Latin
Page: 250
Anitta stopped by The Howard Stern Show on Wednesday (May 3) for a no-holds-barred chat about her bisexuality and, well, getting diarrhea before meeting Madonna.
Pressed by the host about whether dating women was “still on the table” for her, the “Envolver” singer responded with a hesitant yes, saying, “I haven’t been with a woman in a while. No, I don’t think I would fall in love with a woman. But I wouldn’t say never, I wouldn’t say never.”
One female artist Anitta certainly got nervous to meet was Her Madgesty — to the point that the encounter sent her running for the bathroom.
“I got there a little earlier than her,” the Brazilian star said of their session to record “Faz Gosoto” for 2019’s Madame X. “Thank god, ’cause then I had time to take a s–t. Crazy. I was feeling bad, like, you know when you’re too nervous and you just get [mimics grumbling sounds]? My stomach was just going crazy … She would know this probably now, but at the time she didn’t, which was great.”
Elsewhere during the chat, Anitta plugged her intimate perfume Puzzy. “This is a spray that you spray in your most intimate areas?” asked a curious Stern, to which she replied, “In your p—y, in your butt, in your d–k, in your balls — everything … [It’s for] men, women, everybody.”
Just days before the interview, the Latin superstar — who recently inked a new record deal with Republic Records after publicly parting ways with longtime label Warner Music Group — attended both the star-studded party to celebrate the grand re-opening of the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in New York City and the even grander 2023 Met Gala.
Watch Anitta hold nothing back on Howard Stern below.
Ice Cube, one of the most influential figures of West Coast hip-hop, and Banda Sinaloense MS de Sergio Lizárraga (better known as Banda MS), one of the most revered regional Mexican acts of Northern Mexico, team up to deliver a powerful message in “¿Cuáles Fronteras?”
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
A pinnacle moment in regional Mexican music’s continued rapid ascent, the powerful rap-encrusted banda jam sees two legendary acts representing Black and Brown communities join forces in their latest joint venture. The two mighty acts slay over an energetic banda rhythm powered by blaring horns and commanding vocals. Above all, it’s a response to the ongoing immigration injustices and militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“This song is a tribute to [immigrants],” Banda MS singer Oswaldo Silvas tells Billboard Español. “It is a voice of solidarity for all our people from all over the world who are looking for a better future.” Adds Ice Cube: “It’s very important, especially coming from Los Angeles, being able to preach that message that we’re better together than apart. We have more in common than not,”
Billboard Español spoke with Ice Cube, as well as Banda MS’ composer/clarinet player Pavel Ocampo, frontmen Silvas and Alan Ramírez and the multi-hyphenate Angeleno via Zoom, to discuss racial, linguistic, and institutional borders, and why we must team up rather than divide.
Watch the exclusive teaser for “¿Cuáles Fronteras?”, full song and music video out Friday, May 5.
How did this collaboration first come about?
Ice Cube: We have a mutual friend, Bobby Dee, who’s been doing great [promotion work with me] and doing a lot of great shows around the country. He knows my audience, which is important. Once we got to know each other real good, he started saying, “Hey, you got to do something with my guys.” I was like, “Well, who are you guys?” “Banda MS.”
I had heard about the group because I have a box [suite] at Staples Center. Whenever [Banda MS] came to town, all my friends would want the box. They were like, “Can we get the box? We want to see them perform.” I knew they were huge. [Bobby Dee] sent me a few links to check out how they get down, and I was sold. The music is incredible. I was like, “Okay, I like the music. But how is the track that we’re going to do?” When I got it, it was amazing on all levels, from start to finish. It really inspired me, [especially with] the lyrics. It’s been a blessing ever since we were able to connect.
Oswaldo Silvas: The importance is the impact that this collaboration has, not only on a musical level, but on a cultural and social level. It breaks down so many barriers and so many paradigms. I think that is the strongest impact it will have. We approached him through a third party, Bobby Dee, and we loved the idea, because I think the admiration we have for Ice as a singer, artist and actor is very great. Sergio [Lizárraga] was the one who arranged everything, and when we got the news, it was incredible.
Ice Cube, you’re from LA — one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world — where there’s a very strong hip-hop presence, but also regional Mexican music. I imagine this unity was more seamless than what some might expect. Agree?
Ice Cube: Without a doubt. To me, L.A. is a city where black and brown people really interact and connect on a lot of different levels, from culture to our love of sports, music and hip-hop. I think there’s a lot of different things that really connect our cultures, and I like to highlight those things. I think it’s important that we work together, that we show unity, that we speak up for each other. Some people are going to see us getting together like peanut butter and jelly, like it’s meant to be. The song is powerful. It’s the perfect song at the perfect time with the perfect artist.
Tell me more about the song.
Alan Ramírez: What the song says is something very cool for everyone in the United States. There was that chemistry at the time of the composition with Ice Cube and his people. Ice’s people did the rap part of it, and Omar Robles, the lead songwriter for Banda MS, worked [with his team]. We know they’re going to like the [music] video. They were Ice’s and Banda MS’s ideas. It’s a very nice thing that came out very original.
Ice Cube, was writing rap verses different to a norteño song than to a traditional hip-hop song?
Ice Cube: Yeah. In hip-hop, you’re looking for a kick, and it tells you what you can do. Here, I wanted to make sure I was in a set rhythm, so that it would have the right momentum. There was a test track of “It Was a Good Day” [where] they took the lyrics to the beat to make me know where to rap. The rhythm was a little slow for me. I wanted to make sure I stayed with the rhythm, so the flow could be easy for other people to sing along, even if they don’t speak good English.
I just had all those things in mind, as well as delivering a message of unity, of hope, and of defiance. We got to fight back against people who don’t want to see us succeed. Those who don’t want to see people get ahead and have a better life. I wanted to rap all that into the lyrics.
What was different about the process of writing the musical arrangements knowing that Ice Cube was involved?
Pavel Ocampo: We have the experience of having worked on “Qué Maldición” with Snoop Dogg, where we did this collaboration between hip-hop and regional Mexican. This time it’s a completely different thing. When we were talking to Cube the first time, I said, “Hey, how did you rap here?” Because this song is more Mexican, where he had to adapt a lot to a more Mexican beat. In the arrangements, we did a banda track with hip hop elements. I think it suited Cube very well, it was very natural.
The song is about breaking barriers. Language has been considered a barrier too. What was it like for you to be making a bilingual song?
Ice Cube: It’s amazing. Throughout my career, I’ve gotten so much love from the Spanish community — Mexican, Cuban, and all over South America. For this to be the first time that I have a song in Spanish and English is pretty remarkable. The timing is right, with the perfect message to put out there in the world. I’m glad that we’ve really been able to bring it together. I do it in my movies a little bit, but this is another great way to do it. I appreciate all the fans I have and so I want to make sure they know that I got nothing but love, and I want to reciprocate the love that they’ve given me. This is a small way to do that.
Silvas: I think we are playing the universal language that is music, we all understand each other there. It is a problem when we feel admiration for an artist like Ice Cube, and suddenly you want to communicate with him. Alan and I don’t speak English, and sometimes we feel like, heck, don’t think that we’re being nasty because we don’t talk to each other — because the language has that barrier.
Can you talk about your personal relationship with the U.S.-Mexico border.
Silvas: As a band, we have not had an experience where there have been complications when crossing the border. But there are many cases of people we know who have encountered problems in their search for a better life. Above all, to those people who could not make it, who stayed on the road, who unfortunately lost their lives, and their family suffers the consequences of this process. This song is a tribute to them, a voice and a song of solidarity for all our people – not only Mexican, but Latin, South American, Central American, from all over the world who are looking for a better future. So, it’s a way of how with what we do, we put that grain of sand of solidarity for our people.
