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Mexico‘s President Claudia Sheinbaum addressed questions from Billboard Español this Wednesday (April 16) regarding the controversy surrounding the idea of the federal government potentially banning or regulating the public dissemination of music that glorifies criminal activities, specifically so-called narcocorridos. This is a measure that some state and municipal governments have already begun implementing.
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Joining the list of regions that have turned down the volume on corridos tumbados and narcocorridos — a genre popularized by artists like Natanael Cano, Peso Pluma, and Junior H — are Mexico City and Michoacán, which recently announced measures to regulate such expressions. Last Friday (April 11), chaos broke out during a concert by singer Luis R. Conriquez at the Feria del Caballo in the State of Mexico when the artist refused to perform corridos glorifying drug trafficking, citing compliance with the entity’s new rules. This decision angered some in the audience.
The debate in Mexico over tightening regulations on songs that glorify drug trafficking has intensified in several parts of the country. But it’s also making waves across the border in the United States, where Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed on April 1, via a post on X, that he revoked the work and tourist visas of the members of the group Los Alegres del Barranco. The decision came after the band projected images of a criminal leader during their March 29 concert at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara in Jalisco. “I’m a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn’t mean that expression should be free of consequences,” Landau wrote in his post.
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Here are President Claudia Sheinbaum’s responses to Billboard Español during her morning press conference on Wednesday (April 16) in Mexico City.
Narcocorridos have become a polarizing topic in Mexico and across the border. On Monday, you mentioned that your government does not ban any music genre. Do you think regulating, rather than banning, this type of expression is a viable option?
I’m not really a fan of banning things in this case. There are other things I believe are more important, like the issue of sweets in schools, which are no longer allowed because it’s a public health matter. In this case, of course, the way these lyrics are crafted within certain types of music and genres is a phenomenon that happens. I think that if it’s banned — even though what they’re banning is its promotion in public spaces, not that people can’t listen to it at home — that’s a decision some municipalities have chosen to make.
From my point of view, education and awareness are better approaches, allowing society itself to gradually move away from these kinds of musical content, rather than outright bans. Of course, there are extremes that cross into criminal territory, right? Like what happened at an event where a video of a drug trafficker was shown as if it were something positive. Everything has its pros and cons.
We’ve asked some musicians for their thoughts on the binational contest México Canta, including Natalia Lafourcade just yesterday — an artist who has elevated Mexico’s name to great heights without relying on trends or narratives that glorify anything controversial…
Yes, there are Mexican women — singer-songwriters, true artists in every sense of the word — with incredible talent and creativity. Natalia Lafourcade is one of them. Julieta Venegas, Ximena Sariñana — these are young women with immense creativity. And of course, Lila Downs as well. It’s truly a generation of men and women, but especially women, with remarkable creativity who elevate Mexico’s name without resorting to glorifying violence. On the contrary, they create highly creative musical content, along with their own unique music.
So, this contest (México Canta) has that goal: to inspire young people to participate with different kinds of content, and for the music that emerges throughout the contest to start resonating within society. Some say the main issue is ending violence and reducing organized crime in Mexico, and that’s true — we’re working on that as well. But I think building a culture of peace is also a task for the government, using creative methods like this that involve young people, and I believe it will be very positive.
And what’s really great about this contest, México Canta, is that many producers got involved and joined in. It wasn’t something they organized, but rather an initiative that emerged, and they decided to participate—music producers who will be part of this process. I think it’s a great initiative, and we’ll be sharing some of the pieces that come out of this process on Fridays.
Just like former President López Obrador had his playlist without “corridos tumbados,” is there a chance you’ll have your own playlist?
Yes, of course. We’ll share it soon.
Reggaetón royalty Ivy Queen is hitting the road for her highly anticipated Killa Queen World Tour, a globe-spanning journey that begins May 17 in Quito, Ecuador. “Music has given me a voice, strength and purpose. This tour is a celebration of everything I am and all the women who have stood by me since the […]
Selena Gomez will receive the 2025 Woman of the Year award at the annual Billboard Latin Women in Music event, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Wednesday (April 16). The two-hour special, set to be held Miami, will air April 24 exclusively on Telemundo.
