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When Bad Gyal (born Alba Farelo Solé) saw her grandma — her dad’s mom — supporting her at one of her shows, nothing else mattered. “I thought, ‘I can relax now,’” the Spanish hitmaker says in a one-on-one candid conversation with Billboard‘s Leila Cobo. “If she approves it, if she is looking at me with eyes of hope and understanding it’s me, then everything is fine.”
It’s safe to say that today, it’s not just her grandma that approves of Bad Gyal’s music, which is often a blend of dembow, reggaetón and dancehall. In fact, Bad Gyal, who first got on people’s radar with her own take on Rihanna’s “Work,” was most recently an opening act on Karol G‘s massive Mañana Será Bonito U.S. Tour, and has now collaborated with the likes of Ñengo Flow, Anitta, Nicki Nicole and Ovy on the Drums. Boasting more than 13 million listeners on Spotify, Bad Gyal hustled to carve a lane for herself thanks to a commanding stage presence, her infectious beats and cheeky (often explicit) lyrics.
Which makes sense that she’d drop her debut album, La Joia (via Universal Music Latino/Interscope), at this point in her career. “I felt it was [the right] time when I had more experience in songwriting, in the studio, in choosing the producers, in the material that has been made, what’s better, what’s less important,” the 26-year-old singer-songwriter explains. “Over the years, you gain experience and you know yourself better.”
Knowing herself is also what allows her to exude confidence knowing exactly what she wants and doesn’t want. “I have always been certain that I’m going to do what I want to do,” Bad Gyal says categorically. “I have earned my position and people respect me a lot.”
So, when Rauw Alejandro wanted to twerk with her onstage at one of his shows in Puerto Rico last month, she respectfully declined. And, as expected, that specific moment vent viral on TikTok, with some praising her reaction as a girl-power move. “For starters, I think it was a culture shock. Usually, if I’m going to perform with a man, I do some rehearsal. But that wasn’t the case there so it caught me by surprise,” she says. “Secondly, I have never twerked with a man on stage. In the future, I might.”
Watch Bad Gyal’s interview above where she also talks about how “Chulo Pt. 2,” in collaboration with Tokischa and Young Miko, came about, juggling multiple jobs to earn a living (while also studying fashion) and all the details about her new album, which released Friday (Jan. 26).
This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — is powered by new music from Christian Nodal, who teams up with Peso Pluma for his first-ever corrido tumbado, Blessd, Bacilos and Bad Gyal, who dropped her debut album La Joia.
Blessd’s Si Sabe is home to 14 tracks and a true representation of the Colombian artist’s signature innovative reggaetón — al estilo Medellín — backed by sultry and futuristic urban beats. The set, Blessd’s third studio album, includes team-ups with artists such as Peso Pluma, Feid, Ryan Castro and Sky Rompiendo.
Meanwhile, Spanish artist Bad Gyal has unleashed her debut album La Joia, which finds expanding her musical range, with producers such as El Guincho, MAG, Sky Rompiendo and Storch in tow. Bad Gyal recruits Quevedo, Ñengo Flow and Myke Towers, among others, for collaborations.
Other new releases include Bacilos’ tropipop gem “Anoche,” Leon Leiden and DannyLux’s R&B-infused sad sierreño “awitado :(” and Christian Nodal and Peso Pluma’s highly anticipated new collaboration, “La Intención,” Nodal’s first corrido tumbado. Additionally, Ramón Vega and Lasso deliver the dreamy pop ballad “La Mexicana.”
“I am very grateful to him for believing in me, for connecting in that way and for taking the time and energy to be able to make this song together,” Vega told Billboard Español about working with Lasso. “It was something very special.”
Last week, Kenia Os’ “Bobo” won the reader poll with more than 60 percent of the votes, followed by Daymé Arocena and Vicente Garcia’s “A Fuego Lento.”
What’s your favorite new Latin music release of this week? Vote below!
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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Bad Gyal, La Joia (Universal Music Latin/Interscope)
After years of releasing singles, Bad Gyal — the Barcelona artista known for her blend of dembow, reggaetón and dance, as well as her sexually explicit lyrics, releases her first studio album today. On La Joia (Universal Latin/Interscope), Bad Gyal (whose real name is Alba Farelo Solé) expands her musical range, working with producers such as El Guincho, MAG, Sky Rompiendo and Storch, and collaborating with artists like Quevedo (on the dance track “Real G”) and Ñengo Flow (on the old school reggaetón number “Bad Boy”). She also includes the hit “Chulo Pt.2” with Tokischa and Young Miko, one of those Bad Gyal songs where the girls have fun in her own way. It’s a formula that works, and which she repeats in the single “Perdió este culo” (which is more fun and less racy than its title)). But she surprises most when she becomes introspective, as in “As I Am” with Morad, indicating that there are many nuances behind Bad Gyal and a musical career that can develop in many directions. — LEILA COBO
Christian Nodal & Peso Pluma, “La Intención” (Sony Music México)
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Christian Nodal kicks off 2024 in full force, recruiting Peso Pluma for his first corrido tumbado, “La Intención.” In true Nodal fashion, he delivers a raw heartbreak anthem but this time, he trades his mariacheño style for Peso’s signature sound, which thrives on guitars and brass instruments. In their first-ever collaboration, the música mexicana powerhouses trade verses, telling the story of a man who who is committed to a relationship that no longer works and who is spitefully fighting trying to make her understand that he can’t live without her. “You stole my calm. Mami, I swear that you are my karma/ You kiss me, when you want you give me strength, you give me my wings/ Then you take them away, you bring me down,” they confess in “La Intención.” — INGRID FAJARDO
Blessd, Si Sabe (Cigol Music Group/Warner Music Latina)
Blessd presents his third studio album Si Sabe and it’s indeed fully charged with innovative reggaetón — al estilo de Medellin. Home to 14 tracks, the Colombian act stays faithful to his sound, backed by sultry and futuristic urban beats, and his distinct dulcet vocals. In the focus track “Si Sabe Ferxxo,” Blessd and Feid team up for a first collaborative effort to sing about a girl they’ve been crushing on since their school days. In the solo selections, such as “Mas Raro,” “Hagale Ome,” and “Fletecito,” Blessd delivers hard-hitting bops with his Medallo lingo.
He also navigates from electronic beats in the Sky Rompiendo-assisted “Eso Es Todo” to R&B in “Palabras Sobran (Remix)” with Ryan Castro, Bryant Myers and Hades66, to trap in “A2P.” Other collaborators on Si Sabe include Peso Pluma (“Ojos Azules”) and Jory Boy (“Si A Bueno”). Producers who worked on the set include Sky Rompiendo, ICON, The Prodigiez, ForeignTeck, SOG, Mr. Naisgai, Subelo NEO and Kronix Magikal. — JESSICA ROIZ
Ramón Vega & Lasso, “La Mexicana” (Sony Music Latin)
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Following the release of his 2023 debut album Pa Ti : ), and his notable collaboration with Christian Nodal “dEsANiMaO :(“, the young Mexican singer Ramón Vega presents a new duet with the support of another more veteran and established artist: the Latin Grammy-winning Venezuelan singer-songwriter Lasso. “La Mexicana” is a heartbreak pop ballad that talks about the regret of kissing a girl who they won’t be able to forget, and now find themselves drowning their sorrows away. “Baby, I’m drunk and screwed, baby/ How come no one told me, baby, that you can’t forget a Mexican girl?” says part of the catchy chorus. The music video, directed by Kath D., shows both artists in a colorful market in Mexico City, seeing the face of their ex-lover in every woman they cross paths with.
“I am very grateful to him for believing in me, for connecting in that way and for taking the time and energy to be able to make this song together. It was something very special,” Vega said about Lasso in an exclusive Instagram Live with Billboard Español on Thursday (Jan. 25) in which they both talked about the new release. Lasso added: “Spending 10 minutes on Ramón’s Spotify tells you that he is someone with a lot of talent […] You connect immediately with him. He has a lot of feeling and he has good songs.” “La Mexicana” can undoubtedly be added to that list. —SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Leon Leiden & DannyLux, “awitado :(” (Warner Music México)
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Punctuated by requintos and bajoloches, Leon Leiden and DannyLux’s “awitado :(” is a touching ballad that finds the two singer-songwriters navigating heartbreak. Sonically, the track is multilayered with elements of sad sierreño — DannyLux’s signature sound — and pop and R&B, which are at the essence of Leiden. Meanwhile, its lyrics are profound and ultra emotional. Both Leiden and Danny sing evocatively about the pain that comes from seeing your significant other walk out the door. “I no longer care what my friends say/ They don’t know what I lived with you/ I prefer to be alone if you’re not here and I don’t like living without you,” Leiden and DannyLux sing. — GRISELDA FLORES
Bacilos, “Anoche” (Kooperativa/Bacilos LLC)
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With their new single “Anoche,” Bacilos adds music to the feeling of regret many have experienced after an honest confession. Thriving on its characteristic sound, reminiscent of the band’s beginnings, the Pan-American group highlights the beauty of live instruments through a rustic tropipop production, enriched with violin arrangements. “There are dangerous words that change all things/ That’s why we hide them, even though they may be beautiful” they sing in one verse. “Last night I told you that I loved you,” they confess about the words that can change their reality. “It scares me to think about it but it’s what I felt/ I will never drink tequila again in my entire life,” they conclude. In the music video you can see the band and its musicians in the studio having a good time recording “Anoche,” which could easily become the soundtrack to many listener regrets. — LUISA CALLE
Listen to the New Music Latin playlist below:
In our new “The Stars Behind the Stars” franchise, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors share stories that have yet to be told, directly from those who aren’t often in front of the spotlight. Think “todo lo que no se ve detrás de cámaras,” or “everything that happens behind the scenes.” These unsung heroes are essential to an artist’s team and its foundation. Today, we highlight Yudy Arias, famed yoga instructor and celebrity trainor, who’s been pivotal in Maluma’s career.
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Fifteen years ago, Yudy Arias faced a life-changing decision after the birth of her first son, Romeo: to overcome her postpartum depression medically or naturally. Immediately, she began to practice yoga and meditation. Shortly after, all her symptoms vanished, and she felt like herself again.
“That’s how I discovered yoga,” she tells Billboard. “I started studying it, I got certified, and everything for me was for my benefit. When I saw that it had a lot of power, it could change people’s lives, and that it’s a natural medicine, that was where I implemented it.”
Arias, who currently boasts more than 600K followers on Instagram, is not only a famed yogi, but is also Maluma’s aunt — and has been pivotal in his career. In fact, for his 16th birthday in 2011, she gifted the Colombian artist born Juan Luis Londoño Arias the opportunity to record his first three songs: “Farándulera,” “Perder el Control” and “Vamonos de Fuga.”
“From that day on, this whole story changed and the phenomenon of Maluma was born — with his commitment, desire to learn, and discipline,” she notes. “Our relationship is still intact. I have always seen him as a son. I have spoiled him a lot and have tried to make many of his dreams come true because I see his complete dedication and discipline.”
Since, Arias has not only formed part of the “Papi Juancho” team, but has also been key in his physical and spiritual health. Below, learn more about this month’s Star Behind the Stars, our first of 2024.
Maluma & Yudy Arias
Yudy Arias
What are you most passionate about what you do?
Help people to self-discover, to be authentic, to be genuine. I love when people discover and accept themselves, when they are not afraid to be themselves. That’s what I love most about my career. When I see people acting freely without fear, who want to improve and seek purpose, that’s where I say, “Ooh, this was worth it.”