The plight of Black and Brown folks in the U.S., have been parallel in a way. This song sets a precedent in unifying cultures. How important is it for you to convey that message now?
Ice Cube: It’s very important, especially coming from Los Angeles, being able to preach that message that we’re better together than apart. We have more in common than not. At the end of the day, we have fun together. I always like to push that message, not just stand on a soapbox and say it, but do things that are unexpected that’s cool and makes an impact. That’s what it’s all about, to catch [audiences] by surprise with something cool that they can be a part of and show the unity. It’s important to show that we need to work together and make each other’s lives easier and not harder. We all know there are forces against both communities that make life hard, so we shouldn’t contribute to that.
Ocampo: We know that African-American, Mexican and Latino communities in general have a lot of similarities, culturally — in positive things but also in negative things. Economic inequality, access to education, medicine. Although this theme speaks to a specific issue, migration, it enhances the unity of the two communities or more that bring this message of unity, and that we are compas.
Silvas: I think we are living in times where the content of disunity between races is very much spread. I have seen many videos where they try, in some way, to set against each other, the African-American against the Latino, for example — and a kind of media battle is made. With this collaboration, what we are trying to say is that, we can be united, we can be part of the same team, there are no borders, there are no barriers, we are one. When people, life, God has given you the opportunity to be able to be on this platform, you can do something of positive impact to say to people, “We can come together through this.” That is priceless.
On Thursday (May 4), Billboard and Telemundo announced a new wave of presenters for the inaugural Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música (Billboard Latin Women in Music) — an expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise that will celebrate Latin women artists, executives and creatives in the music industry.
The debut ceremony will honor seven Latina singer-songwriters including Shakira, who will receive the Latin Woman of the Year Award, and Thalia, who will receive the Global Powerhouse Award.
Joining the star-studded lineup as presenters are Giselle Blondet, Chiky Bombom, Jessica Carrillo, Greeicy, Guaynaa, Ha*Ash, Lele Pons, Andrea Meza, Elena Rose and Nicole Zignago. Meanwhile, Canadian artist JP Saxe and Brazilian star Ludmilla are set to perform with the honorees. The former will share the stage with Evaluna and the latter with Emilia.
Ha*Ash will present Ana Gabriel with the Living Legend Award; Elena Rose will present Emilia with the Rising Star Award; Nicole Zignago will present Evaluna with the Tradition and Future Award; Greeicy will present Goyo with the Agent of Change Award; and Lele Pons and Guaynaa will present Maria Becerra with the Visionary Award.
Hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, the 2023 Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música will be taped at the Watsco Center in Miami on Saturday and will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Tickets to attend Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música live in Miami on May 6 are on sale now. For more information and to purchase, visit BillboardMujeresEnLaMusica.com. Join the conversation using #BBMujeresLatinas and visit BBMujeresLatinas.com for more information.
Our ‘Global Powerhouse Award’ recipient Thalía talks about what the award means to her, how she got her start in music, paving the way for other women in the industry, her new album ‘Thalia’s Mixtape’, and more!
Get your tickets to Billboard’s #MujeresLatinas in Miami, for May 6th, and tune in to watch it on Telemundo on May 7th at 9PM/8C.
Thalia is a Mexican pop tour de force. Because of her indelible contributions in the Latin pop field for more than three decades, the singer, actress and entrepreneur will be honored with the Global Powerhouse award at Billboard‘s premiere Latin Women in Music event this weekend.
The gala takes place May 6 in Miami and it will air in Telemundo the following day. Billboard’s Leila Cobo, chief content officer of Latin/Español, sat down with the international star for a lively chat.
In the conversation, she expressed her gratitude for being awarded the Global Powerhouse award. “I feel proud. I feel honored. I feel like I belong to a group of very talented, powerful women, full of vigor, full of that strength that is contagious,” she says.
It was also discussed that Thalia is a strong advocate for the advancement of Latinas in the industry, especially emerging talent.
“It has always felt right for me to do it, like a necessity,” Thalia mentions. “In my perspective, together, we are better. If you look good, I look better. If you’re doing well, I’m doing well. And especially for young artists, they go against many prejudices, and against the male-dominated industry. It is important that there is another woman backing them up, that they don’t feel alone.”
The vivacious artist, originally from Mexico City, also discussed her new three-episode docuseries on Paramount+, Thalia’s Mixtape: El Soundtrack de Mi Vida, which premiered this week. Part music video, part rock en Español history lesson, and part mixtape nostalgia piece, the Latin pop star explains why this audio visual was near and dear for her to make.
Last week, she also released an accompanying covers album, Thalia’s Mixtape, in which she offers a buoyant take on rebellious rock en Español classics from the ’80s and ’90s. She sings 11 covers, including “Devuélveme a mi Chica” by Hombres G, “Persiana Americana” by Soda Stereo, “Florecita Rockera” by Aterciopelados and “La Muralla Verde” by Los Enanitos Verdes.
“It was a search to reconfigure those songs through this audiovisual project of these three episodes, with me being this bridge of connection between these titans of music to the new generation,” she says.
Don’t miss Thalia and other honorees, including our Latin Woman of the Year Shakira, plus Goyo and Ana Gabriel, at the first-ever Billboard Latin Women in Music gala at the Watsco Center in Miami. The two-hour show will air exclusively on Telemundo on Sunday, May 7, at 9 p.m. ET.
A first of its kind for Latin music, Mujeres Latinas en la Música celebrates Latin women artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry
Tickets to Billboard’s Latin Women In Music can be purchased here.
Colombian chart-topper Keityn, who co-wrote Karol G‘s “Provenza” and Shakira and Rauw Alejandro‘s “Te Felicito,” was named songwriter of the year at the 2023 ASCAP Latin Music Awards.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“Me Porto Bonito” — performed by Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone and co-written by ASCAP songwriter Master Joe — won song of the year, while Universal Music Publishing Music Group took the publisher of the year honor.
Winners at the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers’ annual awards — which recognize the songwriters, producers and publishers behind Latin music’s biggest hits — where announced Wednesday night (May 3) at an invitation-only event in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
A first-time ASCAP winner, Keityn (real name: Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno) has also been behind chart-topping hits such as “Tusa” by Karol G and Nicki Minaj, Maluma‘s “Hawái” and J Balvin and Tainy‘s “Agua,” to name a few. In October 2021, he signed an exclusive deal with Warner Music Latina, and since then, he has released songs as a performer like “El Egoísmo” with Mike Bahía and Dekko, “Anoche” and “Nueva Versión.”
Song of the year honoree “Me Porto Bonito” — a reggaetón track infused with Latin pop and sandungueo, in which two men promise to behave nicely if the woman they’re after asked them to — spent 20 weeks at the top of Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart. It also reached No. 1 on Latin Airplay, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts, and hit the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Universal Music Publishing Music Group was recognized as publisher of the year for hits including “Después de la Playa,” “Efecto,” “La Corriente,” “Me Porto Bonito,” “Moscow Mule,” “Neverita,” “Ojitos Lindos,” “Party,” “Tarot,” “Tití Me Preguntó” and “Un Ratito” — all part of Bad Bunny’s uber-successful Un Verano Sin Ti, the second album in Spanish to ever top the Billboard 200.
Other 2023 ASCAP Latin Music Award-winning songwriters include Daddy Yankee (“Remix”), Jhayco (“Sensual Bebé”), Marc Anthony (“Mala”), Marco Antonio Solís (“Si Te Pudiera Mentir”), GALE (her first ASCAP Latin Award for “Ley Seca”) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Dos Oruguitas”).
The inaugural Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música (Billboard Latin Women in Music) — which celebrates Latin female artists, executives and creatives in the music industry — is right around the corner.
An expansion of Billboard’s Women in Music franchise, the debut ceremony will honor seven Latina singer-songwriters including the first-ever Latin Woman of the Year Award to Shakira.
