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Esteban Geller, who for nearly five years has led the marketing division at Sony Music U.S. Latin, has been promoted to the new position of general manager, Billboard has learned.
The Argentina-born Geller, based in Miami, will continue to report to Sony Music U.S. Latin president Alex Gallardo.
Geller was most recently senior vice president for artist relations & marketing for the label, working closely with superstar artists like Shakira, Maluma, Camilo, Rauw Alejandro, Wisin & Yandel, Manuel Turizo, Farruko and their teams. In his new role, he adds Puerto Rico and West Coast Operations to his purview, as well as radio/promotions and video commissioning.
“Esteban is one of the most dynamic, savvy, energetic, and enthusiastic executives in the business. He has played a key role in our expansion and the sustained success of countless acts,” said Gallardo in a statement. “He’s a true team player who doesn’t just envision big ideas; he actively executes them at the highest level.”
Highly-regarded among artists and management teams, Geller has gained a reputation as a tireless, proactive and solution-driven executive. His expertise comes from different fields. Prior to joining Sony Music in 2018, he worked with superstars Ricardo Arjona and Diego Torres (a Sony artists) and held jobs at event promoter Fenix Entertainment Group Latin America as well as MTV/Vh1 Latin America.
“It has been amazing to be part of Sony’s growth in the industry and I’m proud of what we have achieved over the past few years,” said Geller in a statement. “Every project is so important to us, and we approach each artist with the same care and diligence. Much appreciation to Alex and Afo [Verde, Sony’s CEO/President for Latin Iberia) who have entrusted me to not only develop music releases, but most important, artists careers.”
Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera will release a new song on Monday (April 17).
This marks the first collaboration between the two acts, and a new twist for Bad Bunny.
Although he’s a longtime fan of regional Mexican music, his new track with Grupo Frontera is only his second regional Mexican collab. Prior to this, he worked with Natanael Cano for a remix of “Soy el Diablo,” a corrido.
If Bad Bunny’s weekend preview on TikTok is any indication, this Grupo Frontera collab is a romantic cumbia.
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Based on Bad Bunny’s clip, the Spanish-language ballad’s lyrics translate to: “I have only 1% left, and I’ll use it to say I’m so sorry/ If they’ve seen me in the disco with someone else, it’s just wasting my time/ Baby, I can’t lie to you; That story that they saw me all happy, that’s not true/ Nothing makes me laugh anymore, only when I see the photos and videos I see of you.”
Although a title has not yet been confirmed at press time, the new song is slated to drop tomorrow. See a teaser from the Puerto Rican star via TikTok.
Karol G brought songs from her history-making Mañana Será Bonito album to Saturday Night Live on April 15.
During her musical guest debut on the NBC sketch comedy series, the Colombian singer-songwriter delivered sizzling performances of “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora” and “Tus Gafitas,” from her new Billboard 200 chart-topping release. The episode was hosted by Cuban-born actress Ana de Armas.
Sporting pink hair and backed by a group of singers, Karol G opened with a laid-back rendition of “Mientras Me Curo Del Cora,” which peaked at No. 8 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart in March. She returned with the backing of a full band, giving an edgy performance of “Tus Gafitas” while donning a spiky black top and posing alongside a black convertible.
Both tracks appear on Karol G’s fourth album, Mañana Será Bonito, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in March. The set made history as the first all-Spanish-language leader by a woman, and marked the singer’s first No. 1 album on the chart.
Elsewhere in the SNL episode, Karol G made a cameo in the “Spanish Class” sketch alongside Blonde star de Armas. In the skit, the singer wears a black T-shirt with the word Photoshop crossed out, a direct reference to her disappointment with GQ Mexico over her recent magazine cover.
“Today my GQ magazine cover was made public, a cover with an image that does not represent me,” she wrote on Instagram in early March. “My face doesn’t look like that, my body doesn’t look like that and I feel very happy and comfortable with how I look naturally.”
Watch Karol G’s SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
Coachella quickly became Motochella when Rosalía set foot on the festival’s main stage on Saturday (April 15).
The Motomamis and Motopapis assembled when they heard motorcycle engines roar. It only meant one thing: Rosalía was close to arrival. Wearing a black and white helmet, black leather pants, and a flowy pink robe over a black bra, Rosalía took the spotlight for her highly-anticipated performance on day two of the three-day event.
“Buenas noches, Coachella? I feel very happy to see you all here today,” said Rosalía, who was accompanied by a troupe of fierce dancers. “You fill my heart with your presence. I come from Barcelona, that’s why this stage is so special. It’s because of you that I’m here.”
