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Billboard celebrated Spain’s music industry leaders at a private event March 18 in Madrid attended by over 100 top executives, artists and creators. Held at the rooftop of Gynko at Hotel VP Plaza España Design, the event celebrated the publication of Billboard’s Spotlight on Spain included in the March 8 issue of Billboard magazine, but […]
The Heat Latin Music Awards, commonly known as Premios Heat, will have a new venue this year in Medellin, Colombia. “IT’S OFFICIAL! Medellín, the city where everything blooms, becomes the home of the HEAT Latin Music Awards 2025. See you in this magical city where music lives and inspires us,” the organization announced early Thursday […]
In the ‘90s, Selena Quintanilla singlehandedly revolutionized the Tejano genre, fusing her authentic Mexican roots with bold new sounds such as R&B, pop, dance and rock.
With her bubbly charm, dazzling aura and a universal appeal, which powered hits like “Como La Flor,” “Dreaming of You,” “Amor Prohibido” and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” the artist, known as the Queen of Tejano, shattered ceilings in a genre that was predominantly dominated by men, earning a zealous fanbase both in the U.S. and in Mexico.
Well on her way to a major mainstream crossover, the Mexican-American powerhouse was tragically shot dead on March 31, 1995 at the age of 23. However, her music and legacy has stood the test of time and, along the way, she’s influenced a new generation of hitmakers, making her a bona fide Latin icon in pop culture 30 years later.
On the Billboard charts, Selena earned 24 entries on Top Latin Albums, 16 of which hit top 10 and seven No. 1’s—among them Amor Prohibido, spending 20 weeks at the top in 1994 and Dreaming of You, released posthumously, which spent 40 weeks at the top in 1995. On the Regional Mexican Albums and Latin Pop Albums charts, the late artist placed seven and six No. 1 titles, respectively. Amor Prohibido topped the former chart for nearly 100 weeks.
As a testament to her enduring legacy, the Quintanilla family released Moonchild Mixes in 2022 — an album with 10 previously unreleased songs that the superstar recorded between the ages of 13 and 16. The set peaked at No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart that same year.
“We as a family had discussed this amongst ourselves that in the future, after Selena’s passing, we were going to maintain her presence through her music and we’ve done that,” A.B. Quintanilla, Selena’s dad, previously told Billboard. “I’m more than sure that the fans are going to love it because if you listen to it, it’ll move you emotionally and take you back to as if Selena was recording it this morning.”
Here, Billboard ranks the albums that make up Selena’s incomparable recorded legacy. There are also a handful of compilation and live albums released throughout her career and after her passing — including Live!, which won the Grammy award for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994 — but while some have entered the Billboard charts, we are ranking only the studio albums released since her EMI Latin label debut in 1989. See our list below.
Selena (1989)
Image Credit: Courtesy Photo
For the first time ever, Mexico has entered the top 10 global music markets, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has confirmed to Billboard Español. The milestone was driven by a 15.6% increase in recorded music revenue, as revealed in the IFPI’s 2025 Global Music Report published Wednesday (March 19). Mexico’s climb to No. […]
Regional Mexican superstar Gerardo Ortiz testified against Ángel del Villar, the CEO of his former label Del Records, on Wednesday (March 19) in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom. The West Coast-based executive’s criminal trial began on Tuesday where he is accused of doing business with a concert promoter linked to Mexican drug cartels.
The trial follows a 2022 criminal complaint that charged Del Villar, among other defendants, with conspiring to violate the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The complaint also alleged that on April 19, 2018, FBI agents approached Ortiz in Phoenix to inform him about Jesus “Chucho” Pérez Alvear’s designation under the Kingpin Act. Mexican concert promoter Pérez Alvear — who was killed in 2024 — ran a company called Gallistica Diamente (Ticket Premier) and until March 2019, promoted concerts in Mexico for DEL Entertainment.
The designation prohibited Ortiz from conducting business with Pérez and performing concerts that Pérez promoted. Prosecutors claim that the música mexicna hitmaker went on to perform concerts organized by Pérez after Del Villar “convinced” Ortiz to “ignore the FBI warning.”
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Ortiz — who pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge in the case and is cooperating with the FBI — took the stand and told the jury he saw Pérez Alvear with Del Villar at the Del Records office in Los Angeles two or three times, according to Univision Noticias. He added that Pérez Alvear was at the office to hire bands and artists to perform at his shows in Mexico. He went on to confess that he had performed at Feria de San Marcos in Aguascalientes, Mexico in April 2018, promoted by Pérez Alvear, even after he had already been designated under the Kingpin Act and FBI agents had alerted him that if he performed at the Feria, he could face up to 10 years in prison and pay a fine of $1 million — which is why he was charged initially.
The “Dámaso” singer — who signed to Del Records in 2009 and parted ways with the company in 2019 amid a contract dispute — testified a day after the trial began where Del Villar’s lawyers argued in the opening statements that the Latin music executive was allegedly “manipulated” by former Del Records employee Brian Gutiérrez who “convinced” Del Villar that “everything” the company was doing was “legally acceptable,” according to reports by Rolling Stone.
“There is something deeply wrong and manipulative about how this case was created and investigated,” Del Villar’s defense lawyer Marissa Goldberg said on Tuesday. “The ones who actually created this crime, who manufactured it, are not sitting as defendants, which is even more deeply wrong.”
Founded by Del Villar in 2008, Del Records is considered a powerhouse in regional Mexican music. The label has been música mexicana giants including Ortiz, Ariel Camacho and Eslabon Armado, whose global hit, “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma, became one of the biggest songs of 2023.
Passed in 1999, the Kingpin Act allows the U.S. to impose targeted sanctions on foreign individuals involved in the illegal drug trade and ban U.S. residents from doing business with them. If convicted of violating the law, Del Villar would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
Shakira paid an emotional tribute to Mexico with mariachi rhythms and regional Mexican music on Wednesday night (March 19) with first-time performances of “Ciega Sordomuda” and “El Jefe.” The songs were inspired by the country where the Colombian superstar launched her musical career 30 years ago.
With the surprising inclusion of a Mexican section in her repertoire, the artist kicked-off the first of seven scheduled concerts at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City in front of 65,000 people as part of her current Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, according to figures from promoter Ocesa.
Written more than 20 years ago, “Ciega Sordomuda” was one of Shakira’s first international hits, and it sparked euphoria among attendees. Accompanied by the mariachi group Gama 100, the singer delighted her audience with her famous MTV Unplugged (2000) version of the song, featuring Mexican trumpets and brass arrangements. Meanwhile, with “El Jefe” — a collab with Mexican-American band Fuerza Regida included in the 2024 album that gives its name to the tour, — she completed the Mexican segment of the show during her return to the Latin American country after a seven-year absence.
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“This is the first of seven nights in this city that has given me so much joy. Together, we are breaking a historic record, and that’s thanks to all the love you give me,” Shakira expressed with excitement.
Her run of gigs at GNP Seguros Stadium (March 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 30) make the Colombian star the first artist to sell out this iconic venue in Mexico City (formerly known as Foro Sol) seven times, collectively bringing together almost half a million attendees, according to Ocesa.
The 48-year-old artist opened her dazzling show with “La Fuerte,” produced by Argentine DJ Bizarrap, followed by hits such as “Girl Like Me,” “Las de la Intuición,” “Estoy Aquí,” “Inevitable,” “Te Felicito,” “TQG,” “Monotonía,” “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” and “Don’t Bother,” showcasing a much more rock-oriented side of her artistry. The rest of the setlist was almost identical to what the Barranquilla native has presented throughout the Latin American leg of the tour tour, which began in Rio de Janeiro on February 11.
Before her unprecedented residency in Mexico City, Shakira achieved other milestones in the country, such as two sold-out shows at the BBVA Stadium in the border city of Monterrey, where she gathered 100,000 people on March 12 and 13. Additionally, she performed two concerts on Sunday (March 16) and Monday (March 17) at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, bringing together 90,000 people, according to the promoter.
Mexico City will also host the pop-up event “Shakira Estoy Aquí Experience Ciudad de México,” a free exhibition opening Friday (March 21) and running through March 30. The immersive experience will allow fans to dive into the universe of the Colombian artist through thematic spaces showcasing her evolution, creative process, and pivotal moments in her career.
Mexico also marks her second-to-last stop in the region before Shakira starts the U.S. leg of the tour on May 13 in Charlotte, N.C.
Eslabon Armado‘s frontman and songwriter Pedro Tovar has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt, the company tells Billboard. The agreement was done via Tovar’s Armado Publishing; Kobalt will administer the Mexican-American artist’s entire catalog and future songs globally.
“I’m excited to join the Kobalt Music family in this new career stage,” Tovar said in a statement. “As a songwriter, I have always sought a company that values creativity and provides the necessary support to elevate my music to a global audience. I know that with Kobalt, I’ll continue growing and sharing my stories through my songs.”
Since having a major breakthrough in 2020, the sierreño act has been on a winning streak and fueling the música mexicana movement along the way.
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Over the course of four years, Eslabon released six consecutive chart-topping albums — all of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. In 2022, the group made history, with Nostalgia becoming the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200. A year later, Eslabon released its blockbuster hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma. The song was a runaway success and made history when it entered the Billboard Hot 100‘s top five. Last week, Eslabon released its eight studio album, Vibras de Noche II, a follow-up to the band’s 2020 set Vibras de Noche.
“Pedro Tovar is one of the most exciting artists and songwriters making music today,” added Nestor Casonu, president of Kobalt Music Latin America. “Through this partnership, we’ve had the privilege of understanding the values of an extraordinary family, led by Doña Nelly, with whom we’ve built both a professional and personal bond. I’m excited about the great things we’ll achieve together in the future.”
“At Kobalt, we want to sign songwriters who have singular voices that resonate with a wide audience,” said Teresa Romo, Kobalt’s senior creative director for Latin America. “Our partnership with Pedro Tovar represents an exciting new phase in his songwriting career, and we’re honored to support his creative independence and nurture new opportunities.”
Armado Publishing was represented in the deal by Christopher Navarro, partner at Singh, Singh & Trauben LLP.
Gloria Estefan is ready to return to her roots with her first Spanish-language album in 18 years. First thing Thursday (March 20) — the start of the spring equinox — the Cuban-American superstar released the first single from the set, written by her producer-husband Emilio Estefan and aptly titled “Raíces” (Roots).
“Always enjoy the moments because you never know what surprises life will bring,” Estefan sings, expressing how love and life are very much like planting seeds. “If you want a good harvest, you need to know how to sow/ With faith and dedication, that tree will grow roots.”
“The song ‘Raíces’ touched my soul the first moment I heard it,” Gloria Estefan tells Billboard Español. “Being a Virgo, my connection with nature is strong, and I see life as a garden, with love as the seed. I believe that what you cultivate with kindness, patience, and faith will one day bloom into joy.”
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She adds: “It is important not to miss the opportunity to express love because every sincere word and gesture plants the roots of a beautiful tomorrow — and that is what this song is all about.”
Recorded at their Crescent Moon Studios in Miami, “Raíces” is a tribute to the rhythms that have defined Estefan’s sound: salsa, tropical beats, classic Latin music. The song will also give its title to her new album — the 30th in a 50-year career — which will be released at the end of May under Sony Music. It will be her first fully Spanish-language album in 18 years, since 90 Millas, which debuted and spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart in October 2007.
“For me, recording in Spanish again was a contribution to our music,” Emilio Estefan tells Billboard Español, noting that they worked with “great musicians, engineers, and industry professionals” and that he personally wrote almost the entire album because “I wanted it to reflect our essence: Gloria’s sound and mine.”
“[When we started], I remember people telling us that our sound would never work and that we should change our last name. But we understood the value of our culture and our roots,” he explains, referring to their beginnings in the mid-1970s with the Miami Sound Machine. “When Gloria reached the top of the charts worldwide [singing in English], we took a big risk and decided to record Mi Tierra, an album that represented one of our greatest victories.”
The iconic first LP by Gloria Estefan in Spanish from 1993, which included hits like “Mi Tierra” and “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan,” spent a whooping 58 weeks at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums. More than three decades later, the renowned Cuban producer and musician along with the singer-songwriter present “a letter of gratitude to the fans, to the press, to those who believed in us, and to the city of Miami, which watched us grow and then allowed us to bring our music to the whole world.”
“It is a moment full of emotions for Gloria and me, a celebration of our culture and our audience,” Emilio Estefan says. “The most beautiful thing about a career is being able to leave a legacy of gratitude.”
Check out the music video for “Raíces” below.
Garbage, the iconic American alternative rockers who rose to fame in the ’90s, are in the midst of their first Latin American tour in a decade. The trek kicked off March 12 in Colombia, followed by stops in Chile and Argentina, before arriving in Brazil this Friday (March 21).
On April 6, after an 11-year absence from the country, Garbage will perform in Monterrey, Mexico, at the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival.
“It’s great to go back to Mexico, you know. And going to Pa’l Norte again is even better,” lead singer Shirley Manson tells Billboard Español about their participation on the festival’s second day, which will also feature stars like Olivia Rodrigo and Kings of Leon. “Each represents different generations, and their own music. We’re not the same side of the coin. Having many options at the same place is fantastic.”
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Since the band’s inception in the early ’90s, Garbage has been beloved among Latin American audiences. Tracks like “Stupid Girl,” “Only Happy When it Rains” and “I Think I’m Paranoid” have transcended the years, creating a strong bond with fans in the region.
When asked about the growing globalization of Latin music, Manson shares: “Latin music is developing and expanding so quickly. Now, listening to music in Spanish is something we are used to. That’s so great, it’s wonderful.”
The reunion with their fans has been overwhelmingly positive. At the Festival Rec, recently held in Concepción, southern Chile, the band shared the stage with acts like Los Tres, Suede and Julieta Venegas, along with 40 other talents that brought together an estimated 360,000 attendees, according to Chile’s Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage.
In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Obras Stadium was packed with fans who had been waiting for the band since their last performance at the legendary Luna Park in 2014. Shirley Manson has a special connection with Argentina, particularly with its feminist movements; the singer even participated in a colloquium there in 2019.
For their performance at Parque Fundidora in Monterrey, where Tecate Pa’l Norte will take place from April 4–6, daily attendance is expected to reach at least 100,000 people. The eclectic lineup includes Green Day, Massive Attack, Justin Timberlake, Caifanes, Foster the People, Benson Boone, El Tri and Eden Muñoz, among others.
Garbage, comprised of Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker, has released several covers over the past two years, including David Bowie’s “Starman,” U2’s “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses,” Siouxsie and the Banshees’ “Cities in Dust” and Patti Smith’s “Because the Night.” Fans are eagerly awaiting new music from the band, as their eighth studio album, Let All That We Imagine Be the Light, is set to drop on May 30.
MADRID — After a successful First Spanish Music Encounter at the WiZink Center in 2024, Billboard returned to Madrid on Tuesday (March 18) with “Leaders of Music in Spain,” an event that reaffirms its commitment to the country’s music scene. The cocktail event, held at the Hotel VP Plaza España Design, gathered more than a hundred executives, artists, and key industry figures to strengthen ties and boost the global projection of Spaniard music.
Among the attendees were Pino Sagliocco, president of Live Nation Spain; José Luis Sevillano, CEO of AIE; Sandra García-Sanjuán, executive president of Grupo Starlite; Claire Immoucha, head of Amazon Music Spain; Mar García, marketing director of Warner Music Spain; Narcis Rebollo, president/CEO of global talent services at Universal; and José María Barbat, president of Sony Music Iberia. Artists like Rosana, Lela Soto, Natalia Lacunza and Álvaro de Luna also joined the event, sharing their thoughts on the present and future of music in Spain.
On Billboard‘s behalf were Leila Cobo, chief content officer for Latin/Español; Pamela Bustios, senior chart and data analyst for Latin/Español; and Marcia Olival, sales director for US Hispanic, LATAM, and Iberia.
“I’ve always said that Billboard is a bridge between Spanish-language music and the Anglo market. We tell these stories to an audience that doesn’t speak Spanish, but also in Spanish, and with Spain, this idea of a bridge is literal,” Cobo emphasized during the event. “Spain has more streams than ever, ticket sales are extraordinary, and it’s the world’s top music tourism destination. We want to amplify what you do, celebrate you, and be part of your story.”
This expansion of Spaniard music beyond its borders is a reality that resonates within the industry. Alicia Arauzo, general manager of Universal Music, highlighted the importance of these networking spaces to continue building international connections. “Without a doubt, these are great initiatives because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about: Spanish artists are going further and further. It’s something that didn’t happen years ago, and it’s fantastic to be able to cross bridges and have our music reach other territories,” she said.
José María Barbat, president of Sony Music Iberia (left) and Bernardo Miranda, vp A&R at Sony Music Iberia during Billboard’s “Líderes de la Música en España” event on March 18, 2025 in Madrid.
Aldara Zarraoa
Held at the Ginkgo Sky Bar — with panoramic views of the Royal Palace, the Almudena, and Plaza de España — the gathering served as a space for networking and dialogue about the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
In conversation with Billboard, Melanie Parejo, head of music for Spotify in Southern and Eastern Europe, emphasized Spain’s importance as a key point within the global ecosystem. “Billboard anchors here, in a country that is the gateway to Europe,” she noted. “Spanish-language music is more interconnected than ever. Gen Z doesn’t care if an artist is from Tenerife or Venezuela, and that’s incredibly powerful.”
For attendees, Billboard‘s presence in Spain represents a validation of the market’s growth and international projection. Rosana, one of the invited artists, expressed her gratitude. “Billboard opened its doors to me 15 days after releasing my first album in the U.S. and Latin America. Now that it has decided to come here, all they makes me want to do is make them feel at home,” she said.
From the business side, Blanca Salcedo, general manager of Sony Music Spain, highlighted the importance of the visibility provided by the platform. “I’d love for this to happen more in Spain,” she said. “The digital world has achieved unity and eliminated barriers.”
Attendees listen to Leila Cobo during Billboard’s “Líderes de la Música en España” event on March 18, 2025 in Madrid.
Aldara Zarraoa
For Álvaro de Luna, being part of this celebration was a personal milestone: “Seven years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined being mentioned in anything related to Billboard. It’s a dream.”
The event was made possible thanks to the support of Hotel VP Plaza España Design, Mahou, AIE, Santander SMusic, and Tequila Patrón, which prepared the evening’s special cocktail, the Paloma Patrón.
With “Leaders of Music in Spain,” Billboard continues to bet on strengthening its presence in the country and amplifying the impact of Spanish music globally. “We have total commitment to Spanish-language music, to Spain, and to its industry,” concluded Cobo.