“Shakira is the ultimate Woman in Music,” said Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer for Latin/Español. “Thanks to her, Latin women all over the world have been empowered to write and perform deeply personal music. She created a movement all on her own and continues to be more relevant than ever today, with grace, a deep tradition of giving back, and enormous talent. She is the definition of a Woman in Music.”
The other honorees include Ana Gabriel, who will receive the Living Legend Award; Emilia, who will receive the Rising Star Award; Evaluna, who will receive the Tradition and Future Award; Goyo, who will receive the Agent of Change Award; Thalia, who will receive the Global Powerhouse Award; and Maria Becerra, who will receive the Visionary Award.
Hosted by Ivy Queen and Jacqueline Bracamontes, the 2023 Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música will be taped at the Watsco Center in Miami on May 6 and will air exclusively on Telemundo May 7 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
Below, count down to the televised event by listening to the ultimate playlist featuring music by the seven honorees and our host, Ivy.
Tickets to attend Billboard Mujeres Latinas en la Música live in Miami on May 6 are on sale now. For more information and to purchase, visit BillboardMujeresEnLaMusica.com. For the latest news, visit BillboardMujeresEnLaMusica.com, or follow Billboard on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter at @billboard. Join the conversation using #BBMujeresLatinas and visit BBMujeresLatinas.com for more information.
Regional Mexican music didn’t just go global in the blink of an eye.
For starters, this legacy genre has been around for more than a century and a half. That endurance has allowed regional Mexican – an umbrella term comprising banda, corridos, norteño, sierreño, mariachi and more subgenres – to build a solid foundation and fervid fanbase on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Keeping in mind, the U.S. is home to the second-largest Mexican community in the world.
For many generations, regional Mexican artists have continued to build upon its foundations, solidifying its backbone in the Latin music industry. That’s why today, a new crop of regional hitmakers have been able to take the music to the next level. Fusing traditional corridos or banda with hip-hop, rap and reggaetón — in some cases — they’ve been able to appeal to a wider and younger, tech-savvy audience. Two years ago, Billboard was already reporting on regional Mexican music’s global reach ushered by artists such as Eslabon Armado, Natanael Cano and Grupo Firme. Which led to a discussion on why the genre needs a new name – one that reflected its international appeal.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Now, as a testament to the genre’s recent surge, Mexican and Mexican-American artists are leading the Billboard Global 200 — taking the three top spots on the tally dated May 6, an unprecedented chart achievement. Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny’s “un X100to” is No. 1, with Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” — which became the first regional Mexican song to enter the top five on the Billboard Hot 100 – coming in second, and Yng Lvcas and Peso’s “La Bebe” at No. 3. And at the same time, for the first time ever, two Mexican music songs (“Ella Baila Sola” and “un X100to”) are simultaneously in the Hot 100’s top five.
Mexican music is making history, and it wouldn’t be fair to reduce it to a moment. Below, Griselda Flores (Billboard’s senior staff writer, Latin) and Isabela Raygoza (associate editor, Billboard Español) discuss all things Mexican music; from their personal feelings on the global spotlight to what will be key to continue fueling the genre’s success.
There has been a lot of buzz around regional Mexican music lately, with songs like “Ella Baila Sola” by Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma going global and Bad Bunny recording a hit song with Grupo Frontera. What were some first thoughts when you read headlines about Mexican music “finally” going global?
Isabela Raygoza: It’s about perspective. If you ask a Mexican (or older fans of the genre), the regional style went global when Pedro Infante popularized mariachi via the golden age of Mexican cinema in the ’50s; or when Vicente Fernández became an international global ranchera star in the ’70s; or when Selena revamped the Tex-Mex sound in the ’90s, a genre influenced by branches of regional Mexican; or when Christian Nodal out-streamed some of the U.S.‘ biggest stars with the now 1.3 billion plays for his 2017 single “Adios Amor”; or when Los Tigres del Norte broke Cardi B’s all-time attendance record at Texas’ Houston Rodeo in 2019. Or even when Ariel Camacho’s music (and tragic death in 2015) inspired a cross-border movement of new sierreño musicians. I was raised in the border town of San Diego-Tijuana, so these styles have been near and dear to me since my infancy. So, when I see recent headlines about Mexican music “finally” going global, it isn’t wholly (annoyingly) accurate. Again, it depends on who you ask.