What’s the best fitness and health tip that you’ve shared with your nephew and that he’s applied to his day-to-day life?
Something that has strongly united me and Juan Luis is sports and health. He has lived my entire yoga process side by side. He knows a lot and learns a lot. I believe that the most beautiful thing that I have helped him find and cultivate is meditation. He knows that it’s a very powerful tool that he can use at any moment and use it to his advantage, and he’s done so. That has helped him a lot in many moments of stress and anything related to his career. It’s helped him clarify and be a little happier.
What other Latin music stars have you had the pleasure of working with?
I’ve worked in the homes of many celebrities and have done personalized classes with their families, such as Juanes and Luis Fonsi. I’ve had contact with Ricky Martin — we’ve had a couple of conversations. Thalia is very beautiful and supports me. In Mexico, with many celebrities too. J Balvin has practiced yoga with me, and so have athletes and soccer players. I think I have a very long database of beautiful people that have passed through my life.
One of the unforgettable celebrities with whom I exchanged yoga topics was Madonna. My nephew introduced me to her and I had the opportunity to talk with her about pilates, essences, stones. She knows a lot about the subject and it was a nice and unforgettable moment.
Madonna and Yudy Arias
Yudy Arias
What projects do you have for 2024?
I am very excited because the year started the way I wanted, teaching crowds. I want to take my knowledge of yoga and meditation — and everything that has to do with spirituality — to workshops and places where there are more people. Personalized classes were already an important stage in my life but now I want to expand them to the masses. I have workshops happening in Mexico, Colombia, Spain and Miami.
Also, together with a beautiful team, I am creating an influencer agency to activate music and put it on another level. I say that yoga is an art, it has opened doors for me, and it has brought me closer to many people who have to do with art. What yoga, sports, meditation, and music are, everything goes along the same line. I am involved in some way whether organically or spontaneously. It’s called “Wow Project” and you will soon know more about it.
What are the best health and fitness tips you can offer to someone who wants to better themselves this new year?
The tips for health and well-being are very simple but they are difficult. Remember that the simplest is the most complicated. Drink lots of water. Meditate five minutes a day, and change your dark and negative thoughts for beautiful and positive thoughts. With those three things along with discipline and self-knowledge, you can achieve it.
Warner Chappell Music has promoted Lázaro Hernández to senior vice president, A&R, U.S. Latin & Latin America. The Miami-based executive — who most recently helped sign Maria Becerra, Chencho Corleone and Gabito Ballesteros — will lead the U.S. Latin A&R team while expanding his responsibilities to shape the company’s overall A&R strategy in Latin America. He […]
Luana Pagani, one of Latin music’s most respected female executives, is launching her own company following a 12-year run with Latin entertainment powerhouse SeitrackUS.
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The new venture, called Fairwinds, will focus on the development of new and established artists in the U.S. and international markets, with Pagani using her expertise in marketing, promotion and management.
“After 12 amazing years of partnership with Seitrack in the U.S. where we established a profitable operation in the market, and I had the chance to grow professionally and work with people that I love and respect, I have decided to move on and start my own agency, remaining as an outside consultant for SeitrackUS,” Pagani tells Billboard.
This is not the first time Pagani branches out on her own. The multi-lingual exec for years was the senior vp of global marketing, Latin, for Sony and a central figure in the development of superstars like Shakira, Ricky Martin and Chayanne, at the height of the first “Latin explosion” of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Then, in 2007, when she was the most senior-ranking woman in a major Latin label, she left Sony to launch her own consultancy firm. She eventually partnered with SeitrackUS, which is part of giant OCESA Seitrack, and took the role of president here in the U.S., working with artists like Ha*Ash, Los Angeles Azules and Alejandro Fernández in their management, booking and overall development.
Although Pagani will continue to work as an outside consultant for Seitrack, she will also have other artists and companies as clients.
