State Champ Radio Latin
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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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Chiquis’ New Book
Earlier this year, Chiquis announced she was writing her first-ever children’s book called The Girl Who Sings to Bees. This week, fans can pre-order the book set to hit shelves and online stores on July 15. Filled with life lessons that include healing, grief and confronting bullying, the book “honors the relationship she had with her mom, finding solace from her grief in their shared love of music by singing to the bees in her abuelita’s garden and the power to find her voice despite fear and bullying from peers,” according to a press release. The Girl Who Sings to Bees will go on sale in July and will be available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Target, to name a few. Fans can pre-order here.
Karol G’s Women Ink
Karol G’s Con Cora Foundation is taking its third annual Women Ink initiative to Mexico for the first time, after its first two years in Colombia and Spain, respectively. Set to empower female tattoo artists, the weeklong program — helmed by tattoo artists Javi Cinco Ángeles and Juan Ramón RC and taking place in late August — will offer 40 hours of hands-on training and mentorship, where participants will learn the history of tattooing, techniques and aftercare procedures. Women living in Mexico City between the ages of 22 and 40 can apply now through July 1, by visiting the foundation’s website.
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From Song to Movie
“Patria y Vida,” the liberty anthem that fueled a new Cuban revolution and won two Latin Grammys in 2021, has become a full-length documentary set to hit U.S. theaters on July 11 via Spanglish Movies. Directed by Beatriz Luengo and starring Yotuel, the film features notable musical figures including Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Camila Cabello, Gente de Zona and Billboard’s Leila Cobo. The song — penned by Yotuel (formerly of hip-hop group Orishas), Luengo, Alexander Delgado and Randy Malcom (of Gente de Zona) and Descemer Bueno, and features Cuban voices from within the island, Maykel Osorbo and rapper El Funky — became the anthem of anti-government protests in Cuba. “I felt we needed to show the two realities: those of us who live outside Cuba, and those who are still on the island, who live the streets there,” Yotuel previously told Billboard. Watch the trailer below:
Siempre Selena Radio
SiriusXM has launched the Siempre Selena radio channel, where for a limited time, fans will enjoy the Queen of Tejano’s biggest hits. As part of the channel and ahead of its 30th anniversary, Suzette Quintanilla (sister of the late singer and Los Dinos member), opened up about Selena’s Dreaming of You album, released posthumously, and which made history as the first predominately Spanish-language album to ever debut at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 in 1995.
“When Dreaming of You came out I didn’t care,” Quintanilla expressed on the radio show. “I was too much lost in my grief. I didn’t know day or night, I didn’t care about anything. And then I learned to love it and to understand what it represents. It hurt for a very long time to be able to listen to this album, but as time went by, I embraced that this is what sister left behind. This was her not completely fulfilling her dream of doing a whole album, but it’s OK because at least we got this.”
The Siempre Selena channel is available through July 3 on the SiriusXM app, and on satellite channel 79 from June 4 to 10.
The first time Broadway director and choreographer Sergio Trujillo heard about Real Women Have Curves, he didn’t pay much attention. His husband, producer Jack Noseworthy — with whom he runs Truworthy Productions, focused on finding Latino stories to empower the community through musical theater — had watched the America Ferrera-starring 2002 movie and asked him to see it, thinking it would make “a really interesting musical.”
“Mostly because he’s been growing up with my family — my mother, my sisters, all of them — and he said he saw something in it,” Trujillo, who was born in Colombia, tells Billboard Español. “I was so absorbed with so many other projects, that I sort of saw it but I didn’t pay attention.”
One night, he decided to give it another shot, learning that it was originally a play by Josefina López – which he read immediately. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is a musical! Mostly because the characters were bigger than life. The language was so buoyant, it was like music. The story was beautiful,” he recalls joyfully. “And there is a phrase that [the protagonist] Ana says in the play — ‘Women are most powerful when they work together’ — that resonated with me deeply, more than anything else.”
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Set in the Boyle Heights section of Los Angeles in 1987, Real Women Have Curves follows Ana García, a cutely chubby, uber-smart daughter of immigrant parents who struggles between her ambitions of going to college and the desires of her mother for her to get married, have children and oversee the small, rundown family-owned textile factory. The show deals with gender politics and the Latina immigrant experience, with immigration agents messing with their husbands, judgment from other characters, and dreams that for many undocumented seem simply impossible to achieve.
Trujillo, both as an immigrant and as one of the few men in his family, felt a profound connection. “I thought, ‘What a great way to,’ first of all, in the mission to empower our community, ‘to empower women, but also celebrate all of my mother and my sister and my aunts, all of the women that have made so many sacrifices so that I could have the life that I have.’” And that is what he did.
Formally opening on April 27 at the James Earl Jones Theatre, Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is now nominated for two Tony Awards at Sunday’s show: best original score, by Latin music star Joy Huerta (half of the Mexican pop duo Jesse & Joy) and Benjamin Velez, and best performance by an actress in a featured role for Justina Machado — who in a full-circle moment plays Carmen García, the mother of Ana, more than 30 years after playing Ana herself at the Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago.
The fact that both Huerta and Machado received nominations this year is remarkable. The former is a Grammy-winning singer who had never done theater before. The latter — whom Trujillo worked with more than two decades ago and was completely convinced she was his Carmen — was initially reluctant to accept the role because she couldn’t see herself in it.
“When I did the play when I was 20 years old, it was just a different kind of role. And when I saw the movie, you know, with the wonderful, iconic Lupe Ontiveros [as Carmen], I just didn’t think that was something that I would want to do or that I would fit with,” Machado explains to Billboard. “I had to be talked into coming and doing a 29-hour reading — one of the first things you do when you’re developing a new musical or a new play.”
So the actress, known for TV series like Six Feet Under and One Day at a Time — and whose only previous Broadway credit was as a replacement for In The Heights‘ Daniela for a couple of months in 2009 — flew from Los Angeles to New York.
Once there, she not only found a less serious, less judgmental Carmen, but also a set of inspiring songs — from the soaring coming-of-age tune “Flying Away” to the humorous “Adiós Andes,” sort of a funny ode to menopause which she performs brilliantly during the show. (You can listen to the full album of Real Women Have Curves: The Musical here.)
“Really, what made me fall in love with the role was the music,” Machado admits. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, I love this music.’ But I had to be convinced that I was the person to play this role.”
And as much as she loved the music, the music creators loved her. Huerta, who was recruited early on as a songwriter and was there during that first reading of the show, recalls how the actress made her feel. “Justina was the first person I remember saying, ‘This is a non-negotiable for me,’” she tells Billboard. “I had never felt – I mean, I had felt it with music, but seeing a person perform that really made me forget about the world? I was like, ‘Please, please make sure to get her. … What do you have to do to make this happen?’”
“Sergio really was the one, he really kept on,” Machado says of what convinced her. “They were very persistent, and I’m so very happy that they were. … I never thought that I would be revisiting this play again in another form, and it really works as a musical. It’s almost like it should have always been a musical. It’s just so beautiful.”
Although it did not receive a Tony nomination for best musical or best actress, despite widespread acclaim for the show and for Tatiana Córdoba, who plays Ana in her Broadway debut, the cast of Real Women Have Curves will be performing at the awards ceremony on Sunday night.
Trujillo hopes the effort he’s put into representing Latinos on Broadway doesn’t go unnoticed by his target audience. “I’m on this mission to empower our community, to try to create content and stories in which they can see themselves,” he says. “But I need them to come to the theater. I need Latinos to do their part and support us.”
Bresh, the “Most Beautiful Party in the World,” is embarking on its most ambitious chapter yet in Ibiza. This weekend, the widely celebrated fiesta kicks off its first Saturday-night residency at Amnesia — the storied venue dubbed the “temple of electronic music.” Running all summer through Sept. 20, this monumental residency sets the stage for Bresh to possibly redefine Ibiza’s nocturnal landscape with its known Latin pulse.
“For us, it’s a source of pride because Ibiza is one of the biggest entertainment platforms in the world —right up there with Las Vegas,” Nicolás Fernández, Bresh’s chief strategy officer, tells Billboard Español. Bresh’s residency at Amnesia isn’t just a milestone for the party itself but also a major turning point for the Spanish island, which has historically been synonymous with electronic music.
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This season marks Bresh’s third residency at Amnesia, after previously hosting parties on Tuesdays and then Thursdays. But now, it moves to Saturdays — the most coveted night of the week. “We’re doing something different, something unique — really offering a true alternative to electronic music,” Fernández adds. “[Ibiza] is one of our biggest bets every year. It’s where we bring our ideas to life: the staging, the decorations, the show, the music. It’s one of our main laboratories, where we need to shine the most.”
Since its inception in 2016 in Buenos Aires, Bresh has become a global phenomenon, delivering an unapologetically joyful mix of reggaetón, pop, rock en español, and more Latin rhythms. The residency is designed for an audience of both locals and international visitors eager to dance and connect during its 16-week season.
“You’ve got a big Spanish audience on the island that might be more familiar with Latin music and culture, but you also have Italian, British, German, and Dutch audiences who might not be as familiar,” he says. “It’s both a joy and a huge responsibility to carry the flag and represent [Latin culture].”
Bresh
Courtesy of Fiesta Bresh
Since opening its doors in the 1970s, Amnesia has established itself as one of the most prestigious clubs in the world. Its recognition includes accolades at the International Dance Music Awards (IDMAs) as the best global club in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The residency will showcase its essence with a lineup of surprise guests every week, in a format they call Bresh & Friends, Fernández explains. This year, the production comes with a completely revamped design and execution, taking the Latin party experience to another level — something that hasn’t been seen in Bresh’s previous Ibiza residencies.
“We believe that this year the key difference had to be showcasing what happens in many other places — inviting artists and people from the industry to be part of this and doing it together through Bresh as a platform,” he says. “It’s our role to take up this space, but also to be a place where artists with a Latin and Spanish-speaking imprint can show their work. These are artists who, perhaps, don’t often have shows in Ibiza — it’s not very common. Maybe they fill stadiums or massive venues in other cities, but in Ibiza, that doesn’t happen due to the island’s own dynamics. We feel we have to be the space to make this happen.”
Notable figures from Latin music and culture are no strangers to Bresh’s dance floors in Ibiza and beyond. Previous guests include Aitana, Emilia, Lola Índigo, and even sports icons like Lionel Messi and Brazilian soccer star Vinícius Jr. However, the emphasis is not on celebrity appearances but on the collective energy of the crowd and the music. “The focus at Bresh isn’t on who shows up, but on what’s created through the connections,” reads the press release.
This season in Ibiza brings a new addition to the Bresh universe: Casa Bresh. Designed as a space that goes beyond a traditional backstage, this new location aims to become a creative and social hub for artists, collaborators, and friends. “Casa Bresh is the place where these artists will stay and spend a few days experiencing what Ibiza is all about,” Fernández reveals. “It’s a carefully designed and creative environment, meant for connecting, conversing, and celebrating from a different perspective.”
The magic of Bresh has always been its ability to connect people, and Casa Bresh is no exception. Spontaneous moments at these parties have already led to major collaborations, such as Ozuna and Tiago PZK meeting at a Miami edition of the party and later creating the hit “Nos Comemos” in 2022, which made its way onto several Billboard charts, including Latin Rhythm Airplay at No. 16.
With over one million attendees each year across more than 30 countries, 190 cities, and four continents, Bresh continues to solidify its status as a global phenomenon. But its Ibiza residency carries a special mission. “”From the very first day we arrived, the goal was clear: ‘We need to be here forever.’”
