State Champ Radio Latin
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One of the most memorable moments in Latin music during the 2022 World Cup was undoubtedly “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar,” a cover of an old La Mosca song that was given new lyrics by a fan. The song has become the ultimate anthem to celebrate the achievements of the Argentine National Team in Qatar and beyond, and now it takes on special relevance with the Albiceleste’s advancement to the final of the event held this Sunday (Dec. 18).
“Muchachos, ahora nos volvimos a ilusionar, quiero ganar la tercera, quiero ser campeón mundial,” or “Boys, we have our hopes up again, I want to win the third, I want to be world champion,” goes the song, which was chanted by thousands of fans on Tuesday (Dec. 13) when Argentina beat Croatia 3-0.
The song itself is a poetic ode to Argentina’s profound respect for soccer and its solidarity and empathy as a nation. It mentions the late sports legend Diego Armando Maradona cheering on Lionel Messi from heaven with his mother, Dalma Salvadora Franco, aka La Tota. She is said to have become the most influential figure for the mythical Maradona, which is why fans christened her “the Mother of Soccer.”
“It has to do with our frustrations, our successes, our hopes, Malvinas, finals lost and finals won. And of course to have the illusion of being champions again,” Guillermo Novellis previously told Billboard.
“Muchachos” came into the public consciousness when the world’s most popular Argentine soccer player, Lionel Messi, was asked what his favorite song was during a television interview just before the World Cup kickoff. He mentioned the endearing song by La Mosca, and even sang it on screen.
“It’s like arriving in Rome and being introduced by the Pope,” Novellis told Billboard about that moment.
In November, the entire Argentina national team was caught on camera singing it at the top of their lungs as they celebrated their victory over Mexico.
“Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” is a version of “Muchachos, Esta Noche me Emborracho,” also by La Mosca, released in 2003. But the most recent version — written by soccer fan Fernando Romero in July 2021 to celebrate Argentina’s run to the Copa América final — is the one that has captured hearts.
“It’s a song that has a lot of tango in its lyrics and melody,” said Novellis. “This [newer] version started with Copa América, and the new lyrics are really good. They have to do with our frustrations, our success, our hopes, the Falklands, finals lost and finals won. And of course, the hope of being champions again. Maybe that’s why it resonated so much with fans and players.”
Here are the translated lyrics of the anthem that has gone viral during the 2022 World Cup:
In Argentina I was bornLand of Diego and LionelOf the children of MalvinasThat I will never forgetI can’t explain it to youBecause you won’t understandThe finals we lostHow many years I criedBut that’s overBecause at the MaracanáThe final with the brazucasDad won it againBoysNow we’ve got our hopes up againI want to win the thirdI want to be world championAnd DiegoFrom the sky we can see himWith Don Diego and La TotaCheering Lionel onBoysNow we’ve got our hopes up againI want to win the thirdI want to be world championAnd DiegoFrom the sky we can see himWith Don Diego and La TotaCheering Lionel on, and to be champions again, and to be champions again
For the original Spanish lyrics, click here.
Salsa singer Lalo Rodríguez, known for the 1998 hit “Ven devórame otra vez,” has died. He was 64 years old.
Rodríguez was found dead on Tuesday (Dec. 13) at a public housing project in his native Puerto Rico, police said, according to The Associated Press.
Authorities stated that there were no visible signs of violence, and that an autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of death. The singer had struggled for years with drug and alcohol problems and had been charged with cocaine possession, the AP reported.
Born on May 16, 1958, in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the artist — whose legal name was Ubaldo Rodríguez Santos — began singing as a child at festivals and radio and television shows in Puerto Rico. At age 15, in the ’70s, he joined Eddie Palmieri’s band. He recorded Palmieri’s Grammy-winning albums Sun of Latin Music and Unfinished Masterpiece as lead vocalist before launching his solo career in 1980.
“It is with deep sadness that I learn of the death of Lalo Rodríguez,” Palmieri wrote on Twitter along with a photo of the two. “I don’t need to tell you how much he has meant to me, our music and culture, and the global community. He was a giant in so many ways. We will miss him dearly and treasure his memory.”
Es con profunda tristeza me entero del fallecimiento de Lalo Rodriguez. No necesito decirles cuánto ha significado para mi, nuestra musica y cultura, y para la comunidad mundial.Era un gigante en tantos sentidos. Lo extrañaremos mucho y atesoraremos su memoria.🇵🇷 🎙 🎶 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/iIG95STsnk— Eddie Palmieri (@EddiePalmieri) December 13, 2022
In 1988, Rodríguez released his biggest hit, “Ven devórame otra vez”, which was part of his album Un Nuevo Despertar. Written by the Dominican Palmer Hernández, the song became a classic of romantic salsa with its famous chorus: “Devórame otra vez, ven, devórame otra vez / Ven, castígame con tus deseos, más / Que el vigor lo guardé para ti, ay, ven / Devórame otra vez, ven, devórame otra vez / Que la boca me sabe a tu cuerpo / Desesperan mis ganas por ti”.
On the Billboard charts, the song reached No. 10 on Hot Latin Tracks. In 1990, a version by Spanish female duo Azúcar Moreno also made the list, peaking at No. 9. And in 2004, the song reappeared in the voice of Charlie Cruz, who reached No. 10 on the Latin Tropical Airplay.
In 2018, “Ven, devórame otra vez” was included among Billboard’s top 15 salsa songs of all time.
With its genre-spanning, eternal-summer energy, Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti transcended Latin music and became one of the year’s biggest blockbusters. To one of his main producers, MAG, “It’s been a long time coming.”
“The [previous] divide between Latin music and pop music has now merged, because Spanish-language music is pop music,” he reflects.
The Puerto Rican-Dominican hitmaker helped Bad Bunny create the omnipresent Un Verano Sin Ti. The LP has become the first all-Spanish album to top the year-end Billboard 200, ever, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard staff’s Best Albums of 2022 list. It is also the first all-Spanish-language release to earn a Grammy award nomination for album of the year. And thanks to the record’s wild success, Bad Bunny landed on Billboard Magazine‘s No. 1 year-end issue. It’s not just a chart-topping, record-breaking album, it’s an era-defining moment in pop.
The producer-artist pair have been working closely since MAG executive produced Bunny’s El Último Tour del Mundo in 2020, which also resulted in unprecedented success — it became the first Spanish-language release to top the Billboard 200 in the chart’s 64-year existence.
For reasons mentioned above and more, the super-producer peaked at No. 1 on Billboard’s Year-End Hot Latin Song Producers chart, and landed No. 5 on the all-genre Year-End Hot 100 Producers chart.
Born Marco Borrero in Brooklyn, MAG alchemized 15 of the 23 tracks total from Benito’s latest record, including its two highest-charting tracks on the Year-End Hot 100, “Tití Me Preguntó” and “Me Porto Bonito” — the two songs combined have reached a staggering 1.9 billion streams on Spotify alone since the album’s release in May via Rimas Entertainment.
When asked about the album’s groundbreaking accomplishments, Bunny’s long-time collaborator Tainy, who co-produced nine tracks in the album, tells Billboard: “We never felt these things could be possible for us coming from Puerto Rico and being Latin. We always felt like there was [an Anglo-imposed] level higher than what we were doing, because of the Anglo market. That doesn’t exist anymore, and a lot of that has to do with Benito. It’s special to see those barriers broken, and dreaming big ends up becoming true. This is the new normal.”
“I’m happy to finally see that when you’re talking about Billie Eilish, Adele, Harry Styles, Justin Bieber in the same conversation now, you’re also talking about Benito, you’re talking about Karol G, Rauw and Rosalia,” echoes MAG.
Billboard hopped on Zoom with MAG, who was just arriving to Los Angeles from Miami to be honored at the Variety Hitmakers event for helping Bad Bunny craft another revolutionary new album.
Since we last spoke during the El Último Tour del Mundo (2020) phase, things have evolved tremendously for you. How’s your year going?
We work so much, and every time we finish something we’re on to the next thing. But when I take a second to be present and reflect on my year, it’s heartwarming to see everything that’s happening with Spanish-language music, and the impact that it’s having culturally. What’s happened with the songs we’re doing, how they’ve been accepted and received, and how that’s become a part of pop culture is really heartwarming.
When you reflect on Un Verano Sin Ti’s unprecedented accomplishments, what goes through your head?
The [previous] divide between Latin music and pop music has now merged, because Spanish-language music is pop music. It is the most popular music right now. It makes me really happy to see that. It’s been a long time coming. Of course, streaming has assisted in that — because now we can physically see what consumers are actually listening to, and most consumers are listening to Spanish-language music.
Congratulations on topping the Billboard charts’ Hot Latin Song Producers and landing at No. 5 for the all-genres Hot 100 Producers chart. Did you anticipate these accomplishments given the album’s recent success?
I’m never thinking about charts or the success of what a song is going to have as we’re creating it. I think that’s been an important part of my creative process. Working with Benito, we’re making things that we love and pouring our heart into that, hoping that it’s going to resonate and connect with people. But to have the chart accomplishments, it’s beautiful to see. It’s definitely exciting.
“Tití Me Preguntó” is an explosion of genres: Dominican dembow, reggaetón and hip-hop. It also has an Antony Santos bachata sample (“No Te Puedo Olvidar”). Talk to me about your creative process and what inspired the inclusion of all these musical styles.
It’s like throwing every genre I love in a blender and seeing what happens. That got inspired by the Antony Santos sample that Benito played to me the morning that we created that song. He came over to me with his phone and he was like, “Mag, quiero samplear esto” and played me the actual song. We had some really exciting ideas for it when it was just a trap song, and we put the sample in the intro.
A couple of hours into working on the song, Benito had this idea to try a Dominican dembow section on it, so I sped up the tempo after the hip-hop part. But it was a hard one — because, like you said, we had to cross pollinate so many genres together, and that was a challenge. But it worked. The final product was very, very exciting to listen to.
The song represents you too, growing up in Brooklyn listening to hip-hop, and being of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent.
Yes, [it is] an absolute representation of me. I am Dominican and Puerto Rican. I grew up listening to a lot of bachata, reggaetón, and hip-hop. I love Dominican dembow and I’m from New York. The song has this New York grit to it — I know for a fact that a lot of my people, friends and family back home in New York gravitated towards that.
“El Apagón” has some tribal drumming and ‘90s dance elements..
Benito and I worked on “El Apagón” from scratch. It started with an Ismael Rivera sample from a song called “Controversia,” a song that Benito really loves. He was just rapping throughout the whole thing. Then Benito said, “I want to make another anthem for Puerto Rico.” “P FKN R” [from YHLQMDLG] was an anthem, but it has a lot of curse words. As we’re making this curse-free Puerto Rican anthem, we thought of this ’90s freestyle house section for it. We then threw in “me gusta la chocha de Puerto Rico” all over the chorus [a DJ Joe’s “Vamos a Joder” sample] with Gabriela [Berlingeri] singing in the outro, which was the cherry on top.
Everything in the lyrics is an ode to Puerto Rico, and the situation that’s happening there. To hear it everywhere when I was in Puerto Rico got me really emotional. It really felt like an anthem for our people to see that there’s a lot of street graffiti with the lyrics around Puerto Rico.
Has this genre-spanning approach changed your perspective on producing music? Searching sounds from within your culture, but also seeking external and perhaps previously-unfamiliar musical styles.
I can credit Benito for a lot of the growth that I have had as a producer. In all the work we’ve done together, we’ve challenged each other again and again, to blend genres, get out of our comfort zone, and do things that aren’t standard but feel great to us. That really helped me grow as a producer, in everything I’m doing now, and in everything I’m going to continue to do in the future.
I think that reflects in the music that we’ve made together, and how you hear all these changes and the meshing of genres in all these songs. Even if it’s a reggaetón song, you’re going to hear all these other elements. The growth has happened throughout my years as a producer but especially my work with Benito.
How has your creative relationship with him evolved since you two began working together in 2020?
I’ve been able to watch him grow and continue to develop as an artist. It has been amazing for me to assist in that. As far as our creative process and our working relationship, there’s a lot more trust. At this point, we each know how one another works and what our strengths are. We could be working on a song and he’ll say, “Mag, yo creo que le hace falta…” And I’ll complete the sentence for him. So the relationship has grown in that way. We have amazing chemistry creatively and we understand our workflow and exactly what the object is, whatever the obstacle in the song is, and we know how to get there.
I see that you produced 15 of the 23 songs in the album, and Tainy produced the other eight, but you only collaborated on one song, “La Corriente.”
Shout out to Tainy, the G.O.A.T., the legend. That [song] actually came from Tainy and his team. I was brought in last minute to structure it out, finalize and mix the song with Benito and La Paciencia. We worked on that remotely but it was still an honor to be a part of something with Tainy. He’s somebody who I’ve looked up to since I was a teenager and my entire career. Through my work with Benito, we’ve been able to actually become good friends.
I used to DJ house parties [in New York in the early 2000s], we used to call them hooky parties. We would cut high school and throw parties, and I used to play Tainy songs back then when I was 16, 17 years old. So to be in the same universe professionally with him now and to have collaborated on [“La Corriente”] is really special to me and an honor.
I peep that you dethroned him from the Hot Latin Songs Producer chart, where he held the No. 1 slot for the last three years. [Tainy landed at No. 2 this year.]
It’s wild. My competition is always myself. It’s always MAG trying to improve in what I do. I think there’s space for all of us to shine as producers in this industry, and what we’re all doing culturally for music and in Spanish-language music. Tainy, myself, Ovy [on the Drums, and other Latin producers]. It’s just a beautiful moment for Spanish-language producers.
Aside from Bad Bunny, you’ve also produced for Eladio Carrion, Imagine Dragons, Selena Gomez, Arcángel, to name a few. How working with artists of different styles affect your approach to making a song?
My approach always changes song by song. Even when I’m working with the same artist, I always try to do what’s best for that song and to deliver the product that the artist needs. Never what I think is going to be best, never what I think people are going to like, just what fits the song.
What words of advice would you give somebody who is trying to start off their career as a producer?
Take your time in constructing an identity, a sound that’s you, that gives you an identity as a producer. It’s cool to be inspired by all your favorite producers, but there’s only one of them and there’s only one of you. So take your time and mold that identity. That’s what’s going to stand out as opposed to fitting in.
Arcangel bags his sixth top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as Sr. Santos debuts at No. 3 on the Dec. 17-dated list. The set, a tribute to his late brother Justin Santos who died at 21-years-old in 2021, also bows at No. 2 on Latin Rhythm Albums chart.
Sr. Santos starts with 19,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Dec. 8, according to Luminate. The album was released Dec. 1 via Rimas Entertainment. Bad Bunny, Bizarrap, Myke Towers, Eladio Carrión, De La Ghetto, are just some of the several collaborators accompanying Arcangel on the 18-track set.
On the multi-metric Top Latin Albums chart as measured in equivalent album units, each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.
As with most Latin rhythmic albums, streaming powers nearly all of Sr. Santos’ opening week, equaling 27.3 million official on-demand streams of the album’s songs. Album sales and track equivalent album units comprise a little under 1,000 units.
Sr. Santos is Arcangel’s eighth studio album, and all reached Top Latin Albums, including six top 10s. Of those, he hit No. 1 with Sentimiento, Elegancia & Maldad in 2013, and reached No. 2 twice with Los Favoritos, with DJ Luian, in 2016, and Historias de Un Capricornio in 2020. The latter also contains his first entry on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, “Sigues Con El,” peaking at No. 78 in April of 2020.
Elsewhere, Sr. Santos debuts at No. 2 on Latin Rhythm Albums, and gifts Arcangel his highest-charting title on the all-genre Billboard 200 with a No. 37 start.
As Sr. Santos arrives, one of its songs debuts on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: “La Ruta,” at No. 45.
Meanwhile, two others spend a second week each on the list. “La Jumpa,” with Bad Bunny, which surges 20-3 after its first full tracking week ending Dec. 11. The song was released Nov. 30 and debuted with five days of activity. The team-up is Arcangel’s most streamed song of the week, with 10.3 million in the week ending Dec. 8 and a No. 3 start on Latin Streaming Songs. Plus, it pushes 9-3 on Latin Digital Song Sales with 1,000 downloads sold in the same period.
In between those two, “JS4E,” shortened for Justin Santos 4 ever, holds at No. 23 for a second week.
Bad Bunny wrapped World’s Hottest Tour over the weekend in Mexico City, closing out a historic year on the Billboard Boxscore charts. Ultimately, his 81 concerts in 2022 – culled from two separate tours – combine for the highest gross for an artist in a calendar year ever, since Billboard Boxscore launched in the late 1980s.
Some may have thought there were no Boxscore records left to break for Bad Bunny. His arena tour in the spring, titled El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo, grossed $116.8 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. This made it the highest grossing Latin tour of all time. On a city-by-city basis, he broke local revenue records in 13 North American markets.
He then launched World’s Hottest Tour, a stadium run that made him the first artist to ever mount separate $100-million-tours in the same year. That trek broke local records in 12 of its 15 domestic markets, ultimately earning $232.5 million in the U.S.. Its 11 shows in September grossed $123.7 million, breaking the record for the highest one-month gross since Billboard launched its monthly rankings in 2019.
Bad Bunny topped the year-end Top Tours chart with a $373.5 million take, though he was still in the middle of a Latin American leg when the year-end tracking period ended. (Year-End Boxscore charts are based on shows that played between Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022.) In doing so, he became the first Latin artist, and first artist to primarily perform in any language other than English, to crown the annual ranking.
Finally, Bad Bunny closed out World’s Hottest Tour with two shows at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on Dec. 9-10, adding $10.3 million and 116,000 tickets to its total. The Latin American run spanned 21 shows in 15 cities, earning $81.7 million from 910,000 tickets sold. Mexico was the highlight – not only for its two CDMX concerts, but for the $17.1 million out of Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.
Altogether, the tour grossed $314.1 million and sold 1.9 million tickets, re-setting the record for the biggest Latin tour ever.
Added to his arena tour, plus three hometown shows in San Juan in July that were not a proper part of either of his two tours, Bad Bunny grossed $434.9 million in 2022, narrowly eclipsing Ed Sheeran’s $434.4 million in 2018, for the highest calendar-year gross in Billboard Boxscore history.
Bad Bunny’s gigantic year on the road is just one piece of his 2022 puzzle. He was also named Billboard’s Top Artist of the year, bolstered by the success of Un Verano Sin Ti. Released in May, his seasonal smash spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and landed seven of its tracks on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 ranking.
That album, plus his two 2020 releases, brought Bad Bunny from arena-contender to stadium-conqueror. His previous touring cycle, 2019’s X100 PRE Tour, earned $45.8 million between two legs, averaging $1.1 million per night. World’s Hottest Tour went stratospheric, pacing $3.7 million per show in Latin America and $11.1 million in the U.S.
Dating back to a Rosemont Theater show in October 2017 — his first show reported to Billboard Boxscore as a headliner — Bad Bunny has grossed $508.7 million and sold 3.3 million tickets. That’s one more broken record — enough to make him the highest grossing Latin artist in Boxscore history.
Replying to mounting criticism from the public and Mexican officials, Ticketmaster Mexico issued a formal statement on Monday (Dec. 12) following a ticketing fiasco that led to hundreds being denied access to Bad Bunny’s Mexico City shows Dec. 9 and 10.
“As has been reported, on Friday an unprecedented number of fake tickets were presented at the entrance of [Estadio Azteca], purchased outside our official channels,” wrote Ticketmaster in its release, posted on Twitter late Monday. “In addition to causing confusion among entrance officials, this situation generated a malfunction in our system, which for moments at a time, couldn’t properly identify legitimate tickets. It’s important to underscore that there was no oversale of tickets. Ticketmaster took the technological and logistical measures needed to ensure what happened on Friday would not happen on Saturday.”
Mexico’s Federal Attorney’s Office for Consumers (PROFECO), reported that more than 1,600 people were denied entry to Bad Bunny’s Friday show, leading to crowds of angry ticket-holders clamoring outside the gates of Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. At the time, Ticketmaster attributed the issue to fake tickets that caused their system to malfunction. On Saturday, just 110 were denied entry.
PROFECO, however, said the ticketing problem for the Puerto Rican superstar’s shows was triggered by an “oversale” of tickets and that Ticketmaster would be fined as a result. “The difference between those defrauded in the first and second concert is proof of it. 1,600 tickets in the first concert… and 110 in the second”, PROFECO head Ricardo Sheffield explained on TV program Aguila o sol.
The fine for Ticketmaster México could amount to up to 10% of that company’s total sales in 2021, Sheffield said.
“Ticketmaster claimed they were counterfeit, but they were all issued by them,” Sheffield said in an interview on Saturday with Radio Fórmula.
PROFECO’s investigation determined that many tickets claimed as false were indeed legitimate and had been purchased through legitimate channels, according to Sheffield.
In its new missive, Ticketmaster says the Bad Bunny shows were the most in-demand ever in the country’s history, with 4.5 million people attempting to purchase just 120,000 available seats for both Azteca dates. The company said it’s collaborating “openly and widely” with the investigation and will refund ticket buyers in addition to paying them the 20% indemnization mandated by law.
Read full statement in Spanish below:
Ticketmaster has technology that can prevent the type of fraud that allegedly impacted entry to the show, but so far it has only been deployed in the United States. The technology, known as SafeTix, digitizes tickets and eliminates easy to duplicate barcodes that can be resold to multiple people. It’s unclear when the technology will be available in countries outside of the U.S.
Ticketmaster Mexico had been owned and operated by OCESA-CIE since the 1980s but last year Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation finalized its acquisition of Ticketmaster Mexico, transitioning the company from a license holder to a Ticketmaster subsidiary. Ticketmaster Mexico is forecast to sell 20 million tickets this year.
Whether it was on a red carpet, sold-out concer, or in a music video — rocking her cow-printed vest and miniskirt or bedazzled bustiers — Selena Quintanilla’s fashion-forward style always shined. Now, one of her most emblematic outfits is part of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History’s “Entertainment Nation” exhibition.
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Marking the Smithsonian’s first dedicated exploration of entertainment history, the exhibition features approximately 200 objects that honor theater, television, film, music and sports, including Quintanilla’s leather jacket and satin brassiere combo that she wore at the 1994 Tejano Music Awards in San Antonio, Texas. Quintanilla wore the outfit on display to perform a medley of “Donde Quiera Que Estés” with the Barrio Boyzz and “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom.” That same year, she won female artist of the year, female entertainer of the year, and album of the year for Selena Live!
The rockstar-inspired ‘fit was donated to the museum by the Quintanilla family in 1998.
“This costume is on display on a red carpet, so it’s kind of a spotlight moment to explore Selena, her legacy, the impact that she had,” Ashley Mayor, a curatorial assistant who worked on the exhibition, tells Billboard via email. “It’s important to explore the impact of Selena on a generation of young Latinos who dreamed of being like her. She affected so many people with her music and brought Tejano music to a national and international level. She became a phenomenon.”
Courtesy of the National Museum of American History
In August, the Quintanilla family released Selena’s new posthumous album Moonchild Mixes, home to 10 previously unreleased songs that the Queen of Tejano recorded between the ages of 13 and 16. In an interview with Billboard, her father Abraham Quintanilla Jr. said releasing the album is a way to keep her memory and legacy alive.
The album debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart (dated Sept. 10), as well as at No. 2 on Regional Mexican Albums and No. 8 on the all-Latin-encompassing Top Latin Albums chart. It earned the late icon her seventh No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums, tying Shakira and Thalia for the most among women, and extended her record for the most total weeks spent atop the chart.
Argentina’s last game was a nail-biter. After a nerve-racking penalty shootout over the Netherlands in one of the most exciting matches yet of the 2022 World Cup, Argentina is the last team standing from Latin America.
Now in the semifinals, Argentina — with star player Lionel Messi leading La Albiceleste — will go up against Croatia on Tuesday, Dec. 13. It’s been a wild ride for Argentina, who started the tournament in November losing against Saudi Arabia 2-1. But in a 360, the team won the rest of their matches against Mexico, Poland and Australia.
Ahead of what will probably be an equally thrilling game between Argentina and Croatia, we put together a list of Argentine anthems to help calm the nerves and get you feeling hopeful. Of course, Messi’s now-confirmed favorite song, La Mosca‘s “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar,” powered by a blend of ska, rock and pop, laced with tango, is on the playlist. The song not only pumps Messi but also Argentine fans who are just as passionate about the sport.
“The Argentine fan isn’t happy just being a spectator; he wants a starring role, from the stands, from the audience,” La Mosca’s lead singer Guillermo Novellis previously told Billboard. “As far as soccer goes, every single person in Argentina has played soccer at some point in their lives.
From Andrés Calamaro‘s “Maradona” to Fito Paez‘s “Y dale alegría a mi corazón,” stream the playlist of Argentine anthems we’ve put together to get you in the spirit and rooting for Argentina — if that’s the team you’re hoping to win it all.
One year ago on Dec. 12, the iconic Mexican artist Vicente Fernández died at the age of 81 due to complications following surgery for a cervical spine injury after a serious fall. His timeless music, which reflects a more than 50-year prolific trajectory, has stood the test of time through generations.
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His potent vocals and heartfelt rancheras have accompanied fans through every stage of emotions, from tragic heartbreak to life’s happiest celebrations. At karaoke spots, especially, Chente’s music continues to be very high in demand.
“They request his music all the freaking time,” says Maricela Olivas, Nicaraguan singer and karaoke animator at Guacalito Restaurant. “I think that out of all the songs, ‘El Rey’ is the ultimate Latin karaoke song. This song will never fail at a Latin karaoke spot.”
On the first anniversary of his passing, Billboard celebrates “El Ídolo de México” with a fan poll that highlights more than 10 emblematic Chente tracks popular at karaoke.
The list includes the ever-favorite “El Rey,” the passionate “Aca Entre Nos” and “La Diferencia,” the sweet tribute to women “Mujeres Divinas,” and the mariachi classic “Volver, Volver.”
On the Billboard charts, the iconic singer and actor placed 40 entries on Top Latin Albums, including 25 top 10s and six No. 1s. On Hot Latin Songs, he logged a total of 61 entries, from 1987 to 2013, including 20 top 10s and one No. 1. Fernández holds the record for the most entries on Hot Latin Songs for a regional Mexican solo act, with 61.
What’s your favorite Chente song to sing at karaoke? Vote below.
Massive overselling of tickets for the last two concerts of Bad Bunny’s World’s Hottest Tour in Mexico City this weekend led to hundred of people being denied entry to the superstar’s shows and will have million-dollar consequences for Ticketmaster Mexico, according to Mexican authorities.
The head of Mexico’s Federal Attorney’s Office for Consumers (PROFECO), Ricardo Sheffield, told the Televisa network on Sunday that those affected must receive a 100% refund plus a 20% compensation, and that the company will also be fined.
In a statement, Ticketmaster México acknowledged on Saturday that “the access problems were the result of the presentation of an unprecedented number of counterfeit tickets, which caused an unusual crowd of people and an intermittent operation of our system” which “generated confusion and made entrance to the stadium complicated, with the unfortunate consequence that some legitimate tickets were denied entry.”
Sheffield confirmed the ticketing problem for the Puerto Rican super star’s shows was triggered by an “oversale” of tickets. A total of 1,600 faulty tickets were reported for the first concert Dec. 9, and 110 for the second on Dec. 10. Both shows were at Estadio Azteca. Organizers said some 80,000 people attended each night.
“The difference between those defrauded in the first and second concert is proof of it. 1,600 tickets in the first concert… and 110 in the second”, Sheffield explained on TV program Aguila o sol.
The fine for Ticketmaster México could amount to up to 10% of that company’s total sales in 2021, the official said.
“Ticketmaster claimed they were counterfeit, but they were all issued by them,” Sheffield said in an interview on Saturday with Radio Fórmula.
According to the Mexican official, in its investigation, PROFECO determined that many tickets claimed as false were indeed legitimate and had been purchased through legitimate channels.
Those affected are also preparing a class action suit against the company. PROFECO opened an investigation and invited those who had irregularities with their tickets for Bad Bunny and other major events to file a complaint.
“As we are a fiscal authority, if they don’t want to pay of their own will, we will seize their accounts then, and they will pay because they have to,” said Sheffield.
The ticket issue delayed Bad Bunny’s show on Friday for almost an hour, while a crowd of hundreds outside Estadio Azteca demanded an explanation. Some people climbed through the main gate of the compound in an attempt to gain entry but were stopped by law enforcement. On Saturday, PROFECO announced plans to assist those affected.
Billboard Español reached out to both Ocesa and Ticketmaster Mexico for comment on Friday and Monday, but had not received a reply by press time. On Saturday, Ocesa sent Billboard the press release issued from Ticketmaster Mexico about what had happened at Estadio Atzeca the night before. Last year, Live Nation acquired 51% of the operations of the Mexican company Ocesa and Ticketmaster México.
Cancellations or duplications of tickets for concerts operated by Ticketmaster México and concert promoter Ocesa have increased in recent months for massive concerts, including those of Daddy Yankee, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa, according to complaints from users of the popular ticket sales platform.
The situation in Mexico comes after fans of pop star Taylor Swift collectively sued Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation in the United States for the chaotic ticket sales of her The Eras Tour. Thousands of the singer’s followers were unable to get tickets for her concerts.