“Artist development is, and has always been my passion,” says Pagani. “At a time when there are so many possibilities to reach new audiences, it is a privilege to be able to work with dynamic artists who are redefining the musical scene. I thank Ocesa-Seitrack and its people for this wonderful ride and look forward to continuing working with everyone in this great industry, most of you my friends.”
Share of streaming among the top 10,000 tracks measured by Luminate in its recently-released 2023 Year End Music Report went down by 3.8 percentage points since 2021. Which begs the question: Where did that 3.8% go?
It went fully into the streaming share of Spanish language tracks, which went up by 3.8%.
Indeed, today, Spanish is the second most consumed language in music, both in the U.S. and globally.
In the United States, the top three languages in music consumption by percentage of the total are, of course, English (88.8%), followed by Spanish (8.1%) and Korean in a distant third (0.7%).
The most recent numbers show Spanish language music’s market share among the country’s most popular songs almost doubled over the past two years — jumping from 4.2% of the top 10,000 tracks in 2021 to 8.1% in 2023. Overall, consumption of Latin music in the U.S grew by 19.4 billion on-demand audio streams in 2023, a 24.1% jump. In total number of streams, it was second in growth only to country, which grew by 20.4 billion streams.
Worldwide, English-language music consumption among the 10,000 most listened to tracks fell substantially in 2023, from 67% in 2021 to 54.9% in 2023. Spanish-language music consumption also dipped, from 12.4% in 2021 to 10.1% in 2023, while consumption of music in Hindi grew from 6.1% to 7.8%, and in Japanese from 1.3% to 2.1%. However, all told, Spanish is still the second most listened to music language in the world, according to the study.
In the U.S., Spanish-language music’s growth has been a very gradual process that’s come with the growth of streaming, a bigger Latin population, and with a major cultural shift that accepts that there are more cultures and languages that can coexist. Chief among them is Spanish, which benefits from being the lingua franca of an entire continent, plus Spain. While Latins are not monolithic, as many have long pointed out, they are all (with the exception of Brazilians) united by language; go to any Latin music concert in the U.S., and you’ll find a plethora of nations gathered under the same roof enjoying the same music, regardless of its origin.
The shift in consumption has been noticed by mainstream labels; 25 years ago, Latin acts like Shakira and Ricky Martin, had to record in English to garner widespread promotion. Spanish, the language which has long defined “Latin” music, was conversely, widely seen as stepping stone on the path to international superstardom but not as the goal.
Today, for the first time, mainstream labels are signing and developing artists who record solely, or almost solely in Spanish, such as Yahrtiza y su Esencia to Columbia Records and Xavi to Interscope.
There is strength in numbers, and those numbers opened the door for Latin artists to scale the charts by singing only in Spanish, as well as for predominantly Spanish-language series –like “Narcos” and the new “Griselda”—to score big viewing numbers despite what many would have perceived as a language barrier years ago.
But clearly, today there is a growing number of non-Spanish speakers who also listen to music in Spanish. According to recent consumer research insights from Luminate, for example, 25% of U.S. music listeners (ages 13+) said they engage with Spanish-language music, even though Hispanics account for 19% of the population.
People may not speak Spanish, but they’re definitely listening to the music.
Eden Muñoz acquires his fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Como En Los Viejos Tiempos” rallies 8-1 to lead the Jan. 27-dated ranking. The nostalgic ballad checks into the penthouse after a bulky 64% boost in audience impressions, to 7.4 million, earned in the U.S. during the Jan. 12-18 tracking week, according to Luminate.
“Como En Los Viejos Tiempos” ejects La Fiera de Ojinaga’s “La Neta Que No” from the lead after its one week in command. The song drops to No. 10 with a 42% drop (to 4.22 million impressions).
“Tiempos” is the title track and first single of the Muñoz’s 18-track eponymous album, which debuted and reached No. 19 on Regional Mexican Albums last December.
