genre latin
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After performing at Viña del Mar, Bacilos sits down to talk about how they feel about their performance, being huge Carín León fans, how their career has changed since they first started, releasing Pequeños Romances as independent artists and more!
Ingrid Fagardo:Hi, friends at Billboard, we’re here at Viña del Mar, finally. Today, we’re here with Bacilos. How are you?
Bacilos:Really good, thank you. What a great invitation, and it’s great to be considered for Viña, thank you.
Ingrid Fagardo:We’ve really enjoyed this week in different forms. We’ve seen you guys as judges. How do you feel about Bacilos:this week being a judge and being a fan?
Bacilos:Because we’ve also had the opportunity to see artists that we admire on the stage, and obviously we admire the guys to have the courage to come here, to this novelty of a stage, and to be able to come to this monster. It requires a lot, it inspires a lot, and there’s a lot of respect.
Ingrid Fagardo:It’s the first time you’re judging right?
Bacilos:Yes, the first time.
Ingrid Fagardo:I know that the night when you guys were performing, you guys made us dance. It was a really, I don’t know, it was a night full of partying. It didn’t matter how cold it was, the time didn’t matter, it was literally a Bacilos party.
Bacilos:Yes, it was beautiful. The people were great. After Marc performed … Well to sing and perform after Marc felt like a responsibility, a challenge almost, but the people stayed. They stayed outside on a cold night.
Keep watching for more!
This is partner content. “Brilla Conmigo” is a short-form video series featuring Latin artists Elena Rose, Mariangela and Joaquina, showcasing how beauty, health and wellness fuel their creativity. Through candid conversations, they discuss how self-care, cultural pride and personal empowerment nurture confidence, which plays a key role in their artistry. Partnering with Invisalign to enhance […]
On the evening of July 23, 2024, the last night of her global tour and her fourth sold-out date at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, a visibly emotional Karol G told the crowd of 55,000: “I’m going to say that truly, tonight will be the most amazing of my life.”
It was, at the very least, a grand finale to the highest-grossing tour ever by a Latin female artist, grossing $313.3 million across 56 concerts, according to Billboard Boxscore. Karol G’s Madrid shows were also record-setting, selling 220,000 tickets and making her the first artist to sell out four shows at the stadium, which finished renovations earlier in 2024.
The fact that a Latin American artist could move so many tickets in a major European city underscores Spain’s growing importance as not just a bridge for Latin music between the Americas and Europe but also a place for music in Spanish — the new global pop — to grow.
In 2023, Spanish promoters and venues reported gross ticket sales of nearly 579 million euros ($604.5 million) to Spain’s Association of Music Promoters, an extraordinary 26.5% increase from revenue of 459 million euros ($479 million) in 2022. While Karol G, Luis Miguel and Taylor Swift brought stadium headlining tours to the country, according to its ministry of culture, Spanish talent is also robustly represented at the stadium level with recent shows from Manuel Carrasco and Dellafuente.
Numbers from the country’s ministry of culture, compiled by the legal and business management firm Sympathy for the Lawyer, show that 40.5% of concertgoers in 2024 attended shows of Spanish pop/rock, followed by 11.1% who went to see canción de autor (similar to singer-songwriter performances).
Meanwhile, beyond the live scene, Spain’s music consumption has grown exponentially.
According to year-end numbers reported by Promusicae, Spain’s music industry trade group, there were 98.5 billion audio streams across all platforms in 2024, compared with 87 billion the previous year. More than 1,180 artists notched over 10 million streams and 70 had more than 100 million streams.
That report of growth aligns with figures from global music industry trade association IFPI. In its Engaging With Music report, IFPI stated that Spanish music consumers averaged 22.1 hours per week of listening, compared with the global average of 20.7.
Spain’s receptiveness to music of all genres and provenance is evident in its five top-selling albums of 2024. According to Promusicae, Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department was the bestseller, followed by Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito at No. 2, Spanish artists Quevedo’s Donde Quiero Estar at No. 3 and Saiko’s Sakura at No. 4 and Bad Bunny’s 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti, at No. 5.
Quevedo at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards in Miami.
Jason Koerner/Getty Images
No wonder labels are increasingly turning to Spain to develop pan-regional artists. Examples include the success of Colombian artist Camilo after the pandemic; Venezuela’s Joaquina, who won best new artist at the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards and whose first tours were in Spain; and Colombian stadium pop-rock band Morat, which is signed to Universal Music Spain.
And although Spanish-born artists have a tougher time crossing over into the U.S. and Latin American markets than vice versa, a new generation of acts that includes Quevedo, Rels B, Bad Gyal, Aitana, Arde Bogotá and Rosalía is showing that reaching fans in the Americas may be more feasible than ever.
Fifteen months after the Latin Grammys were held in Spain in November 2023 — the show’s first foray outside the United States — Billboard will host a reception for Spain’s industry leaders on March 18 and recently spoke with some of those executives to ask what’s next for the dynamic market.
‘A Flow Of Cultures In Two Directions’
Given its crucial location as an entryway into Europe and its cultural significance as the birthplace of Spanish, “Spain is a place of fusion between Anglo and Hispanic cultures. It’s a flow of talent and culture in two directions,” says Vicent Argudo, head of music for Prisa Media. “Spain imports Latin styles into the old continent and adapts them to pop. It’s a place for mainstream experimentation.” While Spain for years seemed impenetrable for Latin American genres like reggaetón and regional Mexican, an influx of immigrants, coupled with increasing global acceptance of the Spanish language, has turned Spain into a market that imports and reinvents genres. “Spain gives Latin sounds a pop vision that makes them more accessible to the world,” Argudo says.
A Breeding Ground For International Talent
For José María Barbat, president of Sony Music Iberian Peninsula, Spain is a nonstop talent generator, from Julio Iglesias in the ’80s to Rosalía or C. Tangana today.
“In this context, we’re certain the next big Spanish star is around the corner,” Barbat says. “We continue to see artists with the skills necessary to jump to an international stage, showing there’s not only talent but also an industry ecosystem ready to channel all that creativity.” Proof of that is Arde Bogotá, a Spanish rock band garnering success in an urban world. “It speaks to the importance of keeping an eye out not just for popular genres,” he says, “but for talent coming out of niche genres.”
Artist To Watch: “I’m particularly excited about Lia Kali, a very well-rounded and very young artist we just signed,” Barbat says. “She has a mind-blowing voice and the ability to cross over in a big way into other Latin markets.”
Rosalía at the 2024 Met Gala in New York.
Mike Coppola/MG24/Getty Images
The Power Of A Cutting-Edge Stadium
The Spanish music industry is experiencing a golden era, a prime example of which, says Live Nation Spain president Pino Sagliocco, is the newly renovated Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and the sold-out shows it has hosted from Spanish artists Hombres G and Alejandro Sanz, as well as Swift and Colombia’s Karol G. “Those tours highlight unprecedented growth in Spain’s music history, breaking records in the years after the pandemic,” Sagliocco says. “The global industry now recognizes the country’s leadership and enormous potential as a key platform for the growth of Latin music in Europe.” While concerts at Bernabéu were suspended last September due to noise ordinance issues, its string of sold-out shows by artists both local and international highlighted the enormous, previously untapped potential of a state-of-the-art stadium in the nation’s touristy capital. “The global industry now recognizes the country’s leadership and enormous potential as a key platform for the growth of Latin music in Europe,” Sagliocco says.
Spanish As The ‘New Normal’
For José Luis Sevillano, CEO of AIE — Spain’s collecting society for performers, with over 35,000 members in Spain alone and representing the rights of over 800,000 performers globally — music in Spanish is on the brink of “becoming a magnificent new normal.” Not only does music in Spanish now top global charts, “but at the same time it’s placed new value on the diversity and plurality of our culture in the entire world,” he says. AIE’s most recently reported numbers registered a 29% growth in rights collection last year compared with 2023, and AIE’s study on consumption habits in Spain also found that Spanish-language music was more listened to than English-language music on streaming platforms. Plus, after 30 years of work, Spain adopted new legislation providing better compensation and working conditions for artists and musicians. “This will eventually lead to a more just and balanced music ecosystem,” Sevillano says, “which is basic in allowing creators to develop their talent to its full potential.”
Challenge For 2025: “Finding a responsible, respectful and balanced development of [artificial intelligence] for artists,” Sevillano says.
A Streaming Boom
Streaming dominates Spanish music consumption, accounting for nearly 90% of the market, according to Promusicae. Meanwhile, Spanish artists have become major streaming draws worldwide. In 2023, Spanish acts generated royalties of more than 123 million euros ($128.5 million) on Spotify, which is almost four times the royalties they generated on the platform in 2017, according to Spotify’s head of music for Southern and Eastern Europe, Melanie Parejo. That growth “is reflected in local consumption but also in the capacity to generate global business,” Parejo says, noting that over 50% of all royalties generated by Spanish artists on Spotify in 2023 came from listeners outside of Spain. In 2024, Rels B was the Spanish artist most listened to outside of Spain.
Rels B attended Milan Fashion Week in 2024.
Pietro S. D’Aprano/Getty Images
An ‘Explosion’ Of Talent
What was once an insular market is now having an international impact. “The Spanish music industry has undergone a radical transformation in the last decade, becoming a market with great global projection with artists like Rosalía, C. Tangana, Quevedo and an explosion of indie proposals like La La Love You,” says Carlos Galán, host of industry podcast Simpatía por la Industria. “Stylistic barriers have been broken, and even the chasm that existed between alternative and mainstream has grown smaller.”
Challenge For 2025: The fact that “every day there’s a new festival” is huge, Galán says. “But truly, it’s a bubble I’m afraid to see burst. All have identical lineups, little innovation and no one is betting on emerging talent.”
Sponsors Serious About Music
Few brand initiatives surrounding music are as complex and developed as Banco Santander’s Santander SMusic. The bank offers a 360 media platform that includes editorial content and live performances, in addition to its branded events, concerts and partnerships with labels and artists. “In a year we’ve executed over 235 presales and sold 600,000 tickets, becoming a point of reference for music in Spain and creating a complete ecosystem of exclusive content,” says Felipe Martín Martín, Santander España’s director of media, sponsorships and events. Santander’s SMusic has partnerships with festivals including Mad Cool, Sonorama and Rockland, as well as with companies like Universal, Sony and Los 40. But Martín Martín is especially excited about the growth of music tourism in Spain, “maximizing that No. 1 spot Spain has held in the global ranking of tourism to music festivals since 2022.”
An International Gateway
Spain’s geography offers easy access from both the United States and Latin America and to the rest of Europe. “It has the potential [to be a] port of entry for Latin artists to other European markets, particularly the U.K., France, Italy and Germany, who all provide strategic opportunities in the live market,” says Narcis Rebollo, president/CEO of Universal’s Global Talent Service, which manages and books over 100 artists including Aitana, Pablo Alborán, David Bisbal, Lola Índigo and Joaquina. The potential is already being realized in Spain, where ticket sales jumped more than 26% from 2022 to 2023 and more than 250% in the last decade, according to Spain’s Association of Music Promoters.
Growing Trend: “Brand investment in music has grown more than 100%,” Rebollo says, “with music being used as a new driver for brands to position their products.”
Aitana performed at the 2024 Morrina Festival at Port of A Coruna in A Coruna, Spain.
Cristina Andina/Redferns
A Good Partner
Spain’s impressive market stats, including its sizable listening and streaming growth per capita, make it a source of local talent and a priority for imported talent. “We’re listening to more than 260 million songs per day,” Warner Music Iberia president Guillermo González Arévalo says. “Coming to Spain to promote their new albums has had a great return on investment and recognition for artists like Dua Lipa, Myke Towers, Coldplay, Charli xcx and Linkin Park, who have charted high on our charts paving the way for their next tours.” In 2024, Towers was the most listened to artist on Spotify in Spain.
Looking Forward: Warner is also expanding activity in its recently opened music hub in Madrid. “Each day more music is written, and there are more collaborations created with Latin artists,” González Arévalo says.
A Flexible Market In Constant Evolution
Spain’s music market is known today for its strong festival culture and its affinity for music in Spanish, regardless of origin — and it has been receptive to new trends of late. In November 2023, the popular reality music competition Operación Triunfo relaunched on Amazon Prime Video. “It highlighted the extraordinary capacity of the format to adapt to new digital consumption trends, bringing in traditional viewers and new generations,” head of Amazon Music Spain Claire Imoucha says of the show, which will return in September. Christmas music also got a boost in new formats, with artists like David Bisbal, Niña Pastori, and Camilo and Evaluna (who had an Amazon Music Original song in November) reimagining traditional repertoire and “consolidating Christmas as a key consumption period.”
What Comes Next: “Spanish music is living an extraordinary moment, with genres like rock and flamenco displaying their capacity for evolution and renovation,” Imoucha says. “Artists like Arde Bogotá and Carolina Durante are leaders in a new rock scene, and artists like Israel Fernandez, María José Llergo and Ángeles Toledano are bringing a contemporary twist to historic genres.”
Antonio Garcia (left) and Pepe Esteban of Arde Bogotá onstage at the Coca Cola Music Experience Festival in Madrid in 2024.
Juan Naharro Gimenez/Redferns
A Consolidated Value Chain
“Our music industry is a very professionalized industry in every sector of its value chain,” Promusicae president Antonio Guisasola says. “In addition, we have great artistic talent that is mixing genres and renovating the different roots genres of the many cultures that coexist in Spain.” A sign of maturity of the market was the launch of its Spanish Academy of Music, “where all music professionals in the country get together to honor the work we did in the year,” Guisasola says, and the first Academy of Music Awards took place last June.
Beyond Major Cities
The growth of Spain’s music scene has translated to consumption outside major cities, says Alfonso Santiago, CEO of concert promoter Last Tour, which also puts together the annual BIME conferences in Bilbao, Spain, and Bogotá, Colombia. “There’s a wide spectrum of cities beyond the big capitals that have good venues and audiences that respond favorably,” he says. That openness is particularly evident and growing among younger generations. “Traditionally, adult fans have been more close-minded,” he says. “I’m excited to see a young audience open to discovering new things.”
A Rich Culture
Spain’s location has helped foster its rich musical output. “We have a confluence of music from Latin America, Northern Africa, local folklore and, of course, our great contribution to the world’s art, flamenco,” Sony Music Spain GM Blanca Salcedo says. Sony’s new 5020 Studios have become a perfect place to mine that cultural landscape. The studios, which opened a year ago, “are hugely valuable for this purpose,” Salcedo says. “It’s a unique space that combines the best technology, design and services to foster our artists’ creativity.”
