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International music icon Alejandro Sanz will join the lineup of legendary talent at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week. Billboard announced Wednesday (Aug. 28) that the four-time Grammy and 22-time Latin Grammy-winning Spanish superstar will sit down for an exclusive Icon Q&A.
Sanz joins a star-studded lineup for the five-day event, featuring exclusive panels, conversations and performances by Latin music’s biggest stars. Previously announced participants include Bad Gyal, Belinda, Camila Fernández, Chiquis, DANNA, Danny Ocean, Dei V, Domelipa, Eslabon Armado, Fat Joe, Gloria Estefan, J Balvin, JOP, Keityn, Kunno, Lele Pons, Luis Alfonso, Lupita Infante, Majo Aguilar, María Becerra, Marko, Mau y Ricky, Mon Laferte, N.O.R.E., Omar Courtz, Paola Jara, Peso Pluma, Pipe Bueno, Sophia Talamas, Yahritza y Su Esencia, Yeison Jiménez, Yeri Mua and Zhamira Zambrano, with more to be announced in the coming weeks.
“It’s an honor to welcome Alejandro as he prepares to release new music,” says Leila Cobo, Billboard’s Chief Content Officer for Latin and Español, in a press release. “We pride ourselves in being a home for artists where they can speak creatively and openly, and we can’t wait to hear what Alejandro has to say.”
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Sanz’s Icon Q&A marks his return to Latin Music Week after he sat for an exclusive conversation in 2003.
From his debut in 1991 with Viviendo Deprisa to his album of the year Latin Grammy-nominated latest studio album SANZ, released in December 2021, Alejandro Sanz has established himself as one of the most well-known and influential artists around the world. With more than 25 million records sold, all his albums have obtained multi-platinum status in Spain, Latin America and the United States.
Throughout his career, Sanz has collaborated with renowned artists from all over the world, from Alicia Keys to Shakira, Destiny’s Child, Laura Pausini, