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From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
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Feid Surprises Fans in Europe
This week, Feid officially wrapped a 13-date stint across Europe with this Europe Fastest Tour produced by Live Nation. In the midst of his sold-out shows in cities such as London, Milan, and Rome, the Colombian sensation surprised fans with impromptu meet-ups that he would announce on his Instagram stories. Calling them “coffee party,” Ferxxo crashed various coffee shops in the middle of the day and would play DJ while spinning some of his biggest hits, including his latest release “DALLAX” in collaboration with Ty Dolla $ign.
Ed Sheeran Crashes J Balvin’s Show
Currently on his Rayo U.S. Tour, J Balvin performed his sixth show on Sunday, March 30 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. While the Miami stop included special guests Ryan Castro and Justin Quiles, his fans in New York were surprised by Ed Sheeran. During his appearance, the two artists performed their collaboration “Sigue” and English singer-songwriter also sang his chart-topping hit “Shape of You.” Fan videos that went viral on social media also captured the moment the two artist friends took a shot of guarito together. “NEW YORK my second home!!! What a great experience!!!,” Balvin expressed on Instagram.
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J Balvin and Ed Sheeran
Gaby Deimeke
Billboard Latin Women in Music
This week, Billboard and Telemundo unveiled the first wave of honorees for the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music Awards set to broadcast live at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 24 via Telemundo. Olga Tañón, Anitta, and Chiquis will be honored at the third annual event: Tañón will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, Anitta will be honored with the Vanguard Award, and Chiquis with the Impact Award. Hosted by Ana Bárbara, the two-hour music special will celebrate the “groundbreaking women shaping the future of Latin music,” according to a press release. The awards show will also stream on the Telemundo app, Universo and Peacock.
Shakira Reacts to Billboard’s List
In other uplifting news, Shakira reacted to Billboard’s Best 50 Female Latin Pop Artists of All Time list, after realizing that she was picked No. 1 by the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. “This is an incredible honor,” she wrote in a now-deleted Instagram story. “Thank you for inspiring me to continue working in hopes to give you the best of me every day of my life.” On the ranked list, the Colombian global sensation is followed by Gloria Estefan, Selena, Celia Cruz, Karol G, Rocío Dúrcal, Ana Gabriel, Olga Tañón, Laura Pausini, and Mercedes Sosa.
From powerful ballads to timeless dance hits, the ranked list wrapped up Women’s History Month by honoring the extraordinary contributions of women and celebrating the female pioneers, visionaries, and stars who have defined Latin pop music.
De izquierda a derecha: Paquita la del Barrio, Celia Cruz, Shakira, Mercedes Sosa e Ivy Queen
Michael Tran/FilmMagic; Jack Vartoogian/Getty Images; John Rogers/Getty Images; Sepia Times/Universal Images Group/Getty Images; John Parra/WireImage
Yandel on Fallon Tonight
Ahead of soon kicking off his Sinfónico U.S. Tour in Puerto Rico next month, Yandel made his late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon this week. Joined by a 15-member orchestra, the Puerto Rican artist performed a potent and passionate version of his reggaetón banger “Puño de Tito.” The unique performance is also in support of his new album Sinfónico (En Vivo) out April 3, where Yandel reimagines some of his career-defining songs — from “Abusadora” to “Rakata” — in a 29-track set recorded live in Miami with the Florida International University Symphony Orchestra.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music, including albums by Yandel (Sinfónico) and Eladio Carrión (DON KBRN). Plus, rising salsa stars Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea team up for “Si Llamas,” marking their first collaboration and a nod to their commitment to keep fueling salsa’s newfound global appeal. […]
Some call it “the festival of the future” due to its eclecticism and bold approach to creating lineups aimed at a multigenerational audience. For others, AXE Ceremonia brings together major alternative music shows in inclusive spaces, where the distinction from other festivals is evident — from the outfits attendees choose for the occasion to the sonic acts showcased during the marathon event.
But for Diego Jiménez, director and co-founder of the festival, it’s the place that provides the opportunity to host the creator of the popular corridos tumbados genre, Natanael Cano, as a headliner one night — and the next day, the two-time Grammy-winning American rapper Tyler, Tyler The Creator. Amidst all that, attendees can hear trip-hop veterans Massive Attack, British sensation Charli XCX, South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, and Argentine experimental trap duo Ca7riel y Paco Amoroso.
