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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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Los Tigres del Norte Make History — Again!
This week, Los Tigres del Norte broke its own stadium attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, drawing 75,595 fans during the rodeo’s Go Tejano Day. As part of their Siempre Contigo tour, the renowned norteño band, known as The Voice of the People, performed at the sold-out NRG Stadium just days after also closing out the Besame Mucho Festival with more than 70,000 fans in attendance. At the former, Los Tigres broke its own 2019 record by topping it with nine more attendees this year.
“Thank you to our beloved fans […] without you, this wouldn’t have been possible,” the Regional Mexican group wrote on Instagram.
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Karol G’s Tour Also Makes History
Karol G is currently on the Latin American leg of her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, where she also broke records in Costa Rica this week. Billboard recently reported that the “Bichota” singer sold nearly 105,000 tickets between her two sold-out shows in San José (March 9-10), becoming the highest ticket sales ever for a concert in the Central American country; the record was previously held by Coldplay in 2022.
Additionally, as the trek moves to Europe, the Colombian superstar also achieved a groundbreaking feat by becoming the first artist to sell out four shows at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, where she will perform from July 20 to 23. Click here to see an updating list of all her MSB tour records.
Karol G at Billboard Women In Music 2024 held at YouTube Theater on March 6, 2024 in Inglewood, Calif.
Christopher Polk
From Billboard Latin Music Week to “Existo”
On Friday (March 15), Pedro Capó and Carin León dropped their first collaborative effort “Existo,” a song they created in real time, in front of a live audience and in 30 minutes at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week in October. The captivating track starts off with country-tinged guitar riffs and transitions into a mid-tempo cumbia, and resembles the resilience and empowerment of human beings in the midst of adversity. The lyrics are based on the real experiences of both singers: “How can I not be successful if I exist?” they passionately chant.
The idea of the song was first created during the Making the Hit, Live! panel at Latin Music Week. In the Instagram Live video below, Capó and León talk to Billboard about finally bringing it to life.
Goyo’s Daughter Shines on Stage
Goyo and her young daughter, Saba, had a shining moment this week when the pre-teen shared her talent on stage with CeeLo Green. “Last night was simply magical,” the Colombian artist, who shares her daughter with former Chocquibtown singer Tostao, expressed on Instagram. The sweet moment was captured on video, in which Saba is seen singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as CeeLo and her mom hype her up on stage. “My daughter Saba demonstrated that the best pathway to empower is with example. CeeLo Green asked who knew the song and without doubting a second, made her dreams come true. The younger, the more wild,” she wrote.
On Friday, March 15, rising regional Mexican artist Christian Nodal headlined Billboard’s annual THE STAGE at SXSW concert series, which takes over Austin’s Mood Amphitheater within Waterloo Park. Nodal delivered the second of three stellar performances as part of the series, including PartyNextDoor, who kicked things off on Thursday, and Illenium, who will close out […]
In their much-cited 2023 paper “Glocalisation of Music Streaming within and across Europe,” Will Page and Chris Dalla Riva note that the rise of global streaming platforms correlates with the strengthening of local music.
This seemingly contradictory state is what the authors refer to as “glocalisation” — or “glocalization” in the American spelling. And in Latin music, that phenomenon has led to a spike in local genres like corridos, banda, funk and Argentine rap in recent years.
According to Pedro Kurtz — Deezer’s head of music for LATAM, speaking on a SXSW panel titled “Latin Music Momentum In The Age of ‘Glocalization’” on Tuesday (Mar. 12) — it’s about relatability.
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“We listen to music that we relate to, that represents us culturally. You look at artists and they’re speaking my language, and everything moves from there.”
Kurtz appeared on the panel alongside Cris Garcia Falcão, MD of label and artist strategy/GM of Latin at Virgin Music, and Sandra Jimenez, head of music in Latin America at YouTube — and the conversation (which I moderated) often turned lively between the three Brazilian executives.
Their points of view not only highlighted the glocalization phenomenon and how democratization and streaming dramatically changed Latin music, but also the similarities and differences between the Brazilian and Latin American markets, which many tend to lump together — even though they’re vastly different.
Although Brazil is an enormous and powerful market, the music is in Portuguese, and there is still a language barrier that must be broken down in order to break through internationally; even Brazilian megastar Anitta had to sing in Spanish to get noticed.
But, notes Jimenez, “There is no language barrier for Spanish. It’s almost like one big country. It’s a region with more than 300 million people. It’s a huge region.”
Its sheer size has given the region clout.
On YouTube, Latin America is “one of the top three regions in the world in terms of music consumption,” said Jimenez. For Deezer, added Kurtz, “It’s the second most important region in terms of streaming and engagement.”
And the vast majority of the content consumed on streaming platforms in Latin America is local.
For example, Falcão said that before the pandemic, “It was more about Anglo content. Now, it’s more democratic. Everyone should understand our region and our culture and adapt.”
Those who do, win. In Brazil, more than 80% of music consumption is local. In Mexico, says Kurtz, “72% of our streaming comes from local artists. It’s a big number, and local branches are getting more autonomy. Back in the day, we had other forces pushing music.”
Beyond the numbers, there are other intangibles. The Latin diaspora globally has led to music in Spanish, in particular, being consumed all around the world — and that phenomenon was accentuated during the pandemic. “It made us more internal,” said Jimenez. “It wasn’t possible to meet with friends and family, so we created community.”
As Latin music consumption has increased, so has music creation and investment in the region. Kurtz says that starting in 2020, Deezer has seen its number of weekly pitches in the region almost double — reflecting an increased interest in making music.
“It’s about people valuing their own cultures, and the charts are basically a mirror of that,” he said.
This week, Billboard‘s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — feature fresh new releases from artists such as Ivan Cornejo, Andrés Cepeda, Reik, Joss Favela and more. Mexican American teen Ivan Cornejo delivers a new sad sierreño song that his fans could soon turn into a new anthem. “Baby Please” finds the 19-year-old pleading […]
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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Ovy on the Drums & Myke Towers, Cassette 1 (King OVY/Warner Music Latina)
Ovy on the Drums’ latest musical project, Cassette 1 — which he first told me about confidentially back in Oct. 2023 — has finally seen the light. A joint EP with Myke Towers, the six-track set showcases the magic that the Colombian hitmaker and Puerto Rican artist, alongside select collaborators, can make in the studio. It kicks off with “Desataaa,” in collab with Spanish newcomer SAIKO, an edgy distorted reggaetón jam that’s laced with Ovy’s signature instrumentation — drums, piano, and violins (think Karol G’s “Provenza,” “Tusa”).
In “Bellaqueria,” the duo reeled in Argentine artist La Joaqui for a rather sensual dancehall number powered by smooth, electric guitars and crashing ocean waves. “Come give more of those kisses that you give me/ Let me surprise you/ You’re hot, I can see it/ And you didn’t want anything/ The night is perfect to get steamy,” they chant. Another notable track on Cassette is the rhythmic, Calypso-infused “Pobre Diable.” Meanwhile, “Godiva” (with Blessd and Ryan Castro), “Amor Narcotico” and “Tu Cuerpo Me Llama,” are hard-hitting futuristic reggaetón bangers with sensual lyrics.
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Billboard can confirm that Cassette 1 is the first part of multiple collaborative EPs that Ovy on the Drums has in the works. — JESSICA ROIZ
Ivan Cornejo, “Baby Please” (Interscope Records)
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Known for his signature moody lyrics and sad sierreño tunes, Ivan Cornejo strikes a chord here with “Baby Please.” The Mexican American artist, who penned the song in his hometown of Riverside, Calif., also plays guitar and the violin on the new heartbreak song — which will likely soon turn into an anthem, much like all of his other ultra-melancholic songs. The emotional piece finds the 19-year-old pleading for a second chance: “This song was inspired by the desperate desire we feel during our lowest moments in a break up,” Cornejo said in a statement. “We hate the attachment but love the thought of a rekindled love. I wanted this song to feel like I’m vulnerable but at the same time willing to fight for her.” — GRISELDA FLORES
Reik, “Abril” (Sony Music México)
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Just in time for spring, Mexican pop trio Reik presents “Abril.” The captivating song begins as a soft ballad, harmoniously led by strings and vocals, and then evolves with electronic elements into a contemporary pop-style piece. The lyrics of the song narrate the longing for a lost love that resurfaces with the arrival of the month of April, as expressed by the band’s vocalist, Jesús Navarro, in the chorus: “And, the truth is, I can’t stop thinking about you/ Nothing comes close to the first kiss I gave you/ And if I had just one wish to make/ May April come back, April come back.” The music video takes place in an urban environment that gradually transforms into a spring setting, with a trail of flowers left by the protagonist. — LUISA CALLE
Yeison Jimenez & Luis Ángel “El Flaco,” “Hasta El Último Momento” (Yj Company – Black Lion Digital)
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When Mexican banda fuses with Colombia’s música popular, like it does in “Hasta El Último Momento,” the result is a powerful and uplifting anthem that celebrates the power of gratitude and invites listeners to live life to the fullest. The special collaboration begins with vibrant trumpets and rhythmic percussion, and brings together both genres’ energetic rhythms and soulful melodies. This song will be included in Yeison Jiménez’s next studio album, 17-32. The lyrics convey a powerful message about cherishing life’s experiences over material wealth. And it reminds us that moments of joy, love and connection are more valuable than any monetary possession. — INGRID FAJARDO
Joss Favela & Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho, “Somos” (Sony Music Latin)
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Marked by its compelling requinto riffs and resonant tuba, “Somos” delves into the profound bond that renders two souls inseparable, a sentiment vividly captured in the lyrics: “Tú y yo somos mucho más que separados.” Written by Joss Favela, the sierreño love ballad — a style popularized by the late, great Ariel Camacho — captures the essence of being more together than apart, making the single a testament to love’s unifying power. It’s a heartfelt narrative of indivisible love, rooted in Favela’s desire to pivot from his usual themes of heartache to a celebration of love. “My idea was to do a love song,” Favela says in a statement. “Because generally if you have noticed, I sing a lot about heartbreak — because sometimes that’s how I get ideas of pain, and when I had a love song I wanted to invite them.” — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Andrés Cepeda, “Prométeme” (Warner Music México)
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With his first release under Warner Music, which he joined in October, Andrés Cepeda presents a romantic pop-rock ballad. Led by pleasant electric guitar riffs, “Prométeme” begins softly, speaking about the thrill of beginning of a relationship, before soaring with a vigorous chorus: “Promise me that you’ll still stay when I fail/ When as time passes, I give myself away and the truth comes out/ When our lips touch and lose their electricity/ Promise me that you’ll still stay until the end.”
The single — “a song that proposes the future of a long-term relationship, with all the difficulties and obstacles that this represents,” Cepeda explains in a press release — was recorded between Bogotá and Los Angeles. It also comes with a music video filmed in the Bogotá neighborhood of Chapinero, where the singer and his band appear blindfolded playing in a room full of flowers —the freshness of new, blind love at its best. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:
Eight months following an abrupt halt due to “excessive crowds” at Central Park’s SummerStage, Juanes made a grand return to New York City, delivering an unforgettable performance at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (March 15).
“I can finally see your faces since the last time I was here [in New York] at SummerStage,” Juanes said during his show, reflecting on the history-making moment when, for the first time in 30 years, SummerStage had to stop an ongoing concert because of a non-weather-related problem. “My heart is full thanks to you; I am very happy to be here.”
The sold-out Radio City performance was highly anticipated after the overwhelming attendance of more than 17,000 fans at the Central Park SummerStage in July, which was called off last minute due to “excessive crowds.” Fans in NYC were finally able to see Juanes’ full show Thursday, when he performed some of his greatest hits and tracks from his Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning 10th studio album, Vida Cotidiana, released in May 2023.
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The Colombian rockstar, clad in black and wearing a denim vest that showed his arm tattoos, kicked off with “Gris” and followed with his classic “Mala Gente” — the only two songs he played in Central Park last year before his show was shut down — electrifying the 6,000-strong crowd at Radio City.
A particularly memorable moment was the medley of “Lo Que Me Gusta a Mí,” “Fuego” and “Hermosa Ingrata,” during which he seamlessly mixed rhythms and melodies. The acoustic version of “Para Tu Amor” stood out as he came off stage to perform it among the audience, creating an intimate and personal atmosphere.
The concert setlist wove a narrative through Juanes’ discography, touching on themes of love, social reflection and personal introspection. Among the most chanted songs were the heartfelt “Amores Prohibidos,” “Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor” and also the mega catchy “La Paga” and “La Camisa Negra,” during which he showed off his unmistakable guitar riff.
Juanes closed the night with Juan Gabriel’s “Querida,” “Me Enamora” and “La Luz,” encapsulating the essence of his artistry and the connection he shares with his fans.
The Vida Cotidiana USA and Canada Tour, produced by Live Nation, began on Feb. 13 in Portland, Ore., and will end on March 30 in Hollywood, Fla. Upcoming cities include Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Houston, Dallas, Boston and more.
Revisiting the entirety of El Dorado for a live 25th anniversary edition — which ended up materializing a few years later due to the coronavirus pandemic — was something special for Aterciopelados, the Colombian rock group led by vocalist Andrea Echeverri and producer Héctor Buitrago.
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“Facing a repertoire from 28 years ago is difficult, you are not the same anymore,” Echeverri admits in an interview with Billboard Español. “The challenge was to retake that album that had a ’90s sound, bring it to the future, and preserve the essence of that era, but make it sound more appropriate for these times,” adds Buitrago.
Today (March 15), they release El Dorado Live, a version of the seminal ’90s Colombian rock album that made them transcend the boundaries of their country, with classics like “Florecita Rockera,” “Siervo sin Tierra” and “De Tripas Corazón.” Recorded on April 22, 2023, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Bogota, the new independent production features the 16 songs from the original LP, with the participation of Café Tacvba‘s Rubén Albarrán on “Mujer Gala” and “La Estaca,” and Carlos Vives on “Bolero Falaz.” The project includes videos for each song that have been released on Aterciopelados’ YouTube channel, with Vives’ debuting Thursday night, just hours before the album came out.
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“Aterciopelados for me is one of the gods of Bogota rock with whom I grew up,” Vives said in a press release. “For me, it is an honor to sing this song with them.”
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The release will be followed by the El Dorado Tour, a 12-date North American journey that begins on April 9 in Phoenix and will make stops at cities such as Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami, before ending on April 27 in Toronto (for the entire itinerary, click here).
Echeverri and Buitrago were young idealists and dreamers when they debuted as Aterciopelados in 1993 with the album Con El Corazón en la Mano, in which they mixed their punk rock influences with sounds of Colombian folk. But it was El Dorado, released on October 24, 1995, through Sony BMG, that put them on the international map, with an original sound and relevant lyrics on ecology, feminism and human rights.
“We are not [academic] musicians, it’s all very much by ear and sensitivity,” explains Echeverri. “I think that because of that … we have done things in different ways, and we come out with all kinds of weird things that work great.”
Three-time Latin Grammy winners, and five-time Grammy nominees, Aterciopelados has appeared on the Billboard charts with their album Gozo Poderoso (2001), which reached No. 11 on Top Latin Albums and No. 7 on Latin Pop Albums, while their song “El Álbum” (from that same set) entered the Latin Pop Airplay ranking.
In 2021 they released their latest studio album, Tropiplop, while their last single was “Liberté” with Dr. Shenka, Susana Baca, and Bunbury, released in December 2023. They are currently working on a new album that they hope to put out before the end of this year. Echeverri and Buitrago discuss returning to El Dorado below.
It’s been 28 years since the release of El Dorado. What was it like to re-live the entire album after so much time?
Echeverri: Well, we were going to celebrate the 25th [anniversary] because a big festival here [in Colombia] had suggested it, but then the pandemic happened. That’s why it ended up being the 28th, which is kind of an odd date. What did we feel? Many things, because facing a repertoire from 28 years ago is difficult, you are not the same anymore. At least vocally, I suffered, because I used to have a light, naive girl’s voice, and now I have a more mature woman’s voice. [Laughs.]
What songs were particularly challenging for you?
Echeverri: All of them! In fact, I changed my vocal coach, I worked on the whole thing. The idea was not to sound the same as before. The idea was more about adjusting the songs to my current sound, which is what we achieved. But there are also many very fast songs, there are many very fierce ones, like “Pilas,” like “No Futuro,” which we have never stopped singing … It was a challenging and difficult process, but in the end I think we pulled it off. The other day I was listening to it, and it does sound powerful, with a thick, strong voice, beautiful.
Hector, what was the hardest thing for you?
Buitrago: The challenge was to retake that album that had a ’90s sound, bring it to the future, and preserve the essence of that era — but make it sound more appropriate for these times. We did the work all these previous months where we rehearsed the songs, and I think we achieved a balance between everything we were thinking we wanted to do with this album. In my case, it was also stressful because I was the producer, but there were also many more details — and it’s an album that we released independently, so we had to keep an eye on the cameras, the lights, the video, the guest musicians…
Echeverri: …the set design, the costumes… and also put out the money! That’s also hard. [Laughs.]
Can you give us an example of a song that particularly changed to make it more current?
Echeverri: I think the most noticeable one is “Tripas,” because we didn’t have a keyboard back then.
Buitrago: Yeah, “De Tripas Corazón” was perhaps the rockiest one, the one we felt was the most repetitive and was going to sound more like the ’90s, so we added a keyboard there. Let’s say that was the only one we transformed that much. The rest are closer to their time.
Many things have happened in your lives and in the industry since you released El Dorado. Do you still identify with your songs in the same way?
Echeverri: I think that in the midst of the difficulty, the tension, the most beautiful thing was to meet the songs again, because they were songs that we wrote years ago. We are not [academic] musicians, everything is very much by ear and sensitivity, but when you hear the songs you say “Wow, we were good!”
I think the one that impacted Héctor and me the most was “Siervo Sin Tierra.” In fact, yesterday, when I was watching the [concert] videos, at “Siervo Sin Tierra,” many people cry. We cried during rehearsals.
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Aterciopelados has created an important legacy for rock en Español and has been a great influence for other artists. How do you feel about it?
Echeverri: I think that precisely because we are not academic musicians, we have done things in different ways, and we come up with all kinds of weird things that work great … But I think the legacy perhaps also comes more from the identity side and the conceptual side because, from the beginning, Aterciopelados has been talking about feminism, environmentalism and anti-war themes, when these were not such common topics.
Many of your songs are still relevant 25 years later. Did you think back then that you were creating anthems?
Echeverri: I think we’ve always been ahead of our time. [Laughs.] But did we think it was going to last? No! I think that precisely because we went from rehearsing in a laundromat … to recording albums, we were very inexperienced, very naive. But we were also kind of punk, so we were very bold. I think nobody imagined anything. And there was not even a music scene in Colombia, you did it because it was fun, because it was good to do it.
Buitrago: But later we found out that yes, there were many bands that said that Aterciopelados had been an influence at some point at the beginning of their careers, that they saw Andrea or saw Aterciopelados and were inspired by the lyrics, by the attitude.
Today Colombia is a great exporter of music, with many artists entering the Billboard charts and touring globally. How do you see the current music scene in your country?
Buitrago: I feel that everything that happened in the ’90s, when there was no scene — there were not even stages, there were no festivals — that’s when everything began to grow, an infrastructure began to be generated that did not exist before: managers, technicians, recording studios … and I think that what began to develop at that time is what makes Colombian music be everywhere today.
What is happening currently with Colombian music is, first, the reflection of a country that has many geographies and therefore also a lot of sound richness — there are not only Caribbean sounds but there are Pacific sounds, sounds from the coasts but also from the inland. All this richness is now being shown to the world with a very powerful infrastructure.
Listen to El Dorado En Vivo by Aterciopelados here:
Pedro Capó and Carin León have dropped their first collaborative effort called “Existo” — the song they created in only 30 minutes at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week, and which Billboard can exclusively premiere Friday (March 15). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news A captivating track that […]
Emilia and Tini combine forces for their first collaborative top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart as “La_Original.mp3” rises 12-8 on the March 16-dated list. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “La_Original.mp3,” released Nov. 2, 2023, via Sony Music Latin, is part of Emilia’s .mp3 album, released […]
Playing for the first time at Miami’s Kaseya Center last month was a once in a lifetime experience for Morat. “It is very surreal because it feels like singing to all of Latin America at once,” said frontman Juan Pablo Isaza of the experience of performing to a largely Latin audience in the United States.
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Upon completion of its fourth U.S. tour, the band will begin its first international stadium tour, Antes De Que Amanezca, this summer, starting in Madrid on June 21, and making stops in Caracas, Quito, Santo Domingo, and concluding in Mexico City on December 13.
In their Billboard News interview, with Billboard‘s Leila Cobo, chief content officer of Latin/Español, the Colombian pop rock band delved into the nuances of their musical journey, marked by their first-ever stadium tour, their reflections on Latin identity stateside, singing with Grupo Frontera and the impact of their music across borders.
Isaza highlighted the magnitude of their tour in the group’s chat with Billboard. “Fortunately, [the music] has been climbing [up the charts], and the truth is that we have been very surprised by what happened this year,” he pointed out.
The conversation also touched upon the band’s role in the evolving landscape of Latin music, which has expanded beyond urbano to include more traditional sounds. This was highlighted by their 2018 song “No Se Va” getting covered by Tejano band Grupo Frontera last year on the latter’s debut album El Comienzo, becoming a viral sensation that introduced Morat to audiences in a new light. “Our song was a grain of sand in everything that is happening with the expansion of genres in Latin music,” added Isaza. The two bands also recently teamed up to sing the song together.
“The first time we experienced that [kind of success] was through Grupo Frontera with their version of the song. So for us it was crazy because it hasn’t always been [like that], and from here on it will obviously continue to be a very important song for us,” Isaza noted.
Bassist Simón Vargas Morales offered his thoughts on the unique connection Morat feels with the Latin community in the United States. “The feeling of the Latin community is different,” he shared. “In the end, we all become part of a migrant community, which creates a bond that is beautiful and unlike anything we experience when touring through Latin America.”
Additionally, drummer Martín Vargas Morales shared his excitement about the band’s impact and the reception of their music in stadiums, particularly their sold-out show in Bogotá at El Campín: “I feel that especially the one in Bogota, that one in particularly hits differently.”
Check out Morat’s 2024 tour dates here, and watch their Billboard News interview above.