“We believe we’re here to embody everything that aligns directly with Bresh’s values,” Fernández says. “The essence of Bresh is to make people happy, bring joy, dancing, and great energy to everyone.”
Pase a la Fama, Telemundo’s new television series, is set to premiere on Sunday, June 8 featuring a star-studded panel of judges — Ana Bárbara, Adriel Favela and Horacio Palencia — and original music produced by Latin Grammy-winning hitmaker Edgar Barrera.
During the show, participants will compete in a bootcamp-like setting where they will “train, perform and face challenges,” according to a press statement, vying for a $100,000 prize, a record deal with HYBE Latin America and crowned the next regional Mexican band, which will comprised of five participants.
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“The truth is that it’s a project we put our hearts into,” Ana Bárbara tells Billboard during a conversation over Zoom, just days before competition kick off. “I personally feel moved, excited, thrilled and I think it will be a great project.”
The judges will be meticulous about who they choose as finalists. They must have “discipline and respect for the audience and us as judges, all of those are ingredients that for me are very, very important,” Palencia says. “In fact, I tell the new generation that, for me, discipline is actually even more important than talent, because sometimes it doesn’t matter to have talent if you don’t have discipline.”
So, what were the main qualities the judges looked for?
“It’s a band and, at the end of the day, I believe that there are many components that contribute to what brings success to a career,” Palencia adds. “The [right] attitude, preparation and how they accept more than just criticism, but the constructive advice we give them,” Palencia adds. “I believe that the winning band will genuinely work towards achieving all of those characteristics.”
The show is set to premiere at a time when some música mexicana artists are facing bans in Mexico (if they sing narcocorridos in certain public settings) or visa delays and revocations in the United States. “I had no idea that all of this could happen, which is both delicate and strong, yet sensitive, and definitely very sad,” Ana Bárbara says. “Because it affects all of us in some way, it has an impact. We all admire the music of someone who is having problems for various reasons, beyond whatever the reason may be. This show will provide [Mexican] music with a different level of visibility.”
The judges will also focus on emphasizing “clean song lyrics and about love stories,” Favela says. “It is nice to realize that music is giving us a chance to go beyond the musical aspect. To see our individual values, to see young people singing themes that, nowadays, I dare to say, are being lost, perhaps more and more. And that there is validity in rescuing all of this, which at the end of the day is the pure root of our Mexican essence.”
It was previously announced that Lupillo Rivera, Fuerza Regida’s JOP and Gabito Ballestero’s will join the show as mentors. The first episode of Pase a la Fama will premiere Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on Telemundo.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music, including a handful of new albums by Belinda (Indómita), Elvis Crespo (Poeta Herío) and Óscar Maydon (Rico o Muerto, Vol. 1). Mexican star Belinda further expands her música mexicana foray with a full-length album, her first música mexicana project […]
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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Belinda, Indómita (Warner Music México)
When Belinda received the Evolution Award at the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music gala, she made it clear that “Belinda isn’t a musical genre.” During a career that spans 25 years, she’s navigated through pop, rock, electronic, cumbia, and most recently, música mexicana. “My career is versatile…it’s the perfect word to define my style,” she previously told Billboard. Best representing her fruitful and experimental growth in the industry, the Spain-born, Mexican-raised star dropped Indómita, her sixth studio album and debut set under Warner Music.
The 17-track album starts off with nine “corridos coquettes,” where her alter ego “Beli Bélica” shines in collaborations with genre hitmakers Natanael Cano (“300 Noches”), Tito Double P (“La Cuadrada”), and Xavi (“Mírame Feliz”). Across the next eight songs, she dabbles in trap music (“Death Note” and “Silvana”); teams up with Netón Vega and Tokischa for two hard-hitting perreos (“+ Perra, + Bitch” and “Wet Dreams”); and goes full dance in the Kenia OS-assisted “Jackpot.” Other collaborators on the set include Alemán, Mala Rodriguez and Thirty Second to Mars.
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“The [album’s] title is very specific to a movement for women,” she explained of Indómita, which means “untamed.” “She’s a warrior, independent, a woman who’s out of the box, completely irreverent but at the same time strong, sexy, fun… all the things I like and that I am, and I’d like to convey that to people.” — JESSICA ROIZ
Óscar Maydon, Rico o Muerto, Vol. 1 (Rancho Humilde)
Excess, irreverence and romance collide in Óscar Maydon’s Rico o Muerto, Vol. 1, a whirlwind of sierreño swagger that feels like a tequila-soaked fever dream. Across 12 tracks, the Mexicali artist channels the debauchery and drama of late-night escapades, weaving tales of fleeting romances (“Mr. Vallarta”), dismissal (“Para Ti”) and indulgence (“ZAZA,” the only trap song).
The party kicks off on “Baja Beach,” a sun-drenched anthem named after the infamous Mexican festival, with Junior H and Fuerza Regida joining the revelry. “Desvelada” turns up the nocturnal chaos alongside Peso Pluma and Netón Vega, while the focus track “Asquerosamente Rico” with Peso takes playful opulence to new heights. On “2030,” Maydon rides solo, mixing carnivalesque accordion riffs with a pulsing electric bassline to deliver a debauched, dystopian glimpse into the future. The album is the right amount of star-studded that Luis R Conríquez and Gabito Ballesteros also join him on “Fina Con Los Valentinos.”
With pre-released hits “Tu boda” and “Amigos? No.” rounding out the collection, Rico o Muerto, Vol. 1 reaffirms Maydon’s devil-may-care and romantic style. But more than a party album, it’s a work where the unbridled fun and excitement feel as real as the early mornings it invokes. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Elvis Crespo, Poeta Herío (Puntería Records)
Merengue star Elvis Crespo delivers Poeta Herío, a term from Puerto Rican slang that translates to “hurt poet.” The 13-track set showcases the vibrant essence of merengue, featuring lively rhythms and heartfelt lyrics encapsulating the joys and struggles of life through his music. The LP is a vibrant tapestry of tropical sounds, featuring an impressive roster of both legendary icons and rising stars. With Elvis Crespo at the helm, the project immerses listeners in his signature genres of spirited merengue, lively mambo and infectious bachata. This new chapter in Crespo’s musical journey is fueled by collaborations with a diverse array of artists such as Ivy Queen, Jerry Rivera, Toño Rosario, Tony Tun Tun and Víctor Manuelle.
Standout tracks include “Cora Roto,” an emotionally charged song where Crespo unveils a gripping narrative of betrayal, where hidden truths come to light, revealing a harsh and unforgiving reality. This is followed by several heartfelt goodbye letters and concludes the album with a revamped version of his classic “Nuestra Canción,” featuring Jerry Rivera. — INGRID FAJARDO
Ozuna, “Sirenita” (Nibiru International)
Ozuna hasn’t released an album in two years, so he could be setting the tone for a potential LP with the two singles he’s released so far this year. His latest, “Sirenita,” is a vibrant fusion of Afrobeats and the Puerto Rican hitmaker’s signature rhythmic-leaning urban production, which serves as the perfect canvas for his sweet and delicate vocals. The lyrics to “Sirenita” — which tell the story of a girl who’s stolen Ozuna’s heart — are a testament to Ozuna’s knack for writing sensitive, romantic songs. “Sirenita” serves as the lead-up to Ozuna’s summer tour in Europe that will kick off on June 20 in Milan and span over ten cities across the continent. — GRISELDA FLORES
Elena Rose, Sistek & Mazzarri, “SINTIGO” (Warner Music Latina)
Accompanied by producers Sistek and Mazzarri, Elena Rose releases “SINTIGO,” an evocative track with an electronic vibe that explores the emotional contradiction of wanting someone to stay but also wanting them to leave. “How do I tell you? My life without you makes no sense,” the artist sings over a subtle fusion of house with Afrobeats, resulting in a delicate yet euphoric soundtrack for summer. “SINTIGO” – a Spanish play of the words “Sin ti” (without you) and “Contigo” (with you) – is the first preview of the Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s highly anticipated debut LP, following her 2024 EP En Las Nubes – Con Mis Panas. “This is the first of everything,” Elena wrote on Instagram. “A summer without drama is coming … full of beautiful things.” – SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Adriel Favela, Eddy, “KbrN InfeLiZ” (Fono)
Adriel Favela’s “KbrN InfeLiZ,” the first single from his upcoming album Elysium, is a sad sierreño song powered by raw lyrics about a man who realizes that his lifestyle and emotional failings make him incapable of loving someone back the way he is loved. The sierreño-style guitars add an even more dramatic and profound touch to the track, in which the regional Mexican star is accompanied by Eddy, an emerging música mexicana artist who has previously collaborated with Gabito Ballesteros, Calle 24 and Ed Maverick. “KbrN InfeLiZ” has the makings of an anthem for today’s generation. – TERE AGUILERA
Kapo, “Korazong” (Sony Music Latin/La Industria)
Kapo’s “Korazong” is a romantic declaration of love powered by a hypnotic Afrobeats sound. Written by the Colombian singer and produced by Gangsta, the song is distinguished by its poetic and sincere lyrics in which Kapo, with his unmistakable raspy voice, sings to that woman who came to heal his heart and transform it with love. Although it is still early to know if it will be his next hit, what is clear is that Kapo reaffirms his knack for authentic songs that touch the heartstrings and appeal to all types of listeners. — LUISA CALLE
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
When Tito Double P was deciding on a name for his debut album, he remembered a comment about him that had gone viral on social media.
“Tito se ve incómodo,” someone wrote, pointing out that Tito looked “uncomfortable” in a photo where he appeared in the background with other artists, including his superstar cousin, Peso Pluma.
“As a songwriter, a lot of artists would invite me to hang, and eventually, they would ask me for a song during those hangouts,” the 27-year-old musician explains with a smirk on his face. “But I was always in the background, looking very serious in photos and videos, and someone left that comment — I don’t remember if it was on TikTok or Instagram — and it got a bunch of likes. And from then on, whenever I uploaded a photo on social media, even if I looked happy, everyone would comment, ‘Se ve incómodo.’ It became a thing and I thought, ‘That’s what we should name the album — it will give people something to talk about.’ ”
Today, Tito Double P seems anything but incómodo. Last summer, his set of the same name shot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, dethroning Peso’s Éxodo, and earlier this year, Tito embarked on an arena and amphitheater tour — his first trek in the United States — for which his training included doing vocal and breathing exercises with a voice coach over the phone. With his No. 1 album and sold-out tour, Tito, who only just launched his career as an artist last year, has gone from songwriter to superstar-in-the-making.
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“There’s no manual for that, and it’s not an easy process to go from songwriter to singer,” the Sinaloa, Mexico-born artist reflects. “At first, it was always ‘Peso Pluma’s cousin’ or ‘That guy writes for Peso.’ Eventually, I finally became Tito Double P.”
Tito (born Roberto Laija) penned some of Peso’s early hits, including “El Belicon,” “Siempre Pendientes,” “PRC” and “AMG,” all of which catapulted onto the Hot Latin Songs chart in 2022 and helped usher in a global era for corridos and regional Mexican music in general. They also helped Tito become the genre’s most in-demand songwriter, which in turn laid the groundwork for his evolving career. He could have kept to songwriting, but Tito wondered what would happen if he released his own music on indie label Double P Records, which Peso and his manager/business partner, George Prajin, co-founded.
“First I said, ‘Let me release one song,’ because I kind of thought nothing would happen. But then it became a hit, so I released another one and then another,” he says. “The team asked me if I was going to be a singer or a songwriter and I said, ‘Let me record an album and see what happens.’ I also remember thinking that I wouldn’t tour, I’d just release music. But after performing onstage, now I don’t want to get off. I never thought this would happen to me.
“I went from songwriter to singer to artist in less than a year,” he explains, still sounding somewhat awed by his rapid ascent.
With his charming boy-next door personality, hoarse vocals, in-your-face delivery and unique writing style — which he compares to writing rap songs because he adds “too many words” and records in double-time — Tito stands out among música mexicana’s ever-growing field of emerging artists. He scored his debut Billboard chart entry as an artist with “Dembow Bélico,” a collaboration with Joel De La P and Luis R. Conriquez that hit No. 35 on Hot Latin Songs in July 2023. His first top 10 arrived a little less than a year later with the Joel De La P and Peso collaboration “La People II.” Overall, Tito has seven career entries on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and 23 career entries on Hot Latin Songs; Incómodo — which ruled Top Latin Albums for nine nonconsecutive weeks — reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200 last October. Tito closed 2024 at No. 15 on the year-end Top Latin Artists list, with 1.7 billion on-demand official streams in the United States, according to Luminate.
Tito says Peso is proud of his accomplishments — even if they’ve dethroned him on the charts. “He was proud and like, ‘¿Qué onda?’ [What’s going on?], at the same time,” he recalls with a gentle, almost timid smile as he remembers Peso’s reaction to Incómodo hitting No. 1 on Top Latin Albums. “It’s never a competition between us. To be honest, he was like, ‘Better you than anyone else to take me out.’ ”
That reflects the ethos at Double P Records, whose roster also includes Deorro, Dareyes de la Sierra and Jasiel Nuñez.
“The artists on the label get together in the studio to show each other what we’re working on and get feedback like, ‘That idea is great,’ or ‘I like the lyrics but not the tune.’ We share everything, from the producers we’re working with to writing together and collaborating. We’re like a family,” Tito says. “And we also get to be our own bosses. There’s no set timeline of when I have to release a song. We have so much freedom.”
Tito is gearing up for future projects to maintain his momentum, including “tons of new music” with which he plans to shift from corridos singer to writing and recording songs about desamor (heartbreak). He also has an upcoming joint EP with Peso: “We have a lot of songs, but we’re still working on it because I was on tour and he had his own projects — but something big is coming with [Peso],” he teases of the project, which has no set release date.
Tito’s life has changed so much over the last year — but there’s still one moment in particular that reminds him of his growth. “One time, when Peso was just starting, he asked me to go do an interview with him because he didn’t want to go alone,” he recalls. “Literally no one knew who I was at the time, and I just sat there next to him, didn’t say a word, until the interviewer asked me, ‘And who are you?’ And I quickly responded, ‘Oh, no, I’m just his cousin.’ Today, I’m much more loose, more comfortable. Like, it’s still me but just more mature, motivated and grateful for everything that has happened and for what is coming.”
This story appears in the June 7, 2025, issue of Billboard.
Fuerza Regida’s Jesús Ortiz Paz (JOP), Gabito Ballesteros and Lupillo Rivera join the new reality show Pase a la Fama, set to premiere Sunday (June 8) on Telemundo. The three Mexican artists will form part of the music competition series — focused on discovering the next great regional Mexican band — as mentors, where they […]
Foo Fighters, Chappell Roan and Linkin Park will headline the 15th edition of the Corona Capital festival, which will also mark the highly anticipated return of Deftones to Mexican stages after nearly a decade, promoter OCESA announced on Tuesday (June 3).
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The exciting lineup for the annual rock festival — scheduled to take place from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16 at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City — also includes Queens of the Stone Age, Franz Ferdinand, Garbage, Vampire Weekend, Alabama Shakes and Weezer.
“Corona Capital is not just a festival — it’s a bridge between cultures, emotions, and generations,” Memo Parra, director of international events at OCESA, tells Billboard Español. “Since 2010, it has evolved into one of the most important festivals in the world, attracting thousands of fans from every corner of the globe to Mexico.”
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Parra emphasized that, with an attendance of 255,000 people per edition and a team of over 5,000 making it possible, Corona Capital is “living proof of the power of music to bring us together.”
Close to 70 artists and bands make up the 2025 lineup, including Aurora, Damiano David, James, Of Monsters and Men, AFI, Jerry Cantrell, Jehnny Beth, TV On The Radio, 4 Non Blondes, Circa Waves, Mogwai, Shermanology, Jordan Rakei, Kadavar and The Struts, among others.
But the participation of Deftones will undoubtedly be one of the standout moments. The last time the Sacramento, California-based rock band performed in Mexico City was in 2014. In an interview with Billboard Español published in February, vocalist Chino Moreno said that they were in talks for what could be their big return to the country.
Another highly anticipated act is Queens of the Stone Age, who had to cancel its 2024 shows — including one at the Corona Capital festival — due to health issues affecting singer and guitarist Josh Homme.
“What truly sets Corona Capital apart is its musical curation: a carefully crafted selection that has made music the backbone of the festival,” Parra adds, highlighting that people come not only to see their favorite artists, but also to “discover new sounds and be surprised.”
Corona Capital will take place in the context of the centennial celebration of the beer Corona, the festival’s sponsor. Leading up to the event in November, celebrations will be held in several cities across the country under the name Corona Capital Sessions.
The presale for Banamex cardholders will take place on Friday (June 6), with the general sale beginning the following day.
In its 15 years of existence, Corona Capital has solidified itself as the most important international music festival in Mexico, and one of the few in Latin America featuring major English-speaking bands. In the past, it has hosted renowned acts such as Paul McCartney, Jack White, The Cure, Muse, Blur, Nine Inch Nails, Portishead, Interpol, Billie Eilish, Pixies and Richard Ashcroft.
“More than 500 international artists have taken the stage, performing for a curious, open-minded, and passionate crowd that has helped us build a space where inclusion, social impact, and Mexican cultural traditions are celebrated and shared with the world,” Parra says.
Check out the lineup for Corona Capital 2025 below:
Twenty years ago today (June 3), Shakira dropped her sixth studio album, Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, via Epic Records — the follow-up to her debut English-language LP, Laundry Service, released in 2001.
After a successful debut in the English market with tracks such as “Whenever, Wherever” and “Underneath Your Clothes,” the Colombian superstar returned to singing in her native language for Fijación Oral, where she reeled in producers such as Gustavo Cerati, Lester Méndez, Luis Fernando Ochoa, and José “Gocho” Torres.
Home to 10 tracks — including singles “La Tortura” (2005), “No” (2005), “Día de Enero” (2006), “La Pared” (2006), and “Las de la Intuición” (2007) — the set debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums for 17 weeks, marking her fourth champ then (she has scored seven No. 1s to date). It also debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Pop Albums, where it dominated for 25 weeks between 2005-06, and at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
Fijación Oral also gave fans the timeless collaboration with Alejandro Sanz, “La Tortura.” The pop urban-tinted track, with dancehall and acoustic elements, peaked at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs chart dated June 4, 2005, and ruled for 25 weeks. It was also the only track from the album that entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The album was followed by Oral Fixation, Vol. 2, released in November 2005, where the global hit “Hips Don’t Lie” in collaboration with Wyclef Jean, lives. Vol. 1 is home to 10 Spanish-language songs and Vol. 2 to 10 English-language ones.
“The idea of making a double project was never planned or premeditated, it just happened,” Shak previously shared in an interview with MTV. “I found myself writing 60 songs and put myself on the mission of selecting my favorite ones, which happened to be 20.”
Below, Billboard editors rank all 10 songs on Fijación Oral, Vol. 1, from worst to best.
Shakira, “Fijación Oral: Vol. 1”
Courtesy Photo
“Lo Imprescindible”