For the special set, Rosalía brought her Motomami Tour concept to the desert, built upon a minimalistic white canvas with multiple cameras live feeding content from multiple angles. The tracklist spanned her albums El Mal Querer and Motomami, including hits like “Saoko,” “Bizcochito,” and “La Fama.” For the lattermost, she hopped off stage with a hand-held camera in selfie mode to capture the crowd taking turns on the mic.
“Are there many Motomamis here tonight? I see you all,” she declared soon after. She went on to sing “La Noche de Anoche,” “Despechá,” “Hentai,” “Motomami,” and “Candy” before unveiling her big surprise of the night.
“How many of you have already listened to RR,” the Spanish star asked the crowd. “Four years ago I came to Coachella — and I came alone. Not this time around.” Seconds later, her fiancé (and superstar in his own right) Rauw Alejandro joined Rosalía onstage where they oozed love. “Qué dice Coachella? Where’s my Latin people?” the Puerto Rican hitmaker asked the crowd.
The couple, who announced their engagement last month, performed “Beso” and “Vampiros” off RR, the joint EP they dropped March 24. After singing, kissing and a little perrero, they both stepped off the stage and shared a sweet kiss before going their separate ways. Rosalía made her way back to the white canvas for her last few songs., including an emotional cover of Enrique Iglesias’ “Héroe,” as well as “Chicken Teriyaki,” and “CUUUUuuuuuute.”
Coachella is part of Rosalía’s 20-date festival tour, which kicked off at Lollapalooza Argentina on March 17. It follows her Motomami world tour, which grossed $33.7 million and sold 443,000 tickets worldwide, landing her at No. 7 on the year-end Top Latin Tours list, according to Billboard Boxscore.
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
Becky G’s debut as a billed Coachella act was a long time coming, but good things come to those who wait. While the Mexican-American artist was at Coachella last year, when she joined Karol G to sing their hit song “MAMIII,” Becky G hadn’t had a solo performance at the festival.
“What’s up Coachella?” she asked a sea of festival-goers who had stationed themselves at the main stage for her 45-minute set after immediately being hooked with her reggaeton banger “Mayores.” “You’re looking mighty beautiful from up here,” she briefly said after performing her first song. “I’m so happy to be here with you guys today.”
Becky was a woman of a few words and let her music do the speaking instead. With a Luis Barragán-inspired set as her background, she stepped out in a dark blue denim three-piece and white sneakers to perform “Fulanito,” “Cuando Te Besé” and “Bailé Con Mi Ex” back-to-back before transitioning into a special segment that paid tribute to her Mexican roots.
“México en la casa! I’ve been working on my regional project and it’s been so beautiful,” she expressed. “I’m proud to be Mexican-American. And I couldn’t come to Coachella and not share the stage. Who else did we invite to the carne asada (cookout)?” she asked her DJ.
With a tuba in tow, Marca MP joined Becky — who wore a tejana for this part of her set — to sing “Ya Acabó.” But that was just the first artist of a parade of acts who joined the star. Following MP, Jesús Ortiz Paz of Fuerza Regida took her side to sing “Te Quiero Besar.” Paz stayed to sing Becky’s “favorite” song of his, the cumbia-powered “Bebe Dame.”
The third surprise guest was an artist who is relatively new to performing in front of crowd, let alone a festival of this magnitude, but fans went crazy when corridos up-and-comer Peso Pluma appeared on stage to sing his collab w Becky, “Chanel.” The surprise guests didn’t end there. Becky, who by this point had changed into a sparkly blue mini-dress, brought out bestie Natti Natasha to sing their girl-power track “Sin Pijama.” The two shared a friendly kiss with Becky after singing together.
To close her set with a bang, Becky sang her Karol G-assisted “MAMIII,” which she ended with the iconic wailing part of “Killing Me Softly.” And to end with a trip down memory lane, she performed her first hit single “Shower.” “Let me take this in for a second,” she said before leaving the stage. “It has truly been an honor.”
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
Bad Bunny first performed at Coachella in 2019, a then-emerging reggaeton and trap artist. On Friday (April 14), the Puerto Rican hitmaker returned to the desert as a global superstar to make history as the first Spanish-language artist to ever headline the festival.
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“Latinos have been rompiéndola (killing it) for some time now,” he said with pride. “I just did a tour last year that I never imagined I’d be able to do. I’ve been out for some time but [I’m back] and it feels cabrón to be here tonight and that you’re all here with me.”
The past four years have been pivotal for the Grammy-winning artist, who has redefined what it means to be a Latin artist today with two No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 (including his latest Un Verano Sin Ti) and a record-breaking tour.
So, when he took the stage at exactly 11:35 p.m., he was received as the icon that he is. A roaring crowd went crazy when Bad Bunny, who wore a colorful puffer jacket and chunky diamond necklaces, appeared on top of a rectangular box. His two-hour show — one of the longer Coachella headlining sets in recent memory — included special guests such as Jhayco, Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow, plus Post Malone (who’s appearance was overshadowed by mic issues). The set also, most notably, featured a passionate speech by Bunny who assured his zealous fans that, “People think they know the lives of famous people — but they don’t.”
Here’s what went down during Bad Bunny’s history-making performance.
He Expressed His Gratitude
Before Bad Bunny sang literally all the hits, those in attendance heard a pre-recorded video of the Grammy-winning artist expressing the significance of this moment. “The sun and the moon have witnessed epic moments, magical nights. Artists have found their purpose, their inspiration, the answer to all their questions, that perhaps weren’t questions in the first place. Here, history has been made thousands of times. My head is spinning. It’s incredible to see the list of all the other artists that have performed on this stage. So many of them, but no one like me,” he said entirely in Spanish. “It’s the first time a Benito closes the festival. It may be the first time, but perhaps not the last time.”
He Performed All The Hits
Guessing which song Bad Bunny would start with was no easy task. Surprisingly, he kicked off with “Me Porto Bonito” — a bold move to some as the banger could just have easily closed his set .”Coachella, quieres perreo? Before I keep going with my show, what do you prefer? Me talking in English or español? You decide.” The unanimous decision was, of course, español. And once he resumed, it was almost like he didn’t want to stop. The first half of the show featured a stacked setlist including hits from albums released since he was last at Coachella: “Moscow Mule,” “Neverita,” “Si Veo A Tu Mamá,” “La Difícil,” “La Santa,” “Estamos Bien” and “Te Boté,” among other anthems.
He Set the Record Straight
Mid-set, Bad Bunny took a moment to make one thing very clear: “Humbly speaking, people think they know the lives of famous people but they don’t,” he said categorically. “They don’t know what we feel, what we live through. They will never know what a heart can feel. Don’t believe everything you hear. You won’t get to know the real me through a video on Instagram, an interview or a TikTok. If you really want to get to know me, I invite you to my home. My name is Benito Martinez Ocasio,” he stated. “I’ve met good people, I’ve met bad people. You learn from both. I know who I am, what my purpose is and I promise you I will see it through. Don’t worry about me, I’m ok.”
He also addressed a quote of his from a recent interview he gave, in which he said he didn’t feel strongly about the lyrics to one of his songs. “I don’t regret anything. I don’t even regret my errors because you learn from your mistakes. The last thing I’d regret is writing this song,” referring to was “El Apagón,” which he performed right after this heartfelt speech.
He Welcomed Both Expected and Unexpected Guests
Bad Bunny would have had no problem filling 120 minutes on his own. But the more the merrier. The chart-topping artist brought out OG reggaetoneros Jowell & Randy and Ñengo Flow to perform the perreo anthem “Safaera” from Bunny’s 2020 set YHLQMDLG. It’s safe to say that his next guest was the least expected; as Bad Bunny made his way to another part of the stage out in the middle of the crowd, he was joined by Post Malone who played guitar renditions of “La Canción” and “Yonaguni.” But after a few tries, his mic never cooperated and Bad Bunny ended up singing the two songs a cappella (he even briefly tried holding a second microphone to the then unplugged guitar). “Something happened to el cabrón cable,” he said visibly upset.
But technical difficulties didn’t stop him from continuing his show. Instead, he jumped on a jet ski as frequent collaborator Jhayco rode one beside him to perform their euphoric duet “Dákiti.” And yet, there was still more. Bunny ended the set back on the main stage — and on his own, performing hits “Callaíta,” “Me Porto Bonito” and “Después de la Playa” as a final lengthy round of fireworks exploded behind him.
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
Emilia, Big One and Callejero Fino celebrate another week in command as “En La Intimidad” adds a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated April 8). With seven weeks up top, the song continues its longest-leading run in 2023 thus far, moving away ahead of its closest competitor, Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” which ruled for four weeks.
Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” claims a sixth week at No. 2, encompassing its entire run on the chart. Luck Ra, La K’Onga and Ke Personajes’ “Ya No Vuelvas” rebounds 7-3, after the song topped the 100-deep tally for one week in February.
Ke Personajes also places a second top 10 with “Pobre Corazón,” featuring Onda Sabanera, which rises 12-9, while Luck Ra and La K’Onga concurrently take home the Greatest Gainer trophy with a 33-rank surge as “Te Mentiría” rallies from No. 68 to No. 35.
Further, TINI’s “Cupido” falls 3-4, and BM’s “M. A. (Mejores Amigos)” holds at No. 5 for a sixth week. Meanwhile, Argentinian Milo J scores his first top 10 as “Rara Vez,” with Taiu, climbs 11-8. It’s a second top 10 for Taiu after he led for four weeks through his featured turn in Trueno and Nicki Nicole’s “Mamichula,” which also features Bizarrap and Tatool.
Elsewhere, Duki and C.R.O earn the Hot Shot Debut of the week with “Harakiri” at No. 22. With 39 career entries, Duki breaks from a tie with Maria Becerra for the fourth-most among all acts, trailing Bad Bunny’s 57 entries, J Balvin’s 49 and Bizarrap’s 43 total entries.
Emilia concurrently adds a new charting title as “Jagger.mp3” opens at No. 30.
Lastly, the week features five other debuts: Feid and Young Miko’s “Classy 101” at No. 53; Big One, FMK and Ke Personajes’ “Un Finde | CROSSOVER #2” at No. 70; Yami Safdie’s “De Nada” at No. 73; Tiago PZK’s “Que Se Parezca A Ti” at No. 79 and BM’s “Ven Mami” at No. 81.
This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors each week — is powered by new music from Eladio Carrión, Boza, Farruko, Caloncho, and Nanpa Basico, to name a few.
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Carrión teamed up with Anuel AA on “Triste Verano” (sad summer), one of the most highly anticipated team-ups of the música urbana game, where the two artists spit verses like two forsaken fellows who ain’t too proud to beg, against an invigorating interplay between Latin trap and reggaetón. For his first single of the year, Boza reeled in Dalex (who’s making a comeback in his own right) for “Volar” (fly), an infectious electronica beat helmed by Colombian hitmaker Sky Rompiendo with lyrics about falling hard for a girl and feeling the highest of emotions. And DJ Marshmello joined forces with Farruko on “Esta Vida” (this life), an EDM song with lyrics that convey a different message that reflects Farru’s newly found life path.
Additionally, Billboard highlights other releases such as Esteman’s groovy, slowed-down pop ballad “Despertar,” Juanes’ romantic alternative rock “Ojalá,” Felipe Pelaéz’s first-ever ranchera “Magía,” Fito Paéz and Ángela Aguilar’s feel-good “Brillante Sobre El Mic,” and Kenia OS’ sultry “Rumores” with boyfriend and Mexican rapper Gera MX, among other new releases.
Listen to the full New Music Latin playlist here, and vote for your latest favorite music release below:
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com
Bowen Yang just wants to fit in during the promo for this weekend’s Saturday Night Live. Standing next to host Cuban/Spanish actress Ana de Armas (Blonde), Colombian musical guest Karol G and Cuban-Dominican SNL castmate Marcello Hernandez, Yang is the odd man out in the first all-Spanish language preview for the show.
The host does the usual intro, saying her name and welcoming Karol as the musical guest in Spanish, while Hernandez tells the singer that it’s going to be a “tremendous night” as he gushes about how much he loves her musical. After Karol says she’s delighted to be there, Yang, desperate to prove his funky bilingual bona fides, casually drops all the Spanish he learned in high school, adding, “yo soy la playa.”
“You are the beach?” Hernandez wonders. “Yes, I am the beach,” Yang concurs confidently, as de Armas confirms, “Bowen is the beach.”
One of the other bits setting up this weekend’s show finds Yang telling de Armas that he loved her as Marilyn Monroe in Blonde, as Karol G says she also loved the actress in Bond, — as in 2021’s No Time To Die — while Hernandez keeps the rhyme time going by saying he is “fond” of her work in the movie Ghosted. This time, however, Marcello is the one on the outside looking in, as he apologizes for his clumsy attempt to keep the rhyme going.
The Spanish-heavy promo was fitting as Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito made her the first artist to land an all-Spanish language album by a female artist to debut atop the Billboard 200 album chart last month; it was also Karol’s first No. 1 album on the chart.
Saturday Night Live airs at 11:30 p.m. ET on Saturday (April 15) and then streams on Peacock after.
Check out this week’s SNL promos below.
Premios Heat, or Heat Latin Music Awards, are unveiling their 2023 nominees exclusively on Billboard below.
This year, Karol G and Feid lead the pack with six nominations each. They are followed by five-time nominee Bad Bunny and, with four nominations each: Romeo Santos, El Alfa, Christian Nodal and Bizarrap. Other top nominees include Maluma, Manuel Turizo, Chris Lebron, Arcángel, Marc Anthony and Grupo Firme, to name a few.
Three new categories have been added to the coveted awards show this year including best content, music platform, DJ of the year and song of the year. Additionally, the LosHeat.TV trending artist award returns for a second consecutive year, recognizing the talent with the most engagement on the Premios Heat platforms.
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The eighth edition of the awards show is set to take place June 8 in The Dominican Republic. Fans can vote for their favorite artists here.
To see the complete list of nominees, see below:
Anitta
Premios Heat/Carlos Zambrano*
Best Male ArtistBad BunnyChristian NodalRomeo SantosAlejandro FernándezPrince RoyceWisinOzunaFeidMaluma
Best Female ArtistShakiraKarol GTiniRosalíaFarinaGreeicyNatti NatashaEmilia MernesKim LoaizaGloria Trevi
Best Group or BandGrupo FirmeWisin & YandelPiso 21Zion & LennoxMoratReikServando y FlorentinoGrupo Niche
Best Rock ArtistMoratJuanesManáNo Te Va GustarFito PáezLeivaLos CaligarisLeon Larregui
Best Pop ArtistLassoSebastián YatraKany GarciaCamiloAxelCarlos RiveraDanny OceanAndrés CepedaLali
Best Urban ArtistBad BunnyKarol GFeidArcángelEladio CarriónRyan CastroRauw AlejandroJustin QuilesEl AlfaFarruko
Best Tropical ArtistCarlos VivesRomeo SantosSilvestre DangondMarc AnthonyVíctor ManuelleFelipe PeláezAméricoEddy HerreraJandy Ventura
Best Artist South RegionDukiLIT KillahTruenoNicki NicoleEmilia MernesTiago PZKCris MjBizarrapWos
Best Artist Andean RegionFanny LuDanny OceanGoyoMike BahiaDekkoManuel TurizoRyan CastroBlessdFarinaAndreína Bravo
Ryan Castro
@carlosoarturo y @danielarcilafoto
Best Artist North RegionFarrukoSechDalexKim LoaizaChris AndrewJay WheelerEl AlfaMoraJustin QuilesChris Lebron
Best New ArtistPolimá WestcoastLola ÍndigoQuevedoEdén MuñozBrrayChris LebronLIT KillahKim Loaiza
Musical PromiseTEOElena RoseYoung MikoPaopaoDayanaraMario BautistaÁngel DiorADSOVillano AntillanoMar Rendón
Influencer of the YearDomelipaKunnoYeri MuaMont PantojaLa SeguraBriandaMarkoLele PonsKevlex
Best Popular Regional ArtistChristian NodalAlejandro FernándezCarin LeónPaola JaraJessi UribeGrupo FirmeGrupo FronteraYeison JiménezEden Muñoz
Best Dominican Urban ArtistEl AlfaAngel DiorRochy RDChimbalaLa MaterialistaBulovaLa InsuperableFlow 28Rosaly Rubio
Best Video“Mientras me Curo del Cora” – Karol G“For Sale” – Gilberto Santa Rosa, Carlos vives“La Reina” – Maluma“Le Pido a Dios” – Feid“Mi Pecadito”- Mike Bahía, Greeicy“Ambulancia” – Camilo, Camila Cabello“Cairo” – Karol G, Ovy on The Drums“Suegra” – Romeo Santos“Tití Me Preguntó”- Bad Bunny
Best CollaborationKarol G, Shakira – “TQG”Rauw Alejandro, Baby Rasta – “Punto 40”Arcangel, Bad Bunny – “La Jumpa”Romeo Santos, Chris Lebron – “SIRI”Ozuna, Feid – “Hey Mor”El Alfa, Zepekeño, El Pepo Show – “Arrebatao Remix”Lasso, Sebastián Yatra – “Ojos Marrones”Kany Garcia, Christian Nodal – “La Siguiente”Mora, Feid – “La Inocente”
Best Content, Music PlatformMolusco TVDimelokingAlofoke MediaEl ChomboRapetón
DJ of the YearDj AdoniGordoTiëstoDiploMarshmelloBizarrapDj TornallVíctor Cardena
Song of the Year “La Bachata” – Manuel Turizo “BZRP Music Sessions #53” – Bizarrap, Shakira “Despechá” – Rosalía “Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo” – Feid “Los Cachos” – Piso 21, Manuel Turizo “Tití Me Preguntó” – Bad Bunny “Provenza” – Karol G “La Fórmula” – Maluma, Marc Anthony “BZRP Music Sessions #52” – Bizarrap, Quevedo “Bendecido” – El Alfa, Farina “Me Porto Bonito” – Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone
Get tickets to the first-ever #BBMujeresLatinas on May 6 in Miami: billboardmujeresenlamusica.com