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Pablo Alborán begins a new chapter in his career with the release of “Clickbait,” the first single of his upcoming album, due out in November via Warner Music Spain. The upcoming seventh studio album follows La Cuarta Hoja (2022), but it won’t be his only new music on stage this year: The Malaga-born singer-songwriter is gearing up for his acting debut in a Netflix series, while mapping out an extensive tour set to span Latin America, the United States and Spain.
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Talking with Billboard Español, Alborán reflects on the past few months, describing them as one of the most emotionally intense periods of his life — a time that completely shifted his perspective and led him to rethink many things, including his music.
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“It’s been a year full of emotions, without a clear path,” he says. “But that’s exactly why I gave myself permission to explore, experiment with sounds, and, most importantly, have fun.”
The first glimpse of this new chapter is “Clickbait.” Released on Wednesday (March 26), it stands as one of the most striking songs of his career, not only for its bold, electronic-infused production but also for its powerful message.
“I’ve never spoken so openly about fame, envy, prejudice, and the obsession with likes,” Alborán explains. “It’s my way of venting, of releasing all the anger this world of fake news and sensationalism —where everything revolves around negativity — provokes in me. I wanted a song that could serve as both a shield and a sword for anyone who needs it.”
The track also experiments with new sonic elements, something that, according to Alborán, even surprised his mother. “It’s a different language — a mix of Spanish and English, saturated sounds, and references to what we consume on social media,” he says. “The first time my mom heard it, she was in shock — but by the third listen, she already knew the hook.”
The music video for the song, directed by La Carbonera Studio and filmed in Madrid, reinforces its critique of the image-obsessed world. In the video, Alborán walks in front of a mirror while a group of dancers tries to stop him from looking at himself: “Each character represents a figure in the industry: a paparazzo, an executive, a lawyer, an influencer,” he explains. “It’s a metaphor for everything that surrounds fame.”
Choosing “Clickbait” as the lead single for his upcoming album was not an easy decision. Beyond its bold sound and direct message, Alborán had to confront his own fears and the uncertainty of how it would be received. “I asked myself many times: ‘Am I ready to defend this? How will people react?’ But I went back to my first instinct. When I revisit the moment I wrote the song and remember why I did it, I know it has a purpose,” he says. “I’m not doing anything just for the sake of it.”
More than just a collection of songs, his upcoming album — whose title he has yet to reveal — is a window into how he sees the world. Through his music, he invites listeners into his bubble to experience his unfiltered vision, free of labels or prejudice. “It’s a very diverse album,” he says. “I talk about love from a different perspective, about my roots, family, and the people who care for us. And sonically, I’ve allowed myself complete freedom.”
The album features a wide spectrum of sounds ranging from country to flamenco bulerías, and even a special collaboration with renowned guitarist Vicente Amigo, further cementing Alborán’s connection to his Andalusian roots. This identity was formally recognized on February 28, when he was awarded the Medalla de las Artes by the Junta de Andalucía, honoring his contributions to Spanish music and his career achievements.
Far from being confined to a single genre, Alborán has embraced fearless experimentation. “The songs are in charge. If one called for a Dobro (a resonator guitar) and a country rhythm, I added it. If another needed a bulería, I gave it that too. I don’t want to be boxed in,” he says. “I think all artists feel the pressure of expectations, but I’ve learned to let go of that.”
In this process of musical exploration, one of his key collaborators has been Albert Hype, a producer known for his work with artists like Bad Bunny and Kali Uchis. “When we sat down in the studio for the first time, the first thing he said was, ‘Give me a ballad,’” Alborán recalls. “I thought, ‘Really?’ But when I saw what he did with it, I knew I could trust him.”
Their chemistry led to collaborations on several tracks for the album. “Once I saw that Albert understood my essence, I let him go wild,” Alborán says with a laugh. “At the end of the day, my voice is what defines me. It doesn’t matter if the song has touches of reggaetón, flamenco, or experimental pop — it will always sound like me.”
For this album, Alborán also collaborated with producer Julio Reyes Copello, with whom he has worked in the past. “Julio has produced two incredible songs. He’s someone I always connect with perfectly,” says the artist. “His sensitivity for taking a song to another level is unmatched.”
Alborán has made his mark on Billboard charts, with multiple entries on Hot Latin Songs, Top Latin Albums, and Latin Pop Airplay. His album Terral (2014) debuted at No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums and No. 2 on Top Latin Albums, while his collaboration “Dónde Está el Amor” with Jesse & Joy reached No. 16 on Hot Latin Songs and No. 8 on Latin Pop Airplay.
Music isn’t Alborán’s only focus in 2025. He will also make his acting debut in the Spanish Netflix series Respira, playing an emergency plastic surgeon in its second season, though the premiere date has yet to be announced.
“Acting has always intrigued me, but I had never taken the leap. When I was offered the role, my family couldn’t believe it. ‘Are you sure?’ they asked. I was asking myself the same thing,” he admits with a laugh.
To prepare, he spent months studying and even attended real surgeries to better understand the role. “It was intense, but it also helped me a lot on a personal level,” he shares. “I had just gone through a very difficult situation with a family member’s health, and being surrounded by doctors allowed me to see things from a different perspective. It all came together to bring more authenticity to the character.”
Filming has also served as an escape for him. “When the industry overwhelms me, acting feels like a breath of fresh air. I step into another character and disconnect. It’s my way of finding balance,” he says.
He is also preparing for his most ambitious tour to date, set to kick off in February 2026. “This tour is very special to me,” says Alborán. “Not only because it will be global, but because this album allows me to experiment on stage. I’ll be taking audiences through all the stages of my life, from my roots in Málaga to the present.”
His return to the United States and Latin America will be especially emotional following the experience of his last tour during a personally challenging time, as a close family member faced a health issue. “That tour saved my life,” he says about La Cuarta Hoja in 2023. “I went on stage carrying the hardest situation I’ve ever faced at home, and the audience, without knowing it, gave me incredible support. I’ll never forget it.”
A few blocks from Provenza, in Medellín, is the studio where some of the biggest hits of Ovy on the Drums have been made. In a modest apartment, located on a sixth floor and guarded by a ferocious sand-colored stuffed dog named Cairo, we are welcomed by the man who became a frequent musical companion of artists like Blessd, Beéle and Karol G. On one wrist he has tattooed the T, Q and G, a reference to his greatest feat: having been able to get Shakira and her friend Karol G, a.k.a. “La Bichota,” the two Latin women with the greatest impact on music in recent years, both on a song.
“I have it tattooed here, because it’s the first song produced by Ovy on the Drums that is No. 1 in the world,” notes Daniel Echavarría (his real name). “For one to be a producer on that collaboration, it’s a dream come true.”
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Currently, “TQG” has more than 1.2 billion streams on Spotify and 1.3 billion views on YouTube, after debuting at No. 1 on multiple Billboard charts, including Hot Latin Songs, Latin Pop Airplay, Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, it started at No. 7 and spent 20 weeks on the chart.
While the interview is going on, we are located in a secondary studio — smaller than the main one, but with all the necessary tools so that the emerging artists he works with can record there. He mentions up-and-comers like Tury and Young Fatty, and other not-so-emerging artists like Kris R, as probable guests for the W Sound — the artist sessions series he launched last year with Westcol, one of the most impactful influencers in Colombia, who also has worldwide reach.
Creator of the “Tusa” sound, Ovy has an eye for rising artists in the urban genre. A little over five years ago, he discovered a kid who was making waves named Beéle, who had just signed with Hear This Music, then Bad Bunny’s label. Together they made “Inolvidable,” which he acknowledges as the most special of the songs they’ve created since they’ve known each other. It became one of the biggest hits of 2020, remembered for its emotional piano, and showing the two stars were ready for new challenges.
However, it was impossible to imagine all that was to come. Not only for Beéle, who is now one of the most important Colombian artists, but also for Ovy, the neighborhood man who learned to produce by playing with Fruity Loops in his room. The logo of this music production program is also tattooed on his arm, according to a Billboard article.
Ovy is now the producer of many of the biggest hits for Karol G, Blessd and plenty other urban Latin music stars. He won a Latin Grammy for Karol’s album Mañana Será Bonito, whose success took him to No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Producers chart for 25 weeks. And a few days ago, he was ranked as the Latin producer with the most listeners on Spotify: almost 29 million followers on this music platform, ahead of Bizarrap, Tainy, Rvssian and DJ Nelson.
