Latin Women In Music

Selena Gomez sings and dances to the beat of her own drum in the award-winning musical thriller Emilia Pérez, starring as Jessi Del Monte, a rebellious woman on a journey of radical transformation. Her compelling performance, both raw and refreshing, unlocked a new side of the 32-year-old star on the big screen. And that’s just one of her latest career milestones. In an industry that often aims to box you into categories, Gomez is a shapeshifter, constantly redefining what it means to be a global powerhouse today. In the last 12 months, Gomez, who has meticulously crafted a blueprint for her multi-hyphenate standing, garnered a Golden Globe best supporting actress nomination for Emilia Pérez; won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role in Only Murders in the Building; the LP I Said I Love You First, which she released in March with fiancé Benny Blanco, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, becoming Gomez’s fourth leader on the chart; and through her Rare Impact Fund, Gomez continues to work to increase access to mental health for young people.  

Now, on April 24, she will be honored at Billboard and Telemundo’s annual Latin Women in Music gala with the Woman of the Year award. 

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“I think anytime as women we show up and support each other, it truly is so beautiful and important,” Gomez tells Billboard. “I will say being honored at Latin Women in Music is incredibly special to me though. My Mexican heritage is something that has influenced me my entire life and it’s not lost on me how representation matters. Throughout the years I’ve been doing this, some of the most supportive women in the entertainment business I have met have been other Latin women. I love the bond we all have.”  

Named after fellow Texan, the legendary Selena Quintanilla, Gomez — whose paternal grandparents are Mexican — catapulted to fame as a child actor in Barney & Friends at 10 years old and subsequently starred on the Disney Channel show Wizards of Waverly Place as the ultra-cool and spunky teenage wizard Alex Russo. But it’s perhaps her career as a recording artist that solidified her pop icon status boasting of 42 entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and seven top 10 LPs on the Billboard 200, including three leaders on that tally. While she has mainly recorded in English, Gomez has always stayed close to her roots, and recording in Spanish felt almost inevitable.  

Her first big splash in Latin music came in 2019, thanks to a feature on DJ Snake’s “Taki Taki,” alongside hitmakers Ozuna and Cardi B. The track debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in 2018, ruling for 13 weeks. Since then, Gomez has achieved three additional top 10 hits on the ranking, among them “Baila Conmigo,” her collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, which peaked at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs in 2021 and topped the Latin Airplay chart for a week. That collab is part of her first-ever Spanish-language project: Revelación. It 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. 

“I never really focus on stats and charts, but when I hear something like that, all I can feel is pride. Shakira is an icon and someone I’ve always looked up to and I love her so much,” says Gomez. “Making a Spanish album was something I had wanted to do for a long time. Over the years, I’d release a Spanish version of one of the songs off an album but having an all-Spanish project was something that meant a lot to me. I worked hard on making sure I paid homage to my Latin roots, through the music as well as the aesthetics of all the visuals.”   

Navigating a bicultural identity, especially one that has a double standard (you should assimilate and learn English but also be fluent in Spanish), is one that even Selena Quintanilla faced in her early days. Then, Quintanilla had to learn to speak and sing in Spanish to be accepted in Mexico.  

Gomez recently faced similar scrutiny when critics questioned her Spanish-speaking skills on Emilia Pérez, even though she plays the role of an American who lives in Mexico and who is not meant to be fluent in the role. Gomez — who alongside her co-stars Zoe Saldaña, Karla Sofía Gascón and Adriana Paz won best actress award for the ensemble cast at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival — says Emilia Pérez is a film she’ll “hold dear forever.” 

“I pushed myself into uncomfortable spaces which as an actress are the most rewarding. It was a magical time and working with [director] Jacques [Audiard] was one of my best experiences,” she says. “I am taking my time to find the right role and director to work with next because I want it to be a challenge and unexpected.”

Gomez’s Latin heritage is constantly present in her work. She plays Mabel Mora in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. And in I Said I Love You First, she includes “Ojos Tristes” with The Marías, a reimagination of Jeanette’s 1981 classic ballad “El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes.” The track entered the top five of the Hot Latin Songs chart (dated April 5).  

“Benny and I went and saw The Marías in concert last summer. I was mesmerized by them and knew I wanted to have them on our album,” Gomez shares. “ ’El Muchacho De Los Ojos Tristes’ to me is one of those cross generational songs that brings people together no matter how old you are. You either knew as an adult or something your mother or abuela listened to so it conjures up nostalgic memories. I loved seeing all the posts about the song and the feeling it reminds people of. I might have teared up a few times. I am very proud of this song.”  

Gomez is equally proud of her work in activism as a leading voice in advocating for mental health and social justice for underrepresented communities. In 2019, she executive produced Living Undocumented, a Netflix docuseries that poignantly tackled the immigration crisis in the U.S. She has also transformed the youth mental health landscape by mobilizing over $20 million in funds with philanthropic partners across five continents.    

“At the end of the day I believe it matters to be vocal about issues that matter to you, whether you are famous or not. It’s not for the faint of heart, because you are putting yourself out there and trust me there will be a lot of opinions that come at you for even having the nerve to say anything at all,” Gomez says. “I remember when I decided to be open about my own personal mental health, it was scary to be that vulnerable and I didn’t ever want anyone to think I am a victim. I thought [that] by sharing my own story I could help others, and I will take any negative opinions that come with that because I see the bigger picture of how the conversations have changed around mental health.” 

Eight years after being named Billboard’s Woman of the Year, Gomez’s influence in music and beyond is even more tangible today, a testament to her impact and legacy. Her advice for the new generation of artists?  

“Blocking out the noise and being true to yourself,” she says. “The noise can be overwhelming, and I am not saying it’s easy but by doing that and not compromising who you are, it goes a long way.”  

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

Hanna Nicole and Ashley Grace are so in sync that they even finish each other’s sentences at times. 
Collectively known as Ha*Ash, the Louisiana-born sisters’ bond has powered the duo’s career over the past 20 years, and that built-in connectedness also contributes to their unbreakable status in Latin music. On April 24, the sisters will be honored at Billboard and Telemundo’s annual Latin Women in Music event with the Unbreakable Award, celebrating both their music and their career as a remarkable sibling duo that is perhaps more relevant than ever today.  

“When I hear the word unbreakable, the first thing that comes to my mind is that, although this career has been like a roller coaster, here we are doing what we love to do the most,” says Hanna, who is a year and a half older than Ashley. “It’s an honor to not only be recognized for our work after 23 years of career but to continue to live from our stories and songs. It’s a blessing.”  

Speaking in perfect English and Spanish, a reflection of their bicultural upbringing — living half of the year in Mexico and the other half in the U.S. as kids — Hanna and Ashley are in the midst of their biggest tour ever, with a South American trek that included stops at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival, in the wake of their 2024 album, Haashville. 

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It’s the latest high point in a career that fueled Latin pop’s domination in the early 2000s with their country-tinged “Odio Amarte,” the first single from their self-titled debut album, and “Estés Donde Estés,” which became Ha*Ash’s first top 10 hit on Billboard‘s Latin Pop Airplay chart.  

“ ’Estés’ became the theme song of a Mexican telenovela, so it got such a big push from that,” Ashley explains. “Back then, if one of your songs was picked up by a telenovela, it was like wow you made it. We never imagined this would be our breakthrough song, but it opened doors. We started performing small gigs, and after that, we kind of took off.”  

But it was “Odio Amarte” that showcased Ha*Ash’s signature sound: Latin pop with a country twist. It was a style that came naturally to the Mexican-American sisters who grew up in the South listening to the likes of Reba McEntire, Dolly Parton and Garth Brooks. Hanna and Ashley — professionally trained musicians and singers — would translate those artists’ songs to Spanish so their friends in Mexico could understand what they were singing about.  

“That’s who we are, a mixture of two cultures, different musical genres, that’s the consequence of where we lived and who we are,” says Hanna. But their vision of fusing pop with country was met with resistance from some label execs who argued country wasn’t popular in the Latin world. “We would get yeses from labels we were visiting but they wanted us to just do pop, and we didn’t want to record just to record, we wanted to do what felt natural to us. We said no to those labels because we weren’t in a hurry to release anything, and we wanted to be loyal to our sound.”

Ha*Ash

Sony Music

Eventually, their demo ended up in the right hands at Sony Music México, with whom they signed and released their debut LP, Ha*Ash, in 2003. It was also around that time that the then teenagers signed with Ocesa Seitrack for management.  

“Staying genuine to their music has been extremely relevant [to their success],” says manager Octavio Padilla of Ocesa Seitrack. “That is what has generated a true connection between Ha*Ash and their fans and that has maintained this bond for so long. If today you go to a Ha*Ash show in Chile, Argentina or anywhere in Latin America, you will be able to see that connection where all their fans feel identified and close to Hanna and Ashley.”  

All told, Ha*Ash has released a total of eight albums and, over the years, the duo has accumulated a total of 16 entries on Latin Pop Airplay, four of which reached the top 10, including “El Cielo Te Mandó Para Mí” from their latest studio album, Haashville (2024), which reached a No. 7 high on Latin Pop Airplay.

Besides recording music, touring has been key to Ha*Ash’s success. “Thank God that’s been where we’ve overachieved,” says Hanna. “I wouldn’t say that we wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for live shows, but our careers would be different. Today, we are very fortunate to be on tour and sell the number of tickets that we have sold but tomorrow is not guaranteed so we value the good moments.”  

That grateful mentality was instilled in them as little kids. Hanna and Ashley grew up in a strict household where they were taught the value of hard work at a young age. They started performing when they were around 12 years old at state fairs, rodeos and even a stint at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, as tourism ambassadors — handpicked by the Secretary of State in Louisiana who heard them sing at church. “On the weekends, we would fly from Mexico to Louisiana to sing at all these events and we’d take our guitars, which were way bigger than us, and we’d perform and then fly back to Mexico on Sundays,” Hanna recalls of their extraordinary childhood.  

Ashley chimes in, “We were home-schooled and when we weren’t touring, my dad would ask, ‘What’s your schedule? Because you’re not just going to sleep around or watch television.’ So, it was either piano or guitar class, singing class, going to the gym, doing something productive. ‘If you have an hour that I don’t see on your schedule, you’re wasting your time,’ he would tell us.”  

And they wouldn’t have it any other way either. “When we signed with Sony, we were underage so my dad would go into every single meeting. He was always like, ‘One day I won’t be here, so you guys need to sit in and listen because I know I have done my job when I’m not here and you’re able to continue with your career.’ We are very grateful to my dad for that, for teaching us to work and to value.”  

Reflecting on their 20 plus years in music, Hanna and Ashley are most grateful to be able to do this together.  

“I just feel that we were brought up to do everything together and once we were working and traveling, although we’re surrounded by so many people, at the end of the day, it’s just us,” Hanna says. “We’ve always had each other’s backs, and we speak so openly about what works and what doesn’t because we have a bond that is like no other. We’re sisters first and then we’re partners. Sisterhood always comes first.”  

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

Born one hundred years ago in Havana, Cuba, on October 21, 1925, Celia Cruz sang almost before she could talk. The second oldest of 14 children, she could carry a tune at 10 months old, according to her mother, and as a toddler, sang her youngest siblings to sleep. Those bedside moments were the first stage for the woman who would become the single best-known and most influential female figure in the history of Afro Cuban music.  
By the time she died in 2003 at age 77, Cruz had over 70 albums to her name and had transfixed generations of fans with her mesmerizing stage presence and a signature, rich, expressive contralto that could turn a single word into a masterpiece of a song.  

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Cruz was recognized worldwide as much for her extravagant flamboyant outfits, tireless work ethic and colorful wigs as for her trademark cry of “Azúcar!.” But Cruz possessed, above everything, an extraordinary voice. 

“Forget about getting her behind a mic,” Marc Anthony once told Billboard. “She’ll turn anybody out.”

Indeed, Cruz adamantly refused to lip-sync, even on live TV shows. “I can’t go out there and pretend,” she told Billboard in 2000. “In Cuba, I worked with a man named Rodrigo Neira, who was the choreographer of the Tropicana. He wanted a singer to sing and a dancer to dance.”

Although Cruz’s dancing abilities weren’t negligible, her voice was incomparable.

Cruz’s recorded legacy is a veritable history of Latin music, from her days with Cuba’s legendary La Sonora Matancera to her highly experimental and avant garde later fare, which even mixed urban music with her salsa beats.

Cruz charted until the day she died, and beyond. More than 20 years after her death, she generated 64 million on-demand official streams in the United States in 2024, according to Luminate. Last year, the U.S. Mint released a commemorative Cruz quarter, the only coin that bears the stamp of a Latin artist. The item joins a list of Cruz memorabilia that includes a stamp, a doll, multiple exhibits, merchandise lines and both a TV series and film in the works, among other projects.

As a child, Cruz began singing in amateur contests. Her big break came in 1950, when she was called in to replace the lead singer of the legendary La Sonora Matancera, arguably the best salsa band of all time. Cruz gained international acclaim with La Sonora, with whom she remained for 15 years, eventually marrying lead trumpet player Pedro Knight.

Following the Cuban revolution, she settled in New York in 1962 and was never allowed to return to her home country. Cruz’s career also flourished stateside, first through her association with Tito Puente’s Ticco Records and later with Fania Records.

Although Cruz remained a popular and venerated figure — she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1987 — she gained a new legion of followers in 2000 after signing with Sony Music Latin, a label that gave her a star treatment until the day she died. With Sony Latin, Cruz won three consecutive Latin Grammy Awards in 2000, 2001 and 2002.

The secret to her perennial success, she told Billboard, was very basic: “First of all, I take good care of myself. I rest. Second, I plan my shows well. I always try to shape my repertoire around a particular audience. And finally, I’m always changing my outfits, my look onstage.” But at the core of it was her tireless work ethic, and that voice.

After being diagnosed with cancer in 2002, Cruz made a final trip to the recording studio in February 2003. She recorded for two months and died in July.

This year, Billboard’s Latin Women in Music honors Cruz and her extraordinary life not on the anniversary of her death but in the centennial year of her birth. Cruz will posthumously receive the Legend Award at the gala, which will air April 24 at 9 p.m. ET on Telemundo, and be honored with a musical tribute with performances by Ivy Queen, La India and Olga Tañon.

Billboard spoke to four people who had personal ties to Cruz. Here are their recollections, in their own words.

Emilio Estefan

Celia Cruz, Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan pose as Gloria receives her Walk of Fame Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Feb. 3, 1993 in Los Angeles.

Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images

Celia was someone who was able to bring our music to this country at a time when women weren’t really welcomed in the music industry.

When she joined forces with Fania and Johnny Pacheco, she showed the world what true talent was. And she never changed her musical essence or who she was. She was such an example of humility, perseverance, talent — my God. She became family to us. I was just starting out as a producer, and my dream was always to work with her. But I didn’t offer because we were just getting started. We had met, but we hadn’t really talked much yet.

One night, we were playing at the Dupont Plaza, and she asked us to sit at her table. It was like talking to a queen. I remember one time we were performing at the Ovni, and we always played “Quimbara.” She was in the audience, and she came onstage to sing. Our hearts almost burst out of our chests.

I had the honor of producing several albums for her. One day she called me and said, “I don’t have a record label anymore.” And I told her, “I’m going to send you to Sony.” Thank God I called Tommy [Mottola, who] said, “Don’t even worry about it. We’ve got to sign her.” She went into Sony with so much respect. They were going to give her the boost she needed. She passed away with six No. 1 hits. At the time, there was resistance because most of the artists selling records were men. She was one of the women who proved to the world that women could make everyone dance. She was such an inspiration for Gloria [Estefan]. I think we can all learn something from her.

She and Pedro [Knight] were such humble, kind people who taught us so much. When we were recording, she was so professional. She could almost sing live; she practiced her parts, showed up with humility and was always so proud of her Cuban roots. And the love between her and Pedro… It’s rare to work with a couple and see them love each other so much for so many years, being such simple, good people with so much talent.

She was my great teacher. She always remembered to send birthday cards to everyone. Those little thoughtful gestures. She was like a sister to Gloria. She’d come over to eat at our house and was so funny. She’d wash Pedro’s shirts and iron them when they were on tour. I’ll never forget when I produced the Latin Grammys [for CBS on 2000] — she had terrible knee pain but got up to sing “Quimbara” with Ricky [Martin] anyway. No one could tell what she was going through.

One day she came to us and said, “I got the big C.” I had no idea what she meant. She called me to help arrange her burial. She told me, “I want every fan I have to be able to say goodbye to me.” She wasn’t just loved by Cubans — she was loved by the whole world. She left me one of her dresses, shoes and wig as a thank you, along with a beautiful note for me and Gloria. In a way, I feel at peace knowing I was able to help a woman like her, that I could get her signed to Sony. In these times we’re living in, when one person shines, we all shine. And she made all of us shine.

La India

La India & Celia Cruz

Courtesy La India

I met Celia in 1988 through important people in her life. Her nephew was a big fan of mine and he would go see me at the Palladium. He told me he was Celia Cruz’s nephew and we didn’t believe him. Celia was already a legend. We listened to her music and all the Afro Yoruba-ness around her was really interesting. And of course we all loved La Sonora Matancera.

One day, she sent a message through him, saying, “Muchas benidiciones en tu show.” (“Many blessings on your show.”) Then in 1990, a year before I decided to cross over from dance to salsa tropical, I was already collaborating with Tito Puente and Tito arranged for us to meet.

We all went to dinner. When I met her, it felt as if we were already family. We spoke about her music, about her. She said she always felt she had a natural ability to sing music with a lot of rhythm. She said, “One thing I notice about you is you study a lot of jazz, but you have a lot of soul. I’d like you to cross over from dance music and do a salsa album.” We sang with prerecorded TV tracks then, and she said, “You need to be up there singing with a live band.”

She set up a meeting with Ralph Mercado [founder and president of RMM Records, to which Cruz was signed at the time] and said, “Hey, I want you to sign her.”

We were very close. We talked a lot about music, about the hard labor of a woman. We talked about believing in ourselves, being professional and giving 100% to the music. I found it to be very empowering.

She used to say, “Yo soy tu madrina musical [“I’m your music godmother],” and she wanted to officially be my godmother. I hadn’t had my first communion, and I needed to be baptized.

She baptized me on Feb. 14, which is the day of friendship and love, and it brought a lot of light into my life, which I needed. I came from a very dysfunctional family, but a very praying family. God was always in our lives. I think that’s why it meant so much to me to be baptized with Celia and [husband] Pedro Knight [by my side], and because it meant she would always be in my life. And she was. She was really cute and she wrote telegrams. She had an AT&T calling card and boy, did she use it to the fullest. She called from the airport, when she landed, when she was in her room. Because she was so spiritual, she felt she needed to pray with her goddaughter; that was me. She always prayed before her show. We would hold hands and then we’d go up onstage with her.

We toured together. Everywhere she traveled she was the goddess of the goddesses. She would walk in first, everybody was waiting for her, and we were like little ducks. All of us, me, Marc [Anthony], Cheo [Feliciano], Oscar [D’León], we were all behind her going to all these beautiful places in Europe. She really believed in us. She thought we were coming with talent to bring light to salsa tropical.

Celia was always an icon, a living legend. She had a lot of vocal control and a beautiful vibrato. Pedro helped her a lot. He quit the trumpet to make sure she was ready to get on that stage and sing her heart out. He was a great partner. She was very lucky to have him.

In the studio she was a master of great ideas. I gave her a lot of energy, and it was great to have her there with me.

She always told me that one of the things she liked about me was that she saw my talent and that I didn’t have to wear little outfits. We’re here as women, as talented women. She would say, “Sabes porqué he tenido exito? Porque yo vendo talento, no vendo sexo.” (“You know why I’ve been successful? Because I sell talent, not sex.”)

Now, I see what she meant. It’s a male-dominated world, and she wanted respect. She liked being on the road. She liked to take her music to different markets, and she loved shopping. Shopping and music, forget about it. Y su cafecito con su azucar.

She always tried to encourage the new generation by being positive and working hard. She spoke about the perseverance of hard work, professionalism. Always record, arrive early and have a great orchestra behind you. And all that you get, you give back.

Randy Malcom

The Gente De Zona member on the group recording “Celia,” which blends two Cruz hits using her original vocals.

Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom Martínez of Gente de Zona.

Courtesy Gente de Zona

I knew Celia’s work because I studied music in Cuba, but I never got the chance to meet her in person. Since Celia was banned in Cuba, you couldn’t hear her on the radio or see her on TV.

Celia, Willy Chirino, all those artists were prohibited. She was always a defender of freedom.

After recording “La Gonzadera,” we were trying to figure out how we could use her vocals from “La Negra Tiene Tumbao” in a song. Her digital session recordings from her last recordings were nowhere to be found, but after 10 years of searching with Omer [Perdillo, her manager], we finally found them.

What we did was mix two songs together, closing it out with “La Negra Tiene Tumbao.”

But for us, using her voice — can you imagine? As a kid, I’d hear some of her stuff with my dad through videos that had been leaked. Cuba only had two TV channels, and there was a concert she did, I think in Africa, that somehow got through. People had recorded it and we’d watch it. For us, it was such a point of pride. A Cuban woman who was outside of Cuba, yet so huge in the music world — it seemed impossible to reach that level. When I was little, people told me she was a singer who wasn’t allowed in Cuba.

When my dad heard the song, he was blown away. He was like, “How did you pull this off?” And I told him, “Dad, they gave me permission.” This whole story is so nostalgic for every Cuban, given the political situation. Everything feels so deep. In our country, there’s so much music, so much art, but it dies there. It’s heartbreaking to see so many artists who don’t get the chance to share their work. I’m left with this sense of longing because I wasn’t able to fully experience her work. And she has incredible songs. Celia was always ahead of the game when it came to music. She was someone who never let herself fall behind.

Goyo

Goyo

Johana Garcia

I met Celia because my dad and an uncle promoted shows in Colombia and they brought José Alberto “El Canario” and Celia together to Buenaventura, Quibdó, and a show in Tuluá that didn’t end up happening. But I traveled with her on the same bus from Buenaventura to Tuluá, and I got the chance to talk with her. She said something to my mom about me, and my mom made me sing. I was about 13 or 14 years old.

I’d seen her on TV, but my dad collected albums and my mom was a huge fan of Celia. I’ve always been really close to my mom, and in many moments of her life, Celia’s music was her soundtrack. “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores” was my first real connection to Celia. One of my aunts made me learn the song, and I sang it the first time I performed in a parade in Condoto. I was about 9 years old, and at my fifth-grade graduation, “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores” was already part of my repertoire. That’s the song I sang to her on the bus.

I went to see her in Buenaventura first. She was wearing white leggings, a shiny top and a short, white wig and she looked amazing. Like, wow — it wasn’t often you saw women who could pull off a look like that. I saw music as something totally normal because my mom sang, my uncle brought artists and I’d go to the studios of Grupo Niche. I felt like I was part of the scene.

So when they said, “Now we’re heading to Tuluá on the bus with Celia and “El Canario,” it felt normal. She was traveling with her husband and it was a big, comfy bus. And she said, “What a beautiful little girl. She has something special.”

My mom told me to sing “Ritmo, Tambor y Flores.” She started singing the chorus, and I sang the second part because I was feeling a little shy. She said, “Keep going, keep going.” And we all started singing together. Imagine that — my skin still tingles thinking about it. It feels like such a normal story, but honestly, it’s not that normal. Especially because kids are usually pretty sheltered at that age. Later, when I was 15, I saw her again, and by then, she looked older, and I was so impressed by the respect people had for her and how she kept thriving as an artist, even as someone who was already so established. She was always in the big leagues. What’s happening now isn’t possible without talking about her. Her story needs to be told.

Illustration by Selman Hoşgör

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

In February of this year, Natti Natasha took the stage in Miami and performed music from her new album, Natti Natasha En Amargue, live for the first time. Backed by a full live band, Natti didn’t sing provocative reggaetón or commercial pop. Instead, she dove into the pure amargue — or bitterness — of bachata, the traditional music of her native Dominican Republic.
But for Natti, this wasn’t just her first full bachata album; it was also entirely written and produced by Romeo Santos, the superstar known as the King of Bachata. The collaboration between the genre’s biggest name and possibly the best-known female Dominican artist today has already paid off. En Amargue debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Tropical Albums chart in February, and by April, the single “Desde Hoy” became Natti’s first No. 1 as a solo artist (not part of a collaboration) on the Tropical Airplay chart.

Beyond the album’s success, it’s a “full-circle” moment for Natti. “I feel like in every area of my life, after working so hard for so long, I’m finally at a place where I can just enjoy my music,” she says.

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Natti Natasha (real name Natalia Alexandra Gutiérrez Batista) has had one of the most successful careers in contemporary tropical and urban music. She first hit Billboard’s charts in 2012 alongside Don Omar with “Dutty Love,” which reached No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Since then, Natti has racked up 34 entries on the Latin Airplay chart, including 10 No. 1 hits, and her debut album Iluminatti landed in the Top 10 of the Top Latin Albums chart in 2019. She’s experimented with pop and dance, but above all, she’s become known as a trailblazer of melodic, lyrically bold urban fusion music — anchored by her exceptional voice.

But her journey hasn’t been easy. Natti emerged in a time when reggaetón by women was largely overlooked and far from commercially successful. She had the image of a pop artist, but her music was often unapologetically sexual. It was hard to put her in a box, and earning respect as a confident, feminine woman in a male-dominated urban music world was no small feat. Two years ago, the foundation she worked so hard to build was shaken when her husband and manager, Raphy Pina, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for illegal possession of firearms. At the peak of her career and with a one-year-old daughter, Natti had to navigate uncharted waters. Now, she’s back on the charts — with the artistic touch of Santos, the emotional support of Pina (who’s back home), and the love of daughter Vida Isabelle, who will turn four in May.

This year, Natti Natasha will be honored at Billboard’s 2025 Latin Women in Music event with the Unstoppable Award, recognizing both her extraordinary music career and her resilience in the face of adversity.

What does receiving the Unstoppable Award mean to you?

This award means so much to me. Being recognized as “unstoppable” makes me reflect on everything I’ve been through — every obstacle I’ve had to overcome, every tear, every sacrifice, every moment I had to be strong even when I was breaking inside. To me, being unstoppable is loving what you do with your whole heart. It’s getting back up a thousand times, even when the world tells you that you can’t. It’s being a woman, being a mother, being a proud and strong Latina. Today, I embrace the Natti who started this journey with fear but had huge dreams, and I thank her for never giving up. This award is for everyone who keeps fighting with their head held high. Because together, we’re unstoppable.

Natti Natasha En Amargue was written and produced by Romeo Santos, who also worked with you on the remix of your hit “La Mejor Versión de Mí.” Had you known each other for a long time?

I’ve always been a huge fan of Romeo, but I didn’t actually know him. I first met him during the video shoot for “La Mejor Versión de Mí” in 2019, when we did the remix. I never in my life thought Romeo Santos would want to do a remix of one of my songs. I remember being in New York, getting ready for the video shoot, and my manager came over and said, “I want to play you something real quick.” He hit play, and I heard the percussion and Romeo’s voice. I didn’t say a word — I just started crying. I’m one of those people who cries when they’re happy. I couldn’t believe someone like him noticed me, my voice, and my song.

You’ve recorded so many songs. What was different about making a full album with Romeo?

First, we sat down and talked about what each song was about — because every song has a story, a concept. One thing I love about Romeo, which is something I have too, is his attention to detail. The “why,” the concept, the story — he explains everything. For every song, he’d sit in a little chair right inside the recording booth while I was at the mic. After he explained the meaning behind the song, we’d go line by line, and sometimes even word by word. The songs evolved. Every single one is so special. For every note, every breath, every way of delivering a line, Romeo was right there with me.

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This album, En Amargue, has been in the works for years. Why did you wait to release it?

I was waiting, just like I was waiting to get back on stage and sing again. This project is so important, so beautiful, and so personal. I wanted to wait until my family was whole again, until our home was complete [and Pina was back]. It’s a blessing because now we have balance, and we have chemistry. This business isn’t easy. A lot of people say it’s hard for couples to work together, but for me, it’s been the perfect formula.

Did you feel incomplete without Raphy back?

Of course, [but] I had my daughter, and she made me happy. For her, I stayed focused on making music and keeping her happy. I worried a lot about that, and I did it. You know, as a mom, that’s just the law. But Raphy was such a big part of this project, and he cared about every little detail. My team is my family, and a key piece of the puzzle was missing. We deserved to enjoy this moment together. Because this is a moment to celebrate the project, not stress over it. Good music shouldn’t be rushed or forced — it never dies.

This album is very artistic and so different from something like Nasty Singles, which you released in 2023. Those are pretty spicy tracks. Do you ever regret any of the music you’ve put out?

Never. There’s not a single song I’ve recorded that feels like “filler” or makes me feel unsure. Every song — even if it’s just a party anthem — you never know what could happen. And I enjoy the process so much in the studio; it’s such a beautiful experience. I always love sharing different moments and music with my fans. At that time, Natti Natasha was living through that particular chapter of her life. So my music grows with me. You keep living, you keep creating, and you share that growth with the people who’ve been with you along the way.

And what stage are you in now?

When I first came to New York from the Dominican Republic, I didn’t know what kind of music I wanted to make. I took a chance on reggaetón and grew from there. I faced a lot of struggles because I was chasing this dream without knowing if it would ever come true. At one point, I thought, “Wow, this music career is such an uphill battle.” Then, when Raphy had to leave, I kept going and faced a lot of criticism just for being a woman. But I thought, “I’m not going to let this bring me down.” Now, with Raphy back, I look back at all those moments, and I realize I never stopped. I always pushed forward. And now, everything makes sense. When you’re in those moments of confusion, you kind of close yourself off. But thank God, I focused on my daughter, I have my family, and I released Natti Natasha En Amargue, which to me is on another level. I feel like, in every area of my life — because I’ve worked on all of them for so long — I’m now in a place where I can enjoy my music, not stress over it. I feel like I’m in a stage of growth where people are starting to appreciate Natti Natasha’s artistry more. It’s like I’m climbing all these steps in my career that are taking me to a whole new place.

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Check out Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

The first time Chiquis felt that she was making an impact with her music was with the release of her fourth studio album, Abeja Reina, in 2022 — eight years into her career. 
“I felt confident by that time. I felt like this is what I was meant to do,” she tells Billboard. “I went to perform at El Lunario with that album. My fans in Mexico hadn’t seen me in a long time, and a lot of people were saying that I looked and sounded different on stage. Bringing the songs to the stage gave me that push of, ‘This is who I am and I’m finally here!’ It was an album where I was kind of unapologetically being myself, and I think that resonated with people. They felt that.”  

The set earned Chiquis her second Latin Grammy Award for best banda album in 2022. She first won the same award with Playlist in 2020 and is the current titleholder with Diamantes (2024), making history as is the first and only solo female singer to date to win the award.  

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As the eldest daughter of the late Jenni Rivera, Chiquis (real name: Janney Marín Rivera) embarked on her own singing career in 2014, two years after her mother’s passing in a plane crash in 2012. Her debut single, “Paloma Blanca,” was a tribute to La Diva de la Banda, earning her first top 10 Billboard hit on the Latin Digital Song Sales chart. The heartfelt song also became her breakthrough on Hot Latin Songs, debuting and peaking at No. 36 that same year.  

Over the course of her 10-year career, the Mexican-American singer has earned 12 entries on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, with three of those reaching the top 10. Notably, her highest-charting single, “Mi Problema,” climbed to No. 7 in December 2021. She also dominated the Top Regional Mexican Albums chart, securing two No. 1 albums: Ahora in 2015 and Entre Botellas in 2018. 

But her accomplishments extend far beyond music. She’s also a philanthropist and entrepreneur, who will be honored with the Impact Award at 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music event on Thursday, April 24 for her “professional endeavors in the music industry and society at large,” and for pushing boundaries and sparking change in both music and culture. 

“I have to use my voice, not just to sing, but to send light and radiate love, and talk about the things that really matter to me,” says Chiquis, who in tandem with her musical career also launched her Boss Bee Nation initiative in 2014, to help those in need. “A lot of artists are afraid to speak their truth or stand behind what they believe in because it might affect and trickle their streams, but I don’t like to worry about that. I feel that if I’m my authentic self and use my platform for things that I believe in, and my heart is in the right place, you’re not going to lose the people who are important to you.”  

Chiquis Rivera poses in the press room with the award for Best Banda Album “Diamantes” during the 25th Annual Latin Grammy Awards at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida, on November 14, 2024.

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Her platform became key to continue elevating the Latino community. 

“We began giving out scholarships because I’m a huge advocate for education. Knowledge is power,” she elaborates. “Then, I adopted families for Christmas. If they couldn’t afford a nice holiday, we started doing that. We’ve also taken music, gifts, and donations to the farm workers in the fields. Anything that my heart points me to, that’s where I go.”   

Below, Chiquis shares more on how she’s forging her own path.

Which artist made you believe you could have an impact outside of music? 

The only person I can think of is my mom because she was a businesswoman. Business was my first love, and I saw that she did it well. That’s one thing I want artists to know about, the business side of music, and I’m so grateful to have that school with my mom. For sure, she was the person who made me believe, 100%, that I could do both things — be in music and a business owner.  

Besides my mother, the artists who have impacted my music career have been, of course, Shakira, Ana Gabriel, Celia Cruz, Selena, even Karol G. Seeing everything that Karol’s been doing completely inspires me to this day. Carla Morrison, how vulnerable she can be in her lyrics — it’s helped me to write differently, especially in the moment I’m in right now. 

How has your experience been as a woman in regional Mexican music, which is still a still male-dominated genre?  

I love to see how our genre has grown so much, and how the men are more accepting of women in the space. I was there when it was a big taboo. I saw it since I was very little with my mom — her wanting to sing, and people questioning her. Now I have so much compassion for my mom, but that’s exactly who we needed: the women who are daring. It still is very male-dominated but not as much as before, and I love that we can push through. Someone like Jenni Rivera really paved the way. Today, I see more unity among women in regional Mexican, and the more united we are, the more powerful we’ll be. I love to be able to represent women and be a voice in this genre, because las mujeres pueden … abso-freaking-lutely!  

What does your state of mind look like going into 2025, and how do you plan to make this year more impactful than 2024? 

I took a little bit of soul space to reconnect with myself and what I wanted to write about. I think it’s very important to get passionate and fall in love all over again with my art. This time I’ve taken for myself has helped me to get inspired. Last November, I felt something shifting in me. I didn’t know what was going on, but I felt different. I think winning the third Latin Grammy marked a turning point in my career. I feel a different type of confidence. In early February, I felt the epiphany and began to understand the change in my life. I had my creativity blocked, and I didn’t know what was happening, but then I realized that I needed to look inward. I did a spiritual retreat for three weeks, and it helped me tremendously, to the point that I want to sing things I never sang about.  

This year, I have my new series called Foodie on the Go; my Chiquis Sin Filtro show on VIX is in its second season; my podcast Chiquis and Chill is in its fourth season; I have my first children’s book called The Girl Who Sings to Bees coming out in July, which I’m very excited about; and I’m already going to the studio to start music. A lot of different music is coming, but still with that special Chiquis sauce. Also, I think I’m going to start touring towards the end of the year. Sometimes you need to take a step back and look in to get inspired again. 

What does receiving the Impact Award mean to you? 

I’m so grateful I can cry. It means so much because for a long time, I thought I believed in myself, but it was superficial in a way. Now, I can tell you that I really believe in myself, and to know that it’s had an impact and inspired other people, that is why I’m here and part of my mission. Everything that I’ve been through, all the adversities and criticism, has been worth it, because if I can inspire one person and impact their life so that they can follow their dreams, that to me is worth every tear and every late night. I’m so honored and grateful to get this award. It’s been tough, and moments like this make me feel like people are recognizing my hard work. It’s truly an effort.

The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.

On April 24, the third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music will honor Anitta, Belinda, Celia Cruz, Chiquis, Ha*Ash, Olga Tañón, Natti Natasha and Selena Gomez with special awards, celebrating these groundbreaking women who are shaping the future of Latin music.
The two-hour Latin Women in Music special, which will air live on Telemundo at 9 p.m. ET, will be hosted by 2024 Lifetime Achievement honoree Ana Bárbara, who will also be performing alongside Yahritza y Su Esencia on Thursday. As previously announced, Ivy Queen, La India and Tañón will perform a memorable tribute of Celia Cruz’s most iconic hits. The salsa star would’ve have celebrated her centennial this year.

Throughout the night, artists such as Adriel Favela, Amandititita, Eddy Herrera, Goyo, Lele Pons, Luis Fonsi and Aleyda Ortiz will present the night’s awards and recognitions to the celebrated women. This year’s honorees and honors are Anitta (Vanguard Award), Belinda (Evolution Award), Celia Cruz (Legend Award), Chiquis (Impact Award), Ha*Ash (Unbreakable Award), Natti Natasha (Unstoppable Artist), Olga Tañón (Lifetime Achievement Award) and Selena Gomez (Woman of the Year). 

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How to Watch

The 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live on Thursday, 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 on Telemundo Internacional.

Performers

Ana Bárbara

Yahritza y Su Esencia

La India

Ivy Queen

Olga Tañón

Presenters

Adriel Favela

Amandititita

Eddy Herrera

Goyo

Lele Pons

Luis Fonsi

Aleyda Ortiz

Read Billboard’s Latin Women In Music 2025 Executive List here.