A Festival Destination; Many Collaborations
In addition to its massive stadium concerts, Spain hosts nearly 900 music festivals a year, according to the latest Oh, Holy Festivals report. “Spain has established itself as a key market for tours and festivals, positioning itself as a global tourism destination for music,” says Jorge Iglesias, founder and CEO of concert promoter Iglesias Entertainment. In addition, a series of very successful cross-cultural collaborations — including Quevedo and Bizarrap’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” which topped Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts in 2022 — has renewed interest in the country as a talent incubator.
A Prominent Indie Scene
The diversity of genres in Spain “is richer than ever,” says Believe Spain GM Maite Díez, adding, “The local independent scene has gained great prominence.” Case in point: Indie artist Iñigo Quintero, whose hit “Si No Estás” made history as the first track by a solo Spanish artist to reach No. 1 on Spotify’s global chart. On Spotify, nearly 60% of all royalties generated by Spanish artists come from indie labels or artists, Díez says. By extension, there has been “an explosion of new talent that has gone from the digital ecosystem to massive success,” including Daniela Blasco, a finalist at the Benidorm Fest song contest.
A Mature Industry
Beyond streaming strength, “Spain’s music industry is mature in all its subsectors,” says Soco Collado, president of Spain’s music federation Es Música, which represents and promotes the industry’s collective interests. “We have huge established artists, a young scene creating spectacular things and the companies working at every level are very solid and are investing,” she says. The sustained growth of streaming stands out for Collado, and she’s particularly excited about a new generation of very young female artists who are “super committed and creating musical marvels,” including flamenco artists María José Llergo, Angeles Toledano and La Tania.
New Opportunities
Universal Music Spain co-managing director Alicia Arauzo was struck by the recent success of David Bisbal’s Todo Es Posible en Navidad, which topped Promusicae’s albums chart in December. “It feels like we tapped a local vein with Christmas music, opening up an eternal opportunity [for the music],” she says. The proliferation of stadium concerts has also been a breakthrough for Spain, she says, along with “the growing strength of female talent, both local and international.”
This story appears in the March 8, 2025, issue of Billboard.
After being nominated for inclusion in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — a historic first for a Spanish-language act — and after successfully touring Latin America and Spain, Mexican rock band Maná will tour the U.S. and Canada this fall, Billboard can announce.
The “Vivir Sin Aire” tour, so titled after the iconic song of the same name from 1992, will play more than 30 dates, extending through early 2026. The tour kicks off September 5 with back to back shows at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. The band will play a total of 21 cities, including first-ever performances in Nashville, St. Louis, Baltimore, Montreal and Detroit, as well as multiple shows in Chicago, Dallas, Phoneix, San Jose and Miami.
As part of the tour, Maná will play four dates at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, with the shows doubling as part of their residency at the venue. With the completion of these four shows, Maná will break the record for most arena shows in the Los Angeles area, according to tour promoter Live Nation. The Mexican rockers will have performed a remarkable total of 44 arena concerts, two more than Bruce Springsteen, who holds the record with 42 arena shows.
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A portion of proceeds from the tour will go toward establishing the “Latin Luchonas” (Fighting Latinas) program, created in honor of Rosario Sierra, the late mother of vocalist Fher Olvera. Sierra raised Olvera and his sisters as a single mom after his father died when he was still a child (Olvera has memorialized both parents in different songs). The program, created in partnership with the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, will “empower Latina women entrepreneurs through scholarships, mentorship and leadership opportunities,” according to a press release provided to Billboard.
The Vivir Sin Aire Tour is presented by Live Nation and sponsored by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino in San Manuel, Calif., where Maná has twice performed private shows. Tickets will go on sale starting Friday, March 14 at 10 a.m. local time at Mana.com.mx.
Find all tour dates below:
MANÁ – VIVIR SIN AIRE 2025 TOUR DATES
Friday, Sept. 5 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Saturday, Sept. 6 – San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
Thursday, Sept. 11 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Friday, Sept. 19 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Saturday, Sept. 20 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Friday, Sept. 26 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Saturday, Sept. 27 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Friday, Oct. 3 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Saturday, Oct. 4 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Friday, Oct. 10 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Saturday, Oct. 11 – Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena
Saturday, Nov. 1 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sunday, Nov. 2 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Friday, Nov. 7 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena
Saturday, Nov. 8 – Phoenix, AZ – PHX Arena
Friday, Nov. 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Saturday, Nov. 15 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Friday, Nov. 21 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Congratulations are in order for Lele Pons and Guaynaa, who are expecting their first child together.
The Venezuelan influencer, 28, and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter, 32, shared the exciting news in a social media post on Sunday (March 9).
“We’re PREGNANT!!!!!” Pons and Guaynaa wrote in a joint Instagram post, alongside a photo gallery showcasing her baby bump. “Can’t wait to meet you! We love you- Mom & Dad.”
In the heartwarming post, which was also translated into Spanish, the YouTube sensation shared several pictures and videos with her husband, including an ultrasound photo, a sweet moment of Guaynaa kissing his wife’s stomach, and another shot of the couple pressing their bare tummies together.
Numerous celebrities, friends and fans flooded the comments to congratulate the happy couple. “Yesssssssss !! 100 meses guardando secreto te amoooo,” Anitta wrote, while Paris Hilton left a smiling face with heart-eyes emoji. “Congrats, los quiero mucho!” Luis Fonsi added.
Pons and Guaynaa first met in 2019 and released their first collaboration, “Se Te Nota,” in 2020. The playful urban pop song spent 18 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Global 200 (where it peaked at No. 44), 25 weeks on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (No. 19 peak) and 11 weeks on Hot Latin Songs (No. 25).
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After months of speculation about their relationship, Pons made it Instagram official in December of that year. Guaynaa proposed during Steve Aoki’s set at Tomorrowland in 2022. The couple tied the knot in March 2023.
The pair released their debut collaborative album, Capitulaciones, in April 2023. The 10-track album, a partnership between Interscope Records and Guaynaa, features eight duets, one solo track from Pons, and another from Guaynaa. The project spans a variety of genres, including urban pop (“Abajito”), reggaetón (“Natural”), reggae (“A Que No”) and bachata (“Todo Sabe Más Rico”).
“Lele and I beat to different rhythms. In music, I can tell you that it is quite cool, because she has a different thinking and approach and drive, she has other filters in her head when she analyzes music,” Guaynaa told Billboard Español in 2023. “My filters are more about the conceptual elaboration of the album, the musicality, the storytelling, the beginning and the end. There were many disagreements for that very reason, but at the end of the day, I think we managed to develop a project, and that makes us very happy.”
Check out the couple’s baby announcement on Instagram here.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music including collaborations between Oscar Maydon and Netón Vega’s Amigos? No.” and Kapo and Myke Towers’ “ILY.” Plus, Banda MS released its highly-anticipated album Edición Limitada. In another collab, Argentine rapper Tiago PZK teamed up with Teddy Swims for sometimes “Sometimes,” the […]
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Tiago PZK & Teddy Swims, “Sometimes” (Grand Move Records/Warner Music Latina)
In the midst of his new musical era as Gotti, Tiago PZK teams up with the Grammy-nominated Teddy Swims for “Sometimes.” The bilingual track — co-produced by John Alexis, Marcus Lomax, Pontus Persson, and Tatool — is a sensual and soulful R&B jam that connects the Argentine rapper and country-pop star’s distinct powerhouse vocals. “Sometimes,” focus single off of Tiago’s GOTTI B EP, is focused on the desire to end a relationship without resentment. “Sometimes pienso en tu cuerpo (I think of your body)/ Sometimes pienso en lo nuestro (I think of us)/ Sometimes muero por dentro (I die inside),” goes the heartwrenching chorus. — JESSICA ROIZ
Nathy Peluso, “Erotika” (5020 Records/Sony Music España)
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Salsa music isn’t just alive, it’s still winning fans — or, in this case, making some go back to it. After dabbling in the genre with songs like “Mafiosa,” “La Presa” and “Sugga,” Nathy Peluso this week releases “Erotika,” inspired by the erotic salsa scene of the 1990s in New York City. Co-written by the multifaceted Argentine singer and rapper alongside Manu Lara, Servando Primera and Danicrazytown, “Erotika” presents a provocative narrative about the passion that a certain person awakens in her. “You make me erotic/ Like ’90s salsa music/ Like a crazy person I begin to dance/ And I want you to feel my madness/ You make me erotic/ As if Grupo Niche were playing/ I’m thinking/ Tonight I’ll undress you,” Peluso sings in the chorus, over vibrant arrangements of brass, bass and percussion. It is a sensual song in which the artist reclaims a style of salsa traditionally performed by men. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Oscar Maydon & Netón Vega, “Amigos? No.” (Rancho Humilde)
Oscar Maydon and Netón Vega, Billboard‘s Latin Artists on the Rise for January and February, respectively, have joined forces for this slowed-down corrido tumbado that takes on the ever-so relatable theme of heratbreak. Just like its title, the lyrics of “Amigos? No.” are honest and direct. “She plays dirty, she knows how to manipulate me/ She wants to be my friend and I’m here so in love,” Vega sings. “She doesn’t look at me the way I look at her/ I give her my life, and she won’t even give me a kiss,” Maydon adds. Both artists lament being friend-zoned in their relationships, and they navigate how to tell that person they want more than just a friendship. — GRISELDA FLORES
Banda MS, Edición Limitada (Lizos Music)
Consisting of 14 songs powered by their traditional Sinaloan style, Edición Limitada includes songs like “Tu Perfume,” a romantic ballad that served as the set’s first single and already has over 150 million combined streams on Spotify and YouTube. “Mesa Para Uno” is another key track, as it talks about the physical absence of a loved one who has transcended — a theme the band takes on for the first in its 22-year career. But joyful dance tunes are also present on the band’s 18th studio album: “Mamacita” combines huapango with catchy and easy-to-remember lyrics, while fans will be able to relate to “Estás Cancelada” since it features the essence of most of their big hits: lyrics about heartbreak.
On Edición, you can hear the three Banda MS vocalists: Alan Ramirez, David Castro and Walo Silvas. The latter spoke to Billboard about the production: “It was made with so much time and so much care that each song was well thought out — it is the album that has taken us the longest but the wait was worth it.” Silvas also told Billboard that his favorite songs on the album are “Mesa Para Uno,” “Agárrate Fuerte” and “Amor Caro.” — TERE AGUILERA
Kapo x Myke Towers, “ILY” (Sony Music Latin/La Industria)
Kapo continues on his streak of dropping feel-good, optimistic music, and for his latest single, “ILY” (which stands for “I love you”), he reeled in Myke Towers to help. Produced by Miguelangel, Zazueta and Gangsta, the song blends smooth Afropop beats with urban melodies. Singing about an instant chemistry and wanting to spend the rest of the days with that special someone, Kapo chants: “After those kisses, I can get married/ Baby, if it’s with you, I’m not scared of skipping all the steps.”
Towers adds saucy, deep rap verses, offering: “I thought I wasn’t going to get involved, and my instinct failed me.” The Colombian breakthrough star and Puerto Rican urban sensation co-wrote the song alongside Orlando J. Cepeda Matos, Julio Emmanuel Batista Santos, Juan Diego Medina Vélez, Julián Turizo, Miguel Ángel Díaz Vélez and Daniel Rondón. — J.R.
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
Eladio Carrión shares what he loves about his fans, what to expect from his new album, how he’s preparing for the tour, why he loves performing and more!
Ingrid Fajardo:Hello, my friends at Billboard! Today from Viña del Mar we are with the great Eladio Carrión.
Eladio Carrión:Hello, hello, hello!
How are you? It’s a pleasure to have you here. We’re enjoying the view. I was telling you that we brought a bit of San Juan.
Clearly, I feel like I’m in San Juan here next to the hill.
Exactly, next to the hill. How are you, Eladio? How do you feel? Nervous?
I’m really good, I never get nervous. I was an athlete for many years. Those are pure nerves when you’re going to compete against other people. Do you get me? This is moreso eagerness to get on the stage, to see how the experience is, to see how people enjoy the show. You get me? It’s more eagerness than nervousness.
What–
I’m doing good though, how are you?
I’m doing good, too. What have you listened to or what expectations do you have for the “monsters,” as fans call it here,
The “monsters?” They call themselves “monsters”?
The fans do because it’s not easy.
Oh no, what are they here? They’re the best, right? Here they’re part of the top five fandoms in the world. I love to come here for that reason. They live the music, the feelings at the shows. You get me? They enjoy it because there’s nothing more beautiful to be an artist, a singer and see the people enjoying the music. Do you really get me? There’s nothing more beautiful than that.
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This summer, Bad Bunny is set to transform Puerto Rico’s typically quieter season with a 30-show residency at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli). Choosing not to tour globally, the Puerto Rican superstar will instead showcase his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, exclusively on his home turf from July 11 to Sept. 14. The extraordinary demand for tickets — with 400,000 selling within four hours, half to international tourists — confirms the residency’s global appeal and its potential to substantially enhance the island’s local economy during its sweltering summer months.
This residency concept represents a first for Puerto Rico. Although the Coliseo has hosted multiple back-to-back shows in the past, with artists such as Daddy Yankee and Wisin & Yandel performing on consecutive weekends, the scope and magnitude of Bunny’s residency has never been seen before. This series of 30 shows is unprecedented not only for the number of shows but also for the intensity of the preparation and the international anticipation it’s been generating.
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On Jan. 5, Bunny released Debí Tirar, which reached No. 1 on multiple all-genre charts, including the Billboard 200 and Top Streaming Albums. Reflecting on this success, Benito told Billboard a few weeks after releasing the album, “Man, obviously I’m thankful with the way the world has embraced this album. The thing is, this project… it isn’t mine. It belongs to many people: everyone who worked with me, it belongs to Puerto Rico, my friends, my family. This project belongs to all of us who feel proud of being from Puerto Rico and being Latin.”
In anticipation of the residency, Alejandro Pabón, the Move Concerts promoter behind the residency, details the extensive preparations necessary to accommodate such an unprecedented influx of fans. “We’re expecting around 200,000 people from abroad visiting the island,” he says. “All the local businesses are going to be impacted. All the hotels are sold out. Today [Feb. 13], a local newspaper put out an article saying that for the residency dates, there’s a 70% surge on AirBnB.” While the volume of business will be overwhelming, Pabón mentions that the event’s organization relies on local labor, creating more job opportunities for Puerto Rican residents. “All the hotel staffing are going to have to level up because they’re expecting 100% capacity for those three months,” he says.