The song, released Nov. 20 via Muñoz’s own EMC/Bajo label and Sony Music Latin, takes the indie imprint to its first No. 1 on any Billboard chart.
Further, as the norteño and banda singer-songwriter and producer sends “Viejos Tiempos” to his roster of No. 1s, here’s a look at Muñoz’s four No. 1s on Regional Mexican Airplay :
Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1May 21, 2022, “Chale!,” threeJuly 2, 2022, “Hay Que Hacer Dinero,” Banda MS featuring Muñoz, twoNov. 11, 2023, “Amor Clandestino,” with Maná, oneJan. 27, 2024, “Como En Los Viejos Tiempos,” one
Beyond its Regional Mexican Airplay win, “Viejos Tiempos” takes Muñoz to the upper region on the overall Latin Airplay tally, with a 20-4 surge.
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Netflix will premiere its miniseries Griselda starring Sofia Vergara as Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco on Friday (Jan. 25). The series also marks the first time Vergara takes on a more serious role in her 30-plus-year trajectory.
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“Everything was challenging for me,” she tells Billboard. “Mainly the first month because I was trying new things. I had never acted in Spanish or a drama or with prosthetics. The three-hours of hair and makeup were exhausting … It was a lot of different things. I had to wrap my body so it didn’t look like me. I think more than one scene that was difficult was episode five. It was really hard because Griselda was going all the way down and she’s doing drugs, losing her mind a little bit. We were far away from my house in L.A. We were sleeping in tiny hotels. It was difficult. And the mood that Griselda was in was exhausting for me. She was killing, screaming, crying. It was a lot.”
The series — which captures how Blanco (aka “The Cocaine Godmother”) created one of the most profitable cartels in Miami in the 1970s — was co-created by showrunner Eric Newman (Narcos, Narcos: Mexico), and directed by Andrés Baiz (Narcos), who helmed all six episodes. Vergara also serves as executive producer.
“This is a tragedy and when you’re telling a story about drug trafficking, as we have with Narcos, and someone who builds an empire and loses it, it’s important that we don’t glorify it and that you see there’s a comeuppance of justice,” Newman says. “What was interesting about this story for us is that she’s that last line of defense for her children, and it made her story for us really about the mother. When you meet her, you’re instantly connected to her, and when you actually watch her build this empire, where the story has to end is where that primary directive of ‘protect my children’ fails. That, for us, became the character’s journey, and it’s all about the character, which Sofia absolutely nailed.”
Karol G as Carla, Christian Tappan as Arturo in episode 102 of ‘Griselda.’
Elizabeth Morris/Netflix © 2023
Griselda also features Karol G in her acting debut as “Carla,” one of Griselda’s “mules” who transports drugs to the U.S. For the role, the Colombian superstar spent months in acting and body movement classes, and took in-person and virtual lessons that “totally opened my eyes to a different perspective. They’ve helped my career as an artist and my development onstage,” she previously told Billboard.
“Working with Karol G was amazing,” notes Baiz. “She was so much fun. She was humble on set and hardworking. Just the energy that she brought to the set and to her character was very authentic. She’s from Medellin, she’s paisa, it’s the way she speaks. She’s a performer, so she had it in her. It was wonderful working with her. When she came to the set, everyone was happy. Very professional. It was fantastic. I wish there was more of Karol G in the show, but it’s just a taste.”
“We put Bad Bunny in Narcos and that was a great experience as well, but more often than not, when someone who’s a superstar in one world comes into the acting world, you never know what you’re going to get,” Newman adds. “She was great and her character was great, so it was a thrill and a joy to have her.”
Watch the Griselda trailer below:
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Univision unveiled that Ana Barbara, Don Omar, and Olga Tañon will receive special awards at the 2024 Premio Lo Nuestro, Billboard can exclusively announce. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Recognized for her thirty-year career and her ongoing contributions to the música Mexicana genre, singer-songwriter Ana Barbara will […]