“We like to differentiate ourselves from other festivals by focusing on youth culture rather than a specific genre or musical style,” Jiménez tells Billboard Español about the festival, whose 12th edition will take place this Saturday and Sunday (April 5 and 6) at Parque Bicentenario in Mexico City.
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“Seeing Tyler, The Creator on a lineup at major festivals around the world is more common, but seeing him one day and Natanael Cano the next doesn’t happen often elsewhere. That gives AXE Ceremonia a very strong personality,” adds the organizer.
Produced by the company ECO Live, this year’s festival lineup is rounded out by a diverse group of international bands and solo artists — including Parcels, Gesaffelstein, Nathy Peluso, The Marías, Meme del Real, pablopablo, Lil Yachty, Artemas, Hanumankind, A.G. Cook, NSQK, The Dare, Simpson Ahuevo, Brutalism 300, and Luisa Almaguer — making it one of the most innovative offerings of the spring festival season.
The 12th edition of the festival will mark the return of Natanael Cano to Mexico City, who previously performed as an emerging artist in 2022. This time, he will take center stage as a headliner after becoming one of the stars of Mexican regional music and delivering a sold-out concert at the Estadio GNP Seguros in August 2024.
“Watching an artist grow like that is very exciting, and it speaks to this dialogue that exists between this city and the rest of the world — of becoming a cultural capital — and how the vision of culture and music from a Mexican perspective has an international impact,” Jiménez observes.
Additionally, this year the festival introduces K-pop to its musical offerings for the first time by inviting South Korean boy band Tomorrow X Together, allowing it to cater to another segment of the audience —Generation Alpha, or those born in the early 2010s. “We like to seek balance, those connections between the past and the present, to create a snapshot of what’s happening today,” Jiménez notes.
The organizer also highlighted the introduction of a new space dedicated to tropical music, salsa, merengue, bachata, and cumbia in this year’s edition of the festival, which will feature two iconic dance halls from Mexico City: Miki’s and Barba Azul.
“Speaking of the present and the past, if you listen to Bad Bunny’s album (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), it’s based on sounds from the past — that distinctly Latin sound. How does youth interact with these sounds? You create a new space,” he explains.
The festival’s organizers expect to gather 55,000 people per day, totaling 110,000 attendees over the weekend. In past editions, the festival’s stages have hosted prominent figures in music such as Björk, Rosalía, Kendrick Lamar, LCD Soundsystem, Travis Scott, James Blake, Wu-Tang Clan, A$AP Rocky, Aphex Twin, Snoop Dogg, Animal Collective, Underworld, Nicolas Jaar and Fuerza Regida.
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Eladio Carrión, DON KBRN (Rimas Entertainment)
Eladio Carrión’s DON KBRN lands with razor-sharp intent, cementing his role as a dominant figure in Latin trap. With an ambitious 22-track lineup inspired by Yakuza mystique and Samurai discipline, according to the press release, the LP packs raw lyricism, relentless ambition, and next-level collaborations. The star-studded release includes Myke Towers (“Vetements,” a braggadocious anthem of success), Peso Pluma (“Tiffany,” a flashy ode to street hustle), Jessie Reyez (“Call My Line,” a bilingual R&B lament), and Big Sean (“Branzino,” an old-school hip-hop gem). Contributions from Young Miko, Cris Mj, Quevedo, and others also make for a riveting listen.
Solo tracks like “Ohtani” and “Harmonía” further highlight the artist’s range, where he embraces trap, melodic rap, and introspective cuts. Lebron James is even seen bumping “H.I.M.” on his IG Story. The production — by Hide Miyabi, Finesse, Deadts, OZ, G.O.K.B., and more — marked by bold experimentation, also brings DON KBRN to life as a daring statement of intent, showcasing Eladio Carrión’s linguistic mastery while setting a new standard for Latin trap. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
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Pipe Bueno, Majo Aguilar & Mariachi Sol de Mexico, “Bailar Contigo” (PB Entertainment/Warner Music Latina)
Pipe Bueno, a renowned Música Popular artist in Colombia, has joined forces with breakout mariachi songstress, Majo Aguilar, and the legendary Mariachi Sol de México for a heartfelt Carlos Vives tribute. In a new rendition of “Bailar Contigo,” a cumbia-rock classic released by Vives in 2013, Bueno showcases his charming vocals alongside Aguilar’s captivating style, interlaced with vibrant mariachi guitars and lively trumpets. This release marks the launch of Bueno’s upcoming EP, Homenaje a Carlos Vives, which celebrates the enduring legacy of one of Colombia’s most cherished artists. The music video for “Bailar Contigo” was beautifully filmed in the picturesque landscape of Jalisco, a region renowned for its rich cultural heritage of tequila production and mariachi music.— INGRID FAJARDO
Yandel, Sinfónico (En Vivo)(Y Entertainment/Warner Music Latina)
The Puerto Rican hitmaker reimagines some of his career-defining songs — from “Abusadora” to “Rakata” — in Sinfónico, a 29-track set recorded live in Miami with the Florida International University Symphony Orchestra. While it’s not the first time an urban artist records with an orchestra, Sinfónico is truly a grand experience offering a different approach to música urbana fusing reggaetón and symphony. Giving his iconic catalog a whole new sonic identity, Yandel launched his reggaetón-meets-orchestra concept back in October when he performed at the Florida International University with the school’s symphony orchestra. The album precedes his Sinfónico Tour, which is set to kick off May 10 in San Juan, Puerto Rico and wrap June 21 in Houston, where Yandel will perform his biggest hits alongside local symphony orchestras. — GRISELDA FLORES
Luis Figueroa & Christian Alicea, “Si Llamas” (Sony Music Latin/Magnus Media)
In a surprising yet pleasing collaboration, Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea (two former Billboard Latin Artist on the Rise) deliver “Si Llamas.” Both Puerto Rican artists are paving the way for the new generation of salsa stars, respectively, but this is the first time that they join forces to further solidify the movement. Produced by Venezuelan hitmaker Motiff, who is also betting on the new sound of salsa music, “Si Llamas” blends traditional salsa rhythms with Latin urban tones — the two genres that best characterize La Isla del Encanto’s musical flavor. Lyrically, the song is sensual and flirty, telling the story of an unexpected encounter that leaves a lasting impression and begs to be re-lived. A music video accompanies the track, spotlighting Figueroa and Alicea’s potent vocals, playful bromance and killer dance moves. — JESSICA ROIZ
Estevie, “Un Error” (Nice Life Recording Company”
Racking up co-signs from artists like DannyLux, Eslabon Armado and Cuco since her breakthrough in 2022, Estevie is among a handful of rising female artists in the música mexicana space that are offering a fresh take on the genre. Best known for her hip-swiveling cumbias that will promptly get you on your feet, her latest release is no exception. “Un Error,” co-produced by hitmakers like Ulises Lozano and Ernesto Fernández, is powered by an infectious, thumping cumbia beat accompanied by the norteño accordion. In “Un Error,” Estevie sings in her signature velvety vocals about a mistake that might affect her relationship. “I ask you to please forgive me … whatever happened I just want your love but I made a mistake,” she exclaims. — G.F.
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
With her performance debut in Mexico, Olivia Rodrigo reached a new milestone by playing the largest solo concert of her career to date, as she revealed onstage. The Guts superstar packed the Estadio GNP Seguros on Wednesday night in a sold-out show. The venue in the capital city has a capacity of 65,000 people, according to information from the promoter OCESA.
“Do you guys know that this is the biggest show that I’ve ever played in my f—ing life?! I literally… My eyes can’t believe it. Oh my God! Thank you guys so much for being here,” Rodrigo said, visibly emotional, during her first of two nights at the iconic stadium (formerly known as Foro Sol).
The singer/songwriter surpassed the attendance of more than 50,000 people she had achieved last October in the Philippines, where her family is originally from.
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Her visit to Mexico is part of the Latin American leg of her Guts World Tour, with her first stadium shows in Brazil and Mexico. Prior to the Mexican capital, Rodrigo performed her first solo concert in the region in the Brazilian city of Curitiba.
In her first visit to Latin America, the 22-year-old star also participated in the Chilean, Argentine and Brazilian editions of the Lollapalooza festival late last month. In Colombia, she was part of the lineup for the Estéreo Picnic festival. This summer, she will also headline Lollapalooza on Aug. 1 at Grant Park in Chicago.
During her performance in Mexico City, Rodrigo told the audience that it was one of her favorite cities and that she had already tried some traditional tacos, visited the Museo Casa Azul of the iconic painter Frida Kahlo, and attended a lucha libre wrestling match.
Although there were mixed feelings because the show in Mexico, like in South America, did not feature the original production of the Guts World Tour, with the massive catwalk and giant hanging moon, and her setlist was shorter than usual, her thousands of fans, mostly young girls, gave the American singer a warm reception.
