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Latin

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A man named Daniel John Valtier of El Paso, Texas, was arrested in Miami and charged with one count of stalking Shakira, according to NBC 6 in Miami, citing the arrest report. He was detained outside the Latin music star’s home in Miami Beach on Monday (Jan. 8).
Billboard has reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department and Shakira.

“She’s my wife. I speak to her all the time,” Valtier, 56, is heard claiming during court on Tuesday (Jan. 9), in video shared by the local NBC affiliate.

“I have real concerns right now because this man is delusional saying she’s his wife and that’s not true. That is very concerning to the court,” the judge responded. “I’m very concerned. … Then I have the same man in court making comments to me  that suggest he believes that he has the right to be with this person and that is absolutely not true.” 

Valtier has been sharing alarming posts about the Colombian singer on social media for months, and has even sent gifts such as wine bottles and toys to her home, NBC Miami reported. 

“Shakira, she wants to be American like her father, and share the rest of her life with me. We will own a trucking business, sing songs, promote, manage and own a garment manufacturing corporation worldwide,” he wrote on Instagram in October.

The judge ordered a $50,000 bond, which he then increased to $100,000, and ordered that Valtier have zero contact with the singer, including no contact on social media, no sending letters or gifts, no emailing and no one else speaking to her on his behalf, unless required for court appearances.

“The 50K is not sufficient to protect this community and in particular this victim,” the judge said, according to NBC Miami. “I’m going to increase the bond to $100K because I feel that I have to, and with the stay away order.”

It has not taken 2024 long to find its first new global superstar. Xavi, the 19-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter born Joshua Xavier Guiterrez, is surging on Billboard charts, notably climbing to No. 1 on the Jan. 13-dated Emerging Artists survey.
The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200. (The Artist 100 lists the most popular acts, overall, each week.) However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

Xavi’s bustling activity is due in large part to the success of “La Diabla” and “La Victima,” both of which are unaccompanied solo singles. The former shoots from No. 62 to No. 34 on the Hot 100 and the latter leaps 79-55. As the leading non-English-language song on the first fully post-Christmas Hot 100 of the year, “La Diabla” drew 12.7 million on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Jan. 4, up 15% from the previous frame, according to Luminate.

“La Diabla” adds a second week atop the Hot Latin Songs chart, while rising to No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs.

Both of Xavi’s breakout hits are making great strides on Billboard’s global charts as well. “La Diabla” is No. 2 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. ranking and No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200, while “La Victima” climbs to Nos. 17 and 14, respectively. Both are new in each chart’s top 20.

Further, Xavi debuts on both charts with “Poco A Poco,” with Los Dareyes De La Sierra, and “Modo Dnd” with Tony Aguirre. The one-after-another onslaught is reminiscent of fellow regional Mexican star Peso Pluma’s sudden surge on the global charts last year, when he amassed seven debuts between March and April. Peso Pluma himself scores his fifth top 10 hit on each global list, as “Bellakeo” with Anitta hits No. 6 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 7 on the Global 200.

Even with all of Xavi’s success on the U.S.-based Hot 100 and Latin charts, three of his four globally-charting hits are higher on the Global Excl. U.S. tally than the Global 200. “La Diabla” and “La Victima” takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, on Billboard’s Mexico Songs ranking, while the former is also in the top 10 in Colombia and Ecuador.

Julión Álvarez y Su Norteño Banda capture their ninth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Buscándole a La Suerte” ascends to No. 1 on the Jan. 13-dated list. After seven weeks in the top 10, the song crowns the list with 6.7 million audience impressions earned during the Dec. 29-Jan. 4 tracking […]

01/10/2024

From música mexicana to cumbia and urban, the list includes a broad range of future Latin stars.

01/10/2024

Nigerian Afrobeats rapper-singer-songwriter Rema earns his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with the Feid collab “Bubalu,” which rises from No. 2 to lead the Jan. 13-dated list. The single is also Rema’s first chart appearance. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The Spanglish “Bubalu,” in […]

Young Miko is teaming up with Bizarrap for one of the producer’s popular music sessions. The Puerto Rican rapper and the Argentine producer announced their collaboration on Instagram on Monday (Jan. 8). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The pair revealed that the song will arrive Wednesday (Jan. […]

The 2024 Golden Globes had plenty of memorable moments that were televised, and even more but candid ones that were captured at the star-studded red carpet on Sunday (Jan. 8) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.
One of those highlights was when Brie Larson — who was nominated for best performance by a female actor in a limited series, anthology series, or a motion picture made for television for Lessons in Chemistry — met Jennifer Lopez for the first time. 

“I just try to be as present as possible because it’s the chance of a lifetime,” she said to Entertainment Tonight’s host Kevin Frazier just moments before encountering J.Lo. “You’re just surrounded by legends everywhere you look […] it’s hard to go ‘I’m not in a dream.’ I mean, I’m in my dream and I’m living my dream.” 

In the midst of the interview, Frazier signals Lopez, who was standing next in line to be interviewed by ET, to start making her way up. Larson’s reaction was quick and genuine: “Oh my god, I’m going to cry. I can’t deal with JLo. I’m going to cry,” she said. 

Immediately after, with Lopez in her baby pink dress standing in front of her, Larson broke down to tears and transformed into a fangirl. “You mean so much to me. I’m such a huge fan,” she said to Lopez, who also began to shed a tear. “I saw ‘Selena’ and it made me want to be an actor. You’ve always meant so much to me. It’s been a dream of mine so thank you so much. Your work ethic is so important.” 

“How sweet is that? I’m going to cry,” Lopez told Frazier when Larson left. “It’s amazing when she brought up the movie ‘Selena,’ you know, so many years later it still touches people. It’s very moving to me too.”

The humbling gesture even reminded Lopez of who inspired her to want to pursue an acting career.

“I remember being a little girl and watching ‘West Side Story’ and Rita Moreno changing my life,” she recalled. “So to have someone say to me, ‘I watched ‘Selena’ and it made me want to be an actress’ it’s so moving. It’s like your dreams came true and it’s such a beautiful thing.”

Watch the full red carpet video below:

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Alfredo Delgadillo has been appointed president and CEO of Universal Music México, Billboard can exclusively announce.  
Previously Universal Music México’s managing director, Delgadillo’s newly-expanded role includes Universal Music Group’s regional Mexican label, Fonovisa-Disa. The Mexico City-based executive will continue to report directly to Jesús López, chairman/CEO, Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula. 

“We are in a unique moment of growth for Latin music and Regional Mexican music, so this new responsibility comes with an even stronger commitment to continue growing the success and reach of our artists both in Mexico and around the world, alongside growing our live and management businesses,” Delgadillo said in a statement.

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“Now with the addition of the Fonovisa-Disa labels,” he continued, “I am looking forward to working closely with its leader Antonio Silva, for whom I have absolute respect and their entire team, to ensure that the legacy of Fonovisa-Disa, as the symbol and leader of Regional Mexican music, continues to grow and expand to the rest of the world.” 

After a 10-year run with EMI Music México, Delgadillo returned to Universal in 2013 (when UMG acquired EMI) as general manager of Universal Music México, and in 2017 was promoted to managing director where he was key in the development of local acts, such as Mon Laferte and Caloncho, while contributing to the growth of international acts in Mexico like J Balvin, David Bisbal, Metallica, U2 and Taylor Swift, among others.  

During his time with the label, the industry veteran, who began his career at Universal Music México in 1998, has overseen strategies to “take UMG’s international acts to the top of the Mexican charts” and “was responsible for the development and consolidation of Global Talent Services (GTS),” according to a press release.  

“Alfredo is an executive with extensive experience in all fields of entertainment, including records, management and touring,” added Jesús López, Universal Music Latin America and Iberian Peninsula chairman and CEO. “He has incredible leadership capacity and a great track record of developing and integrating young executives into his teams. These are among the many reasons for his ongoing success at Universal Music Mexico. I wish him every success in his new mission within the company. He has the support of our entire team.”  

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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See latest videos, charts and news

See latest videos, charts and news

Emilia Makes Moves in Spain

Emilia kicked off 2024 by revealing that she sold out her upcoming show in Madrid’s WiZink Center slated for July 6. Not only is it a remarkable feat to achieve six months ahead of the big date but it’s also the Argentine pop star’s first time performing at a venue of this capacity in Spain. Just last month, Emilia made history in her native country selling out 10 shows at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires in only 10 hours. The shows are set to take place in April for a collective audience of more than 100,000 fans. Billboard can confirm that, to date, only Emilia and Luis Miguel have achieved this feat. 

Emilia performs in concert on Day 2 of Morrina Fest on July 29, 2023 in A Coruna, Spain.

Cristina Andina/Redferns

Grupo Firme’s Europe Takeover

Speaking of concerts, this week Grupo Firme announced that they too are hitting the road in 2024 with their La Última Peda tour. Though the dates and venues are yet to be revealed, Firme confirmed they will be visiting fans in Mexico, the U.S., Latin America and, for the first time, Europe, becoming one of the few Mexican banda groups to do a tour in European territory. “You dictate where you want to see Grupo Firme. The most mentioned cities or countries [in the comments] will be where we will be present,” the group shared on Instagram. 

Xavi Dominates the Charts

In other música Mexicana news, rising Mexican-American artist Xavi scored his first Billboard No. 1 hit this week with “La Diabla” crowing the Hot Latin Songs chart. The viral track pushed Bad Bunny’s “Monaco” to the No. 2 spot after it spent 11 weeks at the top. “Super grateful with everyone and the whole team,” he previously told Billboard. “We’ve been doing everything with love, giving it our all to keep pushing our music and culture to new heights.” Additionally, Xavi’s “La Victima” jumped seven to five on that chart. This week, Karol G also let her followers on Instagram know that she’s been listening to Xavi. 

Bad Bunny’s New Year’s Resolution

In true fashion, Bad Bunny surprised fans at the start of this week (on New Year’s Eve) with the official music video of “No Me Quiero Casar,” part of his 2023 album nadie sabe lo que va a pasar mañana. In the nearly 10-minute-long video, the Puerto Rican artist is seen hanging out with family and friends at a NYE party—to everyone’s concern, they are all curious to know when Bad Bunny is going to settle down and get married. Annoyed by the questions and comments, and even his friends in relationships, Bunny decides to walk away and sing about living his best single life. The music video features an acting cameo by Cuban-American comedian Marcello Hernandez of Saturday Night Live and renowned Colombian DJ Alex Sensation. Revisit the clip below.

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The first No. 1 of 2024 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart belongs to 19-year-old Mexican-American artist Xavi, whose “La Diabla” (“The She-Devil”) is a romantic tumbado about a bad boy romancing a bad girl to the tune of a crunchy requinto guitar. Out on Interscope, the song, which rose from No. 4 to No. 1 post-Christmas, is Xavi’s first No. 1 on any Billboard chart. It also topped Spotify’s Global Top 50, a first for a solo regional Mexican act.

Xavi (short for Joshua Xavier Gutiérrez) also scored his fourth week atop Billboard’s Latin Songwriters chart on the strength of “La Diabla,” his previous single “La víctima” (which rose from No. 7 to No. 5 on Hot Latin Songs this week), “Poco a Poco” with Dareyes De La Sierra (at No. 18) and “Modo DND” with Tony Aguirre (at No. 21). 

It’s quite a performance for the relatively unknown singer-songwriter from Arizona, who was signed to Interscope two years ago when he was still in the early TikTok stage, with no viral hit to his name. 

“We have great respect for the indie labels, but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him,” says Manny Prado, vp of marketing and A&R for Interscope. “I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to the global charts, and hopefully next he’ll become a global superstar.” 

Prado, who spent two decades with Sony U.S. Latin, most recently as head of West Coast operations, moved to Interscope in August and took over a blooming regional Mexican roster that also includes Gabito Ballesteros and Iván Cornejo. While he works with all genres of Latin music in his new position, as a Mexican-American, the rise of regional Mexican music has been particularly gratifying, he says. Regional Mexican music — the broad umbrella term given to dozens of subgenres like banda, norteño, corridos and sierreño — has always been one of the foundations of Latin music’s success, both in the United States and Mexico. But it only entered the global consciousness — and the Hot 100 — in the past two years. 

Now, Xavi is part of a new generation of very young Regional Mexican artists whose music is currently the dominant Latin presence on the Hot 100 and the global Latin charts overall. But, unlike most rising stars, who first enter the upper echelons of the charts aided by collaborations and big-name partnerships, Xavi has done so alone. Both “La Diabla” and “La víctima,” his two big hits, are solo efforts by design. Since signing him, Interscope has focused on developing both his style and his songwriting. His more romantic approach — Xavi has yet to enter “bélico,” or drug-related songwriting terrain — coupled with a baby face and a vibrant, acoustic sound, has given him broad appeal. And Interscope’s focus on social amplification has taken his music even further. 

In recognition of Xavi’s Hot Latin Songs chart feat, Prado is Billboard’s Executive of the Week. Below, he talks about the rise of Regional Mexican with a younger generation, why they decided not to make “La Diabla” a duet, how they plan to broaden Xavi’s reach beyond the Latin audience and more.

You’re based in Los Angeles but report to Nir Seroussi, who runs Interscope’s Miami office, with a growing Latin roster. How important is Mexican music within that?

Here at Interscope, we don’t have an “Interscope rock” or an “Interscope country,” and we don’t have a division we call Latin or Mexican. What we do is we assemble a specific team depending on the artist, and I’m in charge of all the “Miami” roster, [including] Kali Uchis and Karol G. Regional Mexican has grown exponentially. We already had Xavi when I came in, as well as Iván Cornejo and Marca Registrada [among many others]. And the common theme is they’re all young. The majority are Mexican-American, which I love, born in the United States, just like me. My parents are Mexican immigrants, so for me, it’s an honor to work with these types of artists that I have so much in common with. It’s all about respecting each individual artist, having the deepest respect for their roots and giving them the service they want. Sometimes we work with our general-market company. We don’t have borders. 

Regional Mexican music has always been a backbone of Latin music but has never been this global. Why do you think it’s having such a moment right now? 

They’re Gen Z-ers, and I think that’s the difference. For example, I was at Amoeba Music, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I’d see Natanael Cano and Gabito Ballesteros t-shirts. That’s the beauty of today that has never happened: The younger generation is growing up with these artists. When I was growing up it was all traditional music, there was nothing really young. Now it’s cool to like Mexican; the way they dress, the way they talk, they’re very relatable. And you can be an artist from Mexico and have the same things. 

Within this big crop of acts, what makes Xavi stand out?

When Nir and the team first met Xavi, they immediately recognized a genuine artist in the traditional sense: a phenomenal songwriter who can sing and is also relatable. In a sea of artists lacking these qualities, Xavi stood out. People are growing weary of the superficial, and they crave authenticity — the real deal. And Xavi is the real deal. We have a daily sentiment report that we’re very much obsessed with. 

A sentiment report? Can you explain?

We go into social media and look at every little comment. For example, if there’s a post on TikTok, we’ll see what the general sentiment is. This team is amazing. What sets Xavi apart by just looking at that report and talking to people is his mannerisms, his style, he’s being compared to the biggest artists on the planet. People like him. Tiene angel.

You said that social media has played a huge role in Xavi’s rise. Can you point to some examples in which Interscope mined that? 

Our digital marketing team prioritized reaching out to genre-specific music reviewers to encourage them to discuss Xavi. We presented them with the project, and they consistently came back with extremely positive comments. Additionally, we organically documented special moments in the studio, video shoots and interviews, keeping Xavi’s audience captivated and well-informed. It wasn’t easy. A lot of people said, “Who is that kid?” The music also changed and he found his direction. 

How did the music change? 

He just found his style. It became like tumbadito romántico. Before it was a lot more romantic, a little poppier. Now he has more of a Mexican edge in the music. Another thing is, “La Diabla” talks about women in a very positive light. We’re seeing the female population really embrace it. In the genre, it’s not a thing to write about women in a positive light. 

I’m also struck by the fact that his two biggest hits are solo tracks instead of collabs. Was this a deliberate decision? 

Yes, and we’re very proud of it. He actually made history as the only solo Mexican artist to hit No. 1 on the Spotify chart. We wanted to be different and we felt that Xavi really had the talent, that distinctive voice to accomplish that goal. When we saw “La víctima” take off like it did, and then we had “La Diabla,” we said, “Let’s keep going.” We did think about making it a duet and we’ve had various artists approach [us], but ultimately the decision was, we’re going alone. We felt we had so much momentum that we thought we shouldn’t wait, even though the holidays were coming.

How did you promote the track? 

We had a Posada at Interscope studios before the holidays, around December 14. It’s for sure the first regional Mexican event done at the historic Interscope studios in L.A., and we invited DSPs, influencers, traditional media, and that’s how we kicked off the single. And we amplified everything through that event. The goal was to surpass “La víctima.” Honestly, the goal was not a global No. 1.

I know Xavi was signed two years ago, and shortly after, he was in a big car accident that required hospitalization, extensive plastic surgery and which sidelined him for a bit. How did that affect his development? Was there a tipping point? 

I don’t think this happened overnight. And we’ve always been working on music since he got signed, and that’s what it’s all about: A&R and creating awareness. He really wasn’t doing media because he was going through a moment there with the accident. But he came out of it and he wanted to give it his all. Everything clicked all at once, even though it was two years in the making. But I want to stress: It wasn’t overnight. We have four songs now on the global charts. And that’s rare nowadays. We have great respect for the indie labels but it’s not like he was going viral and we signed him. Interscope came across a video, they shared it with Nir, Nir decided to sign him. I think it’s a big success for a major label that we were able to get an artist from zero to getting on the global charts, and hopefully, next he’ll become a global superstar. Really rare nowadays.  

Are there any specific examples of how the Latin team collaborated with Interscope’s general-market departments on “La Diabla”?

Once the record gained traction, we collaborated with Gary Kelly‘s team (Interscope’s GM/chief revenue officer) to expand its reach beyond Latin playlisting, successfully securing a spot on Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits. All the DSPs have been very supportive, but it hasn’t been automatic. We are also closely working with Cara Donatto (executive vp/head of media) and Xavier Ramos (executive vp of pop & rock marketing) and their respective teams on general-market media outreach and marketing initiatives.

What’s next for Xavi?

He recently signed with WME and we’re working hand in hand with them and working on a tour. He recently signed a publishing deal with Universal Latin. We don’t have plans for an album yet, so we will keep releasing singles. And we’re releasing the video for “Sin Pagar la Renta,” which never had a video when it was originally released last year. That’s also unusual.