In the studio, he shows me an old microphone that he uses to record the new talents who come to his house. He also tells me that it’s the same one he used for Unstoppable, Karol G’s first album, which we now remember for songs like “Ahora Me Llama,” which featured Bad Bunny on its remix — — a detail that is now probably inspiring many of them to pursue similar success stories.
Below, Ovy talks with Billboard about his legacy and some of his upcoming projects.
You just released an EP with Puerto Rican and Chilean artists, you are working on the W Sound sessions. What else can you share about your 2025 plans?
Cassette, the EP that a few days ago had its second volume, is a very nice project that my team and I saw a lot of potential in. Last year, we did the first version of the project — which was with Myke Towers — and there, we brought together artists like La Joaqui from Argentina, Saiko from Spain, also Ryan Castro, Blessd.
I wanted to bring the cassette to the present day, because I feel that there are 15-or-16-year-olds who do not know this format, so that they know the history and adapt it to the present time. That’s the nicest thing we have done. For the second EP, I left a lot out, but I am grateful to the talents of Chile, and artists like Jory Boy, Dalmata and Darell, because without them I wouldn’t have had that flow.
What about the W Sound? It’s easy to predict a great future for that, even though it’s just starting out, both because of your impact and that of Westcol. Who would you dream of inviting to the series?
It’s a genius project, together with Westcol, and we have the No. 23 song in the world [with the session with Beéle in the Top 50 on Spotify]. In addition, we already have four W Sounds on the street. One wants very big artists to be in the W Sound, but we also dream of new talents, and we bet on growth.
And what is happening with session number three, which has not yet appeared and is highly demanded by fans?
Right now we are working on music, projects like Ovy on the Drums, Micro TDH, Bad Milk [a promising artist of Big Ligas featured in the Estéreo Picnic 2025 lineup], the W Sound … Apart from that, I am also at a stage where I think not only in music, but in separate projects, where we are making investments and getting into other fields of which I will tell you later.
It is possible that what your followers know the least about this side of the business is the 360 marketing area you develop or the work you do with content creators. How has this part of Big Ligas been working?
With Big Ligas we always have that part — with my partner Kristo [Cristian Salazar], who has a lot of experience and a lot of knowledge of how a song works — about how the timing works when a new song comes out, or the fact that it is not always necessary to use influencers, but that other types of strategies may be necessary.
When Beéle had released “Loco,” his first big hit, you immediately called him to do “Inolvidable.” How does that vision thing work, of being able to realize early on that an artist is going to be very big?
I’ve been a fan of Beéle since I met him, and although I didn’t know when, I always knew he was going to be great as an artist. We have a lot of songs — but for me the big song is “Inolvidable.” It’s like epic, a [huge moment] for him, for me, for Big Ligas. And now we have “Mi Refe”, “La Plena,” just blessings.
There has always been talk of the greatness of reggaetón paisa, but at one time there were more producers than artists — and with the arrival of Blessd or Ryan Castro, Medellín has returned to the top. What do you think could be the reason?
Before, there were these great exponents, such as J Balvin, Karol G, Maluma, [Sebastián] Yatra and those I can’t remember… But the way I see it is that many artists have an easier way to show themselves through social media and reach more and more people. That is the case with Ryan Castro and Blessd.
For example, I met Blessd through social media. He was rapping, and in the videos he uploaded he asked to tag me, and after appearing a bunch of times in one of his videos I saw him and said, “That’s cool.” He came to my house, then we did songs like “Medallo,” which was No. 1 on Billboard [Latin Airplay]. And a lot more: “Soltera,” “Mírame.” Now it’s not only Ryan Castro and Blessd, but there is also a Kris R — and behind him there is a Tury, a Young Fatty, artists who are here today breaking out on the street.
You mentioned “Mírame,” which has had a lot of versions, and has been sent to Mexican music producers, Argentine cumbia producers — and many of these songs also feature Ovy on the Drums. How has all this happened?
I feel that when a song starts to be successful and other countries adapt it to their musical roots, it has already reached the next level. It’s good that a song of yours is charting on Billboard and in more spaces, but I feel that success comes thanks to those versions as well. That’s a blessing. It’s a nice thing to have producers work on what you produce. Sometimes I’ve even heard better versions, where I say, “Why didn’t I do it like that?”
You have just become the Latin producer with the most listeners in the world on Spotify. What does that mean in terms of opening doors and facing new challenges?
I feel very happy, because I know it has cost me, I have worked for it. It wasn’t that I arrived and released a song that became No. 1 worldwide the next day. It was a step-by-step process, starting with 305 listeners and [growing] over the years; it has been almost seven years of hard work to get to where I am now. I am also very grateful to my team, to the artists who have participated in this process. In addition, the songs that I have charting on my Spotify are with Beéle, Karol G, Blessd, with my colleagues, with my brothers.
So I’m celebrating — because today it’s Ovy on the Drums, but tomorrow it’s another producer. This is an up-and-down [field], moments like that are short — but when you are there, you can only have happiness, gratitude and desire to move forward.
This story was originally published on Billboard Colombia.
For the first time during her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, Shakira shared the stage with special guests. On Tuesday (March 25), during her fourth night at the iconic GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City, the Colombian superstar was joined by Grupo Frontera for a live performance of “(Entre Paréntesis),” a song from her 2024 album that gives its name to the tour.
“I really wanted to give you all a surprise,” Shakira told Billboard Español in an interview following the show. “Every day, I strive to give you something more because the Mexican audience has been so loyal, so loving, and has lifted me up every time I needed it. I wanted to surprise you with something that would fill your hearts. Having them on stage today was a true privilege.”
“(Entre Paréntesis)” joins “Ciega, Sordomuda” and “El Jefe” as songs Shakira has added to her extensive repertoire as a heartfelt tribute to Mexico, where she continues her historic seven-night residency at the GNP Seguros Stadium (formerly known as Foro Sol), which will conclude on Sunday (March 30). This milestone makes her the first female artist to perform this many shows at the venue, previously filled by artists like Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift, Coldplay and Metallica. In total, the residency will gather 455,000 attendees, according to promoter OCESA.
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But Grupo Frontera wasn’t the only guest of the night: Lili Melgar, nanny to Shakira’s sons Milan and Sasha, made a surprise appearance while the singer performed “El Jefe,” her collaboration with Fuerza Regida, in which Melgar is immortalized in one of the final verses. “Lili Melgar, this song is for you, for not being paid your severance,” Shakira shouted to the thunderous roar of her Mexican pack, undeterred by the rain during their reunion with the She Wolf.
Still emotional from the warm reception from her Mexico audience, the 48-year-old star revealed that there will be more surprises for the U.S. leg of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran trek, which kicks off May 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“For the first part of the tour, I wanted the show to stay as it was, for the fans to experience the songs just as I conceived them,” she told Billboard Español. “But now I’ll be incorporating some surprises and special guests that you’ll see in the United States. It will be very exciting to share the stage with friends and colleagues.”
One year after the release of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran — the Grammy-winning album that marked her triumphant first album in seven years — Shakira reflected on what this project has meant to her. The set reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and No. 13 on the all-genre Billboard 200. Last Friday (March 21), the Colombian singer premiered the video for “Última,” her latest single from the album, filmed in the New York City subway and directed by close friend and photographer Jaume de Laiguana.
“I believe this has been a healing process for me and for many people — not just women, men too. I think together we’ve learned that you grow from setbacks, and that together we heal when we support each other,” she said. “That’s what the audience has done for me. They’ve given me strength when I felt weak, and I know I’ve done the same for them.”
On her historic current stadium tour — which began on Feb. 11 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and will still visit the Dominican Republic, Chile and Colombia before arriving in the U.S.— Shakira says that this series of shows has become something deeper and more intimate.
“These are more than just concerts. They’re very profound gatherings where healing happens,” she stated. “With each show, I feel stronger and happier.”
After five years away from the summit, Banda Carnaval is back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart, as its latest single, “Pude,” climbs from No. 4 for its first week atop on the March 29-dated list.
