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Every month, Billboard Latin editors 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.
Our first 2023 edition of “On the Radar Latin” includes emerging artists who we found either in a Spotify playlist or at a music showcase, for example. See our recommendations below:
BRATTY
Country: Mexico
Why they should be on your radar: There’s an alluring, whimsical quality about Culiacán, Sinaloa artist BRATTY — whether it’s her breathy dolce vocals coupled with bedroom lo-fi productions or her unapologetic pop punk side. On the lyrical front, the artist displays a knack for kitschy songwriting, singing about birthday parties or trips to Japan with charm. She’s already collaborated with the likes of Cuco, Mon Laferte, and Girl Ultra, and remixed Metronomy’s “Things Will Be Fine.” On her latest surfy song “Continental,” BRATTY pairs up with fellow norteño artists Nsqk and Méne where they conjure up an indie jangle pop dream. “The song talks about the love that grows when a relationship is young, and you like that person enough to ask them to move in with you,” she said about the song in a press release. “In the lyrics, I tell them that I would even prepare breakfast for them.” — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Song for your playlist: “Continental,” also starring Nsqk & Méne
Chris Palace
Country: United States (of Colombian and Salvadoran descent)
Why they should be on your radar: A Maryland native, Chris Palace, at 21 years old, has paved his own path in the music industry with passion and strive. From the Northeast to Miami to ultimately landing at a song camp in Puerto Rico, Palace debuted as an artist in 2022 with his single “Que Sería.” After knocking on the correct doors, sliding into DMs, and making his way at industry events, Palace got on Rauw Alejandro’s radar, who that same year, signed him to his label Los Sensai Records. An edgy personality, suave vocals, and progressive tracks spotlight Palace’s promising and versatile project, which as of now, can be heard on the Rauw-assisted “GATAS” (part of Saturno album) and his six-track EP Insomnia. “Insomnia is the first stage of the artist, where he works a lot without being able to sleep fighting for his dreams,” he expressed on Instagram. — JESSICA ROIZ
Song for your playlist: “ADELANTAH”
J Noa
Country: The Dominican Republic
Why they should be on your radar: “I am a beast of massive destruction,” declares J Noa in Spanish. The outspoken rapper doesn’t hold back. With her heady, rapid-fire flow, she commands attention and we are listening. At just 17 years old, the artist displays an awareness of her environment that is as chilling as it is eye-opening. Hailing from the province of San Cristóbal in the Dominican Republic, J Noa narrates the struggle, hustle, and bustle of life in the hood, while slaying some socio-political critiques of the D.R. governmental powers that be. For instance, her Sony Music-debut track “Qué Fue?” is an explosive call-out that lyrically tackles issues of poverty, addictions, and murders in her country, while adding “I only intend to open conscience.” With an impressive arsenal of rap bars and freestyle abilities, it’s no wonder why she proclaimed herself as the daughter of rap. The genre is in promising hands. — I.R.
Song for your playlist: “Qué Fue?”
Los Reales del Rio
Country: Mexico
Why they should be on your radar: Hailing from Zacatecas, Mexico is this young, six-ensemble group that I randomly discovered through a Spotify playlist over the holiday break. Los Reales del Rio (The most real of the river)—honoring their town’s name, Río Grande—launched in 2021 with a very colorful addition to traditional Norteño music. Specifically, their up-tempo “Tres Seis Cinco (365),”—released independently in the fall of 2022—gained social media virality and has become their best-known track as of now. Its lyrics bring to the forefront the group’s relatable lyricism—a song about loving someone the three hundred and sixty-five days in the year and doing it all over again. The track pushed Los Reales’ on Spotify’s Mexico and Guatemala charts, opening their horizons for a more fruitful 2023. — J.R.
Song for your playlist: “Tres Seis Cinco (365)”
Un León Marinero
Country: Mexico
Why they should be on your radar: Joining the blossoming wave of Latin folk music—think Silvana Estrada, Ed Maverick, Kevin Kaarl—is Un León Marinero (real name: Leo Meléndez). On the Internet, he keeps a minimal bio: “I like to write songs” (Spotify) and “your humble servant and always a friend” (YouTube) but he’s far from a simplistic singer-songwriter. Hailing from San Luis Potosi, León is a modern-day trovador (troubadour) that sings about giving love and being loved, all backed by his pure and warm-toned melodies and emotive vocals. In 2015, he unleashed his debut single “Nieve de Limón” and in 2022 released his debut album A Orillas del Río Santiago. In between, he’s collaborated with newcomer Kaarl and performed at important venues across Mexico. — J.R.
Song for your playlist: “Estar Solo”
After a successful trek in 2022 that included a North American leg with 25 dates in the summer, Ricardo Arjona has announced his Blanco y Negro: Volver Tour 2023.
Named after his latest album, Blanco y Negro, recorded at the emblematic Abbey Road studios in London, the Volver Tour (presented by Loud and Live) is set for 23 North American cities kicking off April 28 at the WaMu Theater in Seattle and wrapping June 25 at Miami’s FTX Arena.
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For the first time in his nearly 40-year career, the Guatemalan singer-songwriter will perform for his fans in San Diego, San Francisco, Portland, Austin, Kansas, Minneapolis and Ontario, as well as perform at the celebrated Madison Square Garden in New York.
“Although the term ‘legendary’ is often overused in our business, it is definitely appropriate when describing Ricardo Arjona,” Nelson Albareda, CEO and founder of Loud and Live, previously said in a statement when the 2022 Blanco y Negro tour dates were announced. “From his iconic lyrics to his distinctive voice, this true Renaissance man has transcended the borders of his native Guatemala to become a universal music icon.”
Albareda in a new statement on Wednesday said he is “deeply proud to reunite [Arjona] with his fans” on the Volver Tour.
The Blanco y Negro Tour and its new extended dates follow Arjona’s Hecho a la Antigua livestream concert that was filmed during the pandemic from the historic city of Antigua in his native Guatemala, with more than 30 musicians and more than 5,000 candles.
Tickets for the Blanco y Negro: Volver Tour 2023 go on sale for the general public at 10 a.m. local time on Jan. 20. For more information, visit www.ricardoarjona.com.
Bizarrap forges ahead with a new music session in 2023. The latest release is a collaboration with Shakira, “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” which debuts at No. 8 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart (dated Jan. 21). It’s the Argentinian producer’s first entry there. Shakira, meanwhile, extends her top 10 record among women, with 39 top 10s.
“Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” released Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. ET via Dale Play Records, debuts across multiple Billboard charts with one full day, and 5 hours from the day before, of activity in all metrics. The track also arrives at No. 16 on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart (which blends streams, sales, and airplay) from less than two days of activity. It’s Bizarrap’s highest debut on the list.
On the radio front, “Vol. 53” debuts in the top 10 on Latin Pop Airplay with 1.8 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. in the Jan. 6-12 tracking week, according to Luminate. As mentioned, Bizarrap unlocks his first top 10 with first entry, while Shakira collects a 39th top 10, the third-most overall, trailing only Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin, with 45 and 42 top 10s, respectively. Among women, she extends her top 10 domination with 39. Here’s the scoreboard among female acts:
39, Shakira19, Ednita Nazario18, Laura Pausini16, Jennifer Lopez16, Paulina Rubio15, Thalia13, Gloria Estefan
In the digital realm, “Vol. 53” logged 4.2 million on-demand U.S. streams in the same tracking week, according to Luminate, which yields a No. 17 debut on Latin Streaming Songs — the highest for Bizarrap among his two entries (his previous session with Spaniard Quevedo, “Vol. 52,” debuted at No. 25 in July 2022).
In addition to its streaming total, the song registered 2,000 digital downloads in its first two tracking days, sparking a No. 1 start on Latin Digital Song Sales. The 24-year-old producer clocks his first champ there among six entries, five of those part of his flooding music sessions (he reached a No. 5 with the explosive “Bzrp Music Session, “Vol. 49” with Residente in March 2022 with almost 2,000 downloads in its first week).
Plus, Shakira crosses off a new milestone, securing 13 No. 1s on Latin Digital Song Sales, the most overall. Thanks to its No. 1 start on the latter, she breaks out of a tie with Bad Bunny and J Balvin, both with 12 champs on their account.
Further, the sum yields a No. 16 start on the multimetric Hot Latin Songs chart, which measures airplay, streaming data and digital sales. Bizarrap notches his highest debut there among five “Music Session” entries.
Elsewhere on the Billboard charts, “Vol. 53” bows at No. 7 on Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The new achievement secures Shakira her third top 10. She claimed her first with the No. 5-peaking “Dare (La La La)” in June 2014. Bizarrap posts his second top 10, following “Vol. 52,” with Quevedo, No. 4 high in Aug. 2022.
“Vol. 53” also makes its global debut, arriving at No. 12 on the Billboard Global 200 and No. 8 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.
“Vol. 53” will likely surge on next week’s, Jan. 28-dated charts – including a debut on the all-genre, multimetric Billboard Hot 100, following its first full week of activity.
All charts (dated Jan. 21) will refresh on Billboard.com tomorrow (Jan. 18).
Less than a week ago, Shakira unleashed her very unapologetic track—and first collaborative effort—alongside Argentine hitmaker Bizarrap called “Bzrp Music Session, Vol. 53.”
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In the nearly four-minute diss track, the Colombian global star slams her ex-boyfriend and soccer star Gerard Piqué, with whom she had a 12-year relationship and have two sons together. She doesn’t hold back, even throwing a jab at her former in-laws and Piqué’s new girlfriend, Clara Chía Martí.
“I’m not getting back with you, don’t cry for me, nor beg me/ I understood that it’s not my fault that they criticize you/I only make music, sorry that it bothers you,” she chants, also saying in the lyrics, “You thought you hurt me, but you made me stronger/ Women don’t cry anymore, they cash in.”
An instant certified bop, the session accumulated over 15 million streams on Spotify in its first 24 hours—topping the service’s Top 50 global playlist—and the blue-tinted music video got over 55 million views on YouTube, a record for a Spanish-language song. That single-day count also allowed it to debut at No.12 on the Billboard Global 200 and at No. 8 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. this week.
But this isn’t the first time that Shakira, a hopeless romantic with an armored heart, pens a song for an ex. In fact, a younger Shak is known for hits like “Si Te Vas” (1998), where she warns an ex about not getting back together after he leaves her for another girl, and “Poem to a Horse” (2001), where she strong and proudly walks away from a narcissist.
Below, see some of Shak’s empowering tracks and vote for which one is your favorite one to forget an ex.
Romeo Santos stirred the internet when a week ago he teased fans with what would be his first single of the year called “Solo Conmigo.” In the NSFW preview, the bachata crooner is seen in between a lady’s legs, performing part of the song. “Of Santos (saint), I only have the last name,” he chants.
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On Tuesday (Jan. 17), Santos unleashed his new single and its official music video, surprising his loyal Romeistas with even more exciting news: He and his longtime girlfriend are expecting a baby, Billboard confirms. This also marks the first time that Santos — who’s always been secretive about his personal life — shows his girlfriend in one of his music videos.
“Solo Conmigo” (“Only With Me”), part of his Formula, Vol. 3 album, is a heartfelt bachata in which the Dominican artist pens an open letter to his partner. He describes a pure love with zero judgment about the past.
“You looked for many princes looking for love/ You wasted so many feelings, nobody understood you/ So many footprints on your bed but I was the one who sealed your heart/ You have failed in 100 relationships without knowing why/ You have loved strongly but not at this level/ And the pillow tells me it’s witnessed a lot of sex on your mattress, but you’ve only made love with me,” he sings in the chorus.
