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Rosalía and her highly-regarded manager, Rebeca León, have amicably parted ways, Billboard has learned. The split comes after an almost six-year stint that saw Rosalía rise from unknown flamenco artist to global superstar. Prior to working closely with Rosalía, León helmed the careers of fellow superstars J Balvin and Juanes.
The split, which sources say was agreed upon under good terms, leaving both parties with “gratitude and pride for everything they have accomplished together,” allows both León and Rosalía to explore new paths. Rosalía has yet to announce new management.
León will focus her energy on her production company, Lionfish Studios, with which she closed a content deal with Sony Music last year. Projects in development include Alice with Gunpowder & Sky; Redemption Song with Fifth Season and director Jessica Kavanaugh; Mona Carmona with José Ignacio Valenzuela, Paul Pérez Pictures, Malule Entertainment and Lucas Akoskin; and Biscayne Baby with Sebastian Ortega and Enrique Murciano, in addition to a project León is developing with Steven Levinson for HBO.
Last year, León was also a co-producer of the Father of the Bride remake starring Andy García. León will also continue working in music projects, including management of st. pedro and a partnership with BRESH via her music company, Lionfish Entertainment.
Rosalía, fresh from performing at the Louis Vuitton men’s show in Paris in January, is in the midst of prepping a series of festival dates, including headlining Lollapalooza in Argentina and Chile and playing the main stage at Coachella in April. She is also close to announcing a deal with Coca-Cola, according to sources.
The León-Rosalía manager-client partnership was widely regarded as one of the most successful in the music industry. In a narrative that closely mimics the movie-like storyline of how a brilliant manger takes a hugely talented unknown artist and makes her a star, León signed Rosalía after watching her perform in Madrid in 2017, at the urging of her then-client Juanes.
At the time, Rosalía was a highly respected and unorthodox flamenco artist, little known outside Spain. Rosalía told Billboard in 2019, “I had never met any manager nor had I had a manager.”
Rosalía told León she was looking for someone to internationalize her and her music and help her grow.
León was hugely impressed.
“I’m never looking for another artist,” she told Billboard in the same interview. “But she was captivating. She was inspiring.” The following day, she watched Rosalía’s videos and saw yet another realm of possibilities.
“She sang flamenco and then she sang hip-hop. Her movement, her attitude, I thought, that’s going to change everything. She had reinvented something.”
Rosalía was in the process of signing with Sony Music Spain, and under León, moved to Columbia in a joint deal with the label.
In the five years that followed, she became perhaps the most elite Latin artist in recent history, recording with the likes of Billie Eilish and The Weeknd, and becoming the first artist that sings in Spanish to ever be nominated for best new artist at the Grammys. She went on to best Latin rock, urban or alternative album for El Mal Querer, which also won album of the year at the Latin Grammys.
Last year, her Motomami also won album of the year at the Latin Grammys and is once again nominated for the since-renamed best Latin rock or alternative album award at the Grammys.
All told, Rosalía has placed six songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 17 on Hot Latin Songs, including six top 10s.
Every year, Billboard’s Latin staff compiles a list of artists to watch in the coming months. In honor of 2023, we are spotlighting 23 Latin and Spanish acts that cover a broad variety of Latin music genres, from pop to reggaetón to R&B, música Mexicana, and rock.
In true fashion, Billboard Latin’s Artists to Watch list does not focus on brand new talent, but rather, on artists who have already made an impact, be it in the charts, media, streaming platforms, or public consciousness, and who we believe will make significant strides in their careers in the coming year.
A significant number of rising Mexican acts are on the list, like Bratty, who with her charming lo-fi pop tunes will be performing at the 2023 Coachella Festival; Victor Cibrian, whose raspy voice is bringing a fresh take to the corrido movement; and Grupo Frontera, who since going viral last year, has become the only Regional Mexican act to achieve three songs on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, to name a few.
All eyes are also set on the latest generation from Spain, including acts such as Quevedo, whose electro-urban fusions got international traction with his Bizarrap-assisted “BZRP Music Session, Vol. 52” and Pol Granch, who was nominated for best new artist at the 2022 Latin Grammys. On the list are also a wave of fierce and unapologetic Boricuas, like Villano Antillano, authentically making a name for themselves in a male-dominated industry.
Additionally, we recognize artists such as Grupo Marca Registrada and Lasso, who’ve been hustling in the biz for over a decade and thanks to their new-found social media virality have not only gotten more fans but also their first-ever Billboard hits in 2022.
Some of the names on our list will be known to you, some will not. But we believe that all will make their next big mark in 2023. Below are Billboard’s 23 Latin and Spanish acts to watch in 2023, listed in alphabetical order.
Ahead of the Grammys this weekend, best new artist nominee Anitta is back for part two of her Billboard interview, sharing more of the backstory along with her plans for the next phase of her career.
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“I really wanted this because I heard so many times that it was impossible, and I wanted to prove that it was not, someone can do this,” Anitta says of the days she spent hustling in her native Brazil to make her career happen. When she was faced with the argument that Brazilians couldn’t cross over in the States, she says she simply “could not accept it.”
She tracks her hustling days, recalling the era when she’d perform in Brazil on Friday, Saturday and Sunday then fly to the States to network during the week, before flying back to Brazil to play shows on the weekend, all while taking English lessons and doing studio sessions in English to get used to recording in the language. “It was crazy,” she says, adding that she was “so tired.”
But of course, the work paid off, with Anitta crossing over in the States, particularly upon the release of her 2022 album, Versions of Me, and its big single “Envolver.” Of this success, Anitta says fans in her home country “are super happy and very supportive of me, whenever ‘Envolver’ was starting to get really really big on the charts out of Brazil, the Brazilians, they saw it and were like, ‘If you love your nation, you’ve gotta play this song.’ … When it was No. 1 global, it was a holiday.”
Anitta also reveals that she “for sure, definitely” will end her singing career in the next five or six years, saying that she loves “change, challenges and trying news things” and is eager to develop her acting career. (She notes that she’s already been invited to appear in a number of films.)
Given her penchant for both hustle and success, money is on Anitta achieving anything she sets out to get. Watch the complete interview above, and tune in to the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS to see if Anitta wins for best new artist.
After the release of Camilo and Camila Cabello‘s music video for “Ambulancia,” the collaboration returns to Billboard’s Feb. 4-dated Hot Trending Songs chart at No. 1.
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Billboard’s Hot Trending charts, powered by Twitter, track global music-related trends and conversations in real-time across Twitter, viewable over either the last 24 hours or past seven days. A weekly, 20-position version of the chart, covering activity from Friday through Thursday of each week, posts alongside Billboard’s other weekly charts on Billboard.com each Tuesday, with the latest tracking period running Jan. 20-26.
“Ambulancia” was released Sept. 6, 2022, alongside Camilo’s full-length album De Adentro Pa Afuera. The album peaked at No. 28 on the Top Latin Albums chart dated Sept. 24, 2022.
Now the album’s latest radio single (it concurrently debuts at No. 17 on Tropical Airplay), the video for “Ambulancia” premiered Jan. 24 and features starring roles from both performers.
“Ambulancia” bows ahead a slew of new releases, led by Chloe’s “Pray It Away,” which starts at No. 2. Released Jan. 27 but teased beginning on Jan. 25, “Pray” is the first taste of Chloe’s debut studio album, In Pieces, due in March.
Zara Larsson’s new single, “Can’t Tame Her,” follows at No. 3, while songs from new LPs and EPs by Trippie Redd, Quevedo and Ice Spice round out the top 10.
Keep visiting Billboard.com for the constantly evolving Hot Trending Songs rankings, and check in each Tuesday for the latest weekly chart.
The lineup for the second edition of Sueños Music Festival was revealed on Tuesday (Jan. 31), featuring headliners Wisin y Yandel, Grupo Firme, Feid, and Nicky Jam, who will grace the stage on the weekend of May 27 and 28 in Chicago’s Grant Park.
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The exclusively all-Latin music festival — which highlights regional Mexican and urbano powerhouse performers in the same roster — will also host reggaeton icon Ivy Queen, as well as Becky G, Eladio Carrion, Chencho Corleone, Junior H, Gera MX, Ryan Castro, Young Miko, Pao Pao and more.
In March, Ivy Queen will be honored with the Icon award at Billboard’s Women in Music.
From the founders of Mexico’s Baja Beach Fest, Sueños made its debut in 2022 with headlining acts J Balvin, Ozuna, and Farruko. Returning acts include Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers, Dominican dembow purveyor El Alfa, as well as reggaeton pioneers Wisin y Yandel who will be headlining for a second year in a row.
“We’re thrilled to be coming back to Chicago for our second annual Sueños festival,” Aaron Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl, co-founders of Sueños, told Billboard Español in an email. “Last year was such a moment, you could feel the energy and excitement from fans no matter where you were at in the festival. It just felt like we were meant to be there, celebrating Latin music and culture with Chicago’s thriving Latino community – and this year we’re bringing even more.”
Wisin y Yandel kicked off their farewell tour La Última Misión last year, while showcasing their latest 2022 album of the same name. In December, the dynamic duo broke their own record at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) with a series of 14 homecoming shows, which included a New Year’s Eve performance, the first time ever the iconic venue held a show on said date.
Colombian rapper-songwriter Feid, who entered the Billboard 200 chart in October for his successful (and leaked!) LP Feliz Cumpleaños Ferxxo: Te Pirateamos el Álbum, is poised to make an impact in 2023. Late last year, Feid embarked on his first headlining U.S. tour, produced by Live Nation, selling out numerous dates.
The Mexican band Grupo Firme, who has been elevating norteña music to higher grounds, made a splash at last summer at Baja Beach Fest in Rosarito when the group surprised audiences with its performance of “Cada Quien” alongside Medellín superstar Maluma.“We can’t wait to see what Grupo Firme, Wisin Y Yandel, Feid, Nicky Jam and all the phenomenal artists on the lineup bring to the Sueños stage this Memorial Day Weekend!” added the founders. Early access tickets go on sale Feb. 2. For more info, visit SuenosMusicFestival.com.
Quevedo drives his Spanish rap to Billboard Latin charts as his maiden studio album, Donde Quiero Estar (which translates to Where I Want to Be) starts at No. 9 on the Latin Rhythm Albums chart and at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums chart (dated Feb. 4). The 16-track set becomes his first entry on any albums chart.
Donde Quiero Estar was released Jan. 20 via Taste the Floor Records, and begins with more than 5,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. after its first tracking week ending in Jan. 26, according to Luminate. As mentioned, the album’s arrival gives Quevedo his first top 10 on any albums chart, with its No. 9 start on Latin Rhythm Albums.
As with most Latin rhythmic albums, most of the set’s opening sum derives from streaming activity. The set’s songs generated 7.3 million on-demand official streams in the tracking week.
On both Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.
The album’s top 10 debut is another achievement for the Spaniard, who broke through in 2022 with the No. 1 global hit “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” with Bizarrap. The track concurrently earned both artists their first top 10 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs charts (a blend of airplay, digital sales, and streaming data) last November, and on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 (August 2022).
Donde Quiero Estar includes collaborations with Myke Towers, Ovy on the Drums, and others, including a spoken intro by Spanish rapper Cruz Cafuné.
Quevedo’s debut album was preceded by three songs on the global charts. On the Billboard Global 200, “Punto G” ascends 72-66, “Playa del Inglés,” with Myke Towers, soars 170-120, while “Vista al Mar” peaked at No. 114 last Oct. (rebounds 198-136 on the current chart). Meanwhile, over on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., “Punto G” rises 40-33, “Vista” climbs 116-76, while “Playa” rallies 107-77. Plus, “Ahora Qué” also debuts at No. 122 on the latter.
Elsewhere, Donde Quiero Estar bows at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums, also Quevedo’s first appearance there.
Valentina Trespalacios, a trailblazing DJ whose career was about to take off, was found dead on Sunday (Jan. 22). Her boyfriend, John Poulos, was arrested and charged with the alleged murder at Panama’s Tocumen International Airport, the Panamanian National Police said, according to CNN.
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Her body was found in a blue suitcase in a garbage container on the outskirts of Bogota, the news network reported.
Poulos denied the charges during a hearing in Bogota, according to CNN, and his defense is arguing that due process was not respected. Another hearing is set for Jan. 31.
A DJ deeply engaged in the world of guaracha, a Colombian dance genre, Trespalacios emerged at 23 as one of the country’s promising DJs.
“We are shocked by the violent death of Valentina. She was a dreamer, a skilled DJ and potential producer who was working on several projects, including an album,” David Sarria, creator of Black & White, one of Colombia’s most memorable electronic festivals, tells Billboard.
Poulos, a 35-year-old U.S. citizen, fled Colombia but was detained Jan. 24 as he was about to board a flight to Turkey. The National Police of Panama shared video on Twitter of him being escorted by law enforcement, noting in a subsequent tweet that he was trying to head to Istanbul.
La Policía Nacional informa que Interpol Panamá detectó la presencia del ciudadano estadounidense Poulos John Nelson, tras la alerta dada por la República de Colombia, por el homicidio de la DJ Valentina Trespalacios. pic.twitter.com/fDkaE65gRj— Policía Nacional (@ProtegeryServir) January 25, 2023
His arrest followed a swift investigation by the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office, which collected evidence against him — including Trespalacios’ cell phone, which was recovered at Bogota’s El Dorado Airport, according to Colombia’s El Tiempo — and obtained his extradition to Colombia. He has been charged with aggravated murder and obstruction, modification and disappearance of evidence, according to the paper.
CNN reports that per Colombia’s Institute of Legal Medicine, Trespalacios died from mechanical suffocation, and that it appeared her body had been subjected to force before she died. El Tiempo also reported that her autopsy report showed signs of strangulation, and that her head, chest and other body parts had experienced blows.
The murder of Trespalacios has shocked the country and the music industry. She debuted in 2019 in the local electronic music scene, winning a prize at the Colombia Dance Awards, which has recognized the best DJs in the country for 12 years.
“She was one of the most explosive rising stars in Colombia’s clubs,” Pablo Silva, the awards’ creator, tells Billboard. “In 2019 she took home the Breakthrough DJ of the Year trophy and never stopped.”
Trespalacios made her way in tech house, and had been doing guaracha, the dance genre from Colombia that combines tribal house, cumbia and Latin. The genre is a phenomenon in the country’s youth parties.
Though she was young, Trespalacios had the opportunity to perform with some of her idols, such as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Steve Aoki, Erik Morillo and Markus Schullz.
Trespalacios was laid to rest on Jan. 26.
Marc Anthony and Nadia Ferreira are officially husband and wife after tying the knot on Saturday (Jan. 28) in Miami.
The star-studded wedding, held at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), included guests such as Romeo Santos, Marco Antonio Solís, Daddy Yankee, Maluma, Prince Royce, Luis Fonsi, and Salma Hayek ¡HOLA! reported. Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim and soccer star David Beckham served in the role of Anthony’s best men.
Victoria Beckham also attended the wedding, and dedicated a special Instagram post to the newlywed couple. “Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Muniz!!! We love you both so much and it was such an honor to be part of your special day and celebrate your love!! Kisses,” she wrote on Instagram.
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The 54-year-old salsa singer and 23-year-old Paraguayan model, who was first runner-up at the 2021 Miss Universe, got engaged in May 2022. Ferreira shared the big news via an Instagram Story with a photo that showed both of their hands. On her ring finger was a big, glitzy diamond. On his, a black tattooed ring. “Engagement partyyyyy!!!” read the text on the since-expired post in which she tagged Marc Anthony and included a ring emoji.
Two months prior on March 19, the lovebirds made their relationship Instagram official after the model shared a photo of the two outside the Crypto.Com Arena, where Anthony stopped for his Pa’Alla Voy tour. The “Mala” singer also shared a photo on Instagram that day of the two cuddling in a private jet. “May God multiply everything you wish for us,” he captioned the pic.
This is the singer’s fourth marriage following Dayanara Torres (2000-2004), Jennifer Lopez (2004-2014) and Shannon de Lima (2014-2017).
See clips of their special day below:
Colombian record executive Adriana Restrepo has been appointed IFPI’s regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean. Restrepo will now head the global record music organization’s regional operations in Latin American and the Caribbean, based out of the organization’s offices in Miami and reporting directly to IFPI chief executive Frances Moore.