The three-time Grammy winner’s setlist included hits such as “Obsessed,” “Vampire,” “Love Is Embarrassing,” “Lacy,” “So American” and, one of the most anticipated songs of the night, “Good 4 U.”
St. Vincent performs at the Estadio GNP Seguros (formerly known as Foro Sol) in Mexico City.
Liliana Estrada
The opening act for Rodrigo’s shows was Texas indie rocker St. Vincent, who released an album entirely in Spanish, Todos Nacen Gritando, late last year — a version of her Grammy-winning album All Born Screaming (2024). In her return to Mexico City, following her appearance at the previous edition of the Corona Capital festival, Annie Clark (her real name) was joined by Nine Inch Nails drummer Ilan Rubin as part of her band.
On Thursday night (April 3), Rodrigo will perform her second concert at the Estadio GNP Seguros before traveling to the northern city of Monterrey to participate in the Tecate Pa’l Norte festival over the weekend.
In an increasingly global music world, stars are popping up from every corner of the planet. But rising Colombian star Venesti may be the first to come from Guapi, a small, remote town near Colombia’s Pacific coast where there is nothing resembling a music industry.
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“This is a place with maybe 25,000 people or less. People who come from a place like Guapi, don’t think they can be successful at this level,” says Venesti, who at 14 years old move to nearby Cali, known as a capital of salsa and a breeding ground for new rhythms.
Venesti, real name Faiber Stiven Caicedo Castro, carved out the artistic name Venesti from a play on words on his middle names, and began to do a mix of tropical and pop informed by the Afrobeats of his hometown. Last year, he won his first Billboard Latin Music Award, for Best Latin pop song for “No Es Normal,” alongside Nacho and Maffio.
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Building on the song’s mix of pop beats with Afro roots and sensibility, Venesti released his sophomore album Origen on March 28 — a 12-track set that incorporates traditional Afro Caribbean rhythms with Afrobeats, reggaetón and ultimately pop for broad appeal.
“I wanted to find my roots, my culture,” says Venesti. “This is an evolution of my sound. I’ve gone through salsa, bachata, and I’ve rescued many sounds from each genre, I’ve encountered a lot of folklore, fused with Afro culture.”
The album features many collaborators, from known names like Guaynaa and Nacho to rising Colombian DJs and artists. Some may not be as known to mainstream Latin audiences but they’re part of Venesti’s journey from small town boy with big dreams to his arrival in Cali, and later, Bogotá, Medellín and Cartagena, all places whose music informs this album.
Below, Venesti gives us his picks of five tracks to begin his journey with.
“Taca Tu Tacu”
This came from a session with Gangsta, who is one of the most incredible producers today. We’d been talking forever and finally met in Miami. We chatted at home and set it up. I told I wanted to create a fusion of ancestral sounds, and he brought up currulao, a genre from the Pacific coast that’s set in five beats, and we put it inside the chorus. There’s like a currulao in the Afrobeat, and it may be my favorite song. [In terms of the lyrics] I began my career writing poetry, but I wanted a chorus here that you could feel rather than sing. The “Taca Tu Tacu” is the beat of my heart. The poem is recited by my heart.
“Tamo Ahí” (with DJ Pope)
This is the song that has that danceable rhythm, but the song is all about courtship, and you’re there, almost there. DJ Pope is Balvin’s longtime DJ and he’s also someone who’s come up to me and congratulated me for getting to where I am coming from a place like Guapi.
“Felina” (with Nacho)
I worked with Nacho in “No es normal” and I had that personal goa lof having him sing Afro. We agreed to do something else after “No es normal” and he had wanted to do another merengue. I said, bro, if you allow me, let me show you this other rhythm. And he fell in love. We did several songs, but in the end, we stayed with “Felina.”
“Me vas a extrañar” (with Jeivy Dance & Andy Alaska)
This is a heartbreak song. It’s sad to remember happy moments that are over, but it’s also about realizing it’s time to let go of the people who’ve hurt you. It’s about putting it all out there. I worked on this one with Jeivy Dance, this huge talent from Cartagena, and Andy Alaska, a DJ who’s going through a great moment. I hadn’t realized that Afro was being done like this in other parts of Colombia and the Pacific. The four DJs that are in this album are here based purely on friendship.
“Number 1”
This is the guy who is winning over the girl every day with little gestures. And when I say “gestures,” I don’t mean gifts; I mean a look, a call, those little things that matter, that are subtle. It’s a very romantic song and I think people will really connect with it.
Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco spoke out for the first time on Wednesday (April 2) about the controversial concert where they projected images of the leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, in an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara last weekend. The incident caused the United States to cancel the work and tourist visas of the group’s members.
In a statement and video posted on their social media, the Sinaloan group offered an apology for the events that occurred on Saturday (March 29) during their performance at the Telmex Auditorium, and stated that, as a group, “it was never our intention to create controversy, much less cause offense.”
The band — who has released some songs with clear references to narcoculture — reaffirms that their music is inspired by telling popular stories within Mexican music. “We will take more rigorous measures on the visual and narrative content of our shows,” he added.
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The statement from the corrido group — who perform in a genre that has occasionally made clear references to narco-culture and famous cartel leaders since its origins over a century ago — came a day after U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau confirmed on Tuesday (April 1) in a post on X that the government of that country had canceled the visas of the members of the Mexican group following the projection of images “that glorify drug traffickers.”
“In the Trump Administration, we take our responsibility regarding the access of foreigners to our country very seriously. We are not going to roll out the red carpet for those who glorify criminals and terrorists,” Landau stated in both English and Spanish.
The incident, which has caused great controversy and outrage in Mexico, was condemned on Monday (March 31) by Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum, and prompted the Jalisco State Prosecutor’s Office to launch an investigation for “advocating crime.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on February 20 the designation of eight cartels — including the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — and transnational organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT).
On Tuesday, the governor of Jalisco, Pablo Lemus, stated in a message on X that his government supports the measures taken by the University of Guadalajara to prevent concerts from glorifying criminal acts, such as what occurred over the weekend at the Telmex Auditorium.
Videos show the moment when attendees at the concert titled “Los Señores del Corrido” (The Lords of Corridos) erupted in jubilation as images of the drug lord were projected, further fueling controversy and outrage in Mexico.
In a statement, the Telmex Auditorium distanced itself from the events, explaining that the venue, “has no involvement in the selection of the repertoire, speeches, or audiovisual material that the artists choose to share with their audience.” However, it acknowledged that the images of the drug lord could be considered as “advocating crime.”
The controversy over the alleged homage to the drug trafficker comes after the debate over the way in which the cartel founded in that western Mexican state allegedly uses clandestine ranches to recruit people to the criminal group through deceitful job offers. As reported by federal authorities and the media, a raid by authorities at Rancho Izaguirre in the municipality of Teuchitlán revealed the spot where acts of torture and murders were allegedly committed, actions denounced in March by the Guerreros Buscadores collective, a civilian corps focused on finding missing and disappeared loved ones.
Billboard Women in Music 2025
Drea, a Latin Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, has been in many rooms throughout her twenty year career, but a recent three-day songwriting camp in Miami was a “game changer” for her.
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Drea (real name: Andrea Lopez) — who in 2021, won her first Latin Grammy with Gloria Estefan’s album #Brazil305, as a co-writer on the song “Cuando Hay Amor,” and in 2024 inked a deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) — was one of 10 music visionaries who formed part of UMPG and She is the Music’s songwriting camp held at the Mindful Music Lab that incorporated creativity and wellness.
“It’s been quite the experience to bring mindfulness and meditation into this space,” she tells Billboard. “I already do this on the regular, but never before a session, especially with other women who have the same intention.”
Led by the studio’s owner, wellness and music expert Brittany Berger, the songwriting camp was designed as a safe and supportive space for female artists, songwriters and producers while also fostering collaboration and community. The day kicked off with a sound healing meditation, followed by songwriting sessions with Isadora Figueroa, Shirel, RPLK, Aris, Nicole Horbath, MJ Nebreda, Nancy Sánchez, Renee, Ella Bric, Maia and Drea.
Below, Drea, as well as Alexandra Lioutikoff, President of US Latin and LATAM operations at UMPG and Vicky Rivas, A&R at UMPG Latin, speak to Billboard about the empowering initiative.
Aris and Renee create music together at UMPG / She is the Music song camp in Miami, Fla.
Javi Perez Fernandez
How did you recruit the nine female creatives for this specific three-day camp?
Rivas: Whenever I’m doing a camp, I try to put all three in a room, a producer, a songwriter and an artist. The golden number is four: one producer, two writers and the artist, but it depends on the room and we’re honestly flexible. It depends on how we’re feeling. Typically I have a plan, but the girls also come in with their own suggestions, so we shift things around to give them the session they are looking for. We’re paying for the studio time and putting all these resources in so that the songs can come together.