In the sultry yet elegant music video, helmed by director Fernando Lugo, we see Santos and his girlfriend have a steamy lovemaking fest before unveiling her baby bump. This will be the couple’s third child together, and Santos’ fourth, following his sons Alex Damian, Valentino, and Solano.
Watch the music video for “Solo Conmigo” below:
The Viña del Mar International Song Festival has added Fito Páez to its lineup. The 64th edition of the iconic Chilean festival, scheduled for Feb. 19-24, will also feature previously announced superstars Maná, Karol G, Christina Aguilera, Alejandro Fernández and Camilo.
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Through their social media networks, the municipality and the mayor of Viña del Mar, Macarena Ripamonti, announced Páez’s participation.
“The local authorities have confirmed the presence of the Rosario-born Fito Páez, who will perform on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the Quinta Vergara,” informed a press release, highlighting Páez as one of “the greatest Argentine musicians.”
In Viña, the singer-songwriter of classic hymns such as “El Amor Después Del Amor” and “Yo Vengo a Ofrecer Mi Corazón” will present his greatest hits and part of his tour, El Amor 30 Años Después del Amor, which celebrates the 30th anniversary of his iconic album El Amor Después del Amor, the best-selling album in the history of Argentine rock. “According to the musician, the work will include new arrangements and various novelties that will be presented live for the whole world in Viña 2023,” the press release noted.
The legendary composer of hits that also include “Mariposa Tecknicolor” had already performed at the festival in 2014. On this occasion, he will do so after adding best rock song for “Lo Mejor de Nuestras Vidas” and best pop/rock album for Los Años Salvajes to his list of Latin Grammys awards last November.
In addition to Fito, the mayor also announced that comedians Belén Mora, Fabricio Copano, Laila Roth, Yerko Puchento, Pamela Leiva and Rodrigo Villegas will participate in this edition of the festival.
The Viña del Mar Festival reaches millions of viewers around the world. Next year, it will be broadcast in Chile on TVN and Channel 13, and will be available throughout Latin America on STAR Channel and its streaming platform, Star+.
After releasing his first-album X 100Pre in 2018, Bad Bunny quickly went from emerging artist to superstar status. The set scored him his first entry on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where it peaked at No. 11 in January 2019.
Since he’s released Oasis, his 2019 joint album with J Balvin, as well as further solo sets YHLQMDLG, Las Que No Iban a Salir, El Último Tour del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti. The latter two of those debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making him the only artist to top the tally with a Spanish-language album — not once, but twice.
Accomplishing that was just the beginning for Bunny. His Un Verano Sin Ti is vying to become the first Spanish-language album ever to win album of the year at the Grammys this February. In 2022, Bad Bunny also became the first Latin act (and the first act who doesn’t perform primarily in English) to finish atop Billboard’s Year-End Top Tours chart thanks to his top-grossing El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo and World’s Hottest Tour.
“I feel in control. I’ve been doing this five, six years, and I’ve been acquiring experience,” Bad Bunny told Billboard in December. “We’re living in a digital era, where everybody can upload their music and if you explode, you explode, and suddenly, you’re huge with a single hit and you have no experience. You haven’t crashed against anything. I’d say I’ve acquired that experience little by little. I’ve been able to overcome and heal many things in my life, and now I feel that security. I’ve never felt as centered in both my life and my career. I’m clear on what I am and who I am in terms of the music industry.”
With a history-making Coachella headlining set on the horizon, in 2023, Bad Bunny continues to set a precedent for Latin and Spanish-language music. Read on to see what the superstar has managed to accomplish so far.
“Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” by Colombian star Shakira with Argentine DJ Bizarrap, was released Jan. 11 with little notice, save for two collaborative social media posts: One announcing the track was coming out, and the other saying “Available now.”
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Within 24 hours, the session had accumulated over 15 million streams on Spotify –topping the service’s Top 50 global playlist– and the video got over 55 million views on YouTube, a record for a Spanish-language song. That single day count also allowed it to debut at No.12 on the Billboard Global 200 and at No. 8 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. this week.
The knee-jerk explanation for the success could be: This is Shakira, global superstar, doing a post break-up diss track based on very public events.
But that alone doesn’t begin to account for the extraordinary numbers “Vol. 53” pulled.
Salty post-break up tracks, after all, are the stuff big hits are made of, and historically, there’s been plenty. Witness last year’s “Mamii” by Karol G and Becky G, where Karol G ostensibly talks about ex Anuel AA (“I see you on social media, can’t believe it, feel so sorry for you; I was such a good girl, and you piece of gonorrhea, this is how you pay me back”), but never names him.
Shakira, on the other hand, is anything but ambiguous in “Vol. 53,”, taking no prisoners and naming names.
While this may be par for the course in the rap world, in pop it’s practically unheard of, and in Spanish pop, it had never happened before. With her session, Shakira took the notion of the pop diss track into a whole new territory, where kiss and tell comes with names, details and punishment all bundled into one delicious package that can be –and has been—dissected, reproduced and parodied in thousands of ways on social media.
If you had never heard of Shakira’s very public break-up with longtime partner and soccer star Gerard Piqué, who left the 45-year-old star for a 22-year-old, you can hear all about it in “Vol. 53,” which not only drops Piqué’s name, but also that of his paramour, Clara Chía, and on top of that, goes into minute details.
“I’m worth two 22-year olds,” sings the 45-year-old Shakira, alluding to her age and that of 22-year-old Chía’s. She also bluntly acknowledges her problems today –”You left me your mother as my neighbor, Media outlets at my door and in debt with the government” –effectively owning the personal drama that’s played out to endless speculation in the press and social media.
The salaciousness has literally and figuratively drawn gasps from fans, artists and media pundits worldwide, who are used to Shakira’s songs being extremely personal (after all, her 2017 “Me Enamoré” is all about falling in love with Piqué), but also polite and more reliant on figures of speech than actual narrative.
“Vol. 53” turns the notion of “above it all” on its head, and that alone has fueled endless debate on airing dirty laundry and on whether women in general, and Latin women in particular, are held to a double standard in terms of taking a public stance against those who’ve done them wrong.
They’re not, by the way; let’s stop feeling like victims. Women, and men, have long used their songs as cathartic vehicles to expunge their feelings following public breakups.
“You’re so vain; you probably think this song is about you,” sang Carly Simon back in 1972, and although the song was ostensibly about ex Warren Beatty, Simon didn’t admit as much until 40 years later.
Then there’s Paquita La Del Barrio with her legendary, “Two-footed rat” and her rallying cry: “Are you listening useless one?” And what about Ivy Queen’s epic “La Vida Es Así,” where she not only confronts the woman her man is cheating on her with, but also lets her know he’s not a good lay.
But nothing matches Shakira’s very direct finger, which, tied to her very famous name and and her very famous soccer star ex, has proven combustible.
Ironically, the last time a song in Spanish got this explicit in terms of naming names was last year, in another Bizarrap session. “Vol. 49,” featuring Puerto Rican rapper Residente, is a diss track against the current state of Latin urban music, with pointed and personal references to Colombian star J Balvin that also caused a social media uproar.
For 24-year-old Bizarrap, whose sessions have now racked up billions of views in less than three years, the whole point is granting musical and lyrical liberty for what he initially conceived as freestyle sessions.
“Music is a space of liberty, and my sessions are no exception,” Bizarrap told Billboard during a Q&A at Latin Music Week in September. “Artists can say what they really feel and take charge of their feelings. They can express themselves in the way they need in the moment they need. I will never tell an artist he or she can’t say something.”
That, ultimately, may be the key to Shakira’s biggest single in over a decade: She is finally free.
From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
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Myke Towers Takes Over New York
Myke Towers’ 2023 is off to a great start, with the star making big moves in New York City. This week, the Puerto Rican rapper stopped by The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon to perform his Daddy Yankee-assisted track “Ulala,” which entered the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart last week. “Jimmy Fallon, thanks for having me see yall soon,” he wrote on Instagram. The following day, he took the feel-good track to Good Morning America, where he was rocking an all-white leather set and dark sunglasses. “Myke Towers is bringing us into the weekend with his hit song,” posted the official GMA Instagram account.
Bad Bunny Makes Coachella History
The 2023 Coachella lineup was officially unveiled this week, announcing Bad Bunny as its first-ever Latin headliner alonsgide BLACKPINK and Frank Ocean. A handful of Spanish-language acts are also set for the two-weekend festival including Rosalía, Kali Uchis, DannyLux, Eladio Carrión and Becky G, who makes her return to Coachella after being Karol G’s special guest last year, where they sang their anthem “MAMIII.” Coachella is is set to take place in Indio, Calif., on two consecutive weekends, from April 14-16 and then again April 21-23.
Shakira Breaks the Internet
Shakira did not hold back in her first-ever Bizarrap collaboration. “BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53” — which finds the Colombian artist throwing fiery punches at her ex, soccer star Gerard Piqué, and his girlfriend Clara Chía Martí — became a trending topic this week, immediately skyrocketing to No. 1 on Spotify’s Top 50 Global chart. With more than 15 million streams, the catchy electro-pop track broke the record for the most-streamed Latin track in a single day in Spotify history.
Rauw Alejandro Makes Acting Debut
Rauw Alejandro, who celebrated his 30th birthday this week, is set to make his acting debut on Netflix. After teasing fans with TV stills, the Puerto Rican singer officially shared a snippet of one of the episodes he’s in. “Bebe, a pleasure [to meet you] my name is Diego!! and we can get to know each other more on ‘Sky Rojo’ via Netflix,” he captioned the post. In the clip, we see Rauw in an action-packed scene with Argentine singer and actress Lali Espósito. This week, the artist also unveiled the dates and venues to the North American leg of his 2023 Saturno World Tour. Read more information here.
La Ross Maria Is Engaged
Dominican newcomer La Ross Maria, who collaborated with Romeo Santos on “Tu Vas A Tener Que Explicarme” in 2020, is engaged! Earlier this week, the rapper shared a set of photos and videos of the moment her boyfriend and music producer Sammy The Greatest proposed. “Thank you, God, for sending me a man who’s beautiful, atentive, a gentleman and loving,” the 19-year-old singer wrote. “Today we celebrate one year, full of tests, adventures, challenging processes but above all much love and happiness.”
This week, our First Stream Latin roundup — which is a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums and videos recommended by the Billboard Latin editors each week — is powered by new music from TINI, Los Dos Carnales and a collaboration between J Quiles and Myke Towers, to name a few.
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The list includes Yandel‘s seventh solo studio album R3SISTENCIA (resistance), which is home to 17 tracks. It includes his latest single “Yandel 150” with Colombian artist Feid. “This project defines what I am living at this very moment, because no matter the hustle, the pressure, the time, years, or transitions; I’m still here… stronger than ever, flowing with the movement without altering my essence, and revealing all the elements that are in every single part of me,” the Puerto Rican artist said in a statement.
You can also find María Becerra‘s new poignant track “Desafiando El Destino,” which displays a softer and frankly more powerful side. It’s a bonus song to her previously released album La Nena de Argentina. A love letter written to her parents, “Desafiando” begins with a slow, bluesy piano intro that gives way to Becerra’s vocals, tinged with melancholy as she sings to a video of old home movies that’s hard not get teary-eyed about.
Additionally, Lasso dropped his new single “Plástico,” Carlos Rivera and Melissa Robles’ “Un Viaje a Todas Partes,” which is the first track from his upcoming album, TINI’s electro-cumbia “Muñecas” with La Joaqui and Steve Aoki, and ROBI’s “Tu Mundo.”
What’s your favorite new Latin music release this week? Vote below!
