Latin
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From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Tiago PZK’s VMAs debut
Argentine urban act Tiago PZK will make his VMAs debut at this year’s award ceremony. Tiago will join Brazilian star Anitta to perform their Brazilian funk collab “Alegría.” The 2024 VMAs will be broadcast live from New York’s UBS Arena on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET via MTV and Univision. Other artists confirmed to perform include Karol G, Camila Cabello and Rauw Alejandro, among others. Megan Thee Stallion will host the show, and Katy Perry will receive the Video Vanguard Award.
Latin Grammys Best New Artist Showcase in Argentina
The Latin Recording Academy hosted the Best New Artist Showcase featuring previous Latin Grammy winner in the best new artist category, Joaquina, and Nicki Nicole, who was also nominated in the same category in 2020. For the first time, the event took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at Michelangelo Legend.
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“Bringing our Best New Artist Showcase to Argentina for the first time, together with Joaquina and Nicki Nicole, is a unique opportunity to continue celebrating Latin music and its creators during the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys,” said Manuel Abud, CEO, The Latin Recording Academy. “Since we launched the series two years ago, this initiative has become an excellent vehicle to bring our mission to life and reaffirm our commitment to fostering spaces that supports new music in an environment that respects cultural diversity and inclusion.”
Joaquina opened the showcase and sang “Pesimista”, “Quise Quererte,” “No Llames Lo Mío Nuestro” and “El Alquimista.” Meanwhile, Argentine hitmaker Nicki Nicole performed “Dispara”, “Qué Le Pasa Conmigo”, “8AM”, “Plegarias” and “Llámame.”
Joaquina and Nicki Nicole greet thepublic after performing during the The Latin Recording Academy® Best New Artist Showcase on September 05, 2024 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Lalo Yasky/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy
Carnegie Hall to kick off Nuestros Sonidos
Carnegie Hall is set to kick off Nuestros Sonidos — a season-long festival that aims to spotlight Latin culture in the U.S. with a free concert series with events across all five boroughs of New York City. The lineup includes performances by Daymé Arocena on Sept. 20. Subsequently, three performances by Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic from Oct. 8-10 will take place. On the final performance of the orchestra’s series on Oct. 10, Mexican singer-songwriter Natalia Lafourcade will join him as special guest.
More info on Nuestros Sonidos here.
Codiciado honored in Chula Vista, Calif.
On Wednesday (Sept. 4), regional Mexican artist Codiciado was honored with a special proclamation by the Mayor of Chula Vista in San Diego, Calif. The recognition “celebrates Codiciado’s outstanding career and invaluable artistic contributions to the San Diego community and beyond,” according to a press release. The ceremony took place at City Hall in Chula Vista. The singer-songwriter is set to perform at Rumbazo 2024 in Las Vegas on Sept. 13 in celebration of Mexican Independence Day Weekend. For more information, visit rumbazofest.com or follow the event on social media at @rumbazofestival.
Sebastián Yatra On Broadway
“Opportunities come when they come in life and if you don’t dare to take them, you don’t know if they will come again,” Yatra told Billboard Español about making his Broadway debut in Chicago. Set to play the role of Billy Flynn, Chicago is the longest running American musical on Broadway that is a satire set in the 1920s about show business. Chicago is presented at the Ambassador Theatre (219 W. 49th St.) For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.ChicagoTheMusical.com.
Read Yatra’s interview about making his highly-anticipated Broadway debut here.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music from artists including new studio albums by Nicky Jam and Jhay Cortez.
This week, Nicky Jam dropped his sixth studio album Insomnio, three years after his set Infinity. In a 14-track set that includes fiery collaborations with Feid, Eladio Carrión, Sean Paul, and Luar La L on the focus track “La Cyber,” Nicky takes fans on an ultra-personal journey that was inspired by his late-night creativity.
“The name ‘Insomnio’ came about because many of the album’s songs were born in the tranquility of the night, a moment without distractions where my deepest thoughts found their voice,” the Puerto Rican artist expressed in a press statement. “But within that same calm lies the whirlwind of partying until dawn.”
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Jhayco also released his first album in three years, a three-part set with 29 songs called Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X): “Le Clique,” represents the family, “Vida Rockstar,” the movement, and “X,” the hits. For his new project, Jhayco reeled in collaborators such as Peso Pluma, Yandel, and DJ Khaled, to name a few, and as Billboard Español’s Isabela Raygoza describes, it “weaves together the threads of rock, reggaetón, and everything in between […] transforming the artist into a genre alchemist.”
Other new releases this week include Grupo Frontera & Gabito Ballestero’s “Pienso En Ella”; Natti Natasha’s bachata “Tu Loca,” produced by Romeo Santos; and a dreamy new version of Elena Rose’s “Me Lo Merezco.”
Last week, Sebastian Yatra’s “Los Domingos” won the poll, bringing in more than 70% of the votes. Who should win this week? Give these new releases a spin and vote on them below.
What’s your new favorite Latin music release?/¿Cuál es tu nuevo lanzamiento favorito de música latina?
Selena Gomez is showing off her musical talent as well as her acting chops! The multihyphenate took to Instagram to share a clip of the dance-ready track, “Mi Camino,” which is featured in the upcoming film, Emilia Pérez, in which Gomez stars as Jessi Del Monte. “A little sneak peek of the song “Mi Camino” […]
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Grupo Frontera & Gabito Ballesteros, “Pienso En Ella” (Grupo Frontera)
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After dabbling in bachata on “Ángel” with Romeo Santos, Grupo Frontera returns to their roots to deliver a hip-swiveling cumbia titled “Pienso En Ella,” or “I think of her.” This time, the Texas group reels in Mexican singer-songwriter Gabito Ballesteros who adds his velvety vocals alongside Payo (Frontera’s frontman) to the accordion-powered heartbreak song. Produced by Edgar Barrera, who also co-wrote the song, it’s a testament to the hitmakers’ knack to produce songs that are both sonically and lyrically nuanced. — GRISELDA FLORES
PJ Sin Suela, Toda Época Tiene Su Encanto (El Efecto Secundario)
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PJ Sin Suela has unleashed his fourth studio album, dubbed Toda Época Tiene Su Encanto, which loosely translates to “every era has its beauty.” In the 12-track LP, the Puerto Rican indie artist — who’s also a med school graduate and a published author — delivers a conceptual set about love that navigates from the early puppy love stage to overcoming a breakup, and beyond. A musical masterpiece, the artist born Pedro Juan Vazquez Bragan fuses funk, jazz, lo-fi beats, electronic, bolero and tropical music with reggaetón and hip-hop elements. Lyrically, PJ’s wisdom and maturity ooze through lyrics that, for the most part, are about discovering oneself and the importance of self-love, as notably heard in the closing track “Nunca Es Suficiente.”
“The album chronologically explores different stages of love, beginning with the initial innocence-exquisite yet fleeting-then moving through disappointments, experiments, and lessons,” the artist expresses in a press statement. “Ultimately, I learned that each stage has its own charm, with its highs and lows, but true love requires first loving what is uniquely ours.” Toda Época Tiene Su Encanto also includes collaborations with Jorge Drexler (“Todo Se Complica”), Ana Tijoux (“Polos Opuestos”), Elena Rose (“Maldades”), Ñejo (“En Las Guerras Nadie Gana”) and emerging Puerto Rican band Chuwi (“Escúchame”). — JESSICA ROIZ
TIMØ, “El Canto del Olvido” (UMG Recordings, Inc.)
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Colombian boy band TIMØ presents their new single titled “El Canto del Olvido.” With analog instruments, with percussions as protagonists, the band sings about the heartbreak of a love that has left over a Latin pop track that fuses traditional and contemporary elements. “This is the song/ The song of oblivion/ Because when I sing it/ My crying ends/ And I forget that you’ve gone,” they sing in unison in the chorus. The band is preparing to hit the road with their Conquistar el Planeta Tour 2024, which begins on Sept. 26 and will take them through 14 cities in Latin America and Europe. — LUISA CALLE
Salomón Beda & Pedro Capó, “Cada Loco Con Su Tema” (Pa’lante Records LLC)
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Colombian singer-songwriter Salomón Beda and Puerto Rican star Pedro Capó unite their good vibes in “Cada Loco Con Su Tema” (slang for “To Each His Own”), a chill pop single about accepting others by embracing their differences. “How boring the world would be if everything were the same,” goes part of the bridge before the chorus: “To each his own/ There’s no accounting for taste/ We give each other good vibes/ We are clear, there is no problem/ I don’t bother you, you don’t bother me.” The song, co-written by both artists along with Diego Contento, is refreshing and perfect to help you relax. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Jhayco, Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X) (Universal Music Latino)
With a rebellious sneer, Le Clique: Vida Rockstar (X) is a brash declaration of artistic evolution, with Jhayco enhancing his reggaetón beats for a raw revelry that electrifies and disrupts. Split into a thematic triptych — “Le Clique,” the family, “Vida Rockstar,” the movement, and “X,” the hits — the Puerto Rican star sails across genres with ease.
Opening with the title track, “Vida Rockstar,” the Jhayco salutes ’90s-era skater pop-punk, channeling the high-energy of bands like Blink-182. Disc two kicks off with “Le Clique” featuring DJ Khaled and Yovngchimi, who delivers a punchy, trap-inflected flow complete with playful lyrics that invite Prince Royce to swing into a bachata. It’s fresh, vibrant and indicative of the album’s overarching aim: to shake listeners and pull them onto the dance floor. On “58,” Jhayco ventures into Jersey club territory with the aid of Dei V, and on “0 Milla,” produced by MAG, Jhayco dives into hard-hitting reggaetón, complete with trap interludes and a screeching guitar that opens the song. Meanwhile, the third disc starts with “3D,” a Dominican dembow track that energizes the lineup alongside Tivi Gunz and De La Rose.
With the help of producers like Albert Hype, Tainy, and Haze, the album’s 29 tracks were recorded across global music hubs including Paris, Madrid, and Los Angeles, enveloping the in a worldly aura that complements its intrepid spirit. Collaborating with Peso Pluma, Quevedo, Eladio Carrion, and Bryant Myers, Jhayco unites a varied musical community. By weaving together the threads of rock, reggaetón, and everything in between, the singer, songwriter and producer transforms into a genre alchemist, reaffirming that genre lines no longer exist and the music speaks — and rocks (!) — for itself. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:
Iconic bossa nova producer, songwriter, pianist and song interpreter Sérgio Mendes has died at 83. The legendary Brazilian superstar whose career spanned more than six decades and helped craft the modern sound of Latin pop and dance died in Los Angeles of undisclosed causes.
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Beginning in his teens, Mendes — who was born on Feb. 11, 1941 in Rio de Janeiro — focused on dreams of becoming a classical pianist before being inspired by the then bubbling bossa nova explosion in the late 1950s that put a jazzy spin on the popular samba style. He honed his chops played clubs and performing with his bossa nova mentors, Antônio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, before forming his first band, the Sexteto Bossa Rio, with whom he released his 1961 debut recording, Dance Moderno.
Mendes and his band quickly jumped from the clubs of Rio to New York, where Mendes played the first bossa nova festival at Carnegie Hall, followed by a pop-in at the iconic Birdland jazz club in 1962. That serendipitous visit led to an impromptu set with hard bop legend saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, resulting in 1963’s Cannonball’s Bossa Nova album, which featured a mix of jazz-tinged sambas with Mendes on piano. Mendes’ busy year also included contributions to American jazz flutist Herbie Mann’s 1963 albums, Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann and its follow-up, Latin Fever.
After moving to the U.S. in 1964, Mendes formed the first in a series of eponymous bands, Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’65 and released The Swinger From Rio album, with contributions from Jobim and American jazz trumpeter Art Farmer, followed by a live album recorded with his Brasil ’65 crew, In Person at El Matador.
Bouncing between recordings for Atlantic Records and Capitol, Mendes released albums at a furious pace throughout the late 1960s, quickly cementing his status as one of the premier ambassadors for the swinging bossa nova sound. But it was when he signed to jazz great Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss’ A&M Records that Mendes’ album sales and chart success began to take off thanks to the renamed Brasil ’66’s debut single, the Jorge Ben-penned “Mas que Nada.”
The track with lead vocals from American jazz singer Lani Hall, appeared on the platinum-selling Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes & Brasil ’66 and ran up to No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, helping cement its status as one of Mendes’ most beloved songs. The group, which continued to chart through the decade with groovy samba-inflected covers of pop songs, including their Grammy-nominated 1968 take on the Beatles’ “The Fool on the Hill,” as well as the Fab Four’s “Day Tripper” and boss nova’d versions of the Mamas & the Papas’ “Monday, Monday” and the Cole Porter standard “Night and Day.”
The group’s second A&M album, 1967’s Equinox, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, followed a few months later by Look Around, which established a soon-to-be-familiar pattern of mixing bossa nova covers and originals with takes on popular English-language songs, including the Beatles’ “With a Little Help From My Friends” and Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s Dusty Springfield hit, “The Look of Love”; Mendes’ version bested Springfield’s on the U.S. charts, going all the way to No. 4 on the Billboard pop tally. The song’s popularity was boosted when Mendes performed the Oscar-nominated song from the James Bond movie Casino Royale on the 1968 Academy Awards telecast.
In 1968, Mendes replaced the entire Brasil ’66 lineup — with the exception of singer Hall — on the group’s fourth LP, Fool on the Hill, which spawned two top 10-charting singles with the Beatles cover title track and a take on Simon & Garfunkel’s “Scarborough Fair.” Mendes released three more albums on A&M through the end of the 1960s — 1968’s Sergio Mendes’ Favorite Things and Crystal Illusions and 1969’s Ye-Me-Lê — which continued the winning formula of mixing bossa nova with grooving takes on Great American Songbook classics and American pop hits by the likes of Otis Redding, Glen Campbell and Bacharach/David.
His output continued apace in the 1970s, when he released more than a dozen albums, including 1970’s Stillness, which featured new lead vocalist Gracinha Leporace and Love Music, his third album with the reconfigured band — now known as Brasil ’77. The familiar formula continued apace, mixing songs by Jobim with covers of well-known tunes by Stevie Wonder and Leon Russell.
By the 1980s his release schedule began to slow, but Mendes’ popularity bumped up again with 1983’s self-titled album, which gave him his first top 40 LP in more than a decade, as well as his highest-charting single, the No. 4 Hot 100 adult contemporary hit written by Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, “Never Gonna Let You Go.” Mendes scored his only Grammy win in 1992 with Brasileiro, which won the 1993 Grammy for best world music album.
In 2006 he teamed with Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am for Timeless, a No. 44 Billboard 200 LP which featured vocals from a raft of neo soul singers including Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and india.arie, as well as Q-Tip, John Legend, Stevie Wonder and Justin Timberlake.
Mendes continued to release music throughout the 2000s, including his final studio album, 2020’s In the Key of Joy. In addition to his Grammy award and two Latin Grammys, Mendes was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for his theme song to the animated film Rio, “Real in Rio.” Mendes was also profiled in the 2020 documentary Sérgio Mendes: In the Key of Joy.
Listen to some of Mendes’ most beloved songs below.
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Carlos Vives now has his double at the Wax Museum of Mexico City. The Colombian star helped unveil his figure on Thursday night (Sep. 5) night at the institution, where it will share space with other iconic Mexican cultural figures, like painter Frida Kahlo and wrestler El Santo.
“I’m happy with this recognition that the Mexican people give me, that’s how I feel,” Vives said during the ceremony, evidently moved. “We have come to Mexico so much, our hearts have been touched by its music, by its art, by its cinema, its television.”
He added: “Being here in the museum, next to so many figures from the world, but above all next to the Mexican stars, who from my childhood and my youth had been a great example and inspiration — being here with them is the greatest honor I’ve received from the Mexican people.”
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The new wax figure shows Vives looking a bit younger and taller than the real artist. It carries a guitar and wears fitted leather pants and a black t-shirt emblazoned with his name and the title of his sixteenth album, Cumbiana (2020). It’s located in the main hall of the museum, close to those of Vicente Fernández and Marco Antonio Solís.
Vives — who is performing this Saturday, Sept. 7 before 10,000 people for a sold-out show at the National Auditorium in Mexico City — shared the honor with the Colombian musicians who inspired him in his youth and who are part of his history. “They are here with me and represent what I wanted to show the world: a beautiful and diverse oral tradition like our country,” he said.
His addition to the museum comes two months ahead of his honoring as the Latin Recording Academy 2024 Person of the Year in November, during the 25th anniversary of the Latin Grammys in Miami.
Born in Santa Marta, Colombia, Vives is one of the most respected artists in Spanish-language music and a pioneer of a new Latin American sound, redefining traditional Colombian vallenato by incorporating to it pop and rock sounds. With No. 1 hits on the Billboard charts such as “Volví a Nacer,” “Fruta Fresca” and “La Bicicleta” with Shakira, among others, he has become an ambassador of Colombian and Latin American culture around the world.
“He has undoubtedly left an indelible mark on the hearts of millions of people and today he will be immortalized at the Wax Museum of Mexico City,” said the museum in a press release prior to Thursday’s ceremony.
Located in the central neighborhood of Colonia Juárez, in an old Art Nouveau style mansion, the Wax Museum of Mexico City celebrates this year its 45th anniversary. In its 14 thematic rooms, visitors can appreciate some 260 wax figures of characters from history, art, politics, and sports, from Diego Rivera and Salvador Dalí, to Bill Gates, Ronaldinho, Hugo Sánchez, ‘Canelo’ Álvarez; Gene Simmons, Michael Jackson, Chaplin, Alex Lora, Chabelo, and more.
According to the museum, the wax figures are made by its team of sculptors and many wear clothes that belonged to the real character. The creation of each figure takes approximately four to eight months.
Watch Carlos Vives unveil his wax figure below:
Peso Pluma is currently on the North American leg of his 2024 Éxodo Tour that will officially wrap up on Oct. 11 in Montville, Calif. after making pit stops in more than 35 cities. Produced by Live Nation, the música Mexicana star kicked off his trek on May 26 at the Sueños Festival in Chicago […]
Maria Becerra took to social media on Sept. 5 to share a personal update with her millions of followers. Posting a photo of herself in a hospital setting and holding hands with her partner J Rei, also a recording artist, the Argentine hitmaker wrote, “Yesterday I had to undergo surgery because I was having an […]
Ryan Castro and Nike have teamed up for a new collaboration, Billboard can exclusively announce. The Nike by Ryan Castro capsule — available for a limited time at Nike’s flagship stores in Bogotá and Medellín — features customized designs by “El Cantante del Ghetto,” including T-shirts, jackets and shoes with unique laces and tags accessories. […]
Jay Wheeler and Zhamira Zambrano are first-time parents! The couple announced the exciting news in a joint post on Wednesday (Sept. 4). “Welcome princess, we love you with our life,” reads the caption, which accompanies two adorable photos in which the newborn’s tiny feet and hands are shown. The Puerto Rican artist and Venezuelan emerging […]