“Pude” leads after a 17% gain in audience impressions, to 6.6 million, on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, which reflects activity in the U.S. from the March 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song, composed by Javier Arturo Rochín and César Augusto Valdivia, was released Nov. 15 on Andaluz/Disa/UMLE. It rules in its 10th week on the list, following a No. 28 debut on the Jan. 25-dated tally.
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“First of, grateful to God, and second, thankful with our audience for making this happen, our seventh No. 1 on the most important music ranking of the world, Billboard,” Rafael Becerra Valdez, vocalist, tells Billboard.
The new champ adds to the band’s No. 1 ledger on Regional Mexican Airplay, now with seven champs. which also marks the group’s first No. 1 in over five years, since “Esta Vez Soy Yo” crowned for four consecutive weeks in 2020.
Here’s a review of Banda Carnaval’s chart-toppers on Regional Mexican Airplay:
Title, Weeks At No. 1, Peak Date“Y Te Vas,” five, June 8, 2013“La Historia De Mis Manos,” five, Sept.13, 2014“Te Cambio El Domicilio,” two, Dec. 12, 2015“Ella Es Mi Mujer,” one, July 29, 2017“Como No Adorarla,” three, Dec. 9, 2017“Esta Vez Soy Yo,” four, Jan. 25, 2020“Pude,” March 29
“We will continue with a positive mindset and focused on achieving great things, hand in hand with our audience and our company Andaluz Music, and Disa/Universal,” Becerra adds. “Thank you so much! It’s a shared achievement.”
Radio gains also help Banda Carnaval return to the overall Latin Airplay chart’s top 10, as “Pude” rallies 13-6, the band’s highest-charting entry since the No. 2-peaking “Esta Vez Soy Yo, in Feb. 2020.
With her bubbly charm, dazzling aura and universal appeal, Selena Quintanilla revolutionized the Tejano genre in the ‘80s and ‘90s by lacing her authentic Mexican roots with bold new sounds such as R&B, pop, dance and rock. Known as the Queen of Tejano, she shattered ceilings in a genre that was dominated by men, and made history along the way. After earning two of her eventual four No. 1 Latin Airplay hits in 1994 — “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” and “No Me Queda Más” — the Mexican-American powerhouse was well on her way to a major mainstream crossover before she was tragically shot dead on March 31, 1995, at the age of 23.
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However, her music has stood the test of time and, throughout the years, she’s influenced a new generation of hitmakers, making her a bona fide Latin icon in pop culture 30 years later. As a testament to her enduring legacy, Argentine artist Maria Becerra speaks with Billboard about her love and admiration for Selena, and how she’s influenced her own career. Read her heartfelt as-told-to essay below:
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I discovered Selena when I was very young, about 10 years old, specifically with “Como La Flor.” It was the song that had the greatest impact on me since I was a child, and I loved it because it generated a ton of emotions. My family is very much into cumbias. Her music was always playing at all our parties. My mom played her records in the house, and she was always an artist who moved me a lot, with her feelings when she sang and what the songs said.
When I started my musical career at 19, I connected with her even more because watching her interviews, I fell in love with her personality, how she treated people, and the light she had when she spoke. I feel like she was one of those people who walked through the door and you couldn’t help but notice her presence. I saw her movie, her series, I have several of her vinyls, and she’s been a huge inspiration for me, in my outfits, in the sounds I use in my cumbias, the type of lyrics I do. [My music] is all a tribute to her.
Her audience was mostly Mexican, but also throughout Latin America. She managed to break down those barriers, but sadly, after her death, she became a phenomenon, although she was always one.
Maria Becerra
Javier Rogoski
I remember the day I met her brother, A.B., at the Latin Grammys [in 2021]. It was the first one I went to where I was nominated for Best New Artist, and I was blown away. I couldn’t believe it. He’s amazing! He told me, “You remind me so much of my sister, the way you talk, the way you laugh, how nice you are”—and I’ll never forget those words. It was the best compliment I’ve ever received in my entire life. He told me he really wanted to make music with me, and I know life will bring us together. That would be wonderful for music.
About three years ago, I really got caught up in a loop watching her interviews, seeing how beautiful she was, and I really wish I could have met her… everything a fan feels. I grew closer and closer to her, admired her more, loved her more, and in 2022, I decided to inspire my own concert looks in her outfits. Honestly, it feels so beautiful to be able to pay tribute to her. She’s my reference when I go to the studio, and I like feeling connected to her. I got to the point where my love for her grew more and more that I wanted to get her tattooed. I want to have her marked on my skin because she left a deep impression on me.
She demonstrated so much by being the daughter of Mexican parents and always carrying her culture forward. That makes me feel so proud of the kind person she was and how she kept those values intact. She said: I’m going to move forward without forgetting where I’m from, and that seems very magical to me. It touched me beyond her kindness and her incredible talent. For all Latinos, Selena is that… she is culture, she is roots, she is love. She’s love for your homeland and your culture.
Cazzu’s “Con Otra” has topped Billboard’s latest new Latin music poll published on Friday, March 21. In support of the weekly New Music Latin roundup and playlist, curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors, music fans voted for the Argentine artist’s new track as their favorite music release of the week. Explore Explore See […]
Fuerza Regida is on a mission to reconnect with its ancestral heritage — and they’re doing it the best way they know how, via Mexican music. The group’s upcoming album, 111XPANTIA, which Billboard Español is announcing exclusively on Tuesday (March 25), will be an exploration of the band’s roots, according to frontman Jesús “JOP” Ortiz Paz. The album is set for release on May 2.
The title — pronounced “ixpantia” — comes from the Náhuatl language, a dialect of the Aztecs, symbolizing “manifest,” JOP explains to Billboard Español. “Before I even knew what the word ‘manifest’ meant, I always believed in it,” he adds. “I’d tell myself, ‘I’m going to do this in the future.’ Even as a little kid, I was sure I was going to be something in life. Maybe not an artist, but something. It’s the law of attraction, a testament.”
With 111XPANTIA, Fuerza Regida is on a quest to continue applying this philosophy and turn “every song” into future “bangers.” The San Bernardino, Calif., hitmakers have consistently achieved with their 13 hits on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and 63 on Hot Latin Songs to date. The group’s most recent single, “Por Esos Ojos,” released in February, peaked at No. 5 on the Hot Latin Songs chart.
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The artist adds that while they created around 40 songs in the process of making this album, they narrowed down to 12, assuring that every song is a “focus track.”
111XPANTIA will be released via Rancho Humilde/Street Mob Records/Sony Music Latin. It also will be available in physical format, both CD and vinyl.
“This album represents my whole life,” JOP says. “Since I was a 5-year-old kid, I’d see Corvettes in the hood — there were no Lambos — and tell my mom, ‘I’m going to buy that car,’ or I’d look at a big house and say, ‘Mama, I’m going to buy you that house when I get older,’” adding that the meaning of this upcoming release is “to prove something beyond doubt through the power of the mind.”
And those dreams have undeniably materialized. For the June 2023 Billboard Español cover story, the group pulled up in three luxury cars, including a graphite off-roader Lamborghini Urus and a white Chevrolet Corvette. Most recently, Fuerza Regida acquired a new building to house its record label, Street Mob Records — which won the Billboard Latin Music Award 2024 for publisher of the year — in San Bernardino County.
The cover artwork, co-designed by KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, features an eye, a symbol deeply tied to the album’s themes. “The eye means the same thing — ixpantia, 111, manifest — to make your dreams come true,” he explains.
“This is the first album that has so much story to it, so much connection to it. Everything means something. Nothing está allí de oquis,” JOP says, emphasizing that everything is intentional. “Once you get into it, 111XPANTIA, you’re going to start tripping, what it means to be on the next level,” he adds, stating that “everything’s back to the roots” stylistically. “This is the most important album of my career. This is the one that brings all of that together.”
See the cover for 111XPANTIA below:
Fuerza Regida
Courtesy Photo
Ángel del Villar‘s criminal trial case could set a precedent in Latin music. The CEO of regional Mexican powerhouse label, Del Records, is accused of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels. Del Villar’s ongoing trial began on March 18 at a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom and follows a 2022 criminal […]
Rauw Alejandro lands his first No. 1 single from Cosa Nuestra, his fifth studio album, on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, as “Khe?,” with Romeo Santos, rises from No. 3 for its first week at the summit (ranking dated March 29). The song is the fourth from the set to rank on the overall tally, two of which previously reached the top 10.
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“Khe?” is the most heard song among Latin-formatted radio stations thanks to a 5% bump in audience impressions, equating to 7.9 million earned in the U.S. during the March 14-20 tracking week, according to Luminate.
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The song reigns over previous No. 1 “El Amor de Mi Vida” by Carín León, which drops to No. 8 with a 22% dip in impressions.
“Khe?” is Rauw Alejandro and Romeo Santos’ first collab, and, coincidentally, their first No. 1 on Latin Airplay since 2023. While Rauw Alejandro last led through “Party,” with Bad Bunny, the Santos’ previous coronation arrived via another team-up, “El Pañuelo,” with Rosalía. The two leaders were only two weeks away from each other.
For Santos, while “Khe?” puts him in a tie with Wisin (22) for the ninth-most champs overall since Latin Airplay began in 1994, the new coronation expands his already-established No. 1 record among tropical acts –way ahead of his next competitor, Prince Royce, who has achieved 17 No. 1s to date.
Before “Khe?” topped the Latin Airplay chart, Rauw’s No. 1 album Cosa Nuestra delivered the No. 23-peaking “Touching The Sky” (Aug. 2024), while “Tú Con Él” landed at No. 7 and “Qué Pasaría,” with Bad Bunny, reached No. 3 high on the Feb. 15- and the March 8-dated charts, respectively.
All charts (dated March 29, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, March 25. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco — her fiancé who happens to be one of the top pop producers of today — are making the rounds with their joint album I Said I Love You First.
Best representing the creative collaboration between two halves of a shared heart, the set is home to 15 tracks, including “Call Me When You Break Up,” featuring Gracie Abrams, and “I Can’t Get Enough,” the pair’s 2019 team-up with J Balvin and Tainy.
“It just felt like it was a little taste of what we are and how we made this together, and how much we loved it and how much we love each other,” Gomez recently said about working with her romantic partner in an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “And it just felt like it was meant to be.”
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One of the set’s standout track is “Ojos Tristes,” a bilingual glam-pop track that features vocals from the Marías leader María Zardoya, who is also credited as a songwriter and producer. The song — whose lyric video has nearly 2 million views and is in the top 10 on YouTube’s Trending chart for music at the time of publishing — samples Jeanette’s 1981 classic “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes.”
Below, Billboard compares the 2025 version with the original by the English-born Spanish singer.
Title: “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes”
Artist: Jeanette
Year: 1981
Song: A song about a young man with sad eyes became one of the most emblematic songs of Jeanette’s career. Lyrically, she sings about coming across a lonely man who has sad eyes and needs love, and her desire to see him again and make him feel better. Musically, it’s a soft, glam-pop ballad that transmits melancholy backed by Jeanette’s dreamy and dulcet vocals. “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes” was written and produced by Manuel Alejandro and marked the third single from Jeanette’s Corazón de Poeta album released in 1981.
Video: A video published on Jeanette’s official YouTube channel shows the then-30-year-old singer performing the song in a live television setting. Completely alone onstage, the artist interprets the song’s lyrics with grace, passion and her own sad, brown eyes glistening. She’s wearing a sequined purple dress with cowboy boots as she sways side to side.
Title: “Ojos Tristes”
Artist: Selena Gomez & Benny Blanco
Year: 2025
Song: While the ’80s song is about the desire of knowing more about that mysterious man with the sad eyes, Gomez’s “Ojos Tristes” is about an unwanted breakup. “It’s not your fault I have to leave/ Please don’t you look that way, baby […] Those sad eyes, sad eyes/ You know I don’t wanna say goodbye,” she sings at the beginning of the track. Produced by Blanco, Josh Conway and Maria Zardoya of The Marías, the song conserves its hazy-disco aura, but with more percussion and instrumentation. The Marías also sings Jeanette’s timeless chorus in Spanish and adds another verse about never forgetting her ex despite the years.
Video: An official music video has yet to be released, but a lyric video featuring Gomez hugging Blanco in bed on a loop captures the nostalgic sentiment of the song.