Preparing for the residency presents a complex challenge, introducing a level of scale and coordination previously unseen in Puerto Rico’s entertainment history. But it also promises to bring a raft of economic benefits to the island not typically seen during the summer season.
“Traditionally, July is the slowest month show-wise for the venue since forever. So we went and found the slowest period and booked it, which definitely is helping the economy,” says Pabón.
Travel and concierge expert Rob Dellibovi, who serves as founder/CEO of RDB Hospitality, elaborates on the strategic timing of the residency and its benefits to the local economy. “A time where it’s probably 30-40% occupancy, it’ll be like 90% because of all these shows,” he says. “The fact that they’re doing this in July and August is going to be a huge win for the island because nobody’s there at those times [due to the heat]. They’re not displacing any other kind of revenue; they’re just bringing people during the slow season to Puerto Rico.”
Pabón notes that Puerto Rico is well-equipped for major events, boasting a “state-of-the-art arena,” abundant “natural resources, great restaurants, and a lot of hotels.” Unlike typical residencies in cities like Las Vegas that feature international artists, this local showcase will potentially alter perceptions of the island as a global tourist hotspot.
Building on this framework, Coliseo de Puerto Rico has established itself as a rite of passage to Latin pop superstars and beyond. Situated in the heart of San Juan’s Milla de Oro, the venue has held some of Latin music’s most important events of the 21st century. A sold-out Coliseo performance is an affirmation of star power.
The Coliseo De Puerto Rico
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El Coliseo is no stranger to record-breaking events. In 2021, Karol G made history by becoming the first international female artist to set the record for the fastest ticket sales at the venue with two sold-out dates. More than a decade earlier, on March 14, 2010, Metallica became the fastest-selling concert ever at the Coliseo, drawing a crowd of 17,286. However, Bad Bunny has already surpassed Metallica’s record twice: first in March 2019 and again in July 2022. In 2019, Daddy Yankee broke Wisin & Yandel’s record for the most consecutive sold-out shows at the venue with a total of 10 concerts as part of his Con Calma Pa’l Choli tour — a record Benito is now poised to break.
Jorge L. Pérez, the general manager of Coliseo de Puerto Rico, calls Bad Bunny’s upcoming residency a “historic event.” He tells Billboard that in August 2023, Pabón and Noah Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager, unveiled the concept of the residency to him. “I was blown away,” says Pérez, underscoring the complexity of keeping the plans under wraps. “When they started working the room blocks, I got calls from a lot of skeptical hoteliers. They were like, ‘Why are they asking for so many rooms?! What is happening?!’ I was like, ‘I can’t reveal that information, give them all the available inventory that you have. We have a signed contract at Coliseo. This is legit.’”
With the months-long advance notice of 30 sold-out shows, Pérez says the planning becomes much more manageable. Helping matters, he says, is the fact that they are sourcing all concessions products locally, with the venue to feature a special menu highlighting local delicacies such as “alcapurrias and bacalaitos,” embracing Puerto Rican culinary traditions.
“[This residency] will position Puerto Rico as a premier entertainment destination,” says Pérez. “It will open the eyes of visitors who have never come to Puerto Rico. It will create awareness of Puerto Rico as an entertainment and leisure destination.”
Pérez says that growth has been evident in the post-COVID era, as the Coliseo has consistently ranked in the top 20 on Pollstar’s year-end list of highest ticket sales among arenas globally. On Billboard’s 2024 year-end list of Top Venues (15,001+ capacity), Coliseo de Puerto Rico was ranked No. 39, with a gross of $52.5 million and 750,000 tickets sold.
With the Bad Bunny residency and other scheduled events, Pérez says he expects to set a sales record at Coliseo, projecting total ticket sales between 1.3 and 1.4 million for the first time in a single year. He adds that the venue is on track to hold more than 100 events in a single year — another milestone. Because of Bunny’s residency, he says there’s potential for the Coliseo to place among the top five on Billboard’s year-end Top Venues chart. At a minimum, projections show 2025 sales increasing by 73% from last year.
While the venue has hosted residencies before, such as Daddy Yankee with 12 shows in 2019 and Wisin & Yandel with 14 in 2022, this is the first time the Coliseo has accommodated a residency of this magnitude, says Pérez. “The uniqueness about this is a call made by the artist, saying, ‘I released a new album that’s at the top of the charts globally, and I am not going on tour. If you want to see these concerts, you have to come to my island.’ I believe that this call is what makes this residency very special — and the impact it will have on the island’s economy,” he says.
“They’re digging into what the whole Vegas set up is,” says Dellibovi, describing the economic strategy behind such events. “The casinos know that if they have a huge act like Adele, Céline Dion or whoever is doing a residency…people are going to fly in for it — and the casino itself is going to make a ton of money.”
Of the potential ripple effects the Bunny residency might have on the global entertainment scene, Dellibovi hints that it could spawn a new potential trend. “Is Andrea Bocelli going to do an Italian residency? I have no idea,” he says. “I just think it’s super cool that this is going to spark a whole new residency game, in my opinion, where people are going to go to all these places to see the artist in their homeland. Every international artist from any country is going to be like, ‘Oh s—, I’m going to go back to wherever I’m from and have a month of shows and make a lot of money.’ Those cities are going to want it because there are slow seasons. They need it. Everyone’s going to want to support this.”
Echoing this sentiment, Pabón emphasizes the significance of cultural representation and local benefit: “Who wouldn’t want to showcase their hometown or contribute to it in a positive way? It’s not just going to be the Sphere or the MGM [Grand in Las Vegas] doing residences.”
Traveling to Puerto Rico is particularly convenient for Americans, as only a driver’s license is required for entry. Given this ease of access, Puerto Rico is well-positioned to outpace other popular Caribbean destinations such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic in attracting American tourists, Dellibovi points out.
“This is a big trip for people. That’s a party weekend,” he says. “Make sure you’re stocked and make sure your vibe is right. Make sure that you’re ready to deal with a crowd that’s there to have fun. This is not your typical beach crowd. This is going to be people who are in town to party.”
With more than 1.1 million Puerto Ricans residing in the New York metropolitan area, accounting for 6.7% of New York City’s population in 2020, according to the New York Academy of Sciences, the city not only serves as a significant cultural epicenter for the Puerto Rican diaspora but also stands as a primary source of attendees for major events in Puerto Rico. He expects that will be the case here as well.
“New York is the number one [demographic] of people that are going to come visit,” Pabón says. “I’m definitely expecting a lot of second and third-generation Puerto Ricans to come back home. I know that for a lot of them it is going to be the first time that they’ll come visit, because not all of them have had the chance to be here. I know it’s going to be a special [destination] that’s going to let them connect with their island. It was the artist’s idea to create this synergy between them and their island.”
According to the Puerto Rico Report, there are about 5.8 million Puerto Ricans living in the United States, compared with 3.2 million on the Island.
“This is like a pilgrimage, a Hajj for Puerto Ricans,” echoes Dellibovi. “If you’re Puerto Rican, and you love Bad Bunny, who’s not going to want to go to the homeland and see him? It’s the coolest experience ever for actual Puerto Ricans [living abroad].’ He continues, “Bad Bunny is the biggest Latin artist in the world. He is the only Latin artist who can sell out a stadium in any city in the world. He can go to Sweden, Tokyo, Sydney, anywhere. It’s very rare for a Latin artist to be able to do that.”
Pabón emphasizes the deeper motivation behind the residency, reflecting a sentiment shared by his team: “We’re doing this not just for business, that’s secondary. This is done for our country, for our identity, because we really love Puerto Rico. The artist really loves it. Noah really loves it, and all the team. It’s personal. We’re all really excited and happy about this.”
Peso Pluma and his cousin, Tito Double P, were both fetted with special honors at the 2025 BMI Latin Awards, held March 6 at the Coastal Convention Center in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami.
Peso Pluma received the BMI Champion Award for is great influence in the global musical landscape, and for opening doors to the exploding Música Mexicana movement. In winning the Champion Award, Peso Pluma joins a select group of honorees that includes Mark Ronson, Keith Urban and Residente. Peso Pluma also received the regional Mexican Songwriter of the Year award.
The Contemporary Latin Songwriter of the Year award went to both global superstar Karol G and producer and songwriter MAG, who each worked on six hit songs, including “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” where they both have credits.
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Tito Double P also received a special award –the BMI Impact Award– for “his contributions to Peso Pluma’s success and his innovative songwriting that has propelled him into one of the most popular new artists in the Música Mexicana genre.”
Hit song “Lady Gaga,” written by Gabito Ballesteros and Alexis Fierro Román, was named Regional Mexican Song of the Year while “La Bebé (Remix),” written by Peso Pluma and HASA KING Beatz, won Contemporary Latin Song of the Year.
Sony Music Publishing took home the honor for Regional Mexican Publisher of the Year for representing 11 of the previous year’s most-performed regional Mexican songs, including those by JOP and his stable of songwriters at Street Mob Records; and Kobalt Music Publishing won Contemporary Latin Publisher of the Year for representing seven of the previous year’s most-performed contemporary Latin songs.
The evening was hosted by BMI’s President & CEO Mike O’Neill, and Jesús González, VP creative for Latin, with awards given to the songwriters and publishers of the top 50 Latin songs of the previous year, including Ryan Castro and Miguel Armenta.
The gala also featured live performances by FloyyMenor, who sang his smash hit “Gata Only,” and Jasiel Núñe, who, accompanied by his excellent band, performed an impressive medley that blended Mexican, blues and country sensibilities.
Prior to the ceremony, the BMI Foundation presented the 2025 Peermusic Award to jazz pianist Tomás Jonsson, a student at Peabody Conservatory, for his winning song “Ocurrencias.”
For a complete list of 2025 BMI Latin Award winners, click here.