Latin
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Bad Bunny is once again Spotify’s most streamed Latin artist worldwide, the streaming service announced in its 2024 Spotify Wrapped unveiled on Wednesday (Dec. 4). In fact, Bad Bunny was among the top 10 artists that dominated the platform globally. Following Taylor Swift in first place and The Weeknd in second, Bad Bunny took the third […]
Merengue superstar Elvis Crespo is hitting the road early next year with his Poeta Herío U.S. Tour, which will kick off on Valentine’s Day at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Produced by AGTE Live, the trek comes on the heels of the Nuyorican star’s upcoming 26th career anniversary, and the show promises to be a […]
Spaniard Quevedo claims his highest-charting album on any Billboard tally, as his second studio album, Buenas Noches, launches at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums (dated Dec. 7), for his first entry and top 10 there. The 18-track set concurrently opens at Nos. 29 and 11 on Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums, respectively.
Buenas Noches, released Nov. 22 via DQE/Rimas, is Quevedo’s most pop-inclined project to date, and first album with Rimas. Exploring Latin pop sounds with Spanish singer-songwriter Aitana and Pitbull, the 22-year-old also paired with Latin rhythmic greats De La Ghetto, Sech and Rels B.
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“It’s an eclectic album,” Quevedo told Billboard. “Since I had not released music for a long time, what I most wanted was to flow in the studio and do things that I felt like doing. Make a fun album above all, not so introspective.”
Buenas Noches debuts at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate. Streaming contributes most of the debut week activity, which equates to 5.3 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs.
One unit equals to one album sale, 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams for a song on the album.
While Quevedo secures his first entry and top 10 on Latin Pop Albums with Buenas Noches, the 22-year-old Canarian artist previously scored a top 10 on Latin Rhythm Albums through their debut set Donde Quiero Estar, which also peaked at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums in February 2023.
Notably, with the new album launching in the top 10 on Latin Pop Albums, Quevedo becomes the first artist who primarily records Latin rhythmic songs to secure a No. 2 start on Latin Pop Albums in 2024. Here are all the artists who debuted in the list’s top 10 this year:
Debut Pos., Title, Artist, Debut DateNo. 1, Orquídeas, Kali Uchis, Jan. 27No. 1, Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira, April 6No. 6, Final, Vol. 2, Enrique Iglesias, April 13No. 4, Música Buena Para Días Malos, Jay Wheeler, May 11No. 8, García, Kany Garcia, May 11No. 2, Buenas Noches, Quevedo, Dec. 7
Though none of the songs from Buenas Noches preceded the album across the songs charts, Quevedo took the stand-alone single “Columbia” to the stage at the recent Latin Grammy awards. The song earned him his last top 10 the Billboard Excl. U.S. chart, reaching No. 7 high in August 2023.
Venezuelan band Rawayana announced Tuesday night (Dec. 3) that its tour scheduled for this month in Venezuela was canceled, two days after President Nicolas Maduro criticized its recent hit “Veneka” as an insult to Venezuelan women.
The announcement also comes months after the trippy-pop group openly expressed its stance against the Maduro government following the disputed July 28 presidential election.
“Our Venezuela tour CANCELED,” Rawayana wrote in a post on Instagram, explaining that ”this is how we say goodbye to our country until further notice. Our music is not made to divide.” The band also thanked its followers and asked them to be on the lookout for ticket refunds.
“Someday we’ll get together again. Now watch us conquer the world!” added the band, which just last month won its first Latin Grammy, for best pop song for “Feriado,” and received a Grammy nomination for best Latin rock or alternative album for ¿Quién Trae Las Cornetas?
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Rawayana’s canceled concerts in Venezuela were scheduled for Dec. 13-29, and included dates in Caracas, Mérida, San Cristóbal, Maracaibo, Valencia, Barquisimeto, Lechería and Margarita Island.
It was not specified if the group canceled the tour, or if it was the government. “For security issues and protection of our allies, I don’t want to give statements,” Rawayana frontman Alberto “Beto” Montenegro told Billboard Español Wednesday (Dec. 4). “What is evident doesn’t require much explanation.”
On Sunday (Dec. 1), during a speech at an event called Toma de Caracas, Maduro fiercely criticized Rawayana’s song “Veneka,” which has given a positive tone to a term considered derogatory. The song also became a viral hit on social media since its October release. “The women of Venezuela are called dignity, respect and are called Venezuelans, they are not venekas,” Maduro said. “The group that made that song as insulting, as derogatory, as horrible as ‘Veneka,’ screwed up.”
In July, when the Venezuelan electoral authority declared Maduro the winner with 51.2% of the votes (although it has not shown the documents that support the results), the opposition denounced irregularities in the count and claimed that its candidate, Edmundo González, had obtained almost 70% of the votes, Rawayana was among the many Venezuelan artists in exile who reacted to the political situation in their country.
“Venezuela has been living a great fraud for many years … an ideological, moral and ethical fraud,” Montenegro told Billboard at the time. “Unfortunately we are not surprised by another electoral fraud, we have already seen it all.”
Rawayana’s Tuesday night post — which in addition to the brief statement also includes photographs of the band’s early days in Venezuela, at the Latin Grammy red carpet and performing at a massive concert — generated dozens of reactions from major names in entertainment, media and politics.
“A new announcement will be soon. In Freedom!!!” opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has been under protection since August due to threats against her integrity, wrote in the comments section.
Danny Ocean, Elena Rose and Mau y Ricky — who were featured on the October cover of Billboard Español‘s Music from Exile: Venezuelan Voices Find Purpose in the Fight for Their Country — also responded to their compatriots’ announcement.
“Soon you will sing and we will all go to be there with you,” expressed Danny.
“There is no darkness that can stop the love we want to give to our country. Soon we will be back. For now with faith, we go on,” wrote Elena Rose.
Mau and Ricky, who had planned to share the stage with Rawayana for their first performance in their native country, wrote: “We had the illusion of going up there to sing with you for the first time there. Our dream will come true!!!! Sending hugs.”
In the United States, the band — up for a Grammy at the Feb. 2 ceremony — is confirmed for Coachella 2025, which will take place on the weekends of April 11-13 and 18-20 in Indio, Calif.
Check out Rawayana’s statement on the tour cancellation below:
Karol G’s smash “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” claims a 20th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart (dated Dec. 7).
With the new week in charge, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” ties with four other songs for the second-most weeks at No. 1 since the chart launched in 1994. The song now ties Son By Four’s “A Puro Dolor” (2000), Juanes’ “Me Enamora” (2007-2008), Flex’s “Te Quiero” (2008), and “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias, featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona (2014). Ahead of them is Shakira’s “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz, with 25 weeks at No. 1 in 2005.
“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” rules Latin Airplay in its 20th week with 15.5 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the Nov. 22-28 tracking week, according to Luminate. That’s a 23% gain from the week prior. The song takes the Greatest Gainer honors, awarded weekly to the title with the largest increase in audience.
Earlier in 2024, Karol G became the first artist to rule the Hot Latin Songs, Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts simultaneously since 2014, when “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” landed at the summit on the multi-metric tally, the overall radio list, and the Tropical Airplay tally (July 29-dated charts).
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Further, on the Oct. 19 chart, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” claimed the record for the most weeks at No. 1 on Latin Airplay for a song by a female soloist, unaccompanied by any other act, when it reached its 14th week at No. 1. Previously, the most weeks atop the list for a song by a female artist unaccompanied by another act was Pilar Montenegro’s “Quítame Ese Hombre” (13 weeks in 2002).
Elsewhere, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 21st week at No. 1 on Tropical Airplay, the third-longest leading song, after Prince Royce’s “Carita de Inocente” which continues to dominate with 29 weeks on top, and Daddy Yankee and Marc Anthony’s “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta” with 22 weeks in charge.
Luis Angel “El Flaco” achieves a career milestone with his first No. 1 as a solo singer on a Billboard chart thanks to “Amor Bonito,” which climbs 6-1 to lead the Regional Mexican Airplay ranking (dated Dec. 7).
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“Amor Bonito,” released on Sept. 19 via Sony Music Latin, lands at the summit with the Greatest Gainer honors of the week thanks to a 53% gain in audience impressions — up to 8 million — earned in the U.S. for the tracking week of Nov. 22-28, according to Luminate. The song trades places with last week’s champ, Jessi Uribe’s “Si Ya Me Voy,” which dips 1-6 due to a 24% drop in impressions.
While “Amor Bonito” gives Angel his first No. 1 as a solo singer — dating to his first visit to a Billboard radio chart in 2021 — the Mexican singer has been part of many No. 1s in the past. While he was the lead singer of Banda Los Recoditos, the group achieved 13 No. 1s across various Latin rankings (both albums and songs) during a 13-year career with the band.
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Beyond his first champ on Regional Mexican Airplay as a soloist, El Flaco has claimed six other top 10s, nearly missing the No. 1 slot with the No. 2-peaking “Una Julio 70” in 2022. In total, he’s landed seven times in the upper region among 10 career performances.
“Amor Bonito” also gives El Flaco his second top 10 on the overall Latin Airplay chart, where it surges 12-2 for his best placement to date. “Una Julio 70” took him to his first top 10, peaking at No. 6, in December 2022.
El Flaco’s first No. 1 song, produced by Arturo Gárate and written by Meño Segovia, concurrently earns him a maiden appearance on the Emerging Artists chart with a No. 42 debut. The chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200.
El Flaco’s breakthrough arrives on the heels of the banda singer’s Latin Grammy award nomination for best música banda album for Yo Te Extrañaré.
From high school sweethearts to their divorce announcement, see the timeline below.
Nathy Peluso dazzled during her late-night TV debut on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (Dec. 2), captivating audiences with a powerful performance of “El Día Que Perdí Mi Juventud” and “Corleone” from her latest album, Grasa. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Adorned in an […]
Daddy Yankee (real name: Ramón Luis Ayala Rodríguez) and his longtime wife Mireddys González are getting divorced. The Puerto Rican artist announced the news on Monday (Dec. 2).
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“With a heart full of respect and honesty, I want to share some important news about my personal life,” he said in a statement on his Instagram Stories. “After more than two decades of marriage and after many months of trying to save my marriage, which my wife and I share, today my lawyers respond to the divorce petition received by Mireddys.”
He continued to note that his faith in Christ was his refuge and constant guide as the couple — who were high school sweethearts and have two grown kids — tried to overcome their differences. “This is not an easy time, but I understand that it is part of my life process,” he shared. “It is time to accept and continue. Protect my stability, my children and everything built over so many years. I deeply thank those who have accompanied us during this journey and I ask that you respect our privacy in this process. I know that this news may surprise many.”
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In the letter, he expressed his respect for González’s decision and that he is “grateful for the time we shared, full of blessings and values, of love and with a beautiful family that will continue to be our priority.”
González was manager of the former reggeatón artist, and CEO of El Cartel Records, and is widely known to wield broad influence over her Yankee’s music career — which the artist previously said to Billboard: “She’s the boss. She has always been the boss.”
The surprising divorce news comes just two months after Billboard reported that indie music giant Concord acquired parts of the music publishing and recorded music catalog of the Puerto Rican superstar. The deal encompasses certain rights to Daddy Yankee songs including “Con Calma,” his rights as a featured artist on “Despacito” and “Gasolina.”
This year, Daddy Yankee has also been devoted to his faith and beliefs. He opened up about his new life chapter during his four back-to-back farewell concerts in Puerto Rico in late 2022.
“For many years I’ve tried filling a void in my life that no one could fill,” the global Latin urban star told fans at the time. “I tried finding a purpose — on many occasions it seemed as if I was happy, but something was missing for me to feel complete. I have to confess that those days are over, and someone was able to fill that void that I felt for a lot of time. I realized that for everyone I was someone, but I was no one without him.”
After closing multiple deals in the past several months, Prediction Enterprises has officially launched as a music rights management company. Co-founded by industry veterans Matthew Limones and Nicolás González, the firm focuses on the rights and revenues of top music industry creatives and rights owners.
“I’m proud to have been able to found a company that offers essential and meaningful services in the sector of the business where I saw the need,” said Limones, CEO, in a press release. “After my tenure as an executive at one of the most important collective management organizations in the world, I saw an opportunity to jump in and start an operation that managed the rights and revenue of creatives that grew their business on the recorded music side.”
The company provides services for labels, publishers, artists, producers, and songwriters, and negotiated “multi-million dollar transactions of music catalog rights” and deals for top names that include Pitbull, Natanael Cano, Gerardo Ortiz, Sech, Darell, Belinda, Gabito Ballesteros, Cristian Castro, Nacho, Fariana, Lit Killah and brands such as Latin music festival Vibra Urbana and media company Rapeton.
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González, COO, added in the press release, “Many creative artists’ music careers move very fast and don’t have time to understand and learn which music rights belong to them or where to start claiming their rights and collecting their royalties. We saw an opportunity to help them.”
Limones brings a rich background in music technology, policy and label management to his role as CEO of Prediction Enterprises. Before co-founding the new company, Limones served as vp of artist relations at RichMusic; he was also the director of marketing at Universal Music Group/Capitol Latin, and manager of artist and label relations at SoundExchange, where he expanded the company’s Latin digital footprint. Limones has been featured on Billboard’s 40 Under 40 list and is a Billboard Latin Power Player alum.
González also offers a diverse background in tech, music business, and production to his role as COO. Before this, the exec was integral to the Uruguayan pop group Rombai, contributing as a music director, composer and producer. His work earned him accolades including the Uruguayan Music Graffiti Awards and honors from the Viña del Mar International Song Festival. He also serves as vp of the Music Managers Forum in Miami.
Check out Prediction Enterprises’ official website here.