Restrepo takes over the post vacated by Javier Asensio, who served as regional director of the IFPI since 2011. Asensio, who’s been on Billboard’s Latin Power Player list on multiple occasions, stepped down from his role at the end of 2022 to return to his native Spain.
“Having worked directly with Adriana for a number of years as she served on our boards, I know first-hand the level of passion, commitment and knowledge of the Latin American music sector that she brings to the role,” said Moore in a statement. “I would also like to thank Javier who has been outstanding in overseeing our work in the region for over a decade and achieved so much during a period of rapid change and evolution in the market.”
Restrepo comes from a business and recording industry background and is one of the very few women who have headed record labels, including multinationals, in Latin America. She was most recently president of Sony Music Andes, based in Bogotá, Colombia, and overseeing Sony’s operation in the Andean region, which includes Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Prior to that, Restrepo was president of powerful Colombian indie Codiscos, one of the region’s oldest and most respected labels and publishers, with a vast catalogue of tropical and popular music.
Restrepo comes to the post at a time when the Latin American music industry is on a path of massive growth. Recorded music revenues in Latin America grew 31% in 2021, exceeding $1 billion in revenues for the first time, and making it the 12th year of consecutive growth for the region.
Restrepo, who served on the IFPI’s main board between 2018 and 2020 is familiar with the organization.
“The region is experiencing a stellar moment due to the massive production of new talent for the entire world,” she said in a statement. “I will continue the good work developed by Javier with the National Groups and the collective management organisations seeking to reach new goals for the benefit of IFPI members.”
At Sony Andes, Maria Mercedes “Mechas” Montejo has been appointed to lead the company.
“We will miss Adriana here at Sony Music Latin Iberia, but we are thrilled to know that her professionalism and experience will be of service to the entire Latin music industry in her new role. We wish her all the best,” said Afo Verde, chairman & CEO Latin America, Spain and Portugal for Sony Music Entertainment.
Verde, and the other regional label heads will be working closely with Restrepo, as they do traditionally with IFPI leadership, and support for Restrepo has been unanimous.
“Adriana brings experience, knowledge and a great capacity for work, at a time when the challenges we face in Latin America continue to be enormous. There is nobody better than her to continue the great job done by Javier Asensio during the last decade,” said Jesús López, chairman & CEO, Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula, Universal Music Group.
Added Alejandro Duque, president, Warner Music Latin America: “I’ve known Adriana for many years and believe she has the right qualities and commitment to lead and execute our industry’s agenda in the region for years to come.”
Shakira is seemingly reacting to her ex-boyfriend Gerard Piqué’s newly debuted relationship on social media.
One day after the soccer star revealed his younger girlfriend Clara Chia Marti in an Instagram post, the 45-year-old Colombian superstar shared a video of herself dancing and mouthing the scathing lyrics of her new diss track “BZRP Music Sessions Vol. 53,” a collaboration with Argentine DJ and producer Bizarrap.
“Las mujeres ya no lloran las mujeres bailan merengue!” Shakira wrote alongside the split-screen Instagram clip on Thursday (Jan. 26). The caption translates to “Women don’t cry anymore, women dance merengue!” which is similar to her hit single’s lyrics of “Women don’t cry anymore, they cash in.”
In “BZRP Music Session #53,” which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, Shakira is more unapologetic and empowered than ever, spitting diss verses to Piqué and even throwing a jab at his new love interest.
“I’m not getting back with you, don’t cry for me, nor beg me/ I understood that it’s not my fault that they criticize you/ I only make music, sorry that it bothers you,” the singer chants on the dance-pop track. “Good luck with my so-called replacement/ I don’t even know what happened/ You’re acting so weird, I don’t even recognize you/ I’m worth two 22-year-olds/ You traded in a Ferrari for a Twingo/ You traded in a Rolex for a Casio.”
This isn’t the first time Shakira has taken aim at her ex. Prior to the Bizarrap session, she released the more poignant “Monotonía” alongside Ozuna, lamenting the loss of love to “monotony.”
See Shakira’s post on Instagram below.