genre latin Archives

5 Things You Didn’t See on TV at Premio Lo Nuestro 2025

February 21, 2025

The 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro, held live from Miami’s Kaseya Center on Thursday (Feb. 20), was full of glitz and glam, memorable moments, and exciting wins and performances. Shakira was the evening’s top winner with six Premio Lo Nuestro awards, including the coveted Album of the Year for Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran. She also […]

Shakira Triumphantly Returns to Barranquilla With Carnival-Themed Concert

djfrosty

February 21, 2025

Barranquilla experienced a historic night, with the return of Shakira to her homeland after almost 20 years of absence on local stages. The global star delivered an unforgettable performance at the Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, where her fans gathered to enjoy a show filled with emotion, culture and a very special tribute to the Barranquilla Carnival.

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From early in the day, thousands of people lined up under the sweltering heat of Barranquilla to secure their entry to this unforgettable event, part of Shakira’s Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour. The production of the show was up to her international status, featuring striking visual effects, giant screens and a dance troupe that accompanied each performance.

The artist began her performance with a triumphant entrance, dressed in a dazzling silver outfit, while the attendees enthusiastically chanted her name. Visibly moved, Shakira expressed her joy at returning home: “I am very happy to be here, at home. There is nothing like singing among my own people.”

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Promoted by Live Nation, Shakira’s stadium tour began on Feb. 11 in Río de Janeiro and continued in São Paulo, Brazil (Feb. 13) and Lima, Peru. After a second concert in her native Barranquilla, Colombia on Friday (Feb. 21), she will make stops in Santiago, Chile (March 2-3); Buenos Aires, Argentina (March 7-8), and several cities in Mexico.

Below are the most memorable moments from Thursday’s concert.

Concert setlist and fan club

The show’s setlist included the biggest hits from each stage of her more than three-decade-long career, such as “Estoy Aquí,” which reached No. 2, and “Suerte” and “Te Felicito,” both which topped Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart. Additionally, the song that earned her the only No. 1 so far on the coveted all-genre Hot 100, “Hips Don’t Lie,” was also included.

Shakira took a journey through the years to reminisce about her beginnings in the ’90s, when her career was just starting to take off, and she concluded her memories with an emotional performance of “Pies Descalzos” which moved everyone in attendance.

One of the most special moments of the night came with the ballad “Antología.” Shakira dedicated the song to her mother, Nydia Ripoll, who was present at the concert along with the artist’s children, Milan and Sasha. At that moment, the stadium stands lit up with the colors of the Colombian flag, an initiative led by Shakira’s fan club in the city as a deep show of affection.

Tribute to the Barranquilla Carnival

Shakira dedicated a portion of the concert to the Carnival of her hometown. The artist surprised the audience by revealing her special guest: Chelito De Castro.

A musician renowned for his work as a pianist for the late Joe Arroyo, the Caribbean icon joined Shakira years ago to perform “Te Olvidé,” which is considered by many as the anthem of the Carnival.

While singing the song, Shakira also played the tambora and wore a vueltiao hat as a sign of pride for her coastal roots. At that moment, she also welcomed onto the stage the current Carnival queen, Tatiana Angulo Fernández, with whom she danced to the rhythm of the traditional garabato dance.

Grand finale

The concert closure was marked by the energy of “Waka Waka,” where thousands of attendees joined in a massive chorus. The song was immediately followed by the hit made with Argentine producer Bizarrap: “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” a song with which many women connected — not only because of the story of heartbreak the artist wanted to tell, but also because of a phrase that could now be considered a national heritage: “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” (“Women no longer cry, women invoice”).

Ángela Aguilar & Arthur Hanlon’s ‘Bala Perdida’ & More: Which Is Your Favorite New Latin Music Release of the Week? Vote!

djfrosty

February 21, 2025

This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music including a collaboration between Arthur Hanlon and Ángela Aguilar, and new singles from Ana Tijoux, Christian Alicea and Morat. Arthur Hanlon and Ángela Aguilar joined forces for “Bala Perdida,” a soulful huapango that they performed at the 37th annual Premio Lo […]

Christian Alicea’s ‘Hello, What’s Up’ & More Best New Music Latin

djfrosty

February 21, 2025

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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Christian Alicea, “Hello, What’s Up” (Therapist Music/Rimas Entertainment)

Christian Alicea kicks off new career chapter with a saucy salsa track called “Hello, What’s Up,” produced by DJ Buddha and Elliot. Marking his debut single under his new signing with Rimas Entertainment, the Puerto Rican artist delivers an infectious tropical tune with percussion, trombones, trumpets, and more, while his flirty vocals sing about a guy who’s trying to impress a girl with his English-speaking skills. “The girl I’m getting to know has me in love/ But she only speaks English and that’s the bad thing/ I became friends with the translator, but he’s tired/ Because every time I talk to her, I both him,” Alicea chants in the bilingual tune that perfectly captures his playful personality. — JESSICA ROIZ

Arthur Hanlon & Ángela Aguilar, “Bala Perdida” (Sony Music Latin)

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Arthur Hanlon and Ángela Aguilar gave us a taste of the magic they create together when they joined forces at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music, where Aguilar sang her father’s “Me Vas a Extrañar” with Hanlon on piano. Now, the two team up once again for “Bala Perdida,” a heart-wrenching huapango full of soul and intensity, further powered by Aguilar’s ethereal vocals and Hanlon’s poignant piano. “From the moment I wrote this song, I could only hear it in Ángela’s voice,” Hanlon said in a statement. “No one else could bring it to life the way she does.” “Bala Perdida” — which Aguilar and Hanlon debuted on television during Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 on Feb. 20 — is the third single from the pianist’s upcoming album, a collection of original collaborations set for release in April. — GRISELDA FLORES

Ana Tijoux, “Serpiente de Madera” (Victoria Producciones SpA)

As the Chinese lunar calendar turned to the Year of the Serpent on Jan. 29, Ana Tijoux’s “Serpiente de Madera” unfolds with zodiacal symbolism intertwined with her origins — bringing to mind her breakout hit “1977,” also the year she was born under. The track — one of two from her new EP of the same name — illustrates her connection to the snake sign through the spoken word-like elegance over subtle panflute melodies and understated synths, by producers Eduardo Herrera and Tony Ramírez. Elegantly orating about universal vastness and human connection, the Chilean/French rapper’s delivery melds poetic prose with grace. She articulates, “Mirando galaxias con ojos pequeños, un telescopio en el cuerpo/ ese abrazo que eleva, ese que tiene magia,” finding potent expression in renewal. It captivates with its lyrical depth and fluidity, resulting in a piece that’s not just heard but felt. — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Morat, “Cuarto de Hotel” (Universal Music Spain)

With a piano tune reminiscent of the rock ballads of the ’80s and ’90s, Morat’s “Cuarto de Hotel” is an evocative song about a love that is difficult to forget. “Who put you under my pillow? Who kept you under my skin? You always arrive out of nowhere if I’m alone in a hotel,” the band sings in part of the lyrics. Driven by synthesizers, sweeping guitars and timbales-laden drums, the tempo of the song accelerates after the first chorus to offer the characteristic pop sound of the Colombian group, before returning to the piano that we hear in the beginning in a full-circle moment. “Cuarto de Hotel” is the main single of the Spanish film El Secreto del Orfebre (The Goldsmith’s Secret), an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Elia Barceló directed by Olga Osorio that premieres Feb. 28 in Spain. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Check out more Latin recommendations this week below: