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Another Friday, another round of new releases in Latin music.
This week, Ricardo Montaner‘s son, Héctor Montaner, released his first single in 10 years. Titled “Dale, Dale,” the track serves as the theme song for the Disney+ series about his famous family, Los Montaner. “Dale, Dale” is a contagious cumbia tune that’s also perfect for the holidays. Perhaps best known for the 2004 hit “Amor del Bueno,” Hector never really strayed from music — he’s been producing and writing songs for artists including Thalía, Leslie Grace and his father.
Additionally, Danny Ocean goes experimental with a full electronic song. After releasing part one and part two of his album @dannocean, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter is back with new music. This time, he’s gifted fans a feel-good Spanglish anthem that’s all about living in the moment and embracing a newfound love.
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Also, rising Colombian acts Dekko and Totoy El Frío teamed up for “Antes de que muera.” Written and produced by Dekko himself (real name: Daniel Esquiaqui Lecompte), the acoustic corrido tumbado-inspired track sheds light on a bucket list they wish to accomplish before passing away, starting with “becoming a millionaire” and “owning the world.” “The life that I have led was not the one that mommy wanted/I became more badass that I guarantee/And they criticize me because I do what I want/But they need to know that ‘He who does not risk does not win,’” says part of the motivational lyrics.
Other releases include Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera‘s collaboration “Bebé Dame,” Jowell & Randy and Wisin & Yandel‘s “Si Te Pillo” and Quevedo and Myke Towers‘ first team up “Playa De Inglés.”
Which release is your favorite? Cast your vote — or enter in your favorite selection — in the poll below.
First Stream Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Paula Cendejas & Marc Seguí, “a tu manera” (Warner Music Spain)
Spanish artists Paula Cendejas and Marc Seguí join forces this week for a breezy pop song about a modern love story. The faces of a new generation of artists coming out of Spain, the pair trade verses in “a tu manera” about loving each other their own way and in their own terms. “Just to see if it’s true that this time around it’ll work,” they sing in the chorus. “How do I explain to you that I want to leave and then come back?” — GRISELDA FLORES
Quevedo, Myke Towers, “Playa Del Inglés” (Taste the Floor Records/Warner Music Spain)
Following his breakthrough hit, the Bizarrap-assisted “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” Quevedo teams up with Myke Towers on “Playa del Inglés.” On the Ovy on the Drums-produced electro-dancehall track, the Spanish artist and Puerto Rican rapper sing about a memorable fling that happened at the Canary Islands beach resorts. “You weren’t the first one not you’re the last one but how I wish you were the only one/ Who I present to my family and people/ Come to the party so that you’re in another vibe,” the Spanish newcomer chants. Meanwhile, Towers’ vocals assure: “Every time I see you, I remember of that time, the perreo at the plaza in Playa del Ingles/ I don’t want to be your ex.” — JESSICA ROIZ
Héctor Montaner, “Dale, Dale” (Hecho A Mano Music)
Ten years after releasing “Apariencias,” his last single, Héctor Montaner takes the mic once again for “Dale, Dale.” Written by himself as the theme song for the Disney+ series about his famous family, Los Montaner, “Dale, Dale” is a contagious cumbia tune that’s also perfect for the holidays. “We spend the whole year like Christmas/ There is always a good reason to celebrate/ Always putting God first to start/ We are better off, we are better off”, the artist sings in Spanish. Perhaps best known for the 2004 hit “Amor del Bueno,” Hector never really strayed from music — he’s been producing and writing songs for artists including Thalía, Leslie Grace and his father, Ricardo. But “Dale, Dale” is a welcomed return to his role as a talented vocalist, with a joyous video starring the entire Montaner clan. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Jowell & Randy feat. Wisin & Yandel, “Si Te Pillo” (Rimas Entertainment)
Jowell y Randy are closing off the year with a super collaboration alongside Wisin y Yandel. In their second collaborative effort — the first in more than a decade — the two iconic reggaetón duos join forces on “Si Te Pillo,” which loosely translates to “if I catch you.” Co-written by Jowell y Randy, Rios, and Yartzi, and co-produced by Georgie Milliano and Nesty, the infectious reggaetón-meshed-with-perreo track has saucy lyrics about a man who’s after the girl of his dreams. “Baby if I catch you, I’m not going to let go,” goes part of the chorus. Notably, the four artists boast signature vocals that have stood the test of time, resulting in the ultimate union of “two of the strongest names in the urban movement,” as Wisin states at the beginning and end of the track. — J.R.
Danny Ocean, “amor tonight” (Atlantic Recording Corp)
After releasing part one and part two of his album @dannocean, Venezuelan singer-songwriter Danny Ocean is back with new music. This time, he’s gifted fans a feel-good Spanglish anthem that’s all about living in the moment and embracing a newfound love. “You’re a surprise, you’re super nice, amor tonight, one love one life,” he sings over a hypnotic electronic beat. — G.F.
Alvaro Diaz, “SUPRA 94TRO” (UMG Recordings)
Alvaro Diaz has unleashed a new track, which surprisingly enough marks his first reggaetón song as a solo act. Produced by Jotarosa, Oceanvi, and Caleb Calloway, “SUPRA 94TRO” is an edgy futuristic reggaetón track that references the classic 1994 Toyota Supra while narrating the story of the ultimate power couple. “She has a couple of men behind her who think they are gangsters/ If when they see us together they feel the pressure, then hold on,” goes part of the track. “SUPRA 94TRO” will appear on Diaz’s upcoming studio album Sayonará, set to drop in 2023. “In the video, I’m wearing the signature look that I’ve worn on my US tour which is inspired by some of my favorite movies like Blade, Matrix, and Fight Club,” the Puerto Rican artist says in a statement. — J.R.
Fuerza Regida & Grupo Frontera, “Bebe Dame” (Rancho Humilde/Sony Music Latin)
All eyes have been on Grupo Frontera since the local McAllen band skyrocketed to virality (and the Billboard charts) with their cover of Morat’s “No Se Va.” Now moving away from their innovative covers and tapping into original music, most of them helmed by Edgar Barrera, Grupo Frontera teams up with Fuerza Regida for “Bebe Dame.” Produced by Regida’s frontman Jesus Ortiz Paz, the track is a romantic cumbia-grupera song about an unforgettable special person. “Bebe Dame” marks Regida and Frontera’s second collaborative effort this year, and follow’s Frontera’s latest single “Que Vuelvas” alongside Carin León. — J.R.
DEKKO, Totoy & El Frio, “Antes De Que Muera” (Interscope Records)
Manifesting nothing but good vibes and a successful year, rising Colombian acts Dekko and Totoy El Frío team up this week for “Antes de que muera.” Written and produced by Dekko himself (real name: Daniel Esquiaqui Lecompte), the acoustic corrido tumbado-inspired track sheds light on a bucket list they wish to accomplish before passing away, starting with “becoming a millionaire” and “owning the world.” “The life that I have led was not the one that mommy wanted/ I became more badass, that I guarantee/ And they criticize me because I do what I want/ But they need to know that ‘He who does not risk does not win,’” goes part of the motivational lyrics. — J.R.
Soccer and music have always meshed well. Some of Latin music’s biggest artists, such as Maluma, Carlos Vives, Melendi, and Fito Paéz have proven to be passionate fútbol aficionados and vice versa. Soccer stars such as José Manuel Pinto (former goalkeeper for Barcelona FC) and Jese “Jey M” Rodriguez (former striker for Real Madrid), for instance, have not shied away from kicking off music careers. The former has collaborated with CNCO and Lali; The latter has a remix with Alexis & Fido, De La Ghetto, and Alex Rose.
Soccer and music are also a match made in heaven when it comes to romance. The best example is soccer superstar David Beckham and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham, whose dreamy love story began 25 years ago, and who have since welcomed four children: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz, and Harper.
Another popular soccer-and-music power couple was Shakira and Gerard Piqué, who met during the 2010 World Cup and share two children, Sasha and Milan. Unfortunately, after a 12-year relationship, the Colombian artist and Barcelona defender announced their split in June this year. “We regret to confirm that we are separating,” the two said in a joint statement released by Shakira’s public relations firm. “For the well-being of our children, who are our highest priority, we ask that you respect our privacy. Thank you for your understanding.”
There have been several famous soccer WAGS (the term given to the wives and girlfriends of athletes) from the Latin pop world over the years. Below, check out some past and present real-life couples who blended the two worlds.
For this year’s update of our ongoing Greatest Pop Star by Year project, Billboard is counting down our staff picks for the top 10 pop stars of 2022 all this week. At No. 1, we remember the year in Bad Bunny — who made the jump from being the world’s greatest Latin pop star to simply the world’s greatest pop star.
In the summer of 2021, Billboard talked to Bad Bunny about him producing Tommy Torres’ new album, El Playlist de Anoche – his first run at producing an album outside the urbano realm. “Everything in life is a risk,” he said then. “I made this album because I wanted to do it and because it fulfilled me.” If there’s one that’s clear about the Puerto Rican chart-topping artist, it’s that any project he works on, he does it for those two reasons — which allows him to deliver genuine projects that connect with countless millions of fans across the globe.
Billboard’s Greatest Pop Stars of 2022:Introduction & Honorable Mentions | Rookie of the Year: Steve Lacy | Comeback of the Year: Sam Smith | No. 10: Nicki Minaj | No. 9: Future | No. 8: Jack Harlow | No. 7: Doja Cat | No. 6: Lizzo | No. 5: Drake | No. 4: Beyoncé | No. 3: Taylor Swift | No. 2: Harry Styles
Benito Antonio Ocasio Martínez, or in his own words, “Benito Martínez el más hijueputa (the biggest motherf–ker),” has proven to be a force to be reckoned with — and, in a matter of two years, has unsubtly transitioned from Latin star to global superstar, penetrating the mainstream in a way that no other Latin artist has. Just last year, Bad Bunny was No. 10 on our Greatest Pop Stars of 2021 list. This year, he’s unequivocally No. 1.
Statistically both Billboard’s Top Artist of the Year and (for a third consecutive year) Spotify’s most streamed artist globally, El Conejo Malo been on a wild ride since he made his grand return to the stage with El Último Tour del Mundo at the top of 2022, winding his way to the spring release of his blockbuster album Un Verano Sin Ti — which catapulted Bunny to unprecedented heights, on and off the charts.
By 2022, Bad Bunny’s success was already an anomaly. Between 2020 and 2021, he had released three consecutive Top Latin Albums-topping sets (YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban a Salir and El Último Tour del Mundo), had a WWE sting during a tag-team match against The Miz and John Morrison at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, and produced that album for Torres — which landed the veteran singer-songwriter his first top 10 entry on Top Latin Albums in nearly a decade. He’d also announced an ambitious tour for 2022, which would mark his grand return to live touring since the pandemic. “POR FIN!!! ESTÁN LISTOS??? (Finally! Are you all ready?),” he captioned the announcement on social media.
Boy, were they ready. After becoming the fastest-selling trek since 2018, with 480,000 tickets sold in less than a week, Bad Bunny finally kicked off his El Último Tour del Mundo stint in the U.S. in February, marking the start of a blockbuster year for the artist. With El Último Tour, Bunny embarked on his biggest stage tour yet, earning $116.8 million in North American arenas, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. It then became the highest grossing Latin tour in Boxscore history, breaking local records in more than half of the markets where he played. (It’s worth noting that even before he began the U.S arena tour, in January, he announced an ambitious 29-date stadium tour that would kick off in the summer, following El Último Tour.)
It made sense that he’d tour again. When Bunny revealed plans for a second trek, he also announced he was releasing a new album. The new set would be a follow up to 2020’s El Último Tour del Mundo, which earned him his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, marking the first all-Spanish-language album to reach No. 1 in the then-64-year history of the all-genre chart. Could Bad Bunny best his last album? Probably, given his career-long upward trending. But no one was expecting that Un Verano Sin Ti, which was released in May, would rewrite records broken not just by a Latin artist, but by any artist in general.
Un Verano Sin Ti debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (dated May 21), earning 274,000 equivalent album units in the U.S., according to Luminate. And with 356.66 million on-demand official streams for the set’s songs in its first week, the album registered the largest streaming week ever for a Latin music album. Verano – which spent 13 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 – also placed 22 songs from the set on the May 21-dated Billboard Hot 100, the most in a week for a core Latin music artist and the most in a week performed all in Spanish.
There’s no one reason for the unprecedented success of this particular album, but there are many contributing factors. For one, Latin music market share has been on the rise for some five years now after “Despacito” opened the floodgates for a wave of Spanish-language songs to become global. And, for the first time ever, Latin music expected to reach billion dollars in revenues by year-end in the U.S., according to the RIAA. Its 23% increase is outpacing overall market growth.
Then there’s the obvious. Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti is packed with back-to-back hits that, sonically, all sound completely different (from dembow to mambo and alt-rock). He’s completely deviated from the traditional to innovate, pushing all popular music forward and expanding pop in a way few major artists are right now. There weren’t just one or two singles that were being pushed from Verano — rather, the entire album was being streamed on repeat. Everyone had a different answer when asked which song was their favorite from the set, because there’s a song that just about everyone can relate to – which helps explain why a stunning 11 of the tracks stuck on the Hot 100 for double-digit weeks.
Within a few months, Verano had grown into easily the biggest non-English-language album of the century — without Bunny having to record in English or do a major non-Latin collaboration – and in early August, he expanded his multi-platform stardom with his first major film role, as an assassin in the Brad Pitt-starring action-comedy Bullet Train. But despite being intended as a summer album, UVST’s dominance carried over to Fall — thanks to Bunny’s stadium tour, which kicked off with three sold-out performances at El Choli in his beloved Puerto Rico in July.
The U.S. leg officially opened in August, with shows that began very much on brand for the album: a seagull call filled the stadium; Bad Bunny appeared sitting on a beach chair with a neverita (cooler) next to him. His UVST vision literally came to life in every show. Later that month, his Yankee Stadium performance was beamed into the VMAs, with the superstar stealing the awards show without even attending. “I always knew that I could become a huge artist without changing my culture,” he said while accepting the artist of the year award — the first Latin act to win that category.
His second tour of 2022 doubled the gross of his prior record-breaking trek: The World’s Hottest Tour grossed $232.5 million and sold 944,000 tickets from just 21 shows in the U.S. The combination of El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo & World’s Hottest Tour landed him at the top of Billboard‘s annual Boxscore recaps. Moreover, Un Verano Sin Ti became the first non-English album to ever top the year-end Billboard 200 albums ranking, and tied Drake’s Views and Disney’s Frozen soundtrack for the most weeks at No. 1 on the chart in the last decade. In November, it also earned the first ever nomination for album of the year at the Grammys for an all-Spanish release, one of three nods Bad Bunny garnered for the 2023 ceremonies.
Bad Bunny wasn’t the only artist who dominated this year. There were Harry Styles and Taylor Swift, too, and many other stars who had stellar years with new album releases. But while those artists had years that felt momentous, Bunny’s was truly historic — capturing the zeitgeist not just of Latin music, but for all of global pop.
Rosalía and Cardi B join forces for the new “Despechá” remix, which was unleashed Friday (Dec. 16).
After teasing the remix on Wednesday, the Spanish singer-songwriter unveiled a day later that the “WAP” singer would be her collaborator on the new version, which features Cardi rapping over the hypnotizing mambo beat.
“Since long time ago, I wanted to make music with her,” Rosalía said in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music. “And she knows I love her music, and she always supports me too. So I was like, “This song is inspired in Mambo, it’s inspired in música dominicana.” And she’s Dominican, so who else is going to understand this better than her? You know what I mean? Her energy’s super pure and strong. I think that everybody can feel that.”
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Her first mambo ever, Rosalía dropped “Despechá” back in July, her first single after releasing her Latin Grammy-winning album Motomami. The Chris Jedi and Gaby Music-produced track was first teased in the midst of her Motomami World Tour and quickly gained social media virality.
“Despechá” is a danceable electro-merengue and mambo fusion about a girl who’s hitting the club with her friends to get over a heartbreak. “There are many ways to be Despechá, in this theme it is from the freeness or the craziness, moving without reservations or regrets,” she previously said in a statement.
In October, the track scored Rosalía her first No. 1 as a soloist, unaccompanied by any other act, on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart. “Despechá” also helped secure the artist her second No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart. On Hot Latin Songs, it peaked at No. 7 on the chart dated Oct. 1.
Listen to “Despechá” remix below:
In the midst of the monthlong 2022 FIFA World Cup, a wave of Argentine artists have used social media to show their support for the national team, which is headed to the finals against France on Sunday, Dec. 18, at the Lusail Stadium in Qatar.
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Artists such as Bizarrap, Rusherking, Lali Esposito and TINI, who’s dating soccer player Rodrigo De Paul, have traveled miles away to the Middle East to experience the excitement in person. Others, such as Trueno and Khea, have documented their reactions on Instagram after a match.
If the Argentine national team anthem “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” is any indication, fans of the Albiceleste team are also very hopeful that the team’s captain, Lionel “Leo” Messi, will win his first-ever World Cup trophy.
“We’re already happy about winning the 2021 Copa America, but I think that winning this would be the icing on the cake,” rap artist Lit Killah previously told Billboard. “There is a lot of expectation and enthusiasm due to the fact that it’s Lionel Messi’s last World Cup. With that pressure and that desire of the people to see him win a World Cup, I think we would have the country happy for the rest of our lives.”
If Argentina or France win, both would secure their third World Cup. The former following its 1978 and 1986 wins, and the latter after winning in 1998 and 2018.
But as we wait for the grand finale, Billboard put together a fan poll featuring more than 20 Argentine artists who would make for great company at a World Cup watch party. Who would you want to watch the finals with? Vote below:
Every month, Billboard Latin editors will feature a small group of new or relatively unknown artists whose music we love. Think “diamantes en bruto,” or “diamonds in the rough.” These are newcomers who have yet to impact the mainstream — but whose music excites us, and who we believe our readers should make a point to discover. Check them out below:
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Chicocurlyhead
Country: Panama / U.S.
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: If you showed up early to day two of PMC’s LA3C Festival, at some point you probably made your way to the main stage and found Chicocurlyhead opening the fest with his vibey set. That’s the beauty of music festivals, discovering the small-print artists on the lineup or even seeing a newer act perform for the first time. I had heard about Chicocurlyhead but had never seen him live. The Panamanian-born, Atlanta-raised singer-songwriter won new fans over thanks to his groovy, feel-good Spanglish music effortlessly zigzagging through R&B, trap, and rock, showcasing his versatility.
There was some coolness to him that I found him just a delight to watch. He just had so much fun onstage, and never stopped smiling taking it all in, even if it was just a handful of us watching. He made us all feel welcome and interacted with the people watching him, which made him just so likable. Not all artists can pull that off. Chicocurlyhead is not only ultra-talented, but his onstage personality really just pulls you in. — GRISELDA FLORES
Song For Your Playlist: “Cheap Wine”
Monogem
Country: Mexico / U.S.
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Also a LA3C discovery, Monogem is truly a … gem. I regret only listening to her for the first time just now, but I feel I did so at the right time and moment. The Mexican-American artist most recently delivered her first-ever Spanish-language album Gardenia, and “nothing has been the same ever since” she wrote her first Spanish song, she said during her set.
Enjoying every second of her time onstage, Monogem was meant to sing and perform in Spanish, because she does so with pathos and passion. Writing from her own experience as a Mexican American who grew up in Los Angeles, Monogem sings about the complexities of being bicultural while embracing her duality, making it so easy for us to identify with her music. “Bienvenidos a mi vida, una vida muy tranquila yo sé que soy una pinche gringa,” she declares confidently in “Dame La Fuerza,” one of my new favorite songs. — G.F.
Song For Your Playlist: “Dame La Fuerza”
Svetlana Maury
Country: Venezuela
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: At the age of nine, Svetlana Maury began to take piano and guitar classes, which to this day she combines with her academic studies as a high school senior in Sarasota, Fla., where she lives. Now, at 18 years old, the Venezuelan artist is making herself known as a promising singer-songwriter, backed by three independently-released songs this year, including the refreshing pop ballad “Bailemos Juntitos”.
“So let’s dance together/ Let the rumors cry / So let’s dance together / Your rhythm with my rhythm / Mixing colors / Of blue inks,” she belts in Spanish in the song, which was written by her and produced by Alejandro Campos. Svetlana, who cites Kany García as one of her biggest inspirations, plans to release more music in 2023. In addition to “Bailemos Juntitos,” Svetlana’s blossoming catalog includes the singles “Droga” and “La Gota.” Collectively, she’s amassed nearly one million video videos on YouTube. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Song For Your Playlist: “Bailemos Juntitos”
Victor Cibrian
Country: Mexico
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: This year, Victor Cibrian unleashed his debut single “En El Radio un Cochinero” (Rancho Humilde), a track that instantly put him on the radar — especially on TikTok, where the sound boasts over 220K video creations. With his deep, raspy-yet-crispy vocals, relatable lyricism, and melodious corrido tumbao sound, the up-and-coming Cibrian easily represents the new generation of Música Mexicana — and many of the genre’s established acts have begun to take notice. Just this year, Cibrian secured key collaborations with Fuerza Regida, Natanael Cano, Luis R. Conriquez, and most recently, Régulo Caro in “El Beso de la Muerte,” to name a few. His debut track also earned the viral song of the year award at the coveted 2022 Premios de la Radio. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song For Your Playlist: “En El Radio Un Cochinero”
Young Miko
Country: Puerto Rico
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Hailing from Añasco, Puerto Rico, Young Miko (real name: María Victoria) is a force to be reckoned with. At 25 years old, the newcomer is earning her crown as the next big trap star. She was discovered by Latin hitmaker Caleb Calloway, who produced her debut single “105 Freestyle” in 2021. Since, she’s collaborated with popular urban acts such as Villano Antillano, Lunay, Lyanno, Casper Magico, and Akapellah. In her saucy viral trap track “Riri,” you’ll discover her witty rapping abilities, while in tracks such as “Condado,” you’ll come across her dulcet vocals. Working her way up in the industry, Miko joined Bad Bunny on stage at his Puerto Rico show this summer, and is also a featured act on Arcángel’s latest album Sr. Santos. — J.R.
Song For Your Playlist: “Riri”
Rapper GIMS celebrates a new career achievement thanks to “Arhbo (Music From fhe FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022),” his collaboration with Ozuna, which leads Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Dec. 17). The song ascends 8-1 and becomes Congolese-French rapper GIMS’ first No. 1 on any Billboard U.S. chart.
“To be a French artist that is No. 1 on a Latin Billboard chart is a great honor, it’s amazing,” GIMS tells Billboard. “I can’t even believe it’s real! It was something that I always dreamed to achieve, and I can’t believe it happened. I’m also very proud and happy to have achieved this goal with Ozuna, who is a great artist whom I respect and cherish.”
“Arhbo” takes the Greatest Gainer honor of the week boosted by a 48% in audience impressions, to 9.5 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Dec. 11, according to Luminate. It becomes GIMS’ first leader on a Billboard U.S. chart a week after the rapper secured his first top 10 on a Billboard Latin chart when the song lifted 29-8 (Dec. 10).
As “Arhbo” lands at No. 1 on the all-genre Latin Airplay ranking, it trades places with another of Ozuna’s tracks: “Monotonía,” with Shakira, after two weeks in charge. Plus, the new champ secures Ozuna a 31st No. 1, six of which arrived in 2022. Here’s a look at the leaderboard since the chart’s inception in 1994:
35, J Balvin
32, Enrique Iglesias
31, Ozuna
27, Daddy Yankee
22, Maluma
22, Wisin
21, Romeo Santos
“Ozuna and I worked on a track in the past that was never released, but then we were caught up in a World Cup offer so we decided to work together again and focus on this project,” GIMS adds. “We can find many similarities in our music such as with reggaeton sounds. For a sound to work and be a success, you must make the right choice. The combination of Redone, Ozuna and I was the perfect match.”
Further, Ozuna ensures his fifth straight year with at least four No. 1s on Latin Airplay. Here’s the Puerto Rican’s scoreboard:
7, 2018
9, 2019
4, 2020
4, 2021
6, 2022
About the song, GIMS adds” “I was supposed to sing with different artists, names changed a lot before the final decision. Then the whole discussion in regard to the FIFA World Cup started again, and ultimately, RedOne asked Ozuna and I to be on the soundtrack. Fun fact, the partnership wasn’t decided until the very end. You should know that this song may have never seen the light of day!”
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The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced Thursday (Dec. 15) that Nicky Jam will finance the next four-year Prodigy Scholarship that will fully fund a student’s bachelor’s degree in music at Berklee School of Music starting in the fall 2023.
“I’ve always wanted to help and I don’t have my own foundation,” the chart-topping artist tells Billboard. “My publicist knows that this is something I’ve been wanting to do and when the opportunity came with the Grammys, I was very excited. I see myself in this type of project because music saved my life. Music gave me everything I needed.”
News of Nicky’s involvement comes just a month after he performed his hit song “El Perdón” with four former scholarship recipients (Xavier Cintrón, Valentina García, Nicolle Horbath and Sergio de Miguel Jorgequera) at the Latin Grammys.
“First of all just seeing those kids sing my song, that was incredible. To let them use my platform to create their own platform, that’s what it’s all about,” he adds. “There was this one kid who wouldn’t stop smiling when he was performing, so he was making me feel better because I was nervous. I was performing in a format that I don’t really sing in, it wasn’t reggaeton, but it felt so good. I felt more love onstage with these kids that I’ve felt in years with a bunch of people I’ve performed with.”
The scholarship, created eight years ago, holds a maximum value of $200,000 and the application period will be open from now until April 10, 2023. The scholarship is traditionally awarded to “exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations,” according to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
“When it comes to pursuing a career in music, finances should not be a deterrent to cultivating talent,” Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, said in a statement. “We are grateful for Nicky Jam’s generosity, which makes music education a reality for future generations of Latin music creators and preserves our legacy for years to come.”
Nicky Jam, one of the pioneers of reggaetón with more than three decades in music, says this opportunity is special because “low-key” he always dreamed of studying music. As a struggling musician in his early days, receiving a scholarship would’ve had a huge impact on him.
“The fact that I could’ve studied music, that’s already huge. I would’ve gone crazy and studied what I love. No one knew that I’ve always wanted to study music and now people tell me I don’t need it but we could always learn to be better. But I’ll be happy for those kids who do get the opportunity. Maybe the next Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny or Beethoven comes out of this. You never know!”
The foundation is accepting applications for all 2023 scholarships, and alongside Nicky Jam and his manager, Juan Diego Medina (also CEO of La Industria Inc.), is also sponsoring one of the Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000. All scholarships are available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25. For more details and/or to apply, visit www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.
In previous years, the Prodigy Scholarship has been co-sponsored by Latin stars including Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Miguel Bosé, Carlos Vives, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Juanes and Sofia Carson.