance, “Llévame Viento” impressively recreates the whooshing and blowing of a furious ocean sea, but songs like “Canta la Arena” echo the carefree, feel-good lifestyle of life by the coast. — I.R.
Morat & Feid, “Salir Con Vida” (Universal Music Spain)
Morat recruits Feid for their new single, titled “Salir Con Vida.” The track unites the pop band with their fellow Colombian urban singer to reach the ultimate fusion of vocals, blending both worlds into one romantic combination. Produced by Andres Torres, Mauricio Rengifo and Juan Pablo Isaza, this new single is part of Morat’s new album slated to release on Nov. 4, which will portray a more mature image and sound. “Never leave, I want to get out alive/ And even if I tried to forget you, my mouth would not do it/ Don’t hurt me, I want to get out alive,” they sing in the chorus. — I.F.
El Fantasma & Yeison Jiménez, “Un Loco Enamorado” (AfinArte Music)
After teasing it on social media, regional Mexican and Colombian “Musica Popular” once again come together to gift fans a new collaboration between El Fantasma and Yeison Jiménez. Penned by renowned singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz and El Fantasma, this main banda rhythm track tells the story of a “crazy lover” who could fall in love with a woman by simply seeing her smile. The romanticism of both singers makes the song even more special. “A madman in love with her … just a quick smile excites him, and wants to give her his heart,” they sing. — I.F.
The World Cup was inaugurated in 1930, but it wasn’t until 1990 that the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, or FIFA, began to adopt songs that would become the official soundtrack of the global soccer tournament, which happens every four years.
Some more popular than others, these official anthems have not only soundtracked World Cups, they’ve gone on to change the careers of the artists who’ve performed them. Such was the case for Ricky Martin, who in 1998 recorded the euphoric official song “Cup of Life (La Copa de la Vida)” for the tournament that took place that year in France.
At the peak of the “Latin explosion,” with artists such as Martin crossing over to the English market, the Puerto Rican star teamed up with Desmond Child and Draco Rosa to write and produce the song, which originally peaked at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1998 and re-entered the chart at No. 45 in August 1999. The international smash hit also won a Grammy for best Latin pop performance.
Another official song that took on a life of its own is Shakira‘s joyful “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” featuring Afro-fusion band Freshlyground, for the 2010 soccer event held in South Africa. With more than 3 billion views on YouTube to date, the track peaked at No. 38 on the Hot 100 chart dated July 3, 2010.
This year, FIFA has released a handful of official songs for the 2022 World Cup, set to kick off Nov. 20 in host country Qatar. The first song released was the uplifting track “Hayya Hayya (Better Together),” featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha, which fuses R&B and reggae influences. For the first time ever, the tournament’s soundtrack will feature a multi-song collection, with international artists “showcasing diverse musical genres that span the world, setting the tone for a truly global celebration,” according to FIFA.
It’s worth noting that World Cup-inspired songs have been released since 1962, but not all have been adopted by FIFA. The ones below, for each year since 1990, are recognized as FIFA official theme songs and anthems.
The Latin Recording Academy announced today (Oct. 24) additional performers for the 23rd annual Latin Grammy Awards, which include Ángela Aguilar, Marc Anthony, Banda Los Recoditos, Carin León, Nicky Jam and Sin Bandera — all current nominees and past Latin Grammy winners.
Ángela Aguilar is nominated for best ranchero/mariachi album for Mexicana Enamorada and best regional song for “Ahí Donde Me Ven.” Marc Anthony is up for four awards including record of the year and album of the Year; previous Latin Grammy winners Banda Los Recoditos are up for best banda album with Me Siento A Todo Dar.
Meanwhile, first-time Latin Grammy nominee Carin León is nominated for best regional song for “Como Lo Hice Yo,” Latin Grammy winner Nicky Jam is up for best urban song and best reggaeton performance and two-time Latin Grammy winners Sin Bandera are shortlisted for best traditional pop vocal album and best short form music video. Check out the complete list of nominees here.
The newly-announced artists set to take the stage join previously announced performers such as Rauw Alejandro, Chiquis, Jesse & Joy, Sebastián Yatra, and this year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, Marco Antonio Solís.
The Latin Grammy Awards will be held Nov. 17 at the Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, and will air live on Univision beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
The Latin Grammy Premiere, a non-televised ceremony in which the winners in most categories are announced, will take place before the broadcast. Additional details about this ceremony will be announced soon.
Just days after announcing their collaboration, The Rudeboyz, Maluma and Adam Levine have released “Ojalá,” a sultry reggaeon track, on which the Maroon 5 frontman sings in Spanish for the first time.
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The new song — produced by Maluma’s longtime collaborators The Rudeboyz — finds the Colombian star and Levine trading verses about losing a girl and getting over the heartbreak. They both declare: It won’t be easy getting over them. “Ojalá” is the debut single from The Rudeboyz’s upcoming debut album.
The track arrived alongside a music video directed by Diane Martel via NEON16 & Sony Music Latin. The three-minute clip stars off with Chan El Genio and Kevin ADG (The Rudeboyz) listening to an “incredible” beat they just produced and say, “What if we can get Maluma and Adam Levine on this song, we’d kill it. Can you imagine? That would be a dream.”
The artists first announced the collaboration Oct. 14 on social media. Levine teased a 20-second clip of the upbeat track on his TikTok page, captioning the post, “#Ojala @RUDEBOYZ @Juan Luis.” Maluma shared the snippet to his Instagram Stories and as a post, writing on one Story, “What do you think about this?” Meanwhile, The Rudeboyz wrote, “A very important release for us with people we admire a lot!! Keep your eyes on this !! @maluma @adamlevine.”
Back in June, Levine had already hinted at a possible collaboration with Maluma. He posted a photo of them on Instagram of the two hanging out in a studio and wrote, “World ain’t ready.”
The Rudeboyz, who were recently signed by Tainy‘s NEON16, have produced hits for artists such as Shakira, Sech, Jennifer Lopez, Prince Royce and Sebastián Yatra, among others.
Check out “Ojalá’s” music video below:
Shakira, the powerful rockera singer-songwriter from Colombia who we all came to know for her heart-wrenching ballads and pop anthems, didn’t really collaborate with any other well-known artists in the first decade of her career.
It wasn’t until 2005, when she released Fijación Oral, Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, that she turned heads with superstar collaborations, the Alejandro Sanz-assisted “La Tortura” and “Hips Don’t Lie” with Wyclef Jean. The only other artists she featured in those two albums were Gustavo Cerati and Carlos Santana.
Since, Shakira has been more open to collaborations, teaming up with an elite list of partners that includes Maluma, Prince Royce, Maná and Black Eyed Peas, for songs that are also more experimental sonically — embracing urban-leaning beats and incorporating elements of reggaetón and bachata in her songs.
Her latest, “Monotonía” with Ozuna, is a quintessential Shakira song: it’s emotionally-charged lyrically. Powered by a bachata tune, Shak doesn’t hold back and is as honest as one can get singing about heartbreak and the end of what seemed to be a perfect relationship.
Released Wednesday (Oct. 19), the Colombian star starts off declaring: “It wasn’t your fault, it wasn’t my fault. It was monotony’s fault. I never said anything but it hurt. I knew this would happen.” “Monotonía” follows her Rauw Alejandro-assisted “Te Felicito,” which topped Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart. Both songs follow Shakira’s very public breakup from her longtime partner, and father of her two children, soccer star Gerard Piqué.
In honor of Shakira’s new collab with Ozuna, below, check out Shakira’s 15 best collaborations, according to Billboard‘s Latin editors, ranked.
Banda MS‘ new corrido, titled “141,” will become the first regional Mexican song to appear in a Call of Duty video game series. The track is set to be integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, with “several” versions of the song heard throughout different parts of the game. “141” is inspired by the members of the Task Force 141 and soldier Alejandro Vargas from the Mexican Special Forces, and ties in with the narrative of the newest installment of the first-person shooter game.
While Call of Duty has collaborated with Latin musicians in the past, most recently Ozuna, it’s the first time the video game franchise — developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision — taps a regional Mexican act to collaborate on a new song for one of its series. “It’s a huge step for the game and the community,” says Rodrigo Pérez, Call of Duty‘s senior franchise manager, Latin America. “We wanted to tell the story of Task Force 141 in a unique way, and we believe the song goes to the very essence of the characters and the story we are telling with Modern Warfare II.”
For the chart-topping supergroup, not only does “141” mark the first corrido they’ve released in 10 years, but it becomes an opportunity to showcase their traditional banda music on a global level, while also bringing in a new source of revenue.
“The franchise’s team in Latin America is mainly composed of Mexicans who love and respect our culture so, along with their team, we made sure that the song made sense for the game,” says Oswaldo Silvas, one of Banda MS’ vocalists. “We’re really proud to be part of the game’s DNA, and we would be honored to keep doing more of these collaborations because all eyes are on video games and for us, it’s a great opportunity to capture a new audience.”
The opportunity is for both sides with Call of Duty also strategically tapping and catering to the Hispanic market across Latin America. “Mexico and the Hispanic market have had a very strong passion towards the Call of Duty franchise for a long time, and with Modern Warfare II we had an amazing opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural legacy,” adds Pérez.
For a Mexican music song to be featured on Call of Duty, it only reinforces the genre’s newfound popularity across the U.S. and beyond. Once a niche genre, regional Mexican has gained an international following in recent years thanks to artists such as Banda MS, who have stayed true to their traditional Sinaloan banda roots but has also embraced the fusion of regional with genres from around the world.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will become available for purchase on Oct. 28 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, PC and Xbox One.
Grupo Frontera scores a first top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart as “No Se Va” climbs 12-4 on the Oct. 22-dated ranking. The song’s fresh success comes after it topped Latin Digital Song Sales for one week and became the fifth regional Mexican song to hit the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 over its 64-year history.
“No Se Va” pushes to the upper region on Hot Latin Songs mainly on the strength of streaming activity. It logged 8.9 million official U.S. streams during the tracking week ending Oct. 13, according to Luminate. It yields a No. 26 debut on Streaming Songs and takes home the Greatest Gainer honors on Latin Streaming Songs with a 9-4 lift.
Meanwhile, sales drop by 22%, to 1,000.
On Latin Digital Songs Sales, the song cedes the throne back to Bad Bunny’s “Titi Me Preguntó” with a 1-2 dip.
“No Se Va” was released independently in April 28 and earned Grupo Frontera its first entry across Billboard’s charts with its debut in September. Plus, “No Se Va” is the second-highest charting regional Mexican song on Hot Latin Songs in 2022 — only Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Único” went higher, reaching No. 1 in April.
Further, as mentioned, “No Se Va” also became the fifth regional Mexican song to enter Hot 100 since the list launched in 1958 (Oct. 8-dated chart). The song concurrently pushes up the chart, rallying 77-57 In its third week.
Across the globe, “No Se Va” also makes progress: it climbs 64-39 on Billboard Global 200 and 102-50 on Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.