The Woman of the Year award is presented to a female artist who has demonstrated exceptional success, leadership and cultural influence in the music industry and beyond. Previous Women of the Year honorees at Latin Women in Music include Shakira and Karol G.
A global powerhouse, Gomez has had a fruitful career as a recording artist. On the Billboard charts, the 32-year-old star has had presence across genres, including a total of 42 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, including her first No. 1 hit, “Lose You to Love Me” (2019). On the Hot Latin Songs chart, her featured role on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki,” alongside Ozuna and Cardi B, debuted at No. 1 on the tally in October 2018, where it ruled for 13 weeks. Since, she’s achieved three additional top 10 hits on the multimetric ranking, including “Baila Conmigo,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, which soared to a No. 4 peak in 2021 and topped the Latin Airplay chart for a week.
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The Texas-born artist of Mexican descent further expanded her reach in Latin music with her first-ever Spanish-language project, Revelación. The EP, released four years ago, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Latin Albums chart, making history as the first album by a female artist to achieve the feat since Shakira’s El Dorado. It also scored her a Grammy nomination for best Latin pop album. Most recently, Gomez entered the top five on Hot Latin Songs thanks to “Ojos Tristes” with Benny Blanco and The Marías. The song, a reimagination of the ’80s classic “El Muchacho de los Ojos Tristes,” is part of Gomez and Blanco’s collaborative album, I Said I Love You First.
Beyond her career in music, Gomez — also an award-winning actress, producer and business mogul — has become a leading voice for mental health and social justice issues that impact underrepresented communities. She was Woman of the Year at the 2017 Billboard Women in Music.
Gomez joins this year’s previously announced honorees, including Anitta (Vanguard Award), Belinda (Evolution Award), Celia Cruz (Legend Award), Chiquis (Impact Award), Ha*Ash (Unbreakable Award), Natti Natasha Unstoppable Artist), and Olga Tañón (Lifetime Achievement Award).
Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 Executive List here.
The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live April 24 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. Central exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean onTelemundo Internacional.
Natti Natasha earns her first No. 1 as a soloist, unaccompanied by another artist, on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart with “Desde Hoy” which jumps 2-1 for its first week atop the April 19-dated ranking. It’s her first return to the summit in over five years.
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“Desde Hoy” takes the lead on Tropical Airplay, with the week’s Greatest Gainer honors, after a 9% gain in audience impressions, up 6.6 million, earned in the U.S. during the April 4-10 tracking week, according to Luminate. The song is the opening track off Natti’s fourth studio album, Natti Natasha En Amargue, her maiden entrance and first top 10 on the Tropical Albums chart (No. 6 debut and peak, Feb. 22 dated list).
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“Desde Hoy” marks Natti Natasha’s first No. 1 on Tropical Airplay in over five years. Her previous chart-topping hit, “La Mejor Versión de Mí,” her first collaboration with Romeo Santos as a co-billed artist, ruled the chart for 15 weeks between 2019-2020. Rewind to 2019, and her featured role on Don Omar’s “Dutty Love” reigned for one week then.
Notably, with “Desde Hoy” reaching No. 1, Natti joins an elite group of female artists who have topped the Tropical Airplay chart as soloists, unaided by any other act, during the 2020s decade. Before Natti, Rosalía’s “Despechá” reigned for four weeks in 2022, while Karol G most recently made history with “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” The latter broke the longest-leading record by surpassing Prince Royce’s 29-week reign with “Carita de Inocente” (chart dated Feb. 8). Ultimately, “Si Antes” dominated Tropical Airplay for 31 weeks between 2024-25.
With the new No. 1 by a woman, let’s review all the female artists who have led Tropical Airplay this decade, either as solo acts or through collaborations;
Title, Artist, Peak Date“La Mejor Versión de Mí,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, Oct. 26, 2019“Víctimas Las Dos,” Víctor Manuelle & La India, May 29, 2021“La Fama,” Rosalía Featuring The Weeknd, May 14, 2022“Te Espero,” Prince Royce & Maria Becerra, May 28, 2022“Despechá,” Rosalía, Oct. 1, 2022“Monotonía,” Shakira + Ozuna, Dec. 3, 2022“El Pañuelo,” Romeo Santos & Rosalía, Feb. 4, 2023“Así Es La Vida,” Enrique Iglesias & Maria Becerra, Dec. 9, 2023“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, July 20, 2024“Desde Hoy,” Natti Natasha, April 19, 2025
“Desde Hoy” also makes progress son the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it climbs 9-5
April 12 will remain etched in the memory of El Malilla, the reggaetón mexa star who brought the Sonora stage at Coachella to a thrilling close on Saturday night.
Representing urban music, Fernando Hernández Flores (real name) — currently one of Mexico’s most influential artists in the genre with 8.7 million monthly Spotify listeners — turned the stage into a vibrant party with dancers, choreography and infectious energy.
“It’s very exciting, it’s crazy, I can’t believe it,” he tells Billboard Español from his backstage dressing room at the festival after a successful night performing hits like “Beiby,” “Mami Tú,” and “Vaquero,” which the crowd sang along to from start to finish. “Where I grew up, my neighbors were mechanics and construction workers, anything but artists. It’s a point of pride for me to come from there and have made it.
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“For this first performance, I wanted to showcase my music and what I know how to do. It was a night for my fans, but also for people to discover what I’m all about. For next Saturday, April 19, I’ll have two surprise guests,” adds the 25-year-old star, who will also perform two days prior at the legendary Roxy Theater in West Hollywood.
Born in Valle de Chalco, a neighborhood notorious for its high crime rates in the metropolitan area of Mexico City, El Malilla always dreamed of being a singer. But not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine making it to Coachella, let alone closing out a stage like Sonora.
His career began 10 years ago when, inspired by Puerto Rican urbano stars Arcángel and Farruko, he decided to write his own songs. By 2023, having earned a reputation in the underground scene, he started being invited to major festivals in Mexico City, such as La Santa Fiesta at Foro Sol, Axe Ceremonia and Flow Fest, as part of the mexa movement (Mexican reggaetón). Since then, he’s collaborated with stars like Yeri Mua, Dani Flow, El Bogueto, Uzielito Mix, Bellakath, and Blessd, as well as J Balvin, who, drawn to the booming urban scene in Mexico, worked with all of them on “Glow Kitty Remix” in 2024.
Also knows as El Chamako de Valle (The Kid from Valley), El Malilla is preparing for a new phase in his career. “I, Fernando, am a big fan of romantic salsa from legends like Willie Colón and Maelo Ruiz, so I’m already working on creating beautiful reggaetón, more commercial stuff, and later on, I’d love to make cumbias,” he explains. “The genre doesn’t matter as long as the music comes from the heart.”
Just a few days ago, the Mexican singer who now basks in his success at Coachella experienced a disappointing moment at Lollapalooza Chile, where his performance saw very low attendance.
“I take it as a learning experience… Rome wasn’t built in a day,” he says. “Just like I started in Mexico singing for ten people, then came a hundred, then thousands, I want the same to happen in Chile in two or three years. That’s how the best stories are told.”
Celia Cruz will be honored with a tribute performance at the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music awards, Billboard and Telemundo announced on Tuesday (April 15). In honor of her centennial this year, the memorable Queen of Salsa — who was born in 1925 and died in 2003 due to a brain tumor — will […]
Yeisy Rojas’ “Inmigrante y Qué?” has topped Billboard’s latest Latin music poll published on Friday, April 11. In support of the weekly New Music Latin roundup and playlist, curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors, readers voted for the emerging artist’s new track as their favorite music release of that week. The Cuban singer’s poignant single — a fusion of rumba […]
Ozuna and Kapo‘s debut collaboration is making waves, as “Más Que Tú” claims the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart (dated April 19). Colombian artist Kapo achieves a career milestone as he celebrates his first-ever chart-topping hit on the overall Latin radio ranking. Meanwhile, Ozuna continues as one of the chart’s top performers, adding a 35th No. 1 to his ledger.
