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From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Karol G’s record-breaking performance at TODAY
The Colombian star drew a record-breaking crowd during her performance in New York on Friday (June 30) as part of TODAY‘s Citi Concert Series. “All of you are my dream come true,” she said onstage, where she performed in front of more than 15,000 people. “The last two years we’ve been growing as a movement and Latinos, we support what we do around the world so we’re here proud of all of us and it’s such an amazing moment for me. It’s my first time on this stage and we’re breaking records, mami.” Among the songs that Karol G performed were her Shakira-assisted smash hit “TQG” and “Mientras Me Curo del Cora,” both part of her history-making set Mañana Será Bonito — the first all-Spanish album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.
Yahritza y Su Esencia making dreams come true
Just days after Yahritza Martínez, of sibling trio Yahritza Y Su Esencia, received the first-ever breakthrough songwriter award at the SESAC Latina Awards, the 16-year-old artist and her older brothers, Mando and Jairo, surprised their parents with a new house. “Our dream finally became a reality,” Mando, the band’s requinto player, captioned the photo — featuring the Martínez family (doggies and all) in front of said house. “The dream of buying my parents a house has come come true. Thank God and to all of you that support us.” In April, the family was reunited in their home state of Washington after Mando spent nearly seven months living in Mexico City awaiting for his O-1 visa approval. Now, Yahritza Y Su Esencia is set to embark on their first-ever U.S. tour in August with stops in California, Oregon and Texas.
Ricardo Arjona performs historic string of shows in Miami
Ricardo Arjona is on a winning streak with his Blanco Y Negro: Volver tour in the U.S. The Guatemalan crooner has now performed five sold-out shows at the Kaseya Center (formerly FTX Arena) in Miami, becoming the first Latin singer-songwriter to do so, according to marketing and media company, Loud And Live. “Ricardo’s stunning string of five, sold-out arena shows demonstrates an enduring – and ever-growing – popularity among his legion of long-time fans, as well as among younger admirers who are discovering his classic repertoire for the first time,” said Nelson Albareda, CEO and founder of Loud And Live.
Ángela Aguilar to make hosting debut
Mexican music star Ángela Aguilar is set to make her hosting debut at Premios Juventud, which will take place July 20 in Puerto Rico. The singer-songwriter will not only join television personality Alejandra Espinoza as co-host, she’ll also be performing during the show that will broadcast live on Univision. Also confirmed to perform are Danna Paola, Farruko, Denise Rosenthal, Sofía Reyes and Eslabon Armado. This year’s Premios Juventud theme is “Exprésate a tu Manera” (Express Yourself Authentically).
Grupo Firme supports local talent
Grupo Firme’s impact on a new generation of up-and-coming acts is undeniable. Eduin Caz, the Mexican group’s lead singer, shared on social media a heartwarming video where he’s performing alongside two kids, a singer and his guitarist, at a seafood restaurant in Mexico. “This kid has so much talent,” he captioned the video. In it, they’re singing “Calidad.” But that’s not the only song they sang together. In a video shared by the young boy on his personal account, he takes the lead performing “Qué Onda Perdida” as Caz admires his powerful vocals.
“Billboard” for Billboard
Earlier this week, Ovy on the Drums and Blessd premiered their new collaboration, “Billboard” — nine months after they first created it at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week. The three-minute and 54-second song is backed by Ovy’s innovative reggaeton beats (where violins and hard-hitting drums meet) and Blessd’s sultry, raspy vocals. “Billboard,” named after the place it was born — during our “Making the Hit, Live!” panel at last year’s LMW conference — tells the story of a man who can’t forget about the girl he likes and how everything is so insignificant without her. Watch the music video below:
De La Ghetto has entered his new career era with the release of GZ — his first studio album in three years and the first released independently under his label Latin Nation Entertainment, distributed by The Orchard.
Home to 12 tracks, including the previously released single “My Love” with Quevedo, GZ (short for his alter ego De La Geezy) navigates sultry and bold R&B sounds, inspired by the genre’s street vibe in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. The set also embraces a few hard-hitting reggaeton tracks as heard in the Myke Towers-assisted “Me Dijeron,” which samples Mario Winans’ “I Don’t Wanna Know,” and unapologetic trap as heard in “Ya Lo Sabes” with Arcangel, Nesi and Villano Antillano.
“The creative process was a little bit different because we weren’t going to do this album. We just wanted to drop singles, but my manager put the pressure on me,” De La Ghetto tells Billboard. “The vibe was different because this is the first album I’ve dropped as an independent artist, so there was more motivation. I didn’t have a crazy deadline, there was no pressure, I just flowed and was having fun with the album.”
The artist’s last album was the star-studded Los Chulitos, released in 2020 before parting ways with Warner Music Latina.
Unlike Los Chulitos, on which he teamed up with acts such as Nicky Jam, Rauw Alejandro and Manuel Turizo, De La Ghetto reeled in a new wave of trap and reggaeton stars from La Isla del Encanto (RaiNao, Dei V, Lyanno, and others) — all of whom remind him of himself when he was a rising urban artist in the early 2000s.
“Sometimes the old-school producers, as great as they are, are drained from doing a lot of work. I wanted to bring that new energy, that new sound from Puerto Rico to the world — I wanted to use the people from my island without taking credit away from the artists in Colombia, Argentina and the Dominican Republic,” he explains. “When I work with new artists, I let them take control. When we’re in the studio, I let them lead and show me what they want to hear from the new De La Ghetto. At times I even find myself, finding new ways of rapping and new melodies, because this is always changing. Music is moving really fast.”
After personally selecting his collaborators and following a creative span of nine months, GZ was created.
“That’s why I took sometime after ‘Los Chulitos’ to release a new album because I was by myself, I was independent, and I was trying to find that passion of mine to create music,” he says. “What’s the point of releasing an album without feeling? I couldn’t just drop an album with no purpose. It’s not in my DNA.”
Stream and listen to the GZ album below:
It’s a jam-packed Friday (June 30), with some of today’s biggest stars gearing fans up for the long Fourth of July weekend by releasing new tracks to enjoy. Olivia Rodrigo made her long-awaited musical return with her bloody good new single “Vampire,” Lil Uzi Vert treated fans to a whole new album with Pink Tape, […]
This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — is powered by new music from Shakira, Becky G, and Peso Pluma, to name a few. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts […]
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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Becky G and Gabito Ballesteros, “La Nena” (Kemosabe Records/RCA Records)
Becky G has teamed up with Mexican newcomer Gabito Ballesteros to release “La Nena” (the girl), the latest single from her upcoming regional Mexican album. Her new corrido navigates from trumpets to strings, resulting in an enticing rhythm complemented by the harmonizing voices of Becky and Gabito to create a new female anthem. Co-written and co-produced by Edgar Barrera and Ballesteros, the lyrics in “La Nena” tell the story of an empowered woman who chooses to continue dancing through life despite having her heart broken “She dances alone, but if she only knew how beautiful she looks single,” goes the chorus. — INGRID FAJARDO
Shakira and Manuel Turizo, “Copa Vacía” (Ace Entertainment)
In their first collaborative effort, Colombian artists Shakira and Manuel Turizo present an infectious song about unrequited love, in which they sing about not getting enough affection from their loved ones. “Drop your phone, use your hands with me,” Shakira sings, while Turizo replies “I’m looking in the streets who can fill this emptiness I feel”. The pop-reggaeton banger, which will make you dance for sure, comes with a movie-like music video co-directed by Shakira and Jaume de Laiguana in which the pop star plays an abandoned mermaid and Turizo a prince coming to the rescue. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Peso Pluma x Grupo Frontera, “TULUM” (Double P Records)
Two of Música Mexicana’s hottest acts, Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera, have united on “TULUM” — one of three tracks on Peso’s Génesis deluxe album. Produced by Edgar Barrera, the collab finds “La Doble P” steering away from his signature corridos bélicos sound and dipping his toes into Frontera’s very catchy norteño-cumbia fusions. “TULUM,” cleverly referenced at the beginning of the song as “a lot of vacations in Tulum but I know your heart doesn’t go ‘tulum, tulum,” narrates the story of a man who’s after a girl who’s in a relationship where she’s not desired. “Tell him you have another man/if you want to tell him my name/that the food gets cold when no one eats it,” goes the chorus. In the vibrant music video, Peso and Frontera are enjoying the summer days in a backyard fiesta. — JESSICA ROIZ
DannyLux ft. Pablo Hurtado, “ZAFIRO” (Warner Music Latina/VPS Music)
Mexican-American crooner DannyLux has delivered his most eclectic song yet. In “Zafiro,” a collaboration with Pablo Hurtado (of the Mexican band Camila), the sierreño artist incorporates orchestra, complex requinto lines and an epic rock guitar solo by Hurtado. Although it may sound like a bit too much, DannyLux doesn’t exactly fuse all genres at the same time, instead, he allows all three to shine giving them their own moment throughout the song — and that’s why it works. “This song has so many emotions put into it, it talks about being in love with a person that truly did hurt you, and every time you look into their eyes it reminds you of that,” DannyLux said about “Zafiro,” on which he sings with such passion, “those sapphire eyes, they shine and they lie.” The genre-defying track is the latest single from his upcoming album, set to drop this summer. — GRISELDA FLORES
De La Ghetto and Myke Towers, “No Quiero Saber” (Latin Nation Entertainment)
“Ojos que no ven, corazón que no siente,” or “out of sight, out of mind,” is the vibe of De La Ghetto and Myke Towers’ “Me Dijeron,” an R&B/hip-hop number with an arresting reggaeton thump. The throwback track, from DLG’s latest album GZ, is also a wonderful Spanish rendition of 2004’s “I Don’t Want to Know” by Mario Winans, a Bad Boy Entertainment classic. Together, the Puerto Rican pair interplay poetic rhymes about vulnerability and denial — a refreshing take from música urbana’s usual boastful banter. It underlines the painful feeling of infidelity but is delivered with conviction and confidence. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Pablo Alborán, “Somos Dos” (Disney Enterprises/Pixar)
Pablo Alborán gives his personal touch and a heartfelt interpretation to “Somos dos”, the Spanish version of “Steal the Show” by Lauv, which is the main theme of the Disney/Pixar film Elemental. “We are two, no one else matters. If there is love, the rest will come,” says part of the lyrics in Spanish followed by a contagious melody. The romantic pop song sets the scene for the love story of Candela (Ember) and Nilo (Wade), the protagonists of the story, who live in Element City along with residents of Water, Fire, Air and Earth. “Happy to have adapted and sung the original song from the movie ELEMENTAL for @disneyspain !! Thank you for wanting to count on me!! I want to be Nilooo!!! On July 14 Only in theaters!!!!!!” shared the Spanish singer on his social media. The beautiful music video shows various scenes from the film and Alborán in various settings that symbolize the four elements. — LUISA CALLE
Check out more editor’s picks in the weekly playlist below!
06/30/2023
Tainy’s 19-track solo debut is a layered, sophisticated set that yields surprising sounds — best heard on these seven standouts chosen by Billboard editors.
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Jenni Rivera‘s new album Misión Cumplida has been a long time coming. In fact, the five children of the Mexican-American icon spoke to Billboard about its making last September during Latin Music Week in Miami. There — Chiquis, Jacqie, Mike, Jenicka, and Johnny — talked at length for the very first time about how the album captures their mother’s true legacy. The posthumous album, released today (June 30), is a banda album through and through — just how La Diva de la Banda would have wanted it to be. The 16-track set, which included previously unreleased songs, was produced by Banda MS’ Pavel Ocampo (producer, songwriter and clarinetist) and Sergio Lizárraga (CEO and founder).
“My mom was very picky with her music, the arrangements,” said Johnny, the youngest of the five who has been super involved in the production of the album after finding unreleased songs on a hard drive. “What my mom loved was la banda sinaloense and Sergio is a master at that, so them together, it fit like a glove. More than anything, we wanted to have the consistency of the sound across her music and we wanted to make sure Jenni’s songs sound like before she left us.”
Jenni’s five children have been working on putting the album together since Jacqie Rivera took over as head of the Jenni Rivera estate in January 2022. After discovering original recordings of unreleased music, they decided as a family that the songs they had found would see the light of day.
“It’s definitely been healing,” Jacquie said back in September. “To be able to do this with my siblings, to be a representation of her…I think she’d feel proud and, in return, we also feel proud to be able to complete this for her. I love to see Johnny on the creative side, selecting the name and the order of the album, the arrangements. It’s beautiful to see him grow into his own.”
Jenni — at the pinnacle of her career — tragically died in 2012 at 43 years old. The most successful woman in regional Mexican on the Billboard charts — she has a total of 19 entries on Top Latin Albums, 12 of which reached the top 10 and seven of which topped the chart. She has earned a total of 12 entries on the Billboard 200 and has 14 top 10 hits on the Regional Mexican Airplay tally.
Given her career, coming into the project wasn’t an easy decision, Ocampo tells Billboard. “Sergio and I talked about the responsibility of doing an album for someone so important to Mexican music. The challenge here was for Jenni to sound like Jenni with the material they gave, which included recordings where she sang a cappella and not professionally-sounding; you hear background noise, people talking. We had to clean all that up,” he says. “Musically speaking, it was made how she worked, recording everything with her banda, those are small details that were part of her style and essence. I’m very satisfied with the results and I think Jenni’s kids are, too. They put their heart into this project, their mom’s legacy is being very well taken care of.”
“Pedacito de Mí” in particular — an interlude on the album — is heart-wrenching. You hear Jenni’s raw, passionate vocals singing over a guitar line something she had written for her kids. “Mami, I see you struggle, I see you cry alone. Pedacito de mí (little piece of me), I love you so much and I’ll love you till the very end … You’re my blood, I’m your mother, I’m here,” she sings.
“I used to have this feeling a few years ago, like anxiety, that everything would run out one day because she’s not here anymore,” Johnny said. “So when you find something new it becomes all the more special.”
While the album was set to drop last year, Jenicka, one of the youngest siblings, added that Misión Cumplida comes at the perfect time. “It may feel a little late, but we’ve been healing on our own. It was supposed to come out two years ago, then a year ago and now that we’re in charge, it’s here. This is us, this is what we have to offer.”
Additional reporting by Tere Aguilera.
Jenni Rivera‘s posthumous album Misión Cumplida is here, and producer Pavel Ocampo breaks down some of its most prominent songs.
Released on Friday (June 30) under Sony Music Latin, Misión Cumplida includes 16 tracks with the distinctive sound of La Gran Señora of regional Mexican music. Songs such as “Q.T.M.L. (El Corrido de la Diva)” show the temperament that made her unique, while “El Que Hoy Está En Tu Lugar” shows off her unrivaled boldness and “Pedacito De Mí”, dedicated to her children, reveals her tenderness. There are also new versions of “Engañémoslo” and “Aparentemente Bien.”
Ocampo, lead producer of Banda MS, was chosen to bring to fruition the recordings that Rivera left incomplete, and to give the right sound to others, with the help of Sergio Lizárraga and the children of the late Diva de la Banda.
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“We worked together with Sony Music, Jenicka, Johnny, Jacqie and Chiquis. This led to very good results,” Ocampo tells Billboard Español, explaining that they had to “clean up” noises of people talking and other sounds to rescue the iconic singer’s voice. “The challenge was to keep Jenni sounding like Jenni.”
Misión Cumplida arrives on time to celebrate Rivera’s birthday — she who would have turned 54 this Saturday (July 1). The chart-topping singer of No. 1 Billboard hits such as “De Contrabando” and “Dos Botellas de Mezcal” died in a plane crash on December 9, 2012 at the age of 43.
Below, Ocampo breaks down five essential songs from Jenni Rivera’s Misión Cumplida.
“Misión Cumplida”
“‘Misión Cumplida’ (Mission Accomplished) is my favorite because of what it represents and the way they discovered it. It was a 30-minute audio that showed the creative process. It wasn’t a studio recording, it was about how she was creating it. The feeling of hearing Jenni singing after 10 years was amazing. The title also says a lot of things. For this one, [her son Johnny] suggested we include a piano part and that gave it a special touch.”
“Q.T.M.L. (El Corrido de la Diva)”
“‘Quisieran Tener Mi Lugar’ (They Would Like to Have my Place) is a song that represents her, her style, her way of thinking and her way of being: a woman of strong convictions. In this song we respected her way of composing and musicalizing. It is very much her, starting with the title.”
“Pedacito De Mí”
“Pedacito De Mí’ (Little Piece of Me) was also written by Jenni and is one of the audios that were in storage and were not designed to be part of an album. In fact, the song was not finished. It is a very special song because it is the connection between Jenni and her children, it is pure love. On the musical side, we wanted to respect the idea she had; in those audios they sent us, we could appreciate the creative process and her ideas and that is what we worked on.”
“Aparentemente Bien”
“In the case of ‘Aparentemente Bien’ (Apparently OK), it’s a song that the Rivera family had already released [in 2019] and they asked us to do a new version. I think this one has more of Jenni’s essence. The previous one sounds very good, but I think this one was particularly challenging because there was something [before]. We wanted the song to sound more like Jenni and achieving that was very satisfying.”
“Engañémoslo”
“I really like ‘Engañémoslo’ (Let’s Fool Him) for the melody, for what it says, for the way she sings it. This one does have vocals designed for recording because in reality, it had already been recorded. The challenge was similar to that of ‘Aparentemente Bien’: to make a new concept of something that had already been released. Sergio and I were given the opportunity to be part of this production and we did it with great pleasure, and hopefully it won’t be the only time we work with them. We feel very fortunate that they have taken us into account to create the album of an icon of Mexican and Latin music.”
Listen to all the songs from Misión Cumplida here:
Colombian urban artist Ryan Castro has sued King Records, the indie label belonging to fellow Colombian artist Kevin Roldán for breach of contract of his management and label agreements in two separate complaints. The lawsuits — filed in Medellín, Colombia, in April and May, respectively — both name King Records, which is Roldán’s label.
A third suit, arguing breach of contract in terms of publishing agreements, is expected to be filed in the coming weeks, according to Castro’s attorney and manager, Leo Arango.
The lawsuits come as Castro is hitting new career highs. On July 7, he’s slated to release a new single, “Chimba de reggaetón” with Mexican star Peso Pluma (to be distributed by Sony Latin), while earlier this year he released both the “Corazón Roto” remix with Brray and Jhayco and “Ojitos Rojos” with Blessd. Additionally, he was named a Billboard “Latin Artist on the Rise” in June 2022.
The complaints mark the latest developments in the short relationship between Castro and Roldán, which started off on a positive note back in July 2020, when Castro signed management, recording and publishing contracts with Roldán’s company, King Records.
However, by 2021, the suit claims that Castro was requesting, and not receiving, financial statements from the label. In November 2021, in an effort to mend things between the two artists, says the suit, the two signed a separate agreement to create a new company, Awoo King Records. Under that agreement, the lawsuit alleges, Castro would have a 50% interest in the company and a majority share in revenue. However, Roldán would still control the finances of the company for the first year.
Castro’s career flourished thanks to hit singles like “Mujeriego,” which was distributed by Sony Music Latin. However, the suit alleges that Awoo King Records was still not providing proper accounting to Castro, who says he was still owed monies from King Records. The complaint further alleges that in August 2022, Castro’s attorneys realized that funds from Awoo King Records had been taken out of the company without Castro’s knowledge or authorization, draining some of the money needed to support his career.
After Roldán allegedly refused to give Castro the reins of the company, Castro sued. In his complaint, he claims he is owed money from digital distribution agreements and royalties and that the alleged financial improprieties have hurt his career.
A tribunal in Medellín is expected to hear the first of the two filed complaints in the coming weeks.
Arango says the legal issues aren’t impeding Castro’s ability to work or record, however. Aside from preparing the release of his single with Peso Pluma, he says Castro is also working on an album, likely due at the end of the year.
Roldán’s attorney, Pold Alexander, declined to comment for the story.
Natanael Cano is living one of the best moments in his career. Earlier this year, he made his acting debut on HBO Max’s series VGLY, he’s been on tour in Mexico selling out multiple shows, and now, he’s dropped his new, corridos-powered album Nata Montana.
“I’ve loved all the moments I’ve been through, but right now, I’m really enjoying everything I do,” the 22-year-old Mexican singer-songwriter tells Billboard. “I’m enjoying every second I spend in the studio, every song that is born from the passion of making music. I especially love this album,” he adds. “It’s a reflection of how well I feel on a personal and professional level. I’ve put so much effort into all these songs.”
Featuring collaborations with fellow Mexican music hitmakers Peso Pluma (“Pancakes”) and Junior H (“Eres”), the 15-track set is a testament to his craftsmanship, intricate requinto solos and his knack for storytelling is as clear as ever in Nata Montana. The pioneer of corridos tumbados, Cano delivers hard-hitting, hip-hop infused tracks about the every-day hustle out on the streets and the challenges that come with fame — all while flaunting a lavish lifestyle.
“Corridos are a lifestyle. I love them because you really have to get into that mindset,” explains Cano, who broke out in 2019 following his unprecedented collaboration with Bad Bunny on “Soy El Diablo” remix. “Corridos are my life, it’s the style that keeps pushing me forward. When I first heard a corrido when I was a kid, it was love at first sight. Even as a kid I really enjoyed them. My cousins and I would listen to them and back then, you were considered ‘different’ for listening to corridos. And that’s what we liked, being different.”
Cano’s corridos tumbados album comes at a time when regional Mexican music has only grown in popularity on a global level. The rise is being led by artists such as Cano, Peso, Eslabon Armado and Junior H, who have evolved the legacy genre, modernizing its lyrics for a Gen Z audience. Regional Mexican music consumption in the United States jumped 42.1% year to date through May 25, according to Luminate. This week, 13 of the 17 Spanish-language tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated July 1) are regional Mexican tracks, including Cano’s “PRC” with Peso.
“It’s really cool to see what’s happening with our music,” the Sonora-born artist says proudly. “People are recognizing good music, and are now understanding that feeling that only corridos can transmit. It also helps that we have great regional Mexican exponents right now. I’m one of them, and I feel part of the growth. If one of us grows, we all grow.”
Can also acknowledges the strength that comes from collaborations, which in return been key to growing the genre in Mexico, the United States and beyond. “These guys are all my compas (friends),” he says. “We really do love each other. We’re very united despite what everyone else thinks or says. They want to separate us, and sometimes we believe what we hear, but we can’t let that get to our head. We’re showing everyone what happens when we unite. Let’s continue to make good music, and money.”
Nata Montana follows Cano’s 2022 NataKong, which peaked at No. 12 on the Top Latin Albums chart. On the Regional Mexican Albums chart, he’s placed a total of four top 10 albums, two of which hit No. 1: Corridos Tumbados (2019) and A Mis 20 (2020).
Stream Cano’s new album below:
