Latin
Page: 3
Earlier this week, Billboard revealed its year-end Boxscore charts, ranking the top tours, venues, and promoters of 2024. We’re breaking it down further, looking at the biggest live acts, genre by genre. Today, we continue with Latin. Latin music reached unprecedented heights in 2022, when Bad Bunny staged the year’s highest-grossing tour. While no genre […]
Mexican music is undergoing a revolution, and at the epicenter of this new wave of talent is Luis Ernesto Vega Carvajal, better known as Netón Vega. At just 21 years old, the young musician has achieved global success as a co-writer for tracks such as “La People” by Peso Pluma and Tito Double P, “Rubicon” by Peso, and “Si No Quieres No” by Luis R. Conríquez.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The latter song, on which he also sings, is one of five that he currently has on the Hot Latin Songs chart as both composer and performer, including “La Patrulla” with Peso Pluma, “Linda” and “Chino” with Tito Double P, and “Presidente” by Gabito Ballesteros, Natanael Cano, and Conríquez.
“The fact that my songs reached Hassan (Peso Pluma) allowed them to reach all these artists, with whom I now share a great friendship,” explains Vega, who is ready to write his own story now as a singer, in an interview with Billboard Español.
Trending on Billboard
On Friday (Dec. 20), he will release “Loco,” the first single from his debut album, slated for January 24, 2025.
“Now it’s my turn to perform my own songs. I have prepared 18 and I am very excited for everyone to hear all that I can offer because I don’t just do corridos tumbados; I really like rap and even romantic songs,” explains the singer-songwriter, who has more than 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify thanks to his collaborations.
When asked if at this stage he will have the support of those to whom he has given key songs in his career, the answer is blunt: “There is a union with the artists of Mexican music today as never before, we support each other unconditionally, it is a brotherhood. So they will be with me in my first album Peso Pluma, Luis R. Conríquez, Tito Double P, Víctor Mendívil, Oscar Maydón and Alemán, who is from the same place where I was born”.
Vega was born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, but moved to Culiacán, Sinaloa, at a young age. He learned to rap on the streets and later began to write.
“I didn’t write corridos tumbados. I composed romantic songs, reggaetón, everything. I wrote traditional corridos; people from the United States requested them a lot. That’s how I started making money,” he shares, adding that he also grew up listening to music from groups like Intocable and Juan Gabriel. “Then I mixed everything I knew and created my own style,” he continues. “As for the lyrics, I make sure they are not too aggressive.”
Amid so many emerging artists, the competition becomes stronger every day, and this is something he is very aware of. “However, I believe that we can continue our careers if we work and keep doing new things all the time,” he says. “At least that’s what I am willing to do.”
With the release of his debut album, he will also have the opportunity to perform in front of an audience for the first time with three concerts scheduled in Mexico early next year: February 27 at the Escenario GNP Seguros in Monterrey, March 1 at the Pepsi Center in Mexican City, and March 9 at the Auditorio Telmex in Guadalajara.
“This is a very important challenge. I understand that having millions of listeners is not the same as having people come to see me and pay for a ticket,” concludes Vega, undoubtedly an artist to keep an eye on in 2025.
The RIAA revealed its yearly certification announcements on Monday (Dec. 16), identifying 65 artists receiving honors for the first time, including Latin artists such as Rauw Alejandro, FloyyMenor, Quevedo, The Marías and Carla Morrison.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Puerto Rican sensation Rauw Alejandro is recognized for his album Cosa Nuestra, which achieved Gold status. Additionally, his collaboration with Bad Bunny on the single “Qué Pasará” was notably popular. However, it was his 2023 single “Aloha” — with Maluma and Beele, featuring Darell, Mambo Kingz and DJ Luian — that achieved six-times Platinum status, and a few more others such a early 2024 singles “Déjame Entrar” and “Touching the Sky” were also certified Platinum. Spanish rapper Quevedo received a nine-times Platinum accolade for his single “Pero Tú” with Karol G, along with Platinum recognitions for other tracks including “OA” in collaboration with Anuel AA and Maluma (with contributions from Mambo Kingz, DJ Luian).
Trending on Billboard
Breakout Chilean star FloyyMenor proudly acknowledged his inclusion in the RIAA Class of 2024, celebrating the double Platinum success of his song “Gata Only” with Cris MJ. “I am so proud to be a part of the RIAA Class of 2024 and for my double platinum song making me the only Chilean artist to achieve platinum or higher certification for a Latin title in the RIAA’s Gold and Platinum program’s 66 years,” said FloyyMenor in a statement shared with Billboard Español. “This is not just mine, it is Chile’s and everyone who has supported me since day one. I am very grateful for UnitedMasters, RIAA and my fans for helping me bring my music to the whole world. This last year has been a dream come true.”
Meanwhile, The Marías landed three singles — “No One Noticed,” “Un Millón” and “Lejos de Ti” — in the prestigious program; and Carla Morrison enters this year’s class for her participation in Karol G’s hit song “Mañana Será Bonito,” which went nine times Platinum.
“There’s nothing like the first time! The RIAA Gold and Platinum Class of 2024 is our largest to date — with 65 artists whose talents broke through in amazing ways — proving how new music discovery and creative partnerships are driving the next generation of icons,” added RIAA chairman/CEO Mitch Glazier in a press release. “We are so proud of this group of artists and their label teams for their inspiring work that fans love. We look forward to celebrating their next milestones soon.”
Moreover, the Class of 2024 also features Shaboozey, Chappell Roan, Sexxy Red, Cassö and others.
As for standout Latin releases this year, Peso Pluma’s album Éxodo reached 11 times Platinum, and Fuerza Regida’s single with Marshmello “Harley Quinn” went 27 times Platinum.
Initiated 66 years ago, the Gold and Platinum Awards by the RIAA were designed to acknowledge artists and track sales of sound recordings. These awards have since become a benchmark of success for artists at all stages, from debut tracks to career-spanning compilations.
See the complete list of recipients of the Class of 2024 below on the second slide:
The Spanish flamenco singer Diego “El Cigala” was sentenced to two years and one month in prison for abuse committed against his ex-partner, flamenco singer Kina Méndez, according to Spanish media including newspapers El País, El Mundo and El Diario de Jerez. The sentence, which can be appealed, was announced on Tuesday (Dec. 17) by the press office of the High Court of Justice of Andalusía (Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Andalucía).
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“The judge imposes the sentence for three crimes in the field of violence against women committed in Jerez de la Frontera and a hotel in Palafrugell (Girona), and also finds him guilty of another minor and continuous offense of harassment in the domestic sphere, imposing 25 days of a permanent location, always in a different residence and away from the victim’s residence, in addition to the prohibition of communication and approaching within 200 meters of the victim for six months, a measure common to the rest of the other crimes,” according to El País.
Trending on Billboard
The conviction would correspond to three specific episodes of abuse, El País reports. The first, dating from the summer of 2017, was in a hotel in Jerez de la Frontera, where he “slapped her in the face” during a discussion on “the common areas” because she had asked him to stay with her son instead of going out. The second, two years later in another hotel in Palafrugell (Girona), was “in the context of a heated verbal confrontation,” when the singer “gave her a push that made her fall to the ground, and while [she was] lying on the ground, continued hitting and kicking her body,” according to El Mundo. The third case of abuse occurred in November 2020, when, while at the house in Jerez de la Frontera, he “grabbed Méndez by the neck,” shouting, “I’ll s–t on your ancestors” because she had reproached him for using drugs in front of their children, El País reports.
Billboard Español has reached out to Diego El Cigala for comment.
During the trial in Jerez, Diego “El Cigala” declared Nov. 7, “I have never laid a hand on a woman,” according to El Diario de Jerez. Méndez, whose real name is Dolores Ruiz Méndez, said at the same hearing that she never went to the doctor with her injuries because she wanted to patch things up with her partner, with whom she said she was always “very much in love,” and that she did not report him before “out of shame.”
Diego “El Cigala,” 55, is one of the most recognized flamenco singers of recent years in Spain and abroad. Winner of five Latin Grammys, his hits include “Si Tú Me Dices Ven,” “Moreno Soy” and “Lágrimas Negras.”
In 2021, the artist, whose real name is Ramón Jiménez Salazar, was already under investigation for alleged gender violence following accusations made by Méndez, who, according to El País, had been in a relationship with El Cigala since 2014.
Billboard has revealed its much-anticipated Year-End Charts that includes the Year-End Top Latin Albums list. The top 10 sets represent regional Mexican music and reggaetón’s continued dominance. Ending strong as the top LP is Bad Bunny’s Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana. The set — which was released October 2023 — spent one week […]
It was November 2023 when I first met Ana Castela. She was backstage at Caldas Country, the festival in Caldas Novas in the Brazilian state of Goiás. At the time, she avoided speaking to the press before her show and seemed serious and shy as she prepared to take the stage. It was only her second time at the festival — just over a year had passed since her name first appeared in the media thanks to her song “Pipoco,” a collaboration with Melody and DJ Chris no Beat. Yet she was one of the main attractions of the night.
Nine months passed before I met Castela for the second time. This time, though still a bit shy, she was at one of the world’s biggest music festivals — Rock in Rio — to join duo Chitãozinho and Xororó for the “Brazil Day” celebration, the first in the event’s 40-year history. “For me, it was an honor. I consider them my grandparents,” she joked in her dressing room at Cidade do Rock, embraced by the sertanejo duo. Castela still seemed nervous about her upcoming performance, but she projected a new confidence, amplified once she took the stage. She faced a crowd singing along to her hits (“Nosso Quadro,” “Solteiro Forçado” and “Sinônimos”), including children of all ages wearing headbands with her nickname, “Boiadeira.”
Trending on Billboard
Born in Amambai, Mato Grosso do Sul, Ana Castela certainly couldn’t have imagined the success she would achieve by embracing the “boiadeira” style. Dressed in a cowboy hat, boots and a wide belt (much as an American cowgirl might), her so-called “agronejo” music blends sertanejo (Brazilian country music) and Brazilian funk, with lyrics about the agribusiness lifestyle. She is now one of the most listened-to artists in Brazil — a title she’s consistently held throughout 2024 — who as of this writing had two songs on the Billboard Brasil Hot 100 and spent 31 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Artists 25 Brazilian chart.
She entered the music scene at 17 but is still, at 21, trying to absorb the whirlwind of her life. “It was a drastic change, to be honest,” she says. “Before, I had a completely anonymous life. Now, people want to know everything about me, follow me around. It’s changed a lot.” Speaking to Billboard Brasil, she is still very much the girl from a countryside farm, pausing occasionally as if she is still trying to reconcile who she was and who she is today: “I’m enjoying the fruits that fame and the world are giving me, but always with caution.”
Ana Castela photographed for Billboard Brazil Global No. 1s Issue.
João Victor Moura dos Anjos
She’s followed by over 27 million people on social media, where she offers fun looks at her personal life — a Disney vacation, cute videos with her boyfriend, the singer Gustavo Mioto — and she’s starred in various commercials and advertising campaigns. “Ô loco [Wow],” she marvels. “Doors just keep opening for me. I never thought my face would be on a shoebox. It doesn’t just help my career; it makes dreams come true that I never even imagined. It’s awesome.”
But her feelings around her wildly increased presence are also conflicted. “My life is no longer mine. I don’t have a private life anymore; everyone knows everything I do,” she laments, though she adds that she’s getting used to it. When I ask if she’s receiving any professional support, Castela says that she started therapy about a month ago: “I think no mind is strong enough to go without a professional for so long.”
She knows the truth of that firsthand. At a performance at the Festa do Peão de Barretos in 2023, one of the most important sertanejo festivals in the country, she broke down while preparing to sing “Solteiro Forçado,” one of her breakthrough hits. “Sorry I can’t sing,” she sobbed in front of a massive crowd. “I swear I’m studying and working with a vocal coach to improve. It’s exhausting as hell, but I’m giving it my all.” Backstage, it was equally tough. “I was in a bad headspace,” she recalls.
Excessive work, plus the overwhelming experience of her fame, had taken a toll on her emotionally. “I couldn’t hit the note that day — I was so insecure,” she says. Criticism from both the public and within herself fueled her drive to improve. “You need to evolve. I was born with the gift of singing, but I need to perfect it.”
Therapy, her Christian faith and her family — an unconditional support system — now help her cope. She also strives to balance the needs of Ana Flávia (her real first name) and Ana Castela. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with friends at her farm in Londrina, Paraná, and visiting São Paulo for shopping. “Those are the days I can just be young,” she jokes, as if on others she must be a more mature version of herself.
Ana Castela photographed for Billboard Brazil Global No. 1s Issue.
João Victor Moura dos Anjos
Her latest project, Herança Boiadeira, released in September 2024, embodies this balance. Recorded at her farm, it features collaborations with iconic sertanejo artists like Matogrosso & Mathias, Eduardo Costa, Paula Fernandes and Gino & Geno. “I wanted it to be mine — not Ana Castela’s, but Ana Flávia’s. A tribute to my roots, my upbringing on the farm. My grandfather loved these artists, and so did I,” she explains. In fact, one standout track features her paternal grandparents: “Minha Herança,” with its heartfelt lyrics reflecting a longing for lost time.
Next year, Castela will step into the shoes of iconic artists before her when she becomes the ambassador of the 70th Festa do Peão de Barretos, where she quickly has risen from playing a secondary stage in 2022 to the main stage in 2023 and again in 2024. Pedro Muzeti, artistic director of the festival, says Castela’s evolution represents the future of sertanejo music: “It’s a renewal of the rodeo audience. Having someone young represent such a historic event is fitting.”
Her appeal to younger fans is certainly evident in the kids who wear her signature hats (“They’re adorable; I love them,” Castela says), and she’s launching Turma da Boiadeirinha, a YouTube channel featuring kids songs. But her future, she realizes, very much revolves around an adult audience. She’s collaborated with big names like Gusttavo Lima and Luan Santana and dreams of pairing up with Luísa Sonza and Anitta. And after winning best sertanejo album at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards, Castela has her sights set on an international audience next.
“If it works, I’ll go for it,” she says. In 2025, she plans to incorporate pop into her shows but stay true to her roots: “I’ll always bring my hat wherever I go,” she insists. “It’s important to show the strength of our music on the global stage.”
Just a month after Bad Bunny bagged his 77th top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, the Puerto Rican adds a new top 10 to his roster of songs, as “El Club” debuts at No. 2 on the Dec. 21-dated list. The new arrival extends his scope to 78 top 10s across a seventh calendar year, dating back to his first in 2017.
“El Club,”, along with its music video, was released Dec. 5 on Rimas Entertainment. The song launches at No. 2 as the Hot Shot Debut of the week largely to its streaming activity –9.5 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week of Dec. 6-12, according to Luminate. The sum also sparks a No. 2 entrance on Latin Streaming Songs for a record-extending 83 top 10s there.
Trending on Billboard
“El Club,” Benito’s second solo single of the year, follows “Una Velita,” a song that addressed the destructive effects of hurricane María on his native Puerto Rico in 2017, which launched at No. 4 on Hot Latin Songs with 6.6 million official U.S. streams (Oct. 5-dated list). The multi-metric tally combines streaming data, digital sales and audience impressions into its formula.
Despite a negligible number of downloads in its first week, “El Club” advances 11-2 on Latin Digital Song Sales, also Benito’s 78th top 10 there.
With “El Club,” Bad Bunny stacks his 78th top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, further extending the distance from the next competitor, Enrique Iglesias, who last secured a top 10 through his Anuel AA collab, “Fútbol y Rumba” (No. 8 debut and peak in 2020).
As Bad Bunny’s top 10 collection grows, here’s a look at the artists with the most top 10s on Hot Latin Songs since its inception in 1986:
78, Bad Bunny39, Enrique Iglesias39, Luis Miguel37, Daddy Yankee37, Shakira
Further, “El Club” starts at No. 66 on the overall Billboard Hot 100, for Benito’s 97th entry there, still the most for a Latin artist. It also makes its No. 39 entrance on both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, with 31 million global streams and 22 million clicks outside the U.S., respectively.
All charts (dated Dec. 21, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow (Dec. 17). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
A Lionel Messi-inspired animated series will soon premiere on Disney Channel after Disney Branded Television acquired Messi and the Giants from Sony Music Vision and Sony Pictures Television – Kids, Billboard has learned.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The sci-fi animated show follows a 12-year-old boy named Leo, who is transported from his home in Argentina into an alternate universe. The series will demonstrate how the character faces adversity, builds a team, and discovers how to become a hero.
“I always dreamed of being involved in a project that would share the values of sports, the very same values that have been so important to my career, with younger generations,” Messi expressed in a press release. “Nothing truly is impossible with teamwork, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. I look forward to sharing this series with kids around the world, and I hope I will inspire them and motivate them to achieve their own dreams. Ever since I was a kid, I always loved animated series, and I look forward to watching this series with my own kids.”
Trending on Billboard
Each episode of Messi and the Giants is 22-minutes long and will premiere on Disney Channel, followed by Disney Channel On Demand and globally on DIsney+, and will be available in English, Spanish and other languages.
Messi and the Giants
Disney
“Football — or soccer as we call it in the United States — is the world’s most beloved sport, uniting and captivating millions of fans of all ages,” noted Ayo Davis, president, Disney Branded Television. “We are proud to work with Lionel Messi and Sony Pictures Television to bring ‘Messi and the Giants’ to our passionate, global kids’ audience. We know that its themes of family, friendship, and teamwork will resonate with not only football enthusiasts but everyone everywhere who loves a great story.”
“It’s been a privilege to team with Leo and our colleagues at Sony Music on this first-time collaboration,” Joe D’Ambrosia, EVP and general manager, Sony Pictures Television – Kids added. “We’re thrilled that Disney is giving a global platform to this fun take on a classic tale and look forward to launching a global consumer products and branded partnerships program alongside the show’s debut.”
“There is an incredible team all working together on this project, with Leo’s magic as the inspiration behind it all,” said Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia. “We are thrilled that Disney has now joined our roster to help bring this imaginative series to audiences and inspire fans all around the world.”
To date, Messi is the only athlete in the world to win eight Ballon d’Or Awards and six Golden Boots. In July, he joined the MLS team Inter Miami.
Guy Toubes will serve as executive producer, and Atlantis Animation, and director Dan Creteur will serve as the show’s animation studio. The series was developed by Toubes and Creteur under the creative direction of Sony Music Vision and SPT – Kids, in partnership with Messi.
Daddy Yankee filed a legal motion Friday (Dec. 13) in Puerto Rico seeking an injunction against his soon-to-be ex-wife Mireddys González, alleging she withdrew $80 million from the bank account of his El Cartel Records “without authorization,” according to court documents obtained by Billboard.
The filing by the reggaetón hitmaker (Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) was made in a court in San Juan against González, her sister Ayeicha González Castellanos and El Cartel Records, a company founded by Yankee where González allegedly serves as CEO and González Castellanos serves as secretary/treasurer.
The 16-page filing claims that “in spite of the plaintiff being the owner of the shares of the company and being the reason for the existence of the corporation Cartel Records Inc., today he lacks access, interference and information, to all that he generated and continues to generate and to which he is entitled.”
Trending on Billboard
Now, Yankee is asking that the court provide “immediate removal of the plaintiffs from any function or interference in the corporations as officers or administrators thereof and the delivery of the information and documentation that they have illegitimately withheld.”
Yankee claims that González and González Castellanos improperly moved to “concentrate in their persons a greater power over the operations of the Cartel than was authorized, which has resulted in a detrimental and negligent performance for the company.” He also claims they “failed to render an accurate account of their actions, disregarded formalities and requirements of the corporate legislation, irresponsible financial decisions.”
In one claim detailed in Friday’s court filing, Yankee says González hired a third party to represent El Cartel in the sale of the plaintiff’s music catalog to Concord, which Billboard reported in October. He claims the transaction was formalized by selling these rights at a price that “turned out to be unreasonable, disproportionate and far below the real value.”
“Despite the plaintiff having signed the agreement, under the advice of that third party and the defendants, the plaintiff was not provided with a copy of all the contract documents, and to this day he does not know the real scope of the transaction, nor does he have detailed knowledge of what was or was not sold, nor the limitations he may have on the use of his musical creations,” the filing reads.
According to the legal filing, the huge theft of company funds occurred on Thursday (Dec. 12) after Yankee had already revoked González and González Castellanos’ authority and had “warned that they could not carry out any transactions on behalf of El Cartel.”
“Without the knowledge and authorization of the plaintiff and in violation of the requirements of the Law, a bank transfer was made, withdrawing, according to the information obtained, eighty million dollars from the corporate account of the entity,” his lawyers wrote.
Billboard reached out to González and González Castellanos for comment but did not hear back at press time.
The new legal battle comes just weeks after Daddy Yankee and González announced they were divorcing after 20 years of marriage.
“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life,” Yankee said in a statement on his Instagram Stories on Dec. 2. “After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers respond to the divorce petition received by Mireddys.”
Besides her role as CEO of El Cartel, González was also the manager of the reggeatón artist and is widely known to wield broad influence over Yankee’s music career. As the artist previously told Billboard: “She’s the boss. She has always been the boss.”
Christian Alicea has set the microphone aside and picked up a fire extinguisher, bringing to life his modeling side in a red-hot limited-edition calendar for 2025.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
The breakthrough salsa singer — nominated for best salsa album at the 2024 Latin Grammys — has released his very own firefighter-inspired calendar, serving as the sensual poster boy for each month. The fiery merch is not only a tribute to his own beginnings as a firefighter in Puerto Rico, but also an act of gratitude for his fans.
“The idea of the calendar was to satisfy my fans, since they always suggested it in the comments on photos of when I was a firefighter. In interviews they always questioned me about it too. Rather, it was to make that idea a reality,” he tells Billboard exclusively.
Trending on Billboard
For Alicea, there’s not much difference between his former career and his job as a musician today.
“It was a public service,” he explains. “In music, we also owe it to the public and work for them every day. As a firefighter I was part of a musical band, and I always try to give the best show, the best work in music. The sacrifices. Firefighters don’t have a fixed schedule. Many times I missed my mother’s birthday, I couldn’t share with my family on important dates, and music is the same. I have to do my part for my people.”
Describing himself as hardworking, disciplined and focused, Alicea hopes his hot-and-steamy portraits bring new career opportunities as well.
“In this calendar you will see a side of Christian Alicea that’s very important because who knows if through this other doors will open: brands, movies,” he notes. “We don’t just make music, we’re not just composers, we don’t just go to the gym, but we like to do different things that have to do with art.”
Christian Alicea’s 2025 calendar is available for purchase at ChristianAlicea.com.
Christian Alicea
Jean Villegas