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“Más Que Tú,” released Feb. 12 on Nibiru/Sony Music Latin, jumps 3-1 after earning 8.3 million audience impressions in the U.S. in the tracking week ending April 10, according to Luminate. That is a 14% gain in impressions from the week prior. The song ejects another Puerto Rican-Colombian pair-up from the lead: Yandel and Feid’s “Habláme Claro,” falls 1-13 with a 43% decline in audience (to 5.2 million), after one week in charge.
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Thanks to “Más Que Tú,” Ozuna reaches a new milestone, securing his 35th chart-topping hit on Latin Airplay since the chart’s inception in 1994. He ranks just behind J Balvin, who holds the record with 37 No. 1 hits. The latest chart-topping track comes a year after Ozuna last claimed the peak with “Baccarat,” which spent one week at No. 1 in March 2024.
Kapo, meanwhile, scores his first No. 1 on his sixth chart visit. The Colombian has earned four top 10s, including two No. 2-peaking songs, “Ohnana” last November and “Imagínate,” with Danny Ocean, on the April 5-dated list. The song drops 4-7 on the current ranking.
Notably, in 2025 so far, 11 songs have reached the top on the Latin Airplay chart. While Shakira (“Soltera”) and Karol G “(Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”) mark the only female presence among those winners, five of those emerge from collaborations between male soloists; all one-week rulers. Here’s the recap of the male collabs:
Title, Artist, Peak Position“Doblexxo,” J Balvin & Feid, March 15“Khe?,” Rauw Alejandro & Romeo Santos, March 29“Háblame Claro,” Yandel & Feid, April 12“Más Que Tú,” Ozuna & Kapo, April 19
Elsewhere, “Más Que Tú” also improves on the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, where it jumps 2-1 for its first week atop.
All charts (dated April 19, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 15. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
This is partner content. Latin super-star, Greeicy, shares her cleaning beats. From Salsa to Afrobeats, listening to different genres for each room of the house makes cleaning up more fun and less tedious. Greeicy: Look, I love cleaning the house, but sometimes it gets just a little bit tedious. That’s why having a good playlist […]
The late Dominican Rubby Pérez singer-songwriter returns to the Billboard charts as his 2021 album, Rubby Pérez ¡Grandes Éxitos! debuts at No. 7 on the Tropical Albums chart (dated April 19). The 30-song set launches with 2,000 units equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the April 4-10 tracking week, according to Luminate. Pérez died on April 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, after the roof of the Jet Set nightclub collapsed during one of his performances. He was 69.
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It’s the merengue artist’s first appearance on any Billboard albums chart in over three decades. He was last on an albums chart when his self-titled set peaked at No. 15 on the Top Tropical Albums chart in 1987.
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“It’s been 25 years, a lifetime together, filled with beautiful memories,” Enrique Paulino, Pérez’s international manager tells Billboard. “The most important thing for me was his humility and his outpouring of affection for his audiences.”
Out of Rubby Pérez ¡Grandes Éxitos! album’s unit sum earned in the week ending April 10,1,000 units were attributed to streaming activity. That translates to 1.6 million official on-demand streams for the set’s songs; a resurgence that comes two days after Pérez’s passing. The remaining negligible amount come from traditional album sales and track-equivalent units.
“Rubby quietly did thousands of deeds, such as buying medicine for people with cancer and various other illnesses,” Paulino adds. “He bought pets and schoolbooks for children. He was greatly loved in his country, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. I want you to always remember him with his beautiful smile and his love for everyone.”
Pérez also achieved success on the Tropical Airplay chart, landing four entries over the years. Among them, “Tu Vas a Volar” reached a career-high at No. 9 in 2001. Most recently, Pérez collaborated with Romeo Santos, Toño Rosario and Fernandito Villalona on “15,500 Noches,” featuring Ramón Orlando, which peaked at No. 15 in 2022.
All charts (dated April 19, 2025) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 15. For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.