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Romeo Santos is making sure this Valentine’s Day is a memorable one.
The “King of Bachata” took to social media on Tuesday (Feb. 14) to not only announce that he’s going on tour, but also to share that his fourth son was born and that his name is Milano.
“Formula, Vol. 3 was released Sept. 1, a special day, the day my first son was born,” he starts off the video. “In the intro you can hear Alex Damian, Valentino and Solano. Surprisingly, nobody noticed in the background a subliminal message: the heartbeat of the new member of the Santos dynasty. I present my fourth prince, Milano.”
Last month, Santos confirmed he was expecting a baby with his longtime partner via the music video for “Solo Conmigo.” Surprising his fans, it also marked the first time that the artist — who’s always been secretive about his personal life — showed his girlfriend in one of his music videos.
The Dominican artist ends his social media post with “Also, see you soon in the U.S.” Santos is set to kick off a summer stadium four-day stint in the U.S. with stops in Los Angeles (June 3), New York (June 9), Miami (June 16) and Houston (June 24). The trek is in support of Formula, Vol. 3, which peaked at No. 2 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart (dated Sept. 17).
This year, Santos will also be touring in South American countries such as Ecuador, Colombia, Chile and Argentina. He’s also set to perform four back-to-back shows in Madrid in July.
Bad Bunny dropped a music video for his Bomba Estéreo-assisted “Ojitos Lindos” on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14).
In true Bunny fashion, the Puerto Rican artist, who has been on a social media break, released the video unannounced and with no prior promotion plan. On Tuesday afternoon, the music video was posted on his YouTube channel.
In the clip, helmed by his longtime director Stillz, we see Bad Bunny living his “best” single life as he’s seen dating different types of women. Though he’s all smiles on these dates, none can compare to that special lady in his life with “beautiful little eyes,” as the sweet reggae song says. Toward the end of the clip, we see the artist drop off his dates and drive off furiously, hinting that he can’t get over his ex. He then crashes and wakes up in a hospital bed, where none of his lady friends visit him, only an adorable beagle, who makes him happy in the end.
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Fun fact: On his TikTok profile, Bunny shared multiple videos of the beagle dog he and Gabriela Berlingeri have together. (It’s unclear if the couple is still dating or not.)
“Ojitos Lindos” perfectly merges Bunny and Bomba’s musical worlds, thriving on chill reggae beats and edgy urban melodies fused with Li’s high-pitched vocals and Bunny’s deep, slurred verses. The song peaked at No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart and was nominated for record of the year at the 2022 Latin Grammys.
Watch the music video below:

Mexican superstar Alejandro Fernández announced Tuesday (Feb. 14) his 21-date Amor Y Patria Tour, which is set to kick off Sept. 8 in Sacramento, Calif. The 2023 stint will follow the prolific touring act’s 2021 Hecho En México trek, which marked his grand return to live shows after the pandemic.
Fernández will be joined by his son Alex Fernández and the Live Nation-produced tour will be an “all new show celebrating” Fernández’s love of music, family and Mexico. “I feel a real sense of pride to see how people are receiving [my son],” Fernández tells Billboard during a phone interview. “It makes me excited because it brings back a lot of memories and brings me a lot of nostalgia.” Fernández also reveals that he will dedicate his shows to God and his father, the legendary Vicente Fernández, who died in December 2021.
For Amor Y Patria, the “Inexperto en Olvidarte” singer will visit major cities such as Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and Atlanta before wrapping up the tour in Miami on Oct. 22. Fernández is also set to perform at Chile’s Viña del Mar Festival on Feb. 21.
“Each show is different, each audience is different, and the reactions are different,” Fernández says about his love for touring. “I always do my job and homework whenever I visit a new city or country. I want to know which songs they are listening to the most in that specific area. I also really like to know the culture and the food. Normally, if I have time and if I go with my girlfriend, I give myself time to get to see the country, to go out to eat at different places,” he adds.
The ranchera singer is also set to release new music and will focus more on releasing singles instead of albums. “We’re going to work a little differently,” he explains. “Physical albums are challenging to sell, and more and more people consume digital. Everyone is adjusting to do more of that format.”
Fernández shares in his own words the five essential romantic songs that are a must on his set list, including his shows for Amor Y Patria. “In other words, none of these songs can be missing from the list because [the crowd] would hang me or throw rocks at me if I don’t sing them,” he explains. “My fans enjoy love [songs] more, but the songs they feel the most are those of heartbreak. The love songs I sing must be excellent songs because some can sound very cheesy.”
“Como Quien Pierde Una Estrella”
In ranchera music, this song was my first hit that I had internationally and proudly, it was with Mexican music.
“Caballero”
This is the song we were opening with for our “Hecho En Mexico” tour and still, it is one of the most popular songs on streaming platforms.
“Me Dediqué a Perderte”
This song is one that fans always sing along to at the top of their lungs at my concerts.
“Inexperto en Olvidarte”
This is my most recent single and it’s had an incredible response so it’ll be a must on the set list.
“Te Olvidé”
This one is not a love song, but it is very good. It’s a heartbreak song, and well, those who are not in love can also have something to listen to.
See the complete list of dates for Amor Y Patria below. Tickets go on sale Friday, Feb. 17 at 10am on Ticketmaster.com.
Lele Pons and Guaynaa give us the exclusive about their upcoming wedding, there are break-up rumors about Megan Fox and MGK swirling following Megan’s recent social media activity, Olivia Wilde catches flack for her spicy comment about A$AP Rocky during Rihanna’s Super Bowl Halftime Show, the best couples song for Valentines Day and more!
Lele Pons and Guaynaa are celebrating their Valentine’s Day as Billboard Español’s first cover story of the year, fittingly published today (Feb. 14).
In the hour-long interview, the Latin power couple revealed exciting details about their upcoming wedding and their plan to release a joint album together. They admit that doing both — planning their special day and recording new music together — can be a stressful process.
“We try to help each other with the stress, and the people around us, too,” Pons tells Billboard Español. “Like your dad, he calms me down a lot. Your mom calms me down a lot,” she says to Guaynaa.
“It’s a process,” he admits, “but we always take a couple of days a week to do nothing and be at home snuggling, watching TV, talking. That makes us more appreciative and makes us step out of the house with the idea that someone is waiting for you at home to have a nice time when the lights go out, that someone is there for you.” Read Sigal Ratner-Arias’ complete Billboard Español cover story here.
Pons and Guaynaa first met in 2019 and dropped their first collaborative effort, “Se Te Nota,” in 2020. After much speculation about whether they were dating, Pons made the relationship Instagram official in December of that same year. Guaynaa popped the big question at the 2022 Tomorrowland during Steve Aoki’s set.
“Guys, this is my beautiful girlfriend Lele Pons and I want to ask her a quick question,” the Puerto Rican artist said to the many thousands of fans in the audience. “I know what this means to you and how much you love Tomorrowland — Lele, will you marry me?” Among tears of joy, the Venezuelan influencer-turned-singer said “yes” without hesitation.
Below, find out everything we know about their wedding day (so far) from the new cover story.
When Lele Pons posts on Instagram, she does it with a mix of glamour, self-deprecating humor and simplicity that has charmed some 50 million fans into following her. And over the past two years, many of her buzziest posts have showcased the Venezuelan influencer’s love for her fiancé, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Guaynaa, who counts 6.2 million followers of his own. But Pons, 26, and Guaynaa, 30, are much more than just a captivating couple, and their recent engagement isn’t limited to marriage: They’ll now be also making music together.
“Beautiful, my love. Wow!” Guaynaa gushes at his newest collaborator and bride-to-be on a recent sunny morning in Miami at the restaurant-lounge El Tucán, as Pons gets made up for a photo shoot, trading her clean face, sweatshirt and sneakers for an executive skirt suit with a plunging neckline, towering stilettos and cherry red lips.
Pons kisses him with caution, trying not to stain him with her lipstick. It’s one of many gestures of affection they will show each other throughout the day — suggesting that they really are as passionate as they appear on social media posts.
The vision that she has when carrying out a project is incredible. For me, she is the best content creator in the world. — Guaynaa
From the moment they made their relationship official on Instagram on Dec. 12, 2020, to their exciting proposal before thousands of people during Steve Aoki’s set at the Tomorrowland festival in Belgium on July 31, 2022, Pons and Guaynaa kept their fans’ attention with funny photos and videos in which they didn’t shy away from showing snapshots of their lives. And they haven’t stopped since, with a combination of comedy, moments of vulnerability and messages of self-love. (Cellulite is no longer a reason for shame thanks to Pons.)
They’re not the first music artists to unite their lives and intertwine their careers, but their relationship is different from others, as she is best known for her work on social media and he as a respected singer-songwriter in the industry. Working together has its inherent risks, but it could also result in bigger careers for both. Their joint power was shown in their only song released together so far, “Se Te Nota” (2020), whose video has accumulated 422 million views. It’s Pons’ most-viewed music video and Guaynaa’s second most-viewed, after his hit “ReBoTa” (2019) with 526 million.
“This could be a project that will bring us many surprises, both on Guaynaa’s side and on Lele’s side, because she hasn’t released music in a long time and Guaynaa has been on a music hiatus for nine, 10 months, and I think there will be something cool for this generation that follows Lele and the public that anxiously awaits Guaynaa,” says Juan Diego Medina, Guaynaa’s new manager.
Now I have a really good structure to put out a lot of songs, not just one every six months. And finally, I have someone like him (Guaynaa), who is my adviser and can help me more than anyone else. — Pons
In the last months, Eleonora Pons Maronese and Jean Carlos Santiago Pérez (their real names) have been planning a wedding while spending hours in the studio creating songs and producing an album that they plan to release soon after they tie the knot on March 4, in their adoptive city of Miami, before more than 300 guests. The 10-song set, tentatively titled Capitulations and to be released under a partnership between Interscope Records and Guaynaa, will include eight duets, one solo song from Pons and another one from Guaynaa, spanning a variety of genres, from urban pop (“Abajito”) to reggaetón (“Natural”) to reggae (“A Que No”) and bachata (“Todo Sabe Más Rico”).
On Lele: Silvia Tcherassi dress, Le Silla shoes. On Guaynaa: Dickson Lim suit, Prada shoes.
Mary Beth Koeth
Nir Seroussi, executive vp at Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA), says: “This album is a celebration of Lele’s and Guaynaa’s relationship and the perfect way to share this precious moment with their fans. While the wedding will surely attract a lot of attention, the focus of our plan is to showcase the music. With this project, Lele and Guaynaa stepped out of their comfort zones and tapped into an artistic side we haven’t heard before.”
It’s their first collaborative effort since 2020’s “Se Te Nota,” that playful urban pop song about wanting someone in an obvious way that spent 18 weeks on the all-genre Billboard Global 200 (where it peaked at No. 44), 25 weeks on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart (No. 19 peak) and 11 weeks on Hot Latin Songs (No. 25). It was also the seed that led them to spend more time together and, eventually, fall in love.
They made their relationship “official” that December, but their first kiss came nearly two months earlier, on Oct. 27, when the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for the first time since 1988. “It was a very exciting and very special moment,” Pons says.
The content creator, with over 50 million followers on Instagram and 29 million more on TikTok, rose to fame on Vine — the short-form video platform where she became the most followed woman (11.5 million) before it shut down in 2017 — and went on to create comedy skits on YouTube, where she has 17.8 million followers. Her interest in music, however, dates to her childhood, when she took opera singing lessons, and in recent years she has released more than a dozen hit singles, including “Bubble Gum” with Yandel and “HIT IT” with the Black Eyed Peas and Saweetie (both from 2021).
On Lele: Aknvas dress, FEMME shoes. On Guaynaa: TAAKK top, Versace pants, Prada shoes.
Mary Beth Koeth
Guaynaa, the son of troubadours who began creating music as a child, has made a name for himself as an urban pop artist with his own style and the audacity to experiment with all kinds of genres. He rose to fame in 2019 with “ReBoTa,” a mix of reggaetón and dembow with which he debuted on the Billboard charts, and has since released collaborations with artists as varied as Lola Índigo (“Respira”), Los Ángeles Azules (“Cumbia a La Gente”) and Sebastián Yatra, with whom he recorded “Chica Ideal,” which reached No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart.
Now they take on their joint music project not only with great enthusiasm, but with great responsibility. Especially after a year that wasn’t all laughter and comedy. In early 2022, Guaynaa was rushed to the hospital after a car accident in Los Angeles, where a drunk driver hit the vehicle he was traveling in, causing the artist a serious cervical injury that required microsurgery and therapy. “It was a very complex recovery process. [I had to] stop all my projects,” he recalls, thankful that Pons traveled to meet him immediately and always accompanied him. Once recovered, it was his turn to take care of his fiancée, who underwent an operation for appendicitis last October.
In the process, Guaynaa also ended his deal with Universal Music and signed a management contract with Medina of La Industria (Nicky Jam, Manuel Turizo), who says the singer is in talks with a couple of record labels. Pons, signed to Interscope, also has a new manager, Polo Molina (Gerardo Ortiz, the Black Eyed Peas), but her manager for social media continues to be John Shahidi of Shots Studios, with whom she has worked for years.
“He and I are good friends,” says Molina about Medina, whom he worked with when the Black Eyed Peas and Nicky Jam teamed up for “Vida Loca” in 2020. “So, when he started working with Guaynaa and I started working with Lele, it was perfect. We just called each other like, ‘Hey, let’s do an album. Yeah! Let’s do a tour.’ Obviously, there’s a wedding going on, there’s a honeymoon going on, but I think they have all the ingredients to be superstars.”
And everything is practically ready for the big day. Before taking off to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Paris for their honeymoon, Pons will wear three dresses throughout the evening: one by Zuhair Murad to walk down the aisle, one by Julie Vino to dance at the party, “and the very, very last one, which is for when you’re already feeling unwell, by Pnina Tornai,” she says with a laugh. There will be Puerto Rican, Venezuelan and Italian food (in honor of her ancestry), and both a band and DJ to provide music till the wee hours.
They also expect to sing and have some of their guests sing as well, including relatives and close friends like Puerto Rican pop icon Chayanne (Pons’ uncle) and a stellar bridal party including Paris Hilton, Anitta, Kim Loaiza, Hanna Stocking, Isabela Grutman, Nicole Garcia and Isadora Figueroa, as well as Sebastián Yatra and Mau and Ricky Montaner.
“They all have to sing! I’ve sung at everyone’s weddings,” says Guaynaa, while Pons reminds him that someone already said she wants to do it: Spanish singer Natalia Jiménez.
During our lengthy interview, in which they spoke mostly Spanish, Pons and Guaynaa talked about their life together, their plans and their respective roles in the industry.
The wedding is only a few weeks away and the album will be released soon after. How are you handling the stress?
LELE PONS: We try to help each other with the stress, and the people around us too. (Turns to Guaynaa.) Like your dad, he calms me down a lot. Your mom calms me down a lot.
GUAYNAA: It’s a process, but we always take a couple days a week to do nothing and be at home snuggling, watching TV, talking. That makes us more appreciative and makes us step out of the house with the idea that someone is waiting for you at home to have a nice time when the lights go out, that someone is there for you.
Aknvas dress.
Mary Beth Koeth
What do you want to say with this album? Is there a particular message?
GUAYNAA: Look, there’s partying, there’s dancing.
PONS: But there are also moments about not wanting to sleep with the person you’re with, like the bachata. All couples have problems, and that’s very important. Not everything is love and kisses. There are moments that you know are difficult, and if you love the person that you’re with, you are going to have to solve it.
Who wrote the songs, and how was the working process in the studio?
PONS: Guaynaa wrote the songs. I’m more into marketing and music videos. We both contribute. We sing together, we help each other. Many times, I change the melody when I don’t like it, like in the song “Abajito.”
GUAYNAA: I try to compose, direct, produce. And Eleonora is basically giving her opinion also in terms of production and lyrics, but in a more relaxed way. The process was quite varied. One song was written in Mexico, the rest in Miami. There were collaborations with songwriters that I’ve worked with. For example, “Estrella Fugaz” was written with Elena Rose. It’s a very special song for us because it essentially represents what our love story is.
Working together can be a double-edged sword. How has this experience been for you?
GUAYNAA: Lele and I beat to different rhythms. In music, I can tell you that it is quite cool, because she has a different thinking and approach and drive, she has other filters in her head when she analyzes music. My filters are more about the conceptual elaboration of the album, the musicality, the storytelling, the beginning and the end. There were many disagreements for that very reason, but at the end of the day, I think we managed to develop a project, and that makes us very happy.
What has been the most fun for each of you?
PONS: For me, it was when I had to sing in the studio and Guaynaa would come in to help me. (To Guaynaa.) It was fun because you did things to make me laugh and [help me relax]. And for you?
GUAYNAA: The most fun? (Laughs mischievously.) Oh, for you to say you liked a song, because you were like: “I don’t like it, I don’t like it, I don’t like it… This one I like!” Yes!
PONS: [But] when it comes to songs, I trust in him. Even if I don’t like it, I have a lot of trust in Guaynaa as an artist and I tell him, “OK, bebé, if you really want to release this song, let’s do it.”
Each of you has your own passionate fan base. How do you reach out to fans and build a consensus, especially now that you’re releasing a project together?
GUAYNAA: I think people want music.
PONS: Yes, they already have everything else on social media.
GUAYNAA: They ride the wave and surf with us. People want music, they’d like to hear music from us out there. I mean, there were many people last year who, for example — now that I told you how difficult it was — got upset at my fan base or Lele’s fan base: “Why aren’t they working? Why aren’t they making music? Oh, they’re more dedicated to their relationship than to their careers.” And it’s really that we had a disability — I couldn’t go out and sing with a hole here (points to his neck, referring to the injury from the car accident), and she couldn’t go out and sing with stitches in her belly. It was a very complicated scenario.
Guaynaa, if you could change something in the music industry right now, what would it be? [The singer parted ways with Universal Music and his previous management after releasing his debut album, La República, in 2021.]
GUAYNAA: I would require at least four years of [music business] studies, a master’s or bachelor’s degree for those who want to sing and enter the platforms. Because it seems quite unfair to me that because of ignorance errors an artist’s hard work is put at risk and therefore, their family’s sustenance — like a bad agreement, a bad contract. I have always said that this is like parenthood: First they give you the diploma and then you start studying. I would like for people to study first and then get their diploma.
TAAKK top, Versace pants, Prada shoes.
Mary Beth Koeth
Has your relationship with Lele or your greater social media presence influenced the way you make music today?
GUAYNAA: Definitely. There are many aspects in music, and I’ve always been a guy who goes out with reggaetón, then makes cumbia, salsa, alternative music… that’s the way I feel comfortable; that’s me and that’s my DNA. So, yes, I think it has given me another notion because I am aware of other things, I see other trends, and when I’m making music that’s leaning to that side, I already have some more knowledge.
How do you structure your businesses?
GUAYNAA: Our businesses are structured completely separately. We do give each other feedback and help each other, but she keeps her business structure on her side and I keep mine on my side.
PONS: Guaynaa is very good with finances, and he has a team that is very united, while I have experience in content creation and marketing. I help him with his social media, and he advises me on my finances, my business and, on many occasions, my personal decisions.
Lele, we know you more as an influencer than as a singer. How important is your music career to you right now, and what have you learned from Guaynaa as a musician?
PONS: My music career is very important. Now that I have a manager who is also in the music business and has had a lot of success, it’s like a new chapter that I want to try. And not only that, I love making music! But there has always been some sort of obstacle. For example, the hospital, or me having to do another project. Now I have a really good structure to put out a lot of songs, not just one every six months. And finally, I have someone like him (points affectionately to Guaynaa), who is my adviser and can help me more than anyone else.
Guaynaa, we have enjoyed seeing you showing your funny side with Lele on social media. What have you learned from her as a content creator?
GUAYNAA: I would say that I’ve learned about passion, attention, projection, planning. The vision that she has when carrying out a project is incredible. For me, she is the best content creator in the world.
PONS: Thanks, bebé. That’s because you love me.
GUAYNAA: It’s one of the things that I most admire about her, her ability to evolve. Because she started doing something, she grew and did other things, became bigger and did more. Reggaetón came knocking at her door looking for her creativity. Now she is in another facet, and her ability to reinvent herself is very admirable for me.
What has been the biggest challenge and the biggest advantage of working together?
GUAYNAA: The biggest challenge has basically been evolving in this ever-changing industry. And the greatest advantage, I would say that who we are as people: We have many friends, we enjoy the love and respect of many, and that makes it easier for us to work and get things done.
PONS: Being on the same page when he and I are very different in the way we work. For example, I like commercial songs, while he likes more artistic songs. This makes us the perfect team, because we come to an agreement and there is balance in every decision.
Lele, going back to the wedding, to what song are you going to walk down the aisle?
GUAYNAA: “Rompe, rompe…” (He sings the first lines of Daddy Yankee’s “Rompe,” which she loves, making her burst into laughter.)
PONS: “A Thousand Years” [by Christina Perri].
GUAYNAA: And for the first dance, “Bésame la boca… bésame la luna.” (He sings Ricardo Montaner’s romantic ballad “Bésame,” smiling proudly.) I chose it.
When Lele Pons posts on Instagram, she does it with a mix of glamour, self-deprecating humor and simplicity that has charmed some 50 million fans into following her. And over the past two years, many of her buzziest posts have showcased the Venezuelan influencer’s love for her fiancé, Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Guaynaa, who counts 6.2 million followers of his own. But Pons, 26, and Guaynaa, 30, are much more than just a captivating couple, and their recent engagement isn’t limited to marriage: They’ll now be also making music together.
Check out the exclusive photos below, and read the full Billboard cover story by Sigal Ratner-Arias here.
Karol G has finally met her idol, Rihanna, after the latter performed at the 2023 Super Bowl Halftime Show at the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona on Sunday night (Feb. 12).
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“As a Fan, I have to say that this was the HIGHLIGHT of my entire life!!!,” the Colombian singer captioned an Instagram post. “I hope that when you guys meet your idols, they will be as amazing as she was with me. I LOVE YOU @badgalriri.”
The post shows three photos of the two artists smiling and hugging tight backstage, plus a short video of Karol teaching Riri some Colombian slang. “Hey Riri, how was everything?” Karol asks the Barbadian singer, to which she responds, “fue una chimba!” (“it was amazing!”)
The sweet moment between the two artists happened after Rihanna performed a nearly 15-minute set at SBLVII. Dressed in a curve-hugging red outfit, Riri not only treated viewers to a medley of some of her biggest hits (including “Bitch Better Have My Money,” “Umbrella,” “Diamonds,” and “Only Girl (In the World)”) but also revealed she was pregnant with her second baby. The artist and her partner, A$AP Rocky welcomed their first child in May of 2022.
For Karol, the backstage meetup was a dream come true.
In 2018, she got a tattoo on her arm in honor of her three favorite singers and biggest inspirations: Rihanna, Selena Quintanilla and herself, and on multiple occasions she’s expressed that Rihanna is her dream collaborator. In 2020, Karol manifested meeting RihRih in person when she shared a black-and-white fan art of the two. “Haters will say it’s photoshopped,” she captioned the pic.
See Karol and Rihanna at the 2023 Super Bowl below:
From one Super Bowl halftime show star to another: Shakira is sending her best wishes to Rihanna before she headlines the 2023 halftime set Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
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“Remembering good times and wishing you the best vibes for tonight’s show, Rih!” Shakira wrote on her social media accounts Sunday (Feb. 12) ahead of the big game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. She shared an image of the two embracing and laughing from the set of their “Can’t Remember to Forget You” music video, released in 2014.
“Can’t Remember to Forget You,” featured Shakira’s 10th full-length studio album, Shakira, peaked at No. 15 on Billboard‘s Hot 100.
Shakira co-headlined the first all-Latin Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer Lopez in 2020.
“The Super Bowl is one of the biggest stages in the world, so as scary as that was because I haven’t been on stage in seven years, there’s something exhilarating about the challenge of it all … It’s important for my son to see that,” Rihanna, who welcomed her first child with A$AP Rocky in May, said at an Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show press conference Thursday (Feb. 9), giving fans a preview of what’s to come.
“You’re just running around for 13 minutes, trying to put like a two-hour set for 13 minutes,” Rihanna said. “And you’re gonna see on Sunday, from the time it starts, it just never ends until the very last second. I know I’m saying too much, but it’s a jam-packed show.”
The Barbados-born star added, “That was the hardest, hardest part — deciding how to maximize 13 minutes but also celebrate. That’s what this show’s gonna be. It’s gonna be a celebration of my catalog in the best way that we could have put it together. You’re trying to cram 17 years of work into 13 minutes … but I think we did a pretty good job of narrowing it down. There were probably about 39 version of the setlist right now. We’re on our 39th. Every little change counts, whether I want a guitar cut out, something muted, something added or just put in a whole new song, or take out a whole song.”
See Shakira’s post to Rihanna, plus take a look back at their 2014 collab, below. Super Bowl LVII’s broadcast began live on Fox and Fox Deportes on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT.
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.
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Residente is writing his first film
Puerto Rican artist Residente is teaming up with Academy Award-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman & The Revenant) to co-write his new film Porto Rico. The film, a historical drama set in the 19th century, will be based on the life of Puerto Rican revolutionary, José Maldonado Román, known as Águila Blanca (White Eagle). Maldonado Román fought against colonialism by leading a gang of 17 ex-convicts to vindicate Puerto Rico as it sought its identity as a country.
Porto Rico will become the first film released by 1868 Studios, a joint venture between Residente and Sony Music Entertainment’s premium content division.
NEON16 teams up with University of Michigan
Music company NEON16 has collaborated with The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, for a marketing course. According to a press release, the partnership will give students the opportunity to “experience marketing in a real work setting.” They’ve been assigned to develop a full marketing plan for the upcoming release of Tainy’s debut album, DATA. The plans will be reviewed by both professor Dr. Michael Metzger and NEON16 creatives and one strategy/plan will be chosen to execute the actual album release marketing strategy.
“It’s a privilege to be able to share our views on business, culture and creativity at such a prestigious university like MICHIGAN / ROSS. This course allows students to expand their views on the importance of culture in business allowing them to develop marketing plans that are relevant and effective in today’s consumer market,” Lex Borrero, founder and CEO of NEON16, said.
NEON16’s Founder and CEO, Lex Borrero, NEON16 Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer, Ivan Rodriguez, and NEON16 Head of Electronic Music, Jack Miller at the “Culture Change Makers” Panel at University of Michigan Ross School of Business.
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The first ever Latin Women in Music is happening
Telemundo and Billboard announced the expansion of their partnership for 2023. Under the new agreement, the companies will collaborate to present the first-ever Latin Women in Music, a two-hour musical special, set to air on Telemundo in May, is a celebration of Latin female artists, executives and creatives who are proactively working for positive change, inclusion and gender parity in the music industry. Additionally, the annual Billboard Latin Music Awards, will take place Oct. 5.
Viña del Mar
The complete lineup for the 2023 Viña del Mar has been unveiled. After Maná announced they were canceling their performance due to the band’s Fher Olvera’s knee injury, the Chilean festival announced three additional artists to join the event: TINI, Emilia and Rels B. The 62nd edition of Viña will take place Feb. 19-24. Over the course of five days, the event features a mix of superstars, emerging singers and local artists competing for the Silver, Gold and Platinum “Gaviotas,” the name of its awards.
Celia Cruz’s face on a U.S. quarter
The face of the legendary Celia Cruz will be depicted on a U.S. quarter, according to the United States Mint. Widely known as the Queen of Salsa, the late Cuban singer was chosen along with four other exemplary women from history to be featured on the U.S. quarter as part of the American Women Quarters Program in 2024. She will also make history as the first Afro-Latina to appear on the coin.
The other honorees include Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first women of color to serve in Congress; Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, women’s rights advocate and Civil War era surgeon; poet, activist, and lawyer Pauli Murray; and Native American writer, composer, educator Zitkala-Ša. The four-year program “celebrates the accomplishments and contributions made by women of the United States,” states the official website.