Latin
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Just as Young Miko and her team, which includes Mariana López Crespo — her best friend and manager — and her longtime producer Mauro (López Crespo’s brother) were getting her career off the ground in 2019, they decided to launch 1K.
Described as a creative collective, 1K is something the Puerto Rican hitmaker is most proud of and hopes that it one day, it can become an empire. “Think Death Row Records,” she explained in her Billboard cover story.
Today, the collective is comprised of nearly 20 individuals who are all also part of Miko’s team. “I don’t want to eat alone at the table,” she said. “We’re very passionate about growing 1K by signing and investing in new artists and content creators. We’re all in it to learn, grow and help others.” Young Miko even has 1K tattooed on her hand, which she shows off proudly.
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The intention of the collective, the “Rookie of the Year” singer explained, is for everyone who is part of the group to build their own empires while still contributing to each other’s projects. “We are musicians, creatives, producers, executives, and we want to support other projects – in music or beyond – that excite us from other artists that have a future,” Miko said.
“I am super proud of every member of our collective,” Mauro, who started producing for Young Miko in 2020, added. “We’ve built this from the ground up and we all contribute ideas, even outside of our area. My role is to produce, but I go to the team and talk to them about visual effects, and they take it into account. Sometimes they accept my suggestions and sometimes not. We’re allowed to explore other areas of creativity and that’s important.”
Furthermore, the collective aims to create safe spaces for each team member and future collaborators who join the group. It’s something that, even onstage, Young Miko makes sure to remind her fans. “I decide who can enter this space that is so vulnerable,” she said during the last show of her XOXO U.S. Tour earlier in September. “Your heart and space are in your hands; nobody should have any type of control over you.”
Read Young Miko’s Billboard cover story here.
Young Miko will speak at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week, taking place Oct. 14-18 in Miami. For tickets and details, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
This summer, singer-songwriter Yeison Jimenez achieved his lifelong dream of selling out the coveted Movistar Arena in Bogotá, Colombia — not once, but three times, with more than 40,000 collective fans attending the shows. The feat was not only historic for Jimenez, but for any música popular (regional Colombian) artist. “No one in the genre has been able to [sell out] a solo arena throughout Colombia,” he says.
Música popular — which fuses ranchera and the string music known as carrilera in Colombia — was born more than five decades ago in the country’s coffee region, which has four departments: Caldas (where Jimenez was born), Quindío, Risaralda and Tolima. Initially known as música de carrilera or música de cantina, its inspiration derived from regional Mexican music and first gained traction in small towns and local bars with the help of genre pioneers including Darío Gómez, Luis Alberto Posada and El Charrito Negro.
As Jimenez tells it, música popular traces back to Gómez in particular. The former notes that when the latter arrived at radio stations with the newborn fusion in the ’70s, they told him he was crazy.
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“This is not like vallenato, which is something authentically ours — we did not invent this,” música popular singer Pipe Bueno says. “We are a subgenre that comes from Mexico but with our essence and our flavor. The fact that we are Colombian gives it a different color.”
Lyrically, a regional Colombian song will often focus on despecho (heartbreak) or rejoicing in good times. Sonically, the arrangements can mirror the instrumentation of mariachi and ranchera music, such as trumpets, violins and the guitarrón (six-string acoustic bass), blended with the accordion, commonly used in vallenato.
As part of the new wave, Bueno and Jimenez — alongside artists including Paola Jara, Luis Alfonso, Jessi Uribe and Arelys Henao — have not only given the genre a modern twist but also propelled it to an international scale. Jimenez first reached Billboard’s Latin Airplay and Regional Mexican Airplay charts with “Tu Amante” in 2021, and he’s now touring nightclubs and theaters across the United States. Bueno, who entered the Latin Digital Song Sales and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts with his 2014 song “La Invitación” (featuring Maluma), has since collaborated with Grupo Firme and inked a deal with Warner Music Latina earlier this year.
“We are an aspirational genre,” Bueno says. “We have been at the top of the streaming charts alongside Peso Pluma. We are filling arenas. It wasn’t like this [when I started my career].”
“When we came into the game, we wanted to make music that would reach other countries and, above all, other generations,” Jimenez adds. “On one hand, there’s a lot of admiration. On the other hand, we are criticized a bit… I don’t pigeonhole myself because we are in another era.”
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
While recording his latest album, Eden, Eden Muñoz landed himself in the emergency room a whopping four times, all to monitor his fast-beating heart. “I consider myself a relatively healthy person,” the Mexican singer-songwriter says today, still sounding a bit perplexed by the situation. “It wasn’t stress — I know stress.”
After consulting multiple cardiologists, Muñoz visited one more (who was also a good friend) and finally got his answer: He was told that the process of making Eden proved too energizing. “It was a type of excitement that didn’t let me sleep because it felt like I was wasting time,” he recalls. “I needed to be in the studio.”
And though the hospital trips were nerve-racking, Muñoz welcomed the excitement — it was a feeling he hadn’t experienced in relation to music in a long time. Since launching his solo career two years ago after more than a decade fronting Calibre 50, he has enjoyed a whole range of new emotions. Most importantly, Muñoz says, “I know what it feels like to be happy again.”
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The 34-year-old first entered the scene in the early 2010s as Calibre 50’s lead singer, accordionist and songwriter. The group — which became one of the most successful norteño bands of all time — placed seven No. 1s on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart and landed more than 20 No. 1s on Regional Mexican Airplay. Despite the success, Muñoz felt something was off — and was craving more.
He announced his departure from Calibre 50 in early 2022 and, soon after, launched his solo career. “I was very limited as part of a group,” he says. “I felt that I could give a lot more at the production level.” As it turns out, making music on his own terms proved fruitful. Over the past two years, Muñoz has scored four top 10s on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart, including the title track to 2023’s Como en los Viejos Tiempos, which topped the list. He has also placed five entries on Hot Latin Songs, including a top 10 hit with his debut solo single, “Chalé!”
Edén Muñoz photographed on Sep. 7, 2024 at Old National Centre in Indianapolis.
Anna Powell Denton
Yet it’s Eden, released in August, that Muñoz feels most proud of. “I had been pleasing others for so many years that it was only fair that I do what makes me happy for a change,” he says. “This album reflects that transition.”
Eden arrived as Muñoz’s second album on Sony Music Mexico, which he signed with last year in a partnership with Sony Music Latin, and his third full-length since launching his solo career. The project spans 15 songs on which Muñoz fuses the traditional banda and norteño sound that have characterized his music with genres that have also shaped his musical palette: bachata, country and rock’n’roll.
While mashing up música mexicana with other styles would have been frowned upon by purists just a few years ago, when it mainly catered to an older audience, the decades-old genre is now reaching a new generation of listeners, thanks to a wave of young Mexican and Mexican American hit-makers who have embraced a more nuanced approach. By modernizing lyrics and borrowing from genres including trap, hip-hop and country, regional Mexican music has earned the approval of Gen Z — and Muñoz is leaning in.
“When I was creating this album, I broke out of my comfort zone to rebuild myself,” he says. “This album served as an exercise to see how far I can go and where I draw the line so it doesn’t go outside of Mexican music. It was like creating the perfect salad with a balance of protein and carbohydrates.”
Edén Muñoz photographed on Sep. 7, 2024 at Old National Centre in Indianapolis.
Anna Powell Denton
Now, with Eden behind him, Muñoz’s heart is at peace. “I have my studio, a little lake next to us where I go fishing, and I love to cook. I have everything here,” he says of his home in Mazatlán, a resort city in Sinaloa, Mexico, where he lives with his wife and children when he’s not on tour. (His Como en los Viejos Tiempos U.S. trek began in August.)
His newfound creative freedom hasn’t only benefited the music, but has altered his perspective, too. “I know I’m not at No. 1, and I probably never will be, and that’s cool,” he says. “I feel f–king great. I do what I want. I work with the people I want to work with. I’ve matured. That, to me, is being in my prime.”
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Young Miko is sitting, legs criss-crossed, atop her purple bed, surrounded by bookshelves, a boombox and a big Tamagotchi. A microphone clutched to her chest, she’s visibly emotional, almost teary-eyed.
But she’s not alone in what appears to be her bedroom. On this September evening, she’s onstage at Miami’s Hard Rock Live, and a crowd of 7,000 is chanting the 26-year-old urbano star’s name — even though she hasn’t yet said a word. The bed, the centerpiece of her set, is a reference to the cover art for her latest album, this year’s att. And the satisfaction on her face is a reaction to an anything but private moment. She’s gazing in awe at the crowd of mainly Gen Z girls whose effortlessly chic looks mirror her own Y2K aesthetic — oversize T-shirts, baggy pants, ultra-pink girly ensembles with shimmery makeup and pigtails. Young Miko — clad in a sparkly baby blue checkered two-piece and pristine white sneakers, her hair in her signature slicked-back half ponytail — soaks it all in.
Ruven Afanador
Onstage, Young Miko is graceful and charming, or “very demure, very mindful, very cutesy,” as she jokes in English with her zealous fans, who roar as she flashes them shy, flirtatious smiles. Tonight, she runs through her early hits, like the trap anthem “Lisa,” as well as newer ones, like att.’s “Rookie of the Year,” a song that perfectly captures Young Miko’s rapid rise to fame. She even brings out Colombian star Feid, one of her earliest supporters, to join her for two songs, including their first collaboration, “Classy 101,” with which she made her Billboard Hot 100 debut last year. “Thank you for the love you guys have given me,” she tells the audience at one point, speaking in a mix of English and Spanish. “Today, I’m very emotional and I don’t have the words to describe just how much your support means to me.”
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It’s the final show of Miko’s 24-date XOXO U.S. tour, her biggest trek yet, swiftly following her 2023 Trap Kitty world tour. Last year, “we played 40 minutes,” Miko explains backstage hours before her performance. “Now I’m onstage for two hours. Our crew was like 10 people; now it’s more than 50 of us,” she adds, her eyes growing wider. “Everything has multiplied.” Her mixture of excitement and incredulity is understandable. The gifted singer-rapper born María Victoria Ramírez de Arellano in the northwestern Puerto Rican town of Añasco has had a meteoric rise, becoming one of the most promising global artists of her generation on the strength of her attitude-heavy trap songs and refreshing songwriting, which draws inspiration from her queer identity.
In the past year, Miko, who uploaded her first songs to SoundCloud in 2019 and signed with Puerto Rican indie label The Wave Music Group two years later, opened for Karol G’s stadium tour; collaborated with Bad Bunny on his track “Fina”; made her Coachella debut; and delivered her genre-bending debut album, att., which became her first Billboard 200 entry (short for atentamente, the title translates to “sincerely”). To date, she has had six entries on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, and 319.9 million on-demand official streams in the United States, according to Luminate.
“I take everything one day at a time,” says Miko, who was a tattoo artist before she committed to music full time. “Opening for Karol in stadiums, that helped me loosen up. Seeing her up close and personal and how she connected with her fans, that was huge. It helped me grow onstage, as a person and as an artist. It’s been a process, and I’ve learned to embrace every stage of my career.”
Ruven Afanador
Supporting Karol G’s tour was a “turning point” for Miko, says Hans Schafer, senior vp of global touring at Live Nation, which produced both Karol’s and Miko’s recent tours. “It solidified her presence in the Latin market and expanded her reach globally. Miko can potentially be one of her generation’s defining artists. She’s already proven she can headline [a] tour, and her ability to evolve musically while staying true to her roots is a critical factor in long-term success in the touring space.”
Miko’s achievements on the touring front and beyond reflect the slow but steady diversification of Latin music — and more specifically urbano music, which has been ruled by male artists for the past 20 years — and have made her rise feel even more momentous. The significance isn’t lost on her.
“Our generation is much more receptive and inclusive — what a time to be alive,” Miko says. “People just don’t give a f–k anymore; they care that you’re a good person. I remember how refreshing it was to hear Ivy Queen doing reggaetón and now you can name so many women in the genre; the change is here and you can’t deny it. It doesn’t mean we can now just lay back either. I’m excited to be part of a movement and a moment in history when people look back and say, ‘I remember Karol and Young Miko, and this one, and the other one.’ ”
Ruven Afanador
That turning tide inspired Young Miko and her team, which includes her manager (and best friend), Mariana López Crespo, and her longtime producer, Mauro (who is also López Crespo’s brother), to launch 1K, a company they describe as a creative collective comprising 20 individuals who are all also part of Miko’s team. “I don’t want to eat alone at the table,” Miko explains. “We’re very passionate about growing 1K into an empire — think Death Row Records — by signing and investing in new artists and content creators. We’re all in it to learn, grow and help others.”
She and López Crespo, who is also a queer woman, first met when they were teen soccer players. Together, they learned a valuable lesson. “The goalkeeper can’t save the game, the midfielder supports the defender, the defender is nothing without the forward, the midfield is nothing without the bench, and the bench is nothing without the coach,” Miko says. “We apply that mentality to everything we do today.”
López Crespo and Young Miko first met in 2012, when they were both trying out for the Puerto Rican women’s national soccer team. They both made the team — and instantly became best friends. Besides sharing a love for fútbol, the teenagers discovered they had the same taste in music, from Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética to Lauryn Hill to Gwen Stefani. “She was the one on the team who was always blasting music on the speakers — she knew all the verses, she was charismatic, you could tell she really enjoyed performing,” López Crespo recalls of Miko.
After four years of playing together on the national football team (Miko as midfielder and López Crespo as forward), the two went their separate ways. Both were attending the University of Puerto Rico’s Río Piedras campus, but then Miko transferred to Inter American University and López Crespo moved to Costa Rica to play soccer, though she eventually returned to Puerto Rico after an injury. Around 2018, she reconnected with Young Miko — or Vicky, as López Crespo still calls her — who showed her some of the music she had recorded using her iPhone and the built-in microphone on her Apple headphones. “I told her that she had to take this seriously because there was something there — her songs had personality,” López Crespo recalls. “I said, ‘Maybe you don’t have the resources now, but you have the discipline. Don’t stop.’ ” Miko’s response? “I’ll pursue this only if you are my manager.” “Fine,” López Crespo remembers thinking. “I’ve never done this, but I like a challenge, so vamos pa’ encima [let’s do it].”
Entire Studios top, Tiffany & Co. necklace and bracelet.
Ruven Afanador
Trained to be on an attack’s front line as a forward, López Crespo hit the ground running and started assembling a team that would help develop the plan for Young Miko’s career. One of the first people she approached was her brother Mauro, a trained musician who was also just starting his career as a producer.
“My sister told me that Vicky was making music and showed me two songs she had on SoundCloud,” Mauro remembers. “I immediately told Mariana, ‘There’s something here — she has the look, the swag, the voice, the bars. It’s raw, but it’s all there.’ ” A saxophonist who graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras with a bachelor’s degree in music, Mauro had taught himself to produce after being mesmerized when he saw one of his peers create a beat on a laptop. With the help of YouTube videos and patient producer friends, by 2020, he had posted some of his beats to Instagram.
“Things are always meant to be, they’re already written in our destiny,” Miko says. “When I was starting in music, Mauro was also starting to produce, so we grew together. I would give him that space to explore with me and he would give me space to explore as a songwriter, a singer. He forces me to open up, and I do the same with him. It’s been that way from the beginning.” She adds, categorically: “There would be no Young Miko without Mauro.”
Just as Miko and her team were getting going, the pandemic hit — but they used the COVID-19 shutdown to their advantage. López Crespo and Miko rented a mountaintop Airbnb in Rincón to host their inaugural songwriting camp. It was the first time that Miko’s “core” team, including producers and creatives, “locked ourselves in,” López Crespo says. “Not for the purpose of needing to get something out there, but rather to explore, get to know each other and build trust. I remember saying we’d give this process two years, and if we didn’t see anything happening, we’d reconsider. But it was clear that there was a special feeling in that camp. There was uncertainty, yes, but a lot of desire to grow.”
Ruven Afanador
Although the songs created during the camp were never officially released, Miko’s older material on SoundCloud still managed to catch Angelo Torres’ attention. The executive came across Miko’s SoundCloud link while scrolling through X. “I was instantly captivated when I heard her tracks,” he told Billboard when Miko was named Latin Rookie of the Year in 2023. “There was something undeniably intriguing about her sound. [I thought], ‘I really need to meet this person.’ ” He not only met her but signed her to The Wave Music Group in 2021, which he had recently launched alongside producer Caleb Calloway, who has since co-produced some of Miko’s biggest hits. Last year, Capitol Music Group locked in a long-term distribution deal with the label.
Torres was also one of the first people with whom López Crespo talked business. “He’s someone I’m grateful for because it’s people like him that really encourage you and want you to grow,” she says. “They may be veterans and you are the new one, but they see that hunger in you.”
Young Miko’s eyes light up when she talks about having her closest friends as part of her team, knowing she’s surrounded by people who believed in her from day one — especially the person she has won championships with on — and now off, in a sense — the field. “Mariana has been my sister for as long as I can remember and I’m so proud of her. We’ve always been a dynamic duo. It gives me great pride to know that when we are no longer here, they will mention a name as great as Mariana López Crespo and I will be next to that name. Damn, I got so gay today, bro,” she says as she walks over to hug López Crespo, who is crouched in a corner of the Hard Rock Live green room, hands covering her face. “Don’t cry, it’s what I feel. And I don’t tell you often, but sometimes we need to stop and smell the roses.”
As Young Miko sees it, the foundation of her life hasn’t really changed even as she has catapulted to stardom. “It doesn’t have to,” she says before inadvertently evoking an anthem by one of her favorite ’90s acts: “I’m just a girl,” she adds with a sweet smile.
She still lives in Puerto Rico and hangs out with the same group of friends she did before she became a global star. “I feel like we hustle just how we used to hustle back then,” she adds. “We enjoy the feeling of being an underdog. Having bets against you and responding with ‘No, we’ve got this’? Best feeling.”
It’s her parents’ lives that she says she has changed. “I take my parents everywhere with me. They are my biggest fans. They are just super grateful and excited. The other day they told me, ‘We feel like we just started living and we’re 60-something,’ ” she says, pausing and taking a deep breath. “I get emotional.”
Young Miko photographed August 29, 2024 at Seret Studios in Brooklyn.
Ruven Afanador
And while she’s no longer on the soccer pitch, she has a new squad cheering her on. “I think [Bad Bunny] and Karol saw something of themselves in me. It came from their hearts to want to support or contribute to my career. It also gives me a lot of motivation because they are artists that I admire and are examples I want to follow. When I have people like them telling me, ‘You can 100% do this,’ then I have to,” she says. “Karol would take me to her sound check, show me things she did to warm up; she didn’t have to do any of that stuff.”
Earlier this year, Karol released the music video for “Contigo,” in which Young Miko plays her romantic interest. Especially for an urban artist, it felt like a big statement in support of the LGBTQ+ community — though Miko says the genre is more accepting of queer artists today than it has ever been. “I used to do things that were so innocent to a certain extent that I didn’t even realize I was causing a shift in the pendulum,” she explains. “Now looking back, I understand how shocking these things can be. I’m already thinking of new ways to grow a bigger space for everyone and keep changing things.”
To that end, Miko is also working to get people registered to vote ahead of the U.S. November election. A few weeks ago, she encouraged her Instagram followers — all 7 million of them — to make sure they’re registered, adding that she’ll be voting early because she won’t physically be in Puerto Rico on Nov. 5. “It’s something I’m very passionate about — my whole team is,” she says of joining the significant number of Latin and non-Latin acts alike who’ve used their platforms to engage their fans in civic action. (She hasn’t yet supported a specific candidate.) “It is very important for the future of my island, the future of my people. I was very excited when I saw [Bad Bunny] posting; I saw myself in him as a person who lives in Puerto Rico. I think it is important to bring at least a little bit of awareness — like, ‘Hey, educate yourself on what you believe is right for you and your country.’ ”
It all feels intrinsically connected to another topic that makes Miko perk up: her vision for her future, which feels limitless. “It can look scary, but I know I’m capable of doing everything I set my mind to. I tell Mariana that I want to be in movies, that I want us to grow together as businesswomen — whether opportunities come to us or we go out and get them ourselves,” she says with determination. “I want to look back and be able to say that I did everything I wanted and squeezed everything I could out of this life.”
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Young Miko is sitting, legs crisscrossed, atop her purple bed, surrounded by bookshelves, a boombox and a big Tamagotchi. A microphone clutched to her chest, she’s visibly emotional, almost teary-eyed. But she’s not alone in what appears to be her bedroom. On this September evening, she’s onstage at Miami’s Hard Rock Live, and a crowd […]
Billboard Latin Music Week — the single most important, and biggest, gathering of Latin artists and industry executives in the world — is celebrating its 35th anniversary, taking place Oct. 14-18 at the Fillmore Miami Beach.This year’s coveted event will feature superstar speakers J Balvin, Young Miko, Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz, Peso Pluma, JOP (Fuerza Regida), Eden Muñoz, Bad Gyal, Mon Laferte,Thalia and Maria Becerra, among many others. As tradition holds, the week coincides with the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards airing Sunday, Oct. 20, via Telemundo.
Over the past 35 years, Latin Music Week has become the one, steady foundation of Latin music in this country and for the world.
Tracing back to 1990, the star-studded conferences and showcases, initially named Latin Music Seminar, sponsored by Billboard, kicked off as a one-day event in Miami featuring a two-artist showcase and awards show. In 1992, the event took place in Las Vegas, where artists such as Selena Quintanilla and Jon Secada performed at the new-artist showcase. Shakira made her debut in 1996 at a conference showcase, and that same year, José Feliciano received El Premio Billboard; Juan Gabriel was inducted into the Hall of Fame; and Gloria Estefan received the Spirit of Hope award.
Some of the biggest names in Latin music history, including Celia Cruz, Ricky Martin, Chayanne, Tito Puente, Jenni Rivera and Emilio Estefan, to name a few, have participated at Billboard Latin Music Week throughout the years. Most recently, Daddy Yankee, Bad Bunny, Karol G, Romeo Santos and Peso Pluma have also joined the celebration.
Below, check out a photo gallery of 35 years of Billboard Latin Music Week. To register for this year’s event, go to Billboard Latin Music Week.
Shakira
Image Credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images
Shakira arrives at the Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 22, 1999 at the Fountainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida.
Celia Cruz
Image Credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images
Celia Cruz laughs as she jokes with photographers upon her arrival to the Latin Billboard Music Awards on April 27, 2000 at the Jackie Gleason Theatre of the Performing Arts in Miami Beach, Florida.
Soraya
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/WireImage
Soraya winner of the “Spirit of Hope” award at the 2004 Billboard Latin Music Awards on April 29, 2004 at The Miami Arena in Miami, Florida.
Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony arrive at the 2005 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Miami Arena on April 28, 2005 in Miami, Florida.
Shakira
Image Credit: Scott Gries/Getty Images
Shakira performs onstage during the 2006 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on April 27, 2006 in Hollywood, Florida.
Arthur Hanlon
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/WireImage
Arthur Hanlon arrives at the 2007 Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards on April 26, 2007 at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
Calle 13
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/WireImage
Calle 13 in the press room at the 2007 Billboard Latin Music Conference and Awards on April 26, 2007 at the Bank United Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
RBD
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Christian Chavez, Christopher Uckermann, Dulce María, Anahi and Alfonso Poncho Herrera Rodriguez of RBD attend the 2008 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on April 10, 2008 in Hollywood, Florida.
Enrique Iglesias
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
Enrique Iglesias attends a press conference and Q&A during the 2008 Billboard Latin Music Conference at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino on April 9, 2008 in Hollywood, Florida.
Aventura
Image Credit: John Parra/WireImage
Lenny Santos, Henry Santos Jeter and Anthony ‘Romeo’ Santos and Max Santos of Aventura attend a Q&A during Billboard Latin Music Conference at Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza on April 28, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Leila Cobo & Marc Anthony
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
Leila Cobo and Marc Anthony speak at the Billboard Latin Music Conference at Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza on April 28, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Luis Fonsi
Image Credit: John Parra/Getty Images
Luis Fonsi performs onstage at the 2010 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on April 29, 2010 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Don Omar
Image Credit: Rodrigo Varela/Getty Images
Don Omar poses backstage during Billboard Latin Music Awards 2012 at Bank United Center on April 26, 2012 in Miami, Florida.
Leslie Grace, Gloria Trevi, Kat Dahlia & La Marisoul
Image Credit: Aaron Davidson/Getty Images
Leslie Grace, Gloria Trevi, Kat Dahlia and La Marisoul participate in 25th Annual Billboard Latin Music Conference – Q&A With David Bisbal & Lusi Fonsi at JW Marriott Marquis on April 23, 2014 in Miami, Florida.
J Balvin & Nicky Jam
Image Credit: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images
J Balvin and Nicky Jam speak at the Billboard Latin Conference 2017 at Ritz Carlton South Beach on April 26, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Leila Cobo
Image Credit: Sam Wasson/FilmMagic
Leila Cobo attends the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
J Quiles
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
J Quiles is seen performing at Oasis Wynwood during Billboard Latin Music Week 2021 on Sept. 24, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Mana
Image Credit: Omar Vega/Getty Images
Fher Olvera and Alex Gonzalez of Mana during the State of the Latin Music Market conference as part of the Billboard Latin Music Week at The Venetian on April 25, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Cardi B & Ozuna
Image Credit: David Becker/Getty Images
Cardi B and Ozuna perform onstage at the 2018 Billboard Latin Music Awards at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on April 26, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Karol G
Image Credit: Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images
Karol G attends Billboard Latin Music Week 2021 on Sept. 21, 2021 in Miami, Florida.
Bernie Martinez, Bad Bunny & Bysael Martinez
Image Credit: Todd Williamson/NBC/Getty Images
Bernie Martinez, Bad Bunny and Bysael Martinez pose in the press room during the 2021 Billboard Music Awards held at the Microsoft Theater on May 23, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Daddy Yankee
Image Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Daddy Yankee performs onstage during Billboard Latin Music Week 2021 at Faena Theater on Sept. 22, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Paquita la del Barrio & Bad Bunny
Image Credit: John Parra/Telemundo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Paquita la del Barrio and Bad Bunny on stage during the 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards on Sept. 23, 2021 at the Watsco Center in Coral Gables, Florida.
Mariah Angeliq, Emilia Mernes, Laura Villa, Lucia Villa, & Elena Rose
Image Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
“Women on the Rise – The New Generation” panel with Mariah Angeliq, Emilia Mernes, Laura Villa, Lucia Villa, and Elena Rose during Billboard Latin Music Week 2021 at Faena Forum on Sept. 22, 2021 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Bizarrap
Image Credit: Gus Caballero for Billboard
Bizarrap speaks onstage during The Sony Music Publishing Q&A with Bizarrap, Presented by Sony Music Publishing” panel at Billboard Latin Music Week 2022 held at Faena Forum on Sept. 28, 2022 in Miami, Florida.
Karol G
Image Credit: Ivan Apfel/Getty Images
Karol G attends the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Watsco Center on Oct. 05, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Peso Pluma
Image Credit: Jason Koerner/Getty Images
Peso Pluma speaks onstage during the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Awards at Watsco Center on Oct. 5, 2023 in Coral Gables, Florida.
Nicky Jam & Ivy Queen
Image Credit: Christopher Polk for Billboard
Nicky Jam and Ivy Queen speak onstage at Billboard Latin Music Week held at Faena Forum on Oct. 3, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Mike Bahia & Greeicy
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Mike Bahia & Greeicy at Billboard En Vivo Featuring Greeicy and Mike Bahia held at the Faena Theater as part of Billboard Latin Music Week on Oct. 2, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Wisin
Image Credit: Christopher Polk for Billboard
Wisin at Billboard En Vivo Featuring Wisin held at Oasis Wynwood as part of Billboard Latin Music Week on Oct. 3, 2023 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Pepe Aguilar has never shied away from expressing what is really going through his mind. And his latest song, titled “Cuídamela Bien” — which translates to “take good care of her” — is no exception. Singing directly to Christian Nodal, who in July married his daughter Ángela Aguilar, the Mexican star is clear on his requests for him.
“Well you’re no idiot, you took from the old man the best woman,” he croons over wailing trumpets and nostalgic guitar notes. “Love her, cabrón. Show the world that you’re on the right track, and you’ve got a heart. Make her as happy as I’ve always wanted to in life.”
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Aguilar’s song is a play on words that makes the most sense in Spanish. In one verse, he sings, “Y NO DA La cara el bandido,” or, “And that bandit won’t show his face” — which could also refer to Nodal’s face tattoos. In another part of the song, he uses song titles, including Ángela’s “Ahí Donde Me Ven” and Nodal’s “Botella Tras Botella,” to wittingly express how he’s feeling.
Toward the end of the song, in a total state of emotional vulnerability, Aguilar reaffirms he’s given the couple his blessing, something he first announced publicly just a day after the wedding ceremony, which took place just weeks after the couple confirmed their relationship.
“In any lasting relationship, love is essential and respect and responsibility totally indispensable,” he wrote then. “With love, you face the most complicated challenges inside and outside your environment. … I have also been in your shoes. And after 27 years with my wife I say to you: There is no simple principle.”
Below, the lyrics to Pepe Aguilar’s “Cuídamela Bien” translated to English:
It’s not news that she’s with youWell the world knows it and everyone is a witnessSo fast time passed and my ANGEL someone else snatched her awayAnd the bandit won’t show his face
I’m going to be very clear, do things rightBecause for outlaws, mijo (son), this is not the place to beAnd I know it’s easy to be cabrónI’ve been in that situation myselfBut the one who stays is more of a man
And I’m sorry if I’m being a little rudeIt’s just that I got dumbfounded by a lucky chamaco (boy)
Take good care of herYou’ve already made her fall in loveYou already took her awayWhat am I gonna do?
She was never mineAnd I knewThat I was going to lose her
And lucky for youNow she’s with youI wish you well
Take good care of herMaybe she’s not perfectBut I assure youShe knows how to love
Roses were enough for youSo that my prideful daughterWould fall at your feet
And face-to-faceI give you a piece of adviceIf you love her well
Don’t change her because you’re very good at it
When you brought her roses, I played the strong oneAnd in the serenades I couldn’t kick you outThe eagle has already taken offAnd the one who doesn’t show his face now has shown itI admit that you’re easy to love
And I’m sorry if I’m a little rudeIt’s just that I got dumbfounded by a lucky chamaco (boy)
Take good care of her“Ahí Donde Me Ven” (There where they see me)“Botella Tras Botella” (Bottle after bottle)“No Me 100to Bien” (I don’t feel good)
Well you’re no idiotYou took from the old manThe best woman
And lucky for youNow she’s with youI wish you well
Love her, cabrónShow the worldThat you’re on the right trackAnd you’ve got a heart
Make her as happy asI’ve always wanted to in life
And in the eye of the cycloneFor my part I give you my blessingAnd I will always wish your relationship well
Pepe Aguilar is set to speak at the 35th anniversary Billboard Latin Music Week, which will feature exclusive panels, conversations and performances by Latin music’s biggest stars from Oct. 14-18 in MIami. Tickets are available now at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com. He will also be honored with the Billboard Hall of Fame Award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will air Oct. 20 on Telemundo
Karol G tallies a second week at No. 1 spot on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” holds atop the ranking (dated Sept. 28). She is just the third woman in a solo role to rule the chart in 2024, after Tini and Nicki Nicole, whose “Pa” and “Ojos […]
Omar Courtz’s journey is a resonant tale of a superfan turned rising star, whose deep admiration for the icons of Latin music inspired his career — from back when he was just a fervent listener right up to performing on the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico (a.k.a. El Choli) alongside those very idols. His debut album, Primera Musa, which dropped on September 20 via Mr. 305 Records and Rimas Entertainment, is both a nod to his inspirations and a showcase of his exploratory urbano sounds.
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The Puerto Rican artist arrives at the New York Billboard office a few days after releasing his LP, sporting Tims, a beige baseball hat with pink accents, and a gigantic diamond-encrusted chain featuring a huge open heart that revealed bone ribs. It had engraved the names of his grandmothers on each side, and a Bible verse in the back: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.” He was thrilled to discuss the essence of Primera Musa, a title that symbolizes the multitude of influences that have propelled his artistic journey.
“Primera Musa can be many things,” he explains. “I leave it to the people to interpret it as they wish. It can be something you’ve lived, an experience, or it could be a woman.”
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The album is a personal odyssey that weaves his past, his family’s influence, and an homage to the pivotal women in his life. Its extraordinary diversity spans trap, reggaetón, R&B, Jersey club and house — each track showcasing Omar’s skill in melding diverse styles to forge a colorful listen. From the potent “Intro” with Kendo Kaponi to the introspective finale, “Luces de Colores,” his debut is a masterclass in both musical versatility and deep connection to his fans and foundation.
The rapper/singer detailed the special allure found in debut albums, which often capture the pure essence of an artist’s sound. “What happens is that for me there is a magic in artists’ first albums,” he expresses, citing Myke Towers’ El Final del Principio (2016) and Bad Bunny’s X100Pre (2018) as examples. “There’s something special that fans always say: ‘I want to hear that artist, their first delivery, their first muse.’”
Raised in Carolina, a famously tough neighborhood of Puerto Rico that also produced figures like Almighty, Anuel AA, and Rauw Alejandro, Omar reflected on the extraordinary local talent. They emerged “in my very street, literally,” he says. “There really must be something there, something duro, a kind of magic, because superstars come out of it.”
The spirit of Omar’s music is intrinsically linked to his experiences as a fan who lived through the anticipation and thrill of music releases. He highlights the pivotal role of SoundCloud in his early career, a platform that immensely facilitated the rise of new artists, particularly in the then-emerging Latin trap genre. “SoundCloud gave us the opportunity for ease, for speed, for you to create a song today and send it out to the world,” he recounts, also reminiscing about the early days when artists like Alvarito Díaz and Myke Towers would release new music every Thursday, cultivating a fervent community of listeners eager for fresh sounds.
“One of my biggest inspirations is Myke Towers,” Omar admits with a look of reverence. “His musical consistency, his delivery, his concepts are inspiring. I think he’s a lyrical genius. He just takes a notebook and starts throwing verses as if it were a string of them.”
Omar’s journey is saturated with humble beginnings and diverse experiences: “I’ve done everything from selling clothes in my uncle’s shop to washing cars, mowing lawns, and operating a pressure washer.” Amidst these hard-knock jobs, he found his true calling, starting to publish his own tracks on streaming platforms in the mid-2010s — and during the 2020 pandemic, he began to release a string of material, putting himself on the map with his Latin trap and reggaetón tracks armed with his distinctive flow.
By 2019, a significant professional relationship was forged when he met his current manager, Orlando Dávila of OD Entertainment. They bonded over a shared taste in music and artistic vision. “Omar Courtz was an artist who caught my attention from our first conversation without even knowing him […] I could see his intentions and the vision he had for his musical career right from the start, partly because we share similar musical tastes, including a fondness for R&B,” Dávila tells Billboard Español. “Omar is deeply committed to his craft, very demanding of himself, and a perfectionist.”
Omar Courtz’s hard work and artistic integrity paid off when he landed a feature on Tainy’s 2023 hit “Pasiempre,” a track that saw him holding his own among Latin trap titans Myke Towers, Arcánge, Jhayco and Bad Bunny, also starring Venezuelan producer Arca. This song not only put him on the charts, but also symbolized his arrival in the music industry’s spotlight, peaking at No. 28 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and marking his entry on the Billboard Global 200. His collaboration with Daddy Yankee, “Beachy,” also affirmed his status, doing exceptionally well on the Latin Airplay (No. 27) and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts (No. 7).
What is particularly striking about Omar’s path is how he melds his deep-seated fan experiences into his music’s DNA, striving to incite the same fervor among his listeners. He operates with a fan’s heart, tailoring his creations to meet their expectations. “I put myself in a fan’s position,” he explains, “and I ask myself, ‘If I were a fan of my music, what artist would I want to hear these songs with?’ This is how I thought when I enjoyed other artists’ albums, wishing for certain collaborations.” This creative empathy informs his choices in the studio and guides his collaborative strategies.
This synergy between artist and fan is key in his collaborations, such as with Jhayco and Arcángel during Tainy’s concert, where Omar — once a fan in the crowd — stood alongside his musical heroes. Recalling the release of Bad Bunny’s first album, he remembers how everyone gathered, eager for the first play: “We were all in the court at midnight, waiting for a sound system to come out so the whole world could listen. This communal excitement is what he seeks to replicate with his own releases, evident when he saw Primera Musa being celebrated on social media in the same way.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Omar Courtz and his incredible achievements. His debut album topping multiple global charts is a testament to his raw talent, hard work, and the unique sound he’s introducing to the industry,” Robert Fernandez, CEO of Mr. 305 Records, tells Billboard Español. “Omar’s music is resonating with fans worldwide, and this is just the beginning of his journey to greatness.”
Name: Joshua Omar Medina Cortes
Age: 26
Recommended Song: “I wanted to bring a song that refreshes every 30 seconds rhythmically. Since there is so much music [out there], people listen to the intro, chorus and verse and that’s it — they listen to very little of the theme. I wanted to renew the rhythm often bring another new color. I got together with Karbeats, my producer, and we made “Goddess.”
Biggest Accomplishment: “I’m excited that I’m reaching other countries. Puerto Rico was already very important to me because it’s my island, but to see the support from other countries, that excites me as I was excited when they supported me in Puerto Rico as well.”
What’s Next: Omar Courtz will be a panelist at Billboard Latin Music Week alongside Saiko and KBaez, presented by Cheetos.
Feid has officially signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which will be representing the multi-platinum artist in all areas globally, Billboard can exclusively announce today (Sept. 26).
With CAA’s representation—across music, film, television, endorsements, sports, business development and more—the Colombian artist is “poised to further expand his international reach and will work closely with CAA on future endeavors, including his highly anticipated world tour,” according to a press statement.
The artist born Salomón Villada Hoyos is known for his No. 1 hits on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart such as “Perro Negro” with Bad Bunny, “Luna” with Atl Jacob, “Yandel 150” with Yandel and “Hey Mor” with Ozuna. He’s also one of this year’s top finalists at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards boasting 11 entries, including Global 200 Latin artist of the year and Latin rhythm album of the year for Ferxxocalipsis, in addition to the five he achieved for “Perro Negro” with Bad Bunny.
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Feid is also a four-time Latin Grammy nominee, where he’s up for best reggaeton performance (“Perro Negro”); best urban music album (Ferxxocalipsis); and best urban song for two tracks, “El Cielo” with Sky Rompiendo and Myke Towers and “Luna.”
Additionally, his Ferxxocalipsis World Tour that sold out dates in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and more, kicked off the Latin American leg of stadium shows with two sold-out concerts in Mexico City last month. The tour will continue through December, wrapping with three consecutive sold-out stadium gigs in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia.
Feid is managed by Luis Villamizar.
Both Feid and Villamizar are set for the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week returning to Miami Beach on Oct. 14-18, with confirmed superstars including J Balvin, Gloria Estefan, Alejandro Sanz and Peso Pluma, among many others. For tickets and more details, visit Billboardlatinmusicweek.com.