We started with our core roster from UMPG — such as Drea, MJ, Nancy — and then I talked to Chile and Mexico, to [ask them to] send us some of their amazing women. It’s also about finding people who are open to collaborating. We build a list and go from there to see who would be a great fit.
Lioutikoff: And also, this area is so much smaller than male. There are very few women. It’s not like we have a lot to choose from, but I think that it works out really well, because we can develop them, we can mentor them, and provide them with the right steps.
Why is it essential for these talented and creative women to incorporate the wellness portion to their day-to-day worklife?
Lioutikoff: It’s actually interesting. Mental wellness is such an important part in the industry. This is a perfect match. I’ve had many female songwriters complain throughout the years that when they are the only women in a session, their ideas are not taken seriously. Remember, women write from a different perspective. If you think about it, a lot of women sing songs written by men. It’s so important to have women in this particular area of songwriting, and even more in the Latin world. It’s very important for us to support these initiatives to the max. We see things with a different sensibility, especially in this part of the business.
Rivas: It’s also that they feel supported. I feel that when we started the first day with our mindful hour, at first it was new to them, but on the third day when Britney asked them how they felt, everyone was positive and even wanted to include it before their own sessions. They felt it was a moment about them, and it actually helps their creativity. The songs keep getting better. In the creative world, you’re giving so much. Creativity keeps going and going, but to have the opportunity to be vulnerable before their session, it’s truly wonderful.
Drea: A lot of us think it should be like this. It should have the mindfulness component when you’re creating because you need that calmness, that mindset of bringing a vision to life and you can’t do that if you’re chaotic. It’s been quite the experience to bring mindfulness and meditation into this space. I already do this on the regular, but never before a session, especially with other women who have the same intention. It really helped us a lot when we went into the room to create — it’s a game changer.
Now that you experienced this one-of-a-kind song camp; what do you expect moving forward?
Drea: We’re going to stay connected. The beauty about this is that everyone has different styles, different languages, different tastes, and it’s fun to be in these rooms with women who have different visions. I try not to expect anything from writing camps because you have to be really open — the more open, the better the experience. With this one, precisely, I didn’t have an expectation but I’m leaving with a lot of positivity and a lot of energy. The beginning of making music is always trying to express yourself and have fun with it, but then you realize you want it to become your career and it can get a bit clouded. With this, we went back to those beginnings, those initial feelings of excitement, of wanting to create. We are able to learn from other women, and it’s the best feeling. I feel like I’ve grown in the past three days.
Rivas: We want them to get a song out, and hopefully we offer the tools they need for their own project or someone else’s that they’re working on. On the other hand, it’s also a networking opportunity, where I want them to know that they are available to each other, and for them to also feel that they can recharge with the wellness aspect of it. We’ve given them new tools for their creativity.
Top (L-R): RENEE, Nancy Sanchez, Sofia Lafuente, Maia Vercelleto, Drea Lopez, Shirel
Bottom (L-R) Isadora Figueroa, Brittany Berger, Aris, Vicky Rivas, RPLK, Mj Nebreda
Javi Perez Fernandez
Billboard Women in Music 2025
The she-wolf has a name: It’s Isabel. And no, it’s not just a stage prop or an imposing figure decorating the set as one of the most powerful elements of the tour to convey a message that has crossed borders: “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan” (“Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in”). It carries an entire connotation.
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The she-wolf is Shakira’s alter ego, almost an extension of her own being — not only as an artist but also as a person — a symbolic manifestation of her rebirth and the woman who has built a new empire through her art, her music, and her resilience. For this reason, it’s no coincidence that this stage companion, which has become a symbol of strength and empowerment for her pack, was named after the Colombian artist’s middle name (Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll).
Isabel embodies the very essence of the artist and the woman who now reveals a new facet after having been a wounded she-wolf. A transformation of tears into diamonds that has been reflected not only in her music but also in the most ambitious tour of her more than 30-year career — her first stadium trek: the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour.
It’s a tour of colossal proportions, featuring a monumental stage weighing over 62 tons and a giant 50 x 12-meter screen that brings to life an AI-created avatar showcasing the show’s visuals, alongside musicians and dancers. But above all, it’s the existence of an all-terrain team of more than 150 people who serve as the backbone of everything, making the tour possible while becoming a pack that helps the she-wolf shine.
The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is almost like a mini-Tower of Babel, where languages and people of different nationalities come together to accompany the Barranquilla-born artist and bring to life the spectacle seen on stage each night. The team includes individuals from the United States, England, Ireland, Belgium, South Africa, Scotland, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Australia, and the Dominican Republic.
“A tour of this size is only possible thanks to all the people who travel with it. For example, the technology, the lights… It’s not just about the technical team; if you don’t take into account the people who do all the work, you really have nothing,” explains Marty Hom, the director of the LMYNL World Tour, who has been working with Shakira for 16 years. He has also been the longtime tour director/tour manager for Fleetwood Mac, Barbra Streisand and Stevie Nicks; more recently, he worked with the Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Olivia Rodrigo.
Upon entering the backstage area, the first thing you notice is the meticulous precision with which a team of this magnitude operates. Inside El Campín in Bogotá, or any other venue on the tour, many individuals have their own workspaces with computers and offices, and each zone has a designated person in charge to ensure that not even the smallest detail is overlooked. From these offices, everything is managed — from the arrival of refreshments to preparations for upcoming tour dates. And such logistics are necessary: when Shakira travels across the continent, she moves a total of 249,000 kilograms of equipment alone.
The artist’s security is also coordinated from this location, covering both the infrastructure and setup of the show as well as the personnel essential to ensuring Shakira enters and exits the venue safely. Hours later, as showtime approaches, the she-wolf’s pack witnesses the security operation unfold. At El Campín, between 50 and 70 officers are strategically positioned, giving the appearance of being bolted to one side of the stadium to ensure order for an unforgettable night.
Shakira’s health is also a priority, which is why the artist travels with two therapists, several masseuses and her own chef. Her diet, with the occasional indulgence, has to be quite strict, as does her training routine. The two-and-a-half-hour performance on stage demands constant discipline to maintain the physique, vitality, and stamina of a world-class pop star who, at 48 years old, continues to prove that her hips don’t lie.
For nearly a year and a half, her team worked tirelessly, with shifts lasting up to 16 hours a day, to bring to life the idea of a tour of this magnitude — an idea that initially came about during a casual conversation while creating a song in the studio. However, it has been Shakira herself who has led the charge, serving as the creative mind behind the tour, the hardest worker, and the driving force pushing the limits of what’s possible to ensure every detail bears the mark of the she-wolf.
The Challenge of Bringing Shakira’s Dream to Life
The staging is not just a technical matter but also an economic one. Marty Hom reveals that one of his greatest challenges as the head of the show has been balancing Shakira’s artistic vision with the financial realities of executing a tour of this magnitude. “The hard part for me is seeing the financial and economic impact of doing a tour of this scale,” he says. “The challenge is to let her have her artistic vision, maintain the integrity of the show, but also stay within budget. It’s about having a financial framework that ensures she can still turn a profit.”
That balance has been achieved with precision, resulting in a show that not meets the artist’s expectations and those of her fans — a multigenerational audience that has grown alongside the different phases Shakira has offered over the years. From the rockstar and the golden-hipped dancer to her romantic pop era and her latest empowered single-woman persona, embracing more contemporary and urban rhythms like reggaeton and other electronic sounds.
“The thing with Shakira is that she’s a perfectionist, and she wants everything to be perfect for her fans because they are the most important thing to her. She’s constantly thinking about how they will react and whether they’ll like what’s being done. That’s always her top priority,” concludes Hom.
Additionally, the staging includes a groundbreaking approach with the use of nine visual interludes that build the show’s narrative through artificial intelligence. A realistic avatar of her image and evolution over the years was developed over the course of more than five months at the Los Angeles-based creative studio Actual Objects — a rigorous creative process involving over 40 specialists in digital animation and 3D sculpting.
“Until now, no artist of Shakira’s caliber had used artificial intelligence in this way in the service of pop culture,” says Maite Marcos, her choreographer and right-hand collaborator for more than 20 years, who has been with her since day one of creating the tour. “An immense team was involved, with Shakira making constant changes to achieve the perfection of what she wanted to project. Creating this avatar of herself wasn’t easy, but we managed to use the technology to its fullest potential. Even the 13 costume changes she makes on stage were made possible thanks to the magic of the show.”
Now that the show is a reality, her team, who worked tirelessly for months to make it happen, is beginning to grasp the impact of what they’ve built and the message they want to convey. “Now is when I’m really starting to realize how big this is, seeing the audience’s reaction — not just live, but also on social media. And seeing what the message of ‘Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in’ means to them, and how it has connected with so many people, is indescribable,” says Alex Castillo, better known as AC, Shakira’s music producer and the mind behind hits like “Soltera.”