Griselda Flores: To be completely honest and transparent, for many years, I selfishly didn’t want regional Mexican music to go global. I guess my biggest fear was that to be accepted by a wider audience, the genre would have to sacrifice its core sound — powered by very distinctive instruments, like the tuba, trombones, clarinets, trumpets in banda, for example. (The instruments are key to that style’s unique sound, and which not many people find easy to digest). Going global meant allowing people into a very personal bubble. For many kids of Mexican immigrants who grew up in the U.S. — I grew up in Chicago — this music, with roots that date back more than 100 years, soundtracked your childhood. At least for me it did. My parents specifically played only Spanish music in our household — mostly regional Mexican music — and would blast Vicente Fernández, Antonio Aguilar, Lupillo Rivera, Banda Machos, Los Temerarios, which I want to believe just made them feel closer to home. I learned to love the music, the storytelling and the passionate delivery of the songs.
What I love about what we’re seeing today is that Mexican music has gone global without having to sacrifice anything. And, most importantly, it is Mexican and Mexican-American artists who are taking this genre, which already had a very solid foundation to begin with, to the next level.
What does “going global” really mean for this legacy genre and how can we truly measure the impact?
IR: To me, “going global” means going global in the larger picture! Going viral, topping the Billboard charts, headlining important and international festivals, winning Grammys and Latin Grammys, getting a platinum record, appearing on late night television, performing at the Super Bowl, and just making unprecedented moves. And beyond the U.S.! Just how Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” and Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny’s “Un x100to” became the first regional Mexican music songs to ever make the top 10 of the Hot 100 is one example of going global, and a great way to measure its impact.
GF: Some styles of Mexican music — mariachi is a prime example — were already popular outside of Mexico and the U.S. So, in some fashion, an international audience had already been exposed to one style under the umbrella term. But what is important in what we’re seeing today is that subgenres like sierreño, corridos and norteñas are getting that exposure on a global platform and so the diversity of this genre is really getting a spotlight. It also shows listeners how multi-layered and nuanced this genre can be. Another way I’d measure the impact is by seeing the fans who are consuming the music today. Just go on TikTok and see that it’s a lot of Gen Z-ers who are consuming it. This genre really is hitting multi-generational homes.
As regional Mexican music continues to gain prominence and influence within the broader music industry, how have regional Mexican artists adapted to incorporate non-regional Mexican artists into their music?
IR: When corridos tumbados trailblazer Natanael Cano, who makes corridos with a hip-hop flavor, invited Bad Bunny to share verses on “Soy El Diablo,” Natanael did not sacrifice anything about his style to accommodate the Bunny. If anything, Bad Bunny matched Natanael’s lyrical delivery.
In the case of Banda MS — who come from the more traditional banda Sinaloense — they have demonstrated their ability to update and transform classic banda for newer and unfamiliar audiences of the genre. When bandleader Sergio Lizárraga explained their Snoop Dogg team-up on their 2020 “Qué Maldición,” he said that composition was key. The musicians paid close attention to the rapper’s repertoire so they could embrace Snoop’s usual laidback delivery. They realized that their banda romántica tempo matched hip-hop’s usual pace, around 89 BPMs. Then they used the tuba for its bassline, where in hip-hop it’s usually sampled or played with the keys.
In essence, the Mexican musicians brilliantly found a sweet spot between banda and rap, without sacrificing the integrity of the traditional Mexican style, while being unafraid to think outside the box.
GF: They haven’t, and I think that’s the beauty of it. I think it’s non-regional Mexican artists who’ve had to adapt to score a collaboration with a Mexican music artist. In the last four years, we’ve seen Bad Bunny come to this side twice now, Farruko with T3r Elemento, Camilo with Los Dos Carnales, Maluma with Grupo Firme, Snoop Dogg with Banda MS, Jhayco with Eslabon Armado, to name just a few. Regional Mexican artists have had to adapt in other ways — for example, collaborating with each other to make the genre even stronger. I think that was a lesson they learned from urban acts, who proved that collaborating with each other was key to creating a movement in the early 2000s.
Have regional Mexican music collaborations with artists from other genres (such as hip-hop, urbano and Latin pop) had any sort of effect on the evolution and cultural significance of this genre? What can we expect from these cross-genre collaborations in the future?
IR: I don’t think collaborations influence the evolution of regional Mexican music, but I think it will become stronger with these kinds of collaborations. Think: Vicente Fernández’s fanbase was quite different from Tego Calderón’s, and they were pretty separated. But as both scenes begin to experience more success (via Latin festivals highlighting both styles like Chicago’s Sueños; more Latin acts entering YouTube’s Billions Club), the styles also begin to cross over to different audiences. It’s safe to expect more non-regional Mexican acts to embrace banda, norteñas, sierreño, etc. Becky G and Tekashi69, who come from urbano and rap, are now heading towards the regional Mexican route. The genres might even coalesce due to different production techniques and the artist’s connection with the genres.
For regional purists, a kind of fusion might not be a positive thing — but that’s history. Remember how irked the folk community got when Bob Dylan plugged in his electric guitar in the ’60s? Or when the flamenco community criticized Rosalía for experimenting with the Andalusía style beyond its traditional confines? Or just how dozens of Latin pop artists continue to experiment with Dominican bachata? I think cross-genre collaborations are very important, because it can give regional Mexican music more prominence beyond its foundation.
GF: I don’t think the collaborations have had any impact on evolution, but I do think that hip-hop and urban music in general have inspired the evolution of the genre. Just take Peso Pluma and Natanael Cano, with corridos tumbados or bélicos — that style evolved from the fusion of hip-hop, reggaetón and Mexican music. But even then, the core of the music is still very traditional to me given the instruments used in these songs. More than anything, it’s corridos with a twist.
And when it comes to cross-genre collaborations, they have a huge cultural significance. When you have the world’s biggest star, Bad Bunny, wanting to record a norteña, cumbia with a new act like Grupo Frontera, you know there’s something up. Of course, that’s not to say that Bad Bunny singing with Grupo Frontera is the only way to measure the impact, but it is very telling of the wider appeal. I think artists — or just people in the music industry in general — are now finally seeing the value and the strength of regional Mexican music and, of course, now want to be part of this global movement.
What would you say will be key to fueling Mexican music’s success?
IR: Regional Mexican music has been alive and well for over a century. But we now have new forms of technology and support to give the style wider visibility. Proliferation and quality releases are key on the mainstream level. I also think it’s great that mainstream pop, urbano and rap artists are interested in embracing the storied Mexican art form, one that’s rooted in Mexican culture and tradition. Cross-genre collaborations will continue to expand the genre to more audiences. However, it is important to differentiate between those trying to capitalize on a new trend, versus those who genuinely appreciate the style and want to participate in it from a point of respect.
GF: I think it’s clear that Mexican music is not having a moment. This isn’t something that will just go away one day. The new generation of Mexican music artists have understood that the power of the genre lies within each other. Joining forces does make it stronger. The first regional Mexican song to top the Billboard Global 200 was a team-up between Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma. This week, Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny’s “un X100to” is No. 1, “Ella Baila Sola” is No. 2 and in third place is Yng Lvcas and Peso’s “La Bebé.” I think collaborations will continue to be key. I also think indie Mexican music labels will continue to play a pivotal role in expanding the genre. Their ability to identify and connect with the new generation of Mexican fans is unmatched.
BIME, the music industry gathering that last year celebrated its 10th anniversary, returns to Bogotá, Colombia this week for its second annual Latin American confab.
The fair, created and hosted by Bilbao-based event production firm Last Tour, will feature over 100 events, including panels, chats, showcases and concerts. Guests include speakers from Colombia, but also from the United States and neighboring countries.
Key topics in this year’s edition are Web 3.0 and AI, as well as sustainability and the rights of those who work in the music industry, an issue that was profoundly highlighted during the pandemic and is now a source of further discussion.
Also in the forefront is the vinyl industry, which still makes up a tiny proportion of music industry revenues but is growing strongly in the Latin music realm and in Latin America.
In a twist, this year’s event is taking place at the campus of Universidad Ean, a fitting locale given BIME’s desire to educate and train a new generation of music industry professionals. An entire track is labeled “Campus,” featuring a series of didactic panels, including “How to develop a successful PR campaign” and “How to become a music supervisor.”
Notable booked speakers from both sides of the Atlantic include singer-songwriters Maria Becerra, Jessie Reyez, Catalina García and Kany Garcia; Baja Beach Festival co-founder Chris Ben Ujil; Daniel Merino, producer of Viña del Mar festival and GM of Bizarro Entertainment; AIE General directo José Luis Sevillanos; YouTube Music head of Label relations Mauricio Ojeda; Paz Aparicio, director of Madrid’s Wiznik Center; and Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud and Live.
For a full schedule and information, visit the official BIME site here.
Pedro Tovar, Eslabón Armado’s leader and vocalist who wrote the band’s hit “Ella Baila Sola,” took to social media on Monday (May 1) to express his disappointment over Peso Pluma’s solo performance of their song on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
According to Tovar, since the song was released on March 16, he has not received support from Peso or his label, Prajin Music, on social media, which has created discomfort among fans of both artists, who claim that one is “taking advantage” of the other’s work.
“How would you feel if there’s someone at a level … higher than you, and you put the effort and feeling into writing a song, a song that is yours, and you decide to bring on someone else whose music you like, and then not get the credit for it? Like what the f –? That’s basically what it is, I didn’t get credit for my song,” Eslabón’s leader said in a live video posted to TikTok on Monday afternoon that has since been deleted. “To begin with, Peso Pluma did not share it at all on his Instagram, or [say] ‘Saludos to my compa Pedro, the song was a success’. Nothing. That’s what disappoints me. But hey… We’re going to keep trying.”
Peso Pluma performed the global hit song on Friday’s (April 28) episode of The Tonight Show, where there was no mention of Eslabón by either the host or the artist. Billboard sent a request for comment to The Tonight Show but did not hear back at press time.
“Ella Baila Sola” is included in Eslabón’s album Desvelado, released on April 27 under Del Records with 16 songs, eight of which are collaborations. In an interview with Billboard Español, Tovar shared how the Peso Pluma collab was born. The regional Mexican song peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart (dated April 29). It currently sits at No. 2 on the tally. The song also became the first Mexican music song to enter the top five on the Billboard Hot 100.
“When I wrote it, I gave Peso Pulma a call. He was at an airport; I sang it to him over the phone and he liked it a lot. A month later we recorded it,” Tovar said. who went on to offer a preview to his fans on his Instagram stories and “two days later it went viral on TikTok, and we just had to drop it.”
Tovar, 20, admits that the song —a romantic sierreño tune about two compas (buddies) who see a beautiful girl dancing in a social gathering — is not based on his own experience but on “pure imagination … I just imagined myself at a party, it was like a conversation between friends,“ he said.
After being released on streaming platforms, “Ella Baila Sola” quickly reached No. 1 on Spotify and Apple Music, prompting the filming of the music video released on April 7, which already has 92 million views on Youtube.
Eslabón Armado will perform at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on July 15 with a three-hour show accompanied for the first time by a Sinaloan band. Watch a clip of his livestream below: