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It’s all about Karol G this week on Billboard charts. Adding to her No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 with Mañana Será Bonito and taking the No. 1 spot on both Global charts with her first Shakira collab, “TQG,” the Colombian also celebrates a dual No. 1 debut of her fourth studio album on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and Latin Rhythm Albums chart (all charts dated March 11).
“The fact that I’ve hit No. 1 with an album that is so personal is enormous,” Karol G told Billboard.
Mañana Será Bonito becomes Karol G’s second No. 1, and chart-topping debut, on Top Latin Albums, after KG015 opened atop the tally in April 2021. It’s also the first No. 1 debut by a female act since her own KG015. Prior, Selena Gomez debuted atop the chart with Revelación (EP) (March 2021).
Mañana was released Feb. 24 via Universal Music Latino. It starts with 94,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Feb 24-March 2 tracking week, according to Luminate. Streaming powers the 17-track set’s opening sum, with 83,000 streaming-equivalent album units of Mañana’s 94,000-unit start deriving streaming activity. That equals to 118.73 million official on-demand streams for its songs, marking the biggest streaming week ever for a Latin album by a woman.
On the multimetric Top Latin Albums chart as measured in equivalent album units, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.
Mañana also generated 10,000 in album sales and 1,000 track-equivalent album units. The album sales stem mostly from its digital download album (8,500; offered both a standard download and in two cover variants sold in webstore). Plus, 1,500 copies were sold of its CD format.
As mentioned, Karol G, born Carolina Giraldo, captures her second No. 1 on Top Latin Albums with her fourth charting release. Her first foray onto the list, Unstoppable, debuted and peaked at No. 2 in November 2017. Ocean followed, reaching a No. 2 best in May 2019, while KG015 earned her a first No. 1 in 2021.
Mañana was previewed by the Hot Latin Songs No. 1 single “Provenza” (May 14, 2022-dated chart), “Gatúbela,” which peaked at No. 4 on Sept. 10, 2022 (flies 22-11 on the current chart), and most recently, “Cairo,” which rallies 20-13 for a new peak this week.
The album’s large streaming activity sparks 13 debuts on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, starting with “TQG,” with Shakira, at No. 1. The song concurrently bows at No. 4 on Latin Pop Airplay and No. 27 on Latin Airplay (“TQG” is acronym for “Te Quedó Grande,” roughly meaning “too much for you to handle.”). It’s the most-streamed Latin song of the week, with 29 million clicks in its first seven days in the U.S.
“X Si Volvemos,” with Romeo Santos, meanwhile, shoots 12-4 in its fourth chart week, with 9.5 million clicks. Three other tracks debut in the top 10 on Hot Latin Songs: “Mientras Me Curo El Cora,” the album’s opening track, at No. 8, “Gucci Los Paños” at No. 9, and “Tus Gafitas” at No. 10. The latter track links two of the most successful producers in recent years from two different worlds, Ovy on the Drums and Finneas.
Elsewhere on the charts, Mañana concurrently bows at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Albums chart. Plus, as the album arrives at No. 1 on the overall Billboard 200, Karol makes history: It’s the first time that an all-Spanish-language album by a woman has topped the list. (The chart’s history dates to 1956, when it began publishing on a regularly, weekly basis.) Only two other mostly non-English-language albums by women have reached No. 1: Selena’s Dreaming of You (1995, which included both Spanish and English songs, though it was more than half Spanish) and The Singing Nun’s all-French-language self-titled album in 1963.
Empowered. That’s how Colombian superstar Shakira appeared to be in her first TV interview after the global success of “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” with Argentine DJ Bizarrap and “TQG” with fellow Colombian Karol G.
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During her one-hour conversation with Mexican journalist Enrique Acevedo, the host of Televisa network’s primetime newscast En Punto, the artist spoke about her breakup with Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué, the controversy caused by her Bizarrap collab — in which she slams her ex for leaving her for another woman — and what’s in store now for her artistic career.
“I constantly have a debt with myself: I want to check if I really have talent or if I still have it, if it has not disappeared,” she said. “That’s what makes me want to go back to the recording studio and, now, I’m more excited than ever.”
The interview was recorded a week ago in Barcelona and aired Monday (Feb. 27) on the Mexican network.
Here are five of the biggest takeaways from Shakira’s interview with Televisa:
1. Her dream was shattered, but she got the best reward.
“I had that dream of having a family in which the children had a father and a mother under the same roof. Not all dreams come true, but life finds a way to compensate you in some way, and with me it has done that in spades, with these wonderful, wonderful children,” she said, referring to the sons Milan, 10, and Sasha, 7, whom she shares with Piqué.
2. She has changed her views about men.
In a moment of total frankness, Shakira shared that she always believed the narrative that a woman needs a man. “I have always been quite emotionally dependent on men, I must admit,” she said. “I have been in love with love and I think that, somehow, I have managed to understand this narrative from another perspective and feel that I am enough for myself.”
3. She totally believes in women supporting each other.
Shakira quoted Madeleine Albright, the first woman to become Secretary of State in the United States, saying, “There’s a place in hell for women who don’t help other women.” She added, “I completely agree.”
4. Shakira feels whole.
After assimilating her breakup from Piqué and her newfound success in music during such tough personal times, Shakira said, “Ironically, yes, I now feel whole because I feel that I rely on myself and that I also have two children that depend on me, so I have to be stronger than a lioness.”
5. She celebrates that her latest hits are in Spanish and looks forward to going back to the studio.
Considering the feat of being the third most listened to artist on Spotify globally, Shakira said, “I am glad this is happening to a Colombian, to a Latin American woman, and that it’s happening for me in Spanish. That’s when I say that it is worth it, and that I have a purpose in society, a place, a role.”
As for what’s in store for her now, she didn’t give any specifics. “I constantly have a debt with myself: I want to check if I really have talent or if I still have it, if it has not disappeared,” she shared. “That’s what makes me want to go back to the recording studio and, now, I’m more excited than ever.”
Bad Bunny opened the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday night (Feb. 5) with a party-starting performance of his tracks “El Apagon” and “Después de la Playa.” Far beyond, his energetic set—where he was joined by around 40 dancers and a 10-musician live band—was a homage to the Caribbean culture, especially Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
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In the audience, an amused Taylor Swift was seen shimmying her shoulders and swaying her hips to the fast-paced mambo and merengue fusion.
A full-fledged party track about making plans after the beach, “Después de la Playa” is one of the most experimental tracks on Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti, which nabbed the Grammy award for best música urbana album. The historic set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and all 23 tracks entered the top 25 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart. “Despues de la Playa” debuted at No. 3.
Below, read the full lyrics translated into English.
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You say I’m not a risk-takerIf you only knew that I’m on fireTell me what’s your game and I’ll playLet’s not leave this for laterThat the light’s already offI wanna know if you want the same thing I do
Tell me where do we go after the beachIf we get dry, I’ll bring the towelAnd later we get wet but in my bedI’m going to give it to you hardTell me where do we go after the beachIf we get dry, I’ll bring the towelAnd later we get wet but in my bedI’m going to give it to you hard
Tell me, are we going to the mambo or not?You tell me, babyZumbaWhat?Ey-ey-eyToday’s the dayUh, ey
Tell me where do we go after the beachIf we get dry, I’ll bring the towelAnd later we get wet but in my bedI’m going to give it to you hard
Baby, you live farBut however, I’ll look for youBecause you’re fine and you deserve itI want to give it to you in front of the oceanSo that the fishes can get happyAnd you’re wet, I’m ready to ride youRelax, I know this is once in a whileThe other time you got drunk on the beachAnd asked me to kiss you
How?Ey-ey-ey-ey-ey-ey-ey-eyTurn that on, turn that on, turn that onHow?I’m with the apecha’oNo one call me today, ok?I’m going to drink it all
Ey, everyone is drunk, dancing on the beachFeeling the heat, feeling the heatYou’ve been looking and lookingIt’s better if you get close, if you get closeWe talk about that butt at all the barbershopsAnd in the corner store, the corner store (how?)Ey, your boyfriend thinks he’s Romeo [Santos]But I’m going to pull a Don [Omar]I’m going to pull a Don, what, what, what?I went out with your girlGod already forgave me, only you’re left
What, what, what?I’m drunk, drunkEy-ey-ey-ey-ey-eyWhat do you think about this?I’m not going to stop, ok?Don’t stop, don’t stopAh-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah (¿cómo?)Ey-ey-ey-ey-eyHow excitingEy-ey-ey-ey-eyDon’t turn offEy-ey-ey-eyWhere are we going?Where are we going?Tell me, after hereWait,Who’s this guy?Who’s getting beers from our cooler, youAre you with us?Oh, okey-okey-okey-okey, go for it
Bad Bunny won best música urbana album for his critically acclaimed set Un Verano Sin Ti. Beating out Farruko (La 167), Daddy Yankee (LEGENDADDY), Rauw Alejandro (TRAP CAKE, VOL. 2) and Maluma (The Love & Sex Tape), the Puerto Rican star delivered a heartfelt speech while accepting his award.
“Gracias! I made this album with love and passion, nothing else,” he said speaking in English and Spanish. “When you do things with love and passion, everything is easier. Life is easier. Thank you to everyone who listens to my music. Gracias a todos los Latinos. Thanks to all the artists who worked on this album, to the producers. I want to dedicate this award to Puerto Rico, the capital of reggaeton. I want to dedicate it to the legends and not only the legends, but also new artists who keep this movement alive and keep refreshing it. To all the talents, let’s keep taking this genre to new levels. I love you all.”
Bad Bunny kicked off the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5) with a bang. He started his high-energy performance with “El Apagón.”
For his show-stopping performance, he was accompanied by a total of eight plena (a genre from Puerto Rico) dancers, seven pleneros and eight cabezudos — giant characters — in tow. The cabezudos — all manufactured and handled by people from Puerto Rico — were an homage to Puerto Rican legends Tego Calderón, Roberto Clemente, Julia de Burgos, among others. “With a lot of love to all of you,” Bunny said at the beginning.
He then went on to perform his hit mambo song “Después de la Playa,” which Jack Harlow and Taylor Swift danced along to.
Watch his speech above.
Bad Bunny kicked off the 65th annual Grammy Awards with a bang. The Puerto Rican star, who is up for album of the year for Un Verano Sin Ti, was the first to take the stage on Sunday (Feb. 5), and his performance ran the gamut of Puerto Rican and Caribbean music.
Looking like the literal boy next door — as opposed to the global star he is — in light denim jeans, white sneakers, a white T-shirt and a baseball cap, Bunny started his high-energy performance with “El Apagón.”
He wasn’t alone. He was accompanied by a total of eight plena (a genre from Puerto Rico) dancers, seven pleneros and eight cabezudos — giant characters — in tow. The cabezudos — all manufactured and handled by people from Puerto Rico — were an homage to Puerto Rican legends Tego Calderón, Roberto Clemente, Julia de Burgos, among others. “With a lot of love to all of you,” Bunny said at the beginning.
He then went on to perform his hit song “Después de la Playa” with live music powered by the band of Damian “El Apechao,” with 10 musicians all from the Dominican Republic. On stage, there were around 40 merengue dancers. Off the stage, stars such as Jack Harlow and Taylor Swift got up and danced along to merengue.
Bad Bunny’s Billboard 200-topping album Un Verano Sin Ti is up for album of the year. It made history as the first-ever Spanish-language album to score a nod in that category. Un Verano Sin Ti debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 dated May 21 and spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks atop the chart – the most weeks at No. 1 since 2016.
Maluma‘s The Love & Sex Tape is up for best música urbana album at the 65th annual Grammy Awards, set to take place on Sunday (Feb. 5). The Colombian star is up against fellow hitmakers Rauw Alejandro (TRAP CAKE, VOL. 2), Bad Bunny (Un Verano Sin Ti), Daddy Yankee (LEGENDADDY) and Farruko (La 167).
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It marks his first nomination ever in this category. Overall, it’s his second nomination. He was previously nominated in the best Latin pop album category for his 2019 set, 11:11.
If he wins his first Grammy, “I would feel very proud to take that to Colombia, that would be so amazing.” Maluma tells Billboard ahead of the awards ceremony, that will be held at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. “That’s the biggest goal, to take the Grammy to my hometown and show it to my mom, to my dad and my friends.”
The Love & Sex Tape dropped in June and it showcased a darker, naughtier side of the “Pretty Boy.” In the eight-track album — produced by The Rude Boyz — Maluma stays true to his urbano essence singing about love, lust and heartbreak, but does so with slightly more raunchier lyrics. It peaked at No. 16 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart (dated June 25).
About his fellow nominees, Maluma shares that it’s “nice” to be part of that group of artists. “We represent our culture and being nominated with these huge stars is great.” Check out the entire one-on-one interview with Maluma above.
And below, stream his Grammy-nominated set The Love & Sex Tape.
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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“She Said Yes!”
Erika Ender, one of the songwriters behind Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” is officially engaged. This week, the 48-year-old Panamanian hitmaker shared the exciting news on Instagram, where she shared photos with her handsome fiancé, flaunting her big rock. “And this happened today… I said yes,” she captioned the reel, which has Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” as the background song. On her social media, Ender has previously shared sweet photos and videos with her partner, and once penned a heartfelt letter on how she found someone who respects her liberty and individuality.
Banda MS Meets Hip-Hop…Again!
In celebration of their 20-year career, Banda MS announced their next international collaboration will be with famed rapper Ice Cube. The Regional Mexican group and manager Sergio Lizárraga made the announcement via a short video where they simply said “we want to do something special for our 20th anniversary” and then tapped Cube on the shoulder saying “come join us, ready Cube?” to which the Hip-Hop star said “Listo! I’m ready!” The upcoming track will follow the group’s second banda-meets-rap collaboration following their Snoop Dogg-assisted “Que Maldición,” which debuted at No. 4 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in May 2020.
Birthday Love for Shakira
On February 2nd, Shakira turned 46 years old, and while she’s still enjoying the massive success of her No. 1 Hot Latin Songs hit “BZRP Music Session, Vol. 53” with Argentine hitmaker Bizarrap, many fellow stars are celebrating her. Artists such as Carlos Vives and Alejandro Sanz each posted throwback memories with the Colombian artist. The former shared a heartfelt video call he had with Shakira, stating “Happy birthday Currambera. We love you. May life bring happiness to you and yours.” The latter shared a video of the time they performed “La Tortura” on Saturday Night Live. “Shaki, the years go by and here we continue, orbiting in this very cosmic friendship that life gave us. I congratulate you, I celebrate you and I love you,” Sanz posted.
23 for 2023
Ryan Castro, Majo Aguilar, Lasso.
Illustration by Lyanne Natividad; Photos: David Bernal; Fonovisa; Courtesy of Universal Music Mexico
This week, Billboard unleashed its annual “Latin & Spanish Artists To Watch” list, consisting of 23 promising artists who have already made an impact—be it in the charts, media, streaming platforms, or public consciousness—and who we believe will make significant strides in their careers in the coming year. Spotlighting a mix of acts that cover a broad variety of Latin music genres, from pop to reggaetón to R&B, música Mexicana, and rock, artists such as Venezuela’s Lasso, Mexico’s Grupo Frontera, Spain’s Quevedo, Puerto Rico’s Young Miko, and Brazil’s Ludmilla made the list.
Read the full article here
A History-Making Power 100
Bad Bunny and Noah Assad at the Billboard Power 100 Event held at Goya Studios on Feb. 1, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Christopher Polk/PMC
In other exciting Billboard news, Bad Bunny presented his longtime manager, Noah Assad, with the Executive of the Year award at Billboard‘s 2023 Power 100 event in Los Angeles. “This award means a lot to me, the same way that my own awards mean a lot for him,” the Puerto Rican artist said of his manager after being introduced by Leila Cobo, Billboard‘s Chief Content Officer Latin/Español. “It’s because this award is the proof that I’m not working alone, that dreams come true, but it’s never only by yourself. It’s always about teamwork.”
Assad, who’s the first Latin executive to receive the award, thanked Billboard for always covering Latin music. “They never undervalue us in any way,” he said. “They treat us as equal as the global American market. We have to be very grateful for that. At the end of the day, me and Bunny are products of thousands of people who work very hard on our island. All those walls they had to break down. There are a lot more stories to be told. This is only chapter one.”
This week, our First Stream Latin roundup — which is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors each week — is powered by new music from Jay Wheeler, Legado 7, Maluma and Marc Anthony — to name a few.
The list includes Jay Wheeler’s “S.O.S.,” a retro track that takes inspiration the 80s. About his song, Wheeler said: “This song is part of that, we don’t stop for even a second. ‘S.O.S.‘ is a track that people will enjoy because it’s part of my essence and what my fans expect. It’s romantic, but danceable. I’m maintaining my style, but also combining a retro sound with modern elements, and I love the video. I hope people enjoy it and sing along with it.”
You can also find “En La Intimidad” by Emilia alongside Argentinean rapper Callejero Fino and Argentine producer Big One. Written by all three artists and produced by Big One, the track showcases the refreshing and innovative artistry deriving from the South American country. With its notable keytar beats, “En La Intimidad” is the perfect balance between reggaeton and cumbia villera.
Additionally, corrido alterado “Las Caravanas” by Legado 7, it’s their first single of 2023 leading to an upcoming album. And, twin sister duo Vale (formed by Valentina and Valeria Pérez) deliver an enchanting pop ballad with subtle urban tones accompanied by their ever-beautiful harmonizing vocals in “Algo Me Pasa.”
Which release is your favorite? Cast your vote — or enter in your favorite selection — in the poll below.
Morat officially met and shared the stage with Grupo Frontera — nine months after the Regional Mexican group covered and released their own version of “No Se Va.”
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The encounter happened during Morat’s “Si Ayer Fuera Hoy” tour stop in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday night (Feb. 2) after the Colombian folk-pop group invited Frontera to perform the song live together. Lacing their individual signature sounds, both groups gave “No Se Va” a pop-meets-norteño twist.
“Thank you for being part of this craziness,” Morat shared on Instagram, while Frontera members Adelaido “Payo” Solis III and Juan Javier Cantú expressed how they “couldn’t believe” this opportunity finally happened.
In the spring of 2022, Frontera — a six-member ensemble from McAllen, Texas — dropped its catchy norteño rendition of “No Se Va,” which was originally released by Morat in 2019. Fueled by its massive success on TikTok, the new version debuted on Billboard‘sHot Latin Songs chart in September 2022 and became only the fifth regional Mexican song in Billboard Hot 100 history. The original track has yet to appear on any Billboard charts (though Morat did reach the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart in June with “Paris,” a collaboration with Argentine rapper Duki).
“Honestly, I think it was the seasoning that we put with the congas,” Cantú previously told Billboard of the song’s runaway success. “It doesn’t sound like your typical norteño song; in fact, it sounds like something fresh with that reggaetón vibe.”
Cantú also credits his girlfriend for suggesting they cover the track in the first place, insisting Morat deserves all the credit. “We wanted to pay tribute to a group that many of us admire,” he noted.
Watch the exciting concert moment below:
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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Maluma & Marc Anthony, “La Fórmula” (Sony Music Latin)
It opens up with a subtle pop-reggaetón rhythm against a glimmering melody, as Maluma yearnfully croons about love lost. Then suddenly, “La Fórmula” transforms into an ebullient salsa banger, complete with blaring horns, anchored by the passionate wail of Marc Anthony. Produced by the two singers, as well as Edgar Barrera, Rude Boyz and Sergio George, the duet chronicles how no such formula exists for securing love and devotion with a certain someone — but there’s always that hope. The music video captures the two superstars recording their single at The Hit Factory in Miami. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
JP Saxe & Camilo, “Moderación” (Arista Records)
If there’s one thing JP Saxe and Camilo have in common is that they’re not fans of people who love in moderation: If you’re going to love, you have to love all the way. That’s the message they get across in their new collaboration “Moderación,” a sweet and spiritual bilingual ballad. “Baby, please, don’t love me in moderation/ I don’t know but I feel that you haven’t given your 100%,” they sing. About the collaboration, JP Saxe says, “I am so happy I get to sing this song with Camilo for the rest of my life.” The Colombian artist adds, “I’m so grateful that we actually had the chance to sit down and write this song together, it’s something I’m really proud.” The music video, which depicts the juxtaposition of moderation and excess, was directed by Evaluna and Ricky Montaner. Check out a behind-the-scenes clip of the making of the video here. — GRISELDA FLORES
RaiNao & paopao, “dale Play” (Sonar LLC.)
Two of Puerto Rico’s most promising female voices — RaiNao and paopao — have joined forces for the first time on “dale Play” (press play). If their individual projects are any indication, this isn’t just another reggaetón song… on the contrary, it’s a soulful-meets-futuristic perreo explosion filled with cheeky lyricism such as “rewind to get you undressed, fast forward to forget you,” with their vocals effortlessly intertwining. Penned by the two Boricuas alongside toywapo, and produced by Wiso Rivera, GIOVA, and U.P. Wilson, “dale Play” depicts a conversation between two people who want to be together again despite not being compatible. Both RaiNao and paopao were spotlighted on Billboard’s On the Radar Latin in 2022. — JESSICA ROIZ
Yeison Jimínez & Jessi Uribe, “Me Tiré al Alcohol“ (Mano de Obra)
Yeison Jiménez and Jessi Uribe join forces for the first time to release their new single “Me Tiré al Alcohol.” The Colombian artists unite in this collaboration full of sentimental melodies, acoustic guitar strings and accordion notes that are true to their signature genre música popular. This track finds Uribe and Jiménez in a story of heartbreak, where they seek to drown their sorrows in alcohol, searching for other loves to seek answers and forget. “But I threw myself into alcohol/ And to give kisses to other mouths/ I’ve slept with strangers/ And it doesn’t work for me either,” sings Jiménez in one of the verses. “Me Tiré al Alcohol” drops ahead of the artists’ Titanes Tour 2023, which will run through 12 cities and towns in Colombia. — INGRID FAJARDO
Ptazeta & Lola Índigo, “Tiki Tiki” (Interscope Records)
Ptazeta and Lola Índigo team up for a Dominican dembow-fueled frenzy, where the pair contort their tongue-twisting verbiage in riveting ways, making it sound as simple as tiki, tiki. With gripping vocal prowess to complement the amped-up rhythm, the song is an irresistible hip thruster. The visual also entices, with the Las Palmas and Madrid twosome leading a night of debauchery, filled with saucy hot dogs, poppin’ and lockin’, and mischief on the roller rink. — I.R.
Jay Wheeler, “SOS” (Linked Music/EMPIRE)
Jay Wheeler is kicking off 2023 strong with a newly announced world tour, set to kick off on Valentine’s Day, and his new track “SOS.” The high-energy and hypnotizing track finds the reggaetonero experimenting with retro sounds reminiscent of the ’80s. As for the lyrics, Wheeler sings about heartbreak, as he’s unable to forget his significant other now that their relationship has ended. “I was dying to release new music and show people all the new things that are coming,” the Puerto Rican artist shares in a statement. “‘SOS’ is a track that people will enjoy because it’s part of my essence and what my fans expect. It’s romantic, but danceable.” — G.F.
Emilia, Callejero Fino & Big One, “En La Intimidad” (Fifty One)
Emilia is not only flaunting a new era with her rosewood locks, but she’s also tapping into new genres, as heard in the latest track “En La Intimidad,” alongside Argentinean rapper Callejero Fino and Argentine producer Big One. Written by all three artists and produced by Big One, the track showcases the refreshing and innovative artistry deriving from the South American country. With its notable keytar beats, “En La Intimidad” is the perfect balance between reggaetón and cumbia villera. Its lyrics are flirtatious and daring, telling the story of two people who are having a love affair. “It is a fugitive love/ We like what is forbidden/ Without witness and punishment/ For me it is a pleasure/ In private, he says that I am his weakness/ But he becomes someone else when he has to hide,” chants Emilia with her sugary vocals. — J.R.
Legado 7, “Las Caravanas” (Columbia Records/Sony)
On “Las Caravanas,” the corridos alterados storytellers Legado 7 belt out their signature lit norteñas for the plebada. Leading with whirling accordion riffs against percussive bombast, the O.C. conjunto highlight the grim realities of the outlaw lifestyle with equal parts grit and candor. It’s their first single of 2023, leading to an upcoming album. The song was written by frontman Alex Guerra along with fellow composer/artist Noel Torres. — I.R.
Steve Aoki feat. CNCO, “Diferente” (DJ Kid Millionaire Ltd)
Before they disband (as they announced in May), CNCO continues to gift fans new anthems. This time, the boy band teams up with Steve Aoki for the upbeat and melodic “Diferente,” a dance track where the group — Christopher Velez, Erick Brian Colon, Richard Camacho and Zabdiel de Jesus — sings about a relationship changing from one day to another. “What we were before, is no longer there. Just stay and tell me everything will be different,” they croon. The song masterfully merges euphoric synthesizers and pop beats with the group’s velvety voices. — G.F.
Vale, “Algo Me Pasa” (Rebeleon Entertainment/UMG Recordings)
On their new single “Algo Me Pasa” (something happens to me), twin sister duo Vale (formed by Valentina and Valeria Pérez) delivers an enchanting pop ballad with subtle urban tones, accompanied by the pair’s ever-beautiful harmonizing vocals. Produced by Daniel “Vago” Galindo and co-written by the Colombia-based sisters, the track focuses on that “butterfly in my stomach” feeling when you begin to like someone. “You decide if you stay/ You decide if you go/ I don’t want to waste this opportunity/ You have earned my love/ In such a short time/ You got me praying/ Let time stop,” manifests Vale, who was nominated for best new artist at the 2022 Latin Grammys. — J.R.