The show is a display of innovation and technology, but also a doctrine of female empowerment, carrying a clear message that has been conveyed through Isabel, the she-wolf, in whom many people have found inspiration for strength and freedom.
Isabel, the She-Wolf Shakira Brings to Live Each Night as a Symbol of Greatness
The symbolism of the she-wolf is no coincidence. Since her 2009 Spanish-language hit *”Loba”* (or “She Wolf” in English), the character of this animal has accompanied Shakira in her artistic evolution, with its meaning evolving alongside her — from representing a simple woman with carnal desire to becoming a symbol of empowerment that reflects her strength and resilience in the face of the challenging personal experiences she has endured in recent years.
“The she-wolf is our mascot. It’s a symbol of strength for her, one she has embraced as an emblem of female empowerment. The she-wolf is not only a symbol of empowerment for Shakira but is also meant to be a symbol of empowerment for women around the world,” says Hom.
And Shakira is not just a she-wolf. She is an untamed, passionate, and unrestrained she-wolf.
“She has that she-wolf spirit. She’s sexy, she’s free, she’s wild, as if she has no limits,” says Danira Littleton, the captain of the dance team for the LMYNL World Tour, who has closely experienced the entire creative process of the tour. “Many women can be shy, holding back out of fear of taking risks. But Shakira breaks through that. She dances on the ground, her hair and everything about her is like an untamed creature. She brings all that energy that makes women feel like we can be ourselves.”
“There are people who have such a powerful energy that everyone wants to be near them, and that’s precisely Shakira. Even if you don’t like her music, you can’t ignore her; everyone knows who she is because what she does and the energy she exudes are special,” adds Albert Menendez, her keyboardist since the recording of her MTV Unplugged, who has witnessed the she-wolf through all her stages.
During the tour, the figure of the she-wolf expands to a total communion with her pack, in a sort of pact portrayed in the “ten commandments of the she-wolf” projected during the show, because what would a she-wolf be without her pack?
It’s something that can be seen from the very first moment of the show, starting with the support she receives during her grand entrance, accompanied by fans dressed in silver as she makes her way to the stage.
A Vibrant Show With a Message that Resonates Powerfully
From the backstage of the Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran tour, there is one thing Shakira’s entire team agrees on: “The show is alive.”
Although the creative work behind the monumental final result took many months — with training sessions between Miami and Mexico to adapt to the altitude and workdays lasting up to 16 hours — every day and every performance is unique. There’s always a new surprise, continuous improvement, or a new resource or element that makes it special and different from all the others. All of this is done with the most important element in mind: the fans.
“The audience’s reaction is the final ingredient, the touch that ties everything together. It’s like the last instrument that completes the harmony of the show,” says AC. “Without that energy, it was hard to truly know how the show felt. But from the very first concert in Rio, it was clear: everything was in its place, the show was complete.”
And so, the howl of Isabel, the she-wolf, is finally heard louder than ever, transformed into a symbol of strength, freedom, and rebirth. It’s a journey of learning that Shakira herself expresses on stage during every concert — a story of a she-wolf wounded by life’s blows, who emerged stronger and filled with answers. A she-wolf who transformed her pain and found meaning in every fall. Because, as Shakira herself explains, it’s not just about recovering but about understanding the message that pain brings and using it as a driving force for growth, realizing that the only love that truly saves and shows the light at the end of the tunnel is self-love, though having the support of the pack during the process is also essential.
The Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour is more than just a tour. It is a testament to resilience, reinvention, female empowerment, and self-love. Now, after conquering Latin America with impressive numbers in the region — including 11 sold-out shows in Mexico and new dates scheduled for the summer — it will continue its journey through the United States starting May 13, marking Shakira’s return to North American stages, where her last stadium performance was at the iconic 2020 Super Bowl.
Shakira will return for a second leg in Latin America before taking her show to Europe, with plans to continue her journey in the near future through Asia and the Middle East. Over the next two years, her music, her story, and her legacy will resonate in every corner of the globe through her she-wolf Isabel, delivering a message that began as an artistic expression and has now evolved into an entire movement, driven by a massive pack that loudly proclaims, “Women don’t cry anymore, women cash in.” And why not men, too?
This article was originally published by Billboard Colombia.
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