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Ivy Queen arrives in full color-coordinated regalia — a form-fitting, floor-length dress in lemon hues that match her long, yellow-tipped acrylic nails and the curly, beach blonde locks that reach her waist. Standing still and ramrod straight, her eyes surveying the room from under impossibly long lashes, she has the bearing of, well, a queen.
It’s a far cry from nearly 25 years ago, when Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez, then 25, walked into the San Juan, Puerto Rico, studios of The Noise, the all-male rap collective formed by the pioneering DJ Negro, who sized her up: a country bumpkin from the island’s west side, her tiny frame dwarfed by oversized jeans and a T-shirt, hair tied in “500 braids,” lips painted blue, nails like talons.
“What’s your name?” he asked. “Ivy Queen,” she replied, without hesitation. “I have a song called ‘Somos Raperos, Pero no Delincuentes’ [‘We Are Rappers, Not Delinquents’].” Overcome by shyness, she then flipped the mic around and rapped, facing the wall. But even with her back to him, DJ Negro was impressed. “Welcome to The Noise,” he said. “You know we don’t have girls here, right? You’re the first one.”
It was 1995, a time when the Puerto Rican airwaves were dominated by glamorous, big-voiced pop divas like Ednita Nazario and Yolandita Monge, and when reggaetón and rap were still underground movements dominated by men.
“When I started in this music industry, I didn’t look like I look right now,” says Ivy Queen, noting she was relentlessly criticized for her deep voice, her fashion choices and her staunch refusal to exploit her sexuality.
Read Ivy Queen’s full Billboard Women in Music profile here.
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave
Image Credit: Austin Hargrave
Ivy Queen arrives in full color-coordinated regalia — a form-fitting, floor-length dress in lemon hues that match her long, yellow-tipped acrylic nails and the curly, beach blonde locks that reach her waist. Standing still and ramrod straight, her eyes surveying the room from under impossibly long lashes, she has the bearing of, well, a queen.
It’s a far cry from nearly 25 years ago, when Martha Ivelisse Pesante Rodríguez, then 25, walked into the San Juan, Puerto Rico, studios of The Noise, the all-male rap collective formed by the pioneering DJ Negro, who sized her up: a country bumpkin from the island’s west side, her tiny frame dwarfed by oversized jeans and a T-shirt, hair tied in “500 braids,” lips painted blue, nails like talons.
“What’s your name?” he asked. “Ivy Queen,” she replied, without hesitation. “I have a song called ‘Somos Raperos, Pero no Delincuentes’ [‘We Are Rappers, Not Delinquents’].” Overcome by shyness, she then flipped the mic around and rapped, facing the wall. But even with her back to him, DJ Negro was impressed. “Welcome to The Noise,” he said. “You know we don’t have girls here, right? You’re the first one.”
Ivy Queen photographed January 20, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
It was 1995, a time when the Puerto Rican airwaves were dominated by glamorous, big-voiced pop divas like Ednita Nazario and Yolandita Monge, and when reggaetón and rap were still underground movements dominated by men.
“When I started in this music industry, I didn’t look like I look right now,” says Ivy Queen, noting she was relentlessly criticized for her deep voice, her fashion choices and her staunch refusal to exploit her sexuality.
“Today it’s all about the look, but for me it was all about the music and about what I [could] bring,” she says. “How to be unique and not have a similarity to anyone else. I needed to learn how to fight with words.”
And sure, Ivy could rap, but writing was her secret weapon. “I used to go to a lot of freestyle competitions and study everything around me — the male behavior and how they went at each other with lyrics,” she remembers, “and that’s how I protected myself. I won my own spot. No one gave it to me. I’m notorious because I stomped on the guys.”
Ivy Queen photographed January 20, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
It took her nearly a decade, but in December 2003 she entered the Billboard charts for the first time with “Quiero Bailar,” then gained notoriety the following year as one of the 12 essential reggaetón artists, and the only woman, featured on Eddie Dee’s “Los Discípulos” (“The Disciples,” off his 12 Discípulos), where the likes of Vico C, Tego Calderón, Voltio and Daddy Yankee jockeyed for dominance.
Ivy Queen’s lines, written on the spot — “Quítate tu que llegó la caballota, la perra, la diva, la potra, la mami que tiene el tumbao” (“Get out of the way for the caballota, the b–ch, the diva, the mare, the mami with the swagger”) — and later her 2005 Latin Grammys performance of the song as the only woman among the men confirmed her entry into the top echelon of reggaetón.
“The first time I felt empowered in my life was when I learned and sang her verse from ‘Los Discípulos,’ ” says Elena Rose, who has co-written tracks for Rosalía, Bad Bunny and Becky G. “Ivy is the queen, and we have much to thank her for; for all the doors that were shut to her and she broke down for Latinas in urban music.”
In September 2005, “Quiero Bailar” peaked at No. 16 on the Tropical Airplay chart and debuted on Hot Latin Songs and Latin Airplay. Its chorus, describing how arousal and flirtation do not translate to consent, defined Ivy Queen’s ethos and personality, while also changing how women in reggaetón and beyond were perceived.
Ivy Queen photographed January 20, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
“In the history of reggaetón, we have to talk about a ‘before and after’ Ivy Queen,” says Puerto Rican attorney Edwin Prado, who has worked with virtually every major reggaetón artist, from Daddy Yankee to Anuel. “Before her, female artists sang poppy tunes focused on erotic dances and physical attributes. After Ivy, the musical conversation changed. Her songs spoke about the reality of the streets, and when she spoke about romance, it wasn’t about exploiting her looks.”
Back then, Ivy Queen didn’t have other women to collaborate with — and few men extended a helping hand. Still, she landed 11 solo entries on Billboard’s Latin Rhythm Albums chart, including eight top 10s and two No. 1s, over the next decade. On Latin Rhythm Airplay, she has 20 entries — the third-most among women, behind Natti Natasha (25) and Karol G (24), both next-gen stars who benefited from the doors she opened. And while she hasn’t cracked the top 10 since 2010, with her chart-topping smash “La Vida Es Así,” the queen, at 50, has endured. Most recently, she hosted Loud, a Spotify podcast on the history of reggaetón. On Feb. 23, she was honored at Univision’s Premios Lo Nuestro with the legacy award in urban music. And in addition to new music, this year’s Icon is working on a memoir, a makeup line and a film based on her life.
Ironically, many of the trademarks the press and even Ivy’s fellow artists once criticized her for — her multicolored braids, the long nails, the deep voice — are now de rigueur among younger urban female artists. But her messages of empowerment, she feels, often get lost.
“Many women think empowerment today is saying, ‘Give it to me here, give it to me there,’ ” she says ruefully. “That the more clothes you take off, the more controversial you are. Empowerment is more than that. You earn your own money; you earn your own spot. I try to maintain my essence, of what reggaetón was, and what reggaetón is. I don’t want to be a puppet.”
Ivy Queen photographed January 20, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
Staying true to those core values, adds her manager, Sonia Clavell — the rare female manager in reggaetón — has sometimes meant saying no to opportunities along the way.
“Ivy isn’t swayed by trends or money. Everything has to align with her values and her message,” says Clavell, who adds that she has seen a rise in interest in Ivy Queen since they began working together two years ago.
Notably, Bad Bunny, a fan and admirer, featured her on the remix of his hit “Yo Perreo Sola” (“I Dance Alone”), which he told Billboard that he wrote “as an homage to women and a nod of respect to women in general and to Ivy Queen specifically.”
“He has given me a space that not even the gentlemen I started my career with ever did,” says Ivy Queen, who made guest appearances multiple times on Bad Bunny’s World’s Hottest Tour last year. “To have this young kid, who sings what he wants, does what he wants, give me my place and my honors while I’m alive is huge for me.”
Ivy Queen photographed January 20, 2023 in Los Angeles.
Austin Hargrave
And while some of her reggaetón contemporaries have retired from music or announced plans to do so, Ivy Queen plans to continue getting her due.
“I’m a great writer, I’m a great rapper, I’m a great lyricist, I’m a great chef. I’m great at everything that I do,” she says, matter of factly. “Come on. We have to normalize loving ourselves and praising ourselves. I’ve never thought of retiring. I’m healthy, I’m rolling.”
This story will appear in the Feb. 25, 2023, issue of Billboard.
When the 35th edition of Premio Lo Nuestro airs tonight (Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. ET) on the Univision network, some 1,300 people will be working under the baton of Ulises Chang, the network’s vp and executive producer for Live Event Tentpoles.
In the Univision-verse, the role includes purview over the network’s four music award shows: Premio Lo Nuestro, Premios Juventud, Latin Grammys and its most recent addition, the Latin AMAS. Among them, Lo Nuestro is not only the network’s highest-rated, but, according to Nielsen, it’s also been the “No. 1 program on all of television for the third consecutive year among adults 18-49 and adults 18-34,” with over six million viewers tuning in last year.
On set at the Miami-Dade arena, Chang is, as ever, preternaturally calm. He’s had this position since 2017, and if the tumult caused by four hosts, 21 musical numbers and nearly 30 artists (not to mention dancers and musicians) fazes him, he doesn’t let it show.
“Ulises has played an instrumental role in shaping the success of our live events and tentpoles. His passion and unwavering commitment to excellence are a reference in the industry,” says Ignacio Meyer, president of the Univision Television Networks Group.
Between rehearsals by the likes of Maluma, Ozuna, Ricardo Montaner, Ivy Queen, Sebastian Yatra, Grupo Firme and Tini, we managed to ask Chang five questions about tonight’s show:
1. How is this year’s show different from other years?
Every year is a challenge. Balancing budgets, venue, timing, artist relations, the amount of artists that are out there now. This show has such a long history and such prestige, people really want to be here. That’s one of the biggest challenges: Being able to somehow fit everybody which always is hard. But also, if people come to us early on with a pitch or a plan, we can say, maybe it’s not the right fit for this show, but we can work out a plan where it fits more organically somewhere else.
2. You oversee four music award shows. What is Premio Lo Nuestro?
This is tradition and celebration of music, of our music. Celebrating our history in this country, and what we’ve contributed musically. And the slogan this year is incredible: El mundo es lo nuestro (The world is ours). Because of where are we nowadays. Where did Bad Bunny take us a year ago when, for the first time a Hispanic artist wins [artist of the year] at the VMAs and gives his speech in Spanish and says I don’t have to change who I am. Going out on tour, who breaks the record for most tickets sold? Bad Bunny’s tour. We’re taking over in a way.
3. My understanding is this is your top-rated show. What do you attribute the high ratings to?
Yes, this is our highest rated show. The goals we’re given are higher than for any other, so, it’s a big responsibility. I don’t know if the ratings have to do with it being at the beginning of the year. Also, we take a lot of risks and we have a lot of freedom to do things in this show
4. What is the Ulises Chang imprint on a music show?
Overall, to be able to make people happy at home when theyr’e watching, and to be able to transport them to another place. Music is so beautiful. Music takes us to places we’re no longer at, it reminds us of our parents. When we had Roberto Carlos, for example, that tribute took me back to my youth. If it takes me, imagine people at home who don’t have the capability of experiencing this the way we do. We feel very fortunate and at the same time very powerful with what we are able to give.
5. It seems to me like you’re really creating a multi-generational show. Is that how you view it?
Yes. And that’s how we always prepare it. We think that people at home –that co-viewing with different generations– is what Univision is. It’s what Hispanics are. We still sit at home with our parents to watch especially these types of shows. These types of shows do do that; they do bring the multi-generational co-viewing. I don’t know if it happens in other networks, but in Univision, the research we’ve done indicates co-viewing is very present.
When asked if she remembers her first forays into producing, Rosalía giggles. “Oh, my God. I always felt that I wasn’t good enough, so I would treat it more like a game,” she says, before quickly adding, “Still, I wanted to learn how to make a beat because when the time came that I needed to do it, I would be able to do it.”
What started as a “game” inevitably became a way for the 30-year-old Spanish star to gain creative control — something she doesn’t take for granted considering the lack of women in the field. “There’s [still] skepticism about a woman being able to be an artist, singer, producer and songwriter at the same time. To me, these disciplines are not mutually exclusive.”
Like her previous albums (Los Ángeles and El Mal Querer), Rosalía’s Grammy-winning Motomami, released in 2022, thrives on the intersection of those skills. The sonically groundbreaking set — which finds her boldly fusing jazz and reggaetón (“Saoko”), as well as sampling Soulja Boy in an otherwise traditional bolero (“Delirio de Grandeza”) — is an honest expression of the creative freedom she felt as she drew inspiration from the sounds and artists that have shaped her. During the sessions, she would sit in the studio for 15 hours or more, searching for the right sounds, arrangements and structures for each song. “My homework as a producer is to follow my intuition,” she says firmly. “It’s to make decisions and take risks.”
Following in the footsteps of the artist-producers she read about when she was younger, like Björk and Missy Elliott, Billboard’s first-ever Women in Music Producer of the Year hopes to motivate a new generation of innovators.
What led you to first take on this role in the studio?
My first desire was to be onstage and share something. Then I realized that I wanted to decide what I was going to sing. I also wanted to decide what I was going to say and how it would sound. I didn’t just want to be an interpreter. I wanted to write, and then I wanted to produce. The desire to create became bigger than the desire to just interpret.
Is Motomami the freest you’ve ever felt as a producer?
One hundred percent yes. I was always thinking: “How can I be freer?” Fear, or whatever the opposite of freedom is, is the biggest enemy for a creative. There was an urge to find the reason why I’m doing this. “What is the world all about? What is life about?” All those things matter, and it’s why I make music.
What’s Rosalía the producer like in the studio?
I try to not have a specific idea of how a song must sound. Instead, I go in with concepts, or ilusiones, of how I would like it to sound. But never a rigid idea. That’s not organic, nor is it productive. Producing also requires humility because you’re constantly testing out ideas. I remember Pharrell [Williams] once told me that we’re just testing ideas from the universe because no one really owns an idea. I love that concept.
You’ve been very vocal about the lack of representation of women producers. Why is that important to you?
If you don’t see yourself represented in a role like this, how can you picture yourself working in that position? I became a songwriter and producer because I cared way too much. I did research when I was younger of women who were producing, and it was hard to find them, but they taught me that this was possible. Björk, Delia Derbyshire, Kate Bush — they’ve done this, and we don’t talk about it enough. I know I’m not the only one because there’s a new generation of women producing like Caroline Polachek, PinkPantheress — there are literally so many. It would be great if more people knew about them outside of the industry.
This story will appear in the Feb. 25, 2023, issue of Billboard.
Amid his 2023 tour El Amor 30 Años Después del Amor — which celebrates the 30-year anniversary of the seminal album El Amor Después del Amor — Fito Páez made a stop to headline Viña del Mar International Song Festival on Wednesday (Feb. 22).
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The Argentine artist arrived on stage with buoyant energy and colors that brought instant cheer. He sported a lemon yellow coat, turtleneck and lime green scarf combo; his scruffy salt-and-pepper curls looked splendidly unruly, and wore red-tinted glasses to boot.
This was the fifth time the legendary composer rocked the stage at the Quinta Vergara amphitheater; the last time he performed at the festival was in 2014. This time, he was honored with two trophies, a Gaviota de Plata and a Gaviota de Oro. The multi-Latin Grammy-winning artist performed nearly 90 minutes of all killer, no filler hits from Después del Amor and more like “Al Lado del Campo,” “Ciudad de Pobres Corazones,” and “Circo Beat.”
Above all, he testified why the celebrated Amor… became the best-selling album in the history of Argentine rock — it’s simply loaded with timeless hits. Although he had plenty of material to choose from, with close to 30 studio albums under his belt, all the songs from the iconic record were greatly received with fans singing along, and some with tears.
On its fourth night. Here are some highlights from the 64th annual installment of Viña del Mar.
His Genuine Songwriting
He opened the show with the iconic “El Amor Después del Amor,” which made for a grand entrance that needed no elaborate dancers, no smoke effects, no pyrotechnics — just him and his band. His impeccable songwriting was centerfold, highlighting introspective themes about finding love after love (of course), nomadic lives, magic and rock ‘n’ roll. With over 15,000 attendees present, Fito created a kind of bond with the audience that felt intimate and always genuine. Even from my screen, it’s clear how the amphitheater resonated with seemingly each attendee knowing every lyric.
His Piano-Playing Prowess
At any given moment when Páez pounded the keys to his grand piano, the energy instantly amplified. He demonstrated his piano-playing mastery. Although he left many of the album’s songs intact, he did present riveting brass-powered arrangements to a handful of tunes with the help of his live band, which resulted in a livelier Viña. He gave a lot more shine to his main instrument on the piano ballad “Un Vestido y Un Amor,” which inspired a massive singalong.
Genuineness And Flamboyance
There’s a charming quality about his flamboyant swagger that draws us in. Whether he’s pounding away at the piano, strumming his Gibson guitar, or showcasing that rocker flair, his every move captured our attention. He has a unique demeanor; that mixed with his genuineness creates a very beloved rock star that spans generations. Grandmothers, couples, and fellow Argentine newcomer Nicki Nicole was among the crowd.
“Lo que yo necesitaba en esa época cuando era joven y sin ningún tipo de norte, igual que ahora, era irse lejos para reconocer a otra realidad, a uno propio, hay que llegar ser, y en eso apareció esta canción,” he said before playing the stunning “Tumbas de la Gloria.” (“What I needed at that time when I was young and without any kind of direction, was to go far away to recognize another truth, and one’s self. That’s when this song appeared.”)
LONG LIVE LATIN ROCK
Fito showcased heavier rock riffs on a mustard-colored Gibson guitar when performing “Ciudad de Pobres Corazones,” boasting his instrument versatility. With distorted strumming, he turned the night into a Latin rock affair. Yet, in the 60-minute mark of the show, Páez’s lead guitarist — who was clad in black leather pants and a slick blazer — took the spotlight for a riveting three-minute rock solo. Armed with frenetic fretwork and screeching riffs, the man impressed with every improvisational note, and the crowd loved it.
Towards the end of his solo, he kneeled to the floor, and raised his guitar high, thus resurrecting the glory days of hard rock for the current times.
For the first time in its more than six-decade history, the Viña del Mar International Song Festival is being livestreamed in the United States, exclusively on Billboard.com, Billboard’s YouTube channel, and via Twitter @Billboard. The six-day festival continues Christina Aguilera on Feb. 23; and ending with Camilo on Feb. 24. All headliners will perform at 8 p.m. ET.
Find the rest of the week’s schedule below:
Thursday, Feb. 23: Christina Aguilera
Friday, Feb. 24: Camilo
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. In honor of Black History Month, our newest “On The Radar Latin” list includes Afro-Latino rising stars you should be listening to. See our recommendations below:
Artist: Dawer x Damper
Country: Colombia
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Brothers Luis and Edwar Vergara, better known as Dawer and Damper –27 and 28 years old—grew up in Aguablanca, a notoriously poor and dangerous neighborhood in Cali, Colombia. Their origins have informed their music, mid-tempo raps set over sparse beats –sometimes tinged with elements of Colombia’s Pacific Coast—that tell stories of power and disenfranchisement and also day-to-day life. “When we think of Afrofuturism in Latin America, we think of finding new narratives and to do so, we begin thinking from the place that made us ashamed before: That’s our point of enunciation,” Damper told Cali local newspaper, El Pais. The point of enunciation gives way to music that challenges structures of power, but whose presentation is elegant and sophisticated. Dawer X Damper’s recent album, Donde Machi (Discos Fiera/Warner Chappell Colombia) was chosen by Rolling Stone as one of its top Spanish language albums of the year. — LEILA COBO
Song For Your Playlist: “Quilo”
Artist: DEVA
Country: Spain
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: All eyes are on Spain’s new generation of acts making waves inside and outside the country, such as Pol Granch, Quevedo and Marc Seguí, so it’s surprising that DEVA was not on our radar like the others. The Spanish singer-songwriter is both lyrically and sonically striking as she fuses R&B with trap to create her own signature sound. Her latest single, “En Verdad,” is a bilingual (English and Spanish) banger where the indie artist showcases her vocal range going from a soulful, dulcet tone to deep vocals for a hard-hitting rap verse. Do yourself a favor and check out “En Verdad” and other songs such as “TEK” and “Galerna” to really experience DEVA’s versatility. — GRISELDA FLORES
Song For Your Playlist: “En Verdad”
Artist: LATENIGHTJIGGY
Country: The United States (Maryland)
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: Hailing from the DMVerse, LATENIGHTJIGGY arrives at the ever-expanding urbano scene with plenty of vocal finesse. As a constant force in the SoundCloud ecosystem, he caught my ear last year with his million-stream sleeper hit “Úsame,” an undulating bilingual jam that navigates between R&B allure and reggaetón’s flirtatious banter. The rapper/singer reps his scene well, he grew up in Maryland amid Dominicans and Salvadorians and is of Trinidadian descent. Delivering dancehall, Afrobeats and reggaetón cuts in appealing ways, his latest collab is a further testament to his genre versatility. On Reykon’s “Zaza (Chimbita)” single, also featuring Xantos, LATENIGHTJIGGY offers swoon-worthy melismas and provocative bars while making it sound sleek yet romantic. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song For Your Playlist: “Úsame”
Artist: Plu con Pla
Country: Colombia
Why They Should Be On Your Radar: This eight-person troupe (six men, two women) from Tumaco, on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, whimsically take their name from plumuda con plátano, a traditional dish built on a local fish (plumuda) and plantain. That connection to roots and essence also guides Plu con Pla’s music, which fuses the traditions of Colombia’s Pacific with elements of reggae and irresistible enthusiasm and drive. It’s hard to sit down while listening to this music. Led by founder Harold Tenorio, the group signed a distribution deal last with ADA and are also mentored by renowned Colombian musician Yuri Buenaventura. — L.C.
Song For Your Playlist: “La Plumada Llego”
The September day that Becky G learned she had scored her first No. 1 as a solo artist on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, with “Bailé Con Mi Ex,” she woke up her fiancé, the soccer star Sebastian Lletget, with tears in her eyes. “He was like, ‘Is everything OK? Why are you crying?’ ” she remembers. “A lot of people like to say I’m only successful because of my collaborations. To be able to prove myself as an artist and carry my own weight was important for me. To show the world that whichever way, collaborations or alone, I’m good.”
That solo feat is just one of many points of pride for the 25-year-old Mexican American artist and businesswoman, born Rebbeca Marie Gomez, these days. In 2022, she earned her first No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart with the 14-track Esquemas, and another album — her first regional Mexican set — is due to arrive later this year. Come April, she’ll have “a huge opportunity to reintroduce myself to the world” when she plays Coachella under her own name for the first time.
Jean Paul Gaultier top, AKIRA jacket, Versace shorts, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Moschino earrings, Grace Lee and Yvonne Léon rings.
Martha Galvan
All the while, Becky G has used her platform to help elevate the women around her. “This industry has really tried to condition women to see each other as competition. We’ve had to survive these very male-dominated spaces because of that ‘there’s only one seat at the table’ mentality. So we’re looking at each other like, ‘Who’s going to get it?’ [But] at my table, everyone is welcome,” she says firmly. “When I open the door, I’m going to leave it open and make sure everyone gets in.”
That impulse, she says, comes from her experience growing up in a tight-knit community in Inglewood, Calif., where her grandmother would cook for her grandchildren and, “If Doña Lolita from down the street came over, she would have enough [food] for her kids too,” says Becky G. “My entire being has been inspired by the houses I grew up in, the people that raised me. It really does take a village when it comes to our culture. Where one person eats, everyone can eat. I’ve really lived by ‘sharing is caring.’ ”
Monot dress, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Eéera earrings, Vera Belleza ring.
Martha Galvan
And this year’s Impact honoree applies that kind of thinking not only within the music industry but beyond it, including as a co-chair of Michelle Obama’s voter registration nonprofit, When We All Vote. “I want to be a bridge-maker. I want to be a peacemaker,” Becky G says. “I want to be a real model, not a role model, because I know perfection is not real.”
How have you used your position to create change around you?
It’s not about what you identify as but who you are and how you treat other people and the change you want to make after you become the change. Someone told me the other day, “This contract looks like industry standard,” and I really challenged them. I said, “To be honest, that’s offensive because industry standard wasn’t made with people like me in mind.” It wasn’t made for young, brown women who are Latinas; who identify as a boss; who have ideas; who speak two languages. It’s about time that the industry starts to reflect that. And not just in how we’re represented but how we’re treated, how we’re paid, how we’re invited into those spaces. Changing those things is hard and I can’t do that alone, so I’m grateful I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with so many women.
Marine Serre top and pants, Al Zain necklaces, Rainbow K, Yvonne Leon and Grace Lee rings.
Martha Galvan
Which artist made you believe you could have an impact outside of music?
Selena. She was more than just a pretty face. She was a kind person, a good person, and that heart she had for people translated not just into her artistry but how she loved her fans. Being Tex-Mex, speaking Spanglish, someone who took over genres that were very male-dominated, she inspired other people.
How have you chosen which issues matter to you most?
It’s hard to think about being one person and saving the world, but when you think about being one person and making just a small impact in your community, it feels a lot more achievable. There are a lot of trailblazers coming into these spaces, and it’s important to create alliances.
Jean Paul Gaultier top, AKIRA jacket, Versace shorts, Giuseppe Zanotti shoes, Moschino earrings, Grace Lee and Yvonne Léon rings.
Martha Galvan
What does receiving the Impact award mean to you?
There’s nothing more rewarding than knowing that you’re helping others and not expecting anything in return other than seeing people live in their truths, being inspired to be the change, live better lives because of whatever awareness I can bring. That, ultimately, is my version of success.
Miu Miu top, Area NY skirt, Wolford stockings, Marc Jacobs shoes, Grace Lee earrings.
Martha Galvan
This story originally appeared in the February 25, 2023, issue of Billboard.
The September day that Becky G learned she had scored her first No. 1 as a solo artist on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, with “Bailé Con Mi Ex,” she woke up her fiancé, the soccer star Sebastian Lletget, with tears in her eyes. “He was like, ‘Is everything OK? Why are you crying?’ ” she remembers. “A lot of people like to say I’m only successful because of my collaborations. To be able to prove myself as an artist and carry my own weight was important for me. To show the world that whichever way, collaborations or alone, I’m good.”
That solo feat is just one of many points of pride for the 25-year-old Mexican American artist and businesswoman, born Rebbeca Marie Gomez, these days. In 2022, she earned her first No. 1 on the Latin Pop Albums chart with the 14-track Esquemas, and another album — her first regional Mexican set — is due to arrive later this year. Come April, she’ll have “a huge opportunity to reintroduce myself to the world” when she plays Coachella under her own name for the first time.
All the while, Becky G has used her platform to help elevate the women around her. “This industry has really tried to condition women to see each other as competition. We’ve had to survive these very male-dominated spaces because of that ‘there’s only one seat at the table’ mentality. So we’re looking at each other like, ‘Who’s going to get it?’ [But] at my table, everyone is welcome,” she says firmly. “When I open the door, I’m going to leave it open and make sure everyone gets in.”
Read Becky G’s full Billboard Women in Music profile here.
La Maquinaria Norteña starts off 2023 strong, as the quintet’s “Eres Ese Algo” advances 3-1 to lead Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart dated Feb. 25.
“Eres Ese Algo” arrives just six months after La Maquinaria claimed its first radio No. 1 during its 10-year-plus charting career on Regional Mexican Airplay, which launched with the No. 40 debut and peak of “Ayer y Hoy” in 2011. Before “Eres Ese Algo,” “50 y Cincuenta” earned the norteño ensemble its maiden champ on any airplay chart last August. In between the band scored a No. 38 high through “Mejor Ni Me La Nombren,” with Neto Bernal (Aug. 27).
“Eres” shoots to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay in its 14th week on the chart. It takes the lead boosted by 28% gain in audience impressions, to 10 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 16, according to Luminate. The increase secures the track the Greatest Gainer honors of the week.
The song is the second single of Al Derecho y Al Reverso, the seven-track set released Oct. 14 via Azteca/Fonovisa/UMLE, which reached No. 10 high on Regional Mexican Albums on the Jan. 21-dated ranking.
In addition to bringing La Maquinaria its second airplay No. 1, “Eres” also secures the Azteca label its third ruler on Regional Mexican Airplay, among its 72 chart entries spanning 12 years. Prior to “50 y Cincuenta” and “Eres” by La Maquinaria, Azteca scored its first leader, also last August, through La Fiera de Ojinaga’s “Luna de Miel.”
Beyond its Regional Mexican Airplay coronation, “Eres” ascends the all-genre Latin Airplay list, rallying 10-4, besting La Maquinaria Norteña’s previous peak of No. 9 with “50 y Cincuenta.”
“Eres” was written by Keith Nieto, founding member of the Chihuahua-based band.
“We know what you’ve all been waiting for and here we are,” Karol G and Shakira jointly posted on social media on Tuesday (Feb. 21) announcing their highly anticipated collaboration.
The pair will join forces for “TQG,” which will be part of Karol’s upcoming new album, Mañana Será Bonito, set to drop Feb. 24. It’s the first time the Colombian superstars unite for a track. The photo of them side-by-side kneeling on a dirt-like surface doesn’t reveal much about the actual song, but fans are already predicting it will be a hit. Fellow artists such as Anitta and Becky G reacted by writing “wow” or commenting two crown emojis.
Shakira is just one of a handful of collaborations featured on Karol’s album. Mañana Será Bonito will also include collabs with Quevedo, Carla Morrison, Sean Paul, Sech, Bad Gyal, Justin Quiles and Angel Dior. It also includes previously released hit singles “Provenza,” “Cairo” with Ovy on the Drums, “Gatubela” featuring Maldy, and the Romeo Santos-assisted “X Si Volvemos.”
Mañana Será Bonito will be her fourth studio album. It will follow her 2021 Grammy-nominated KG0516, which scored Karol her first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums. The set earned the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since Shakira‘s 2017 El Dorado.
Meanwhile, Shakira is currently making the rounds with her Bizarrap Music Session, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53.” The diss track, released in January, peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart. With her music session, Shakira ties with Bad Bunny for the fourth-most No. 1s overall, both with 12.
See the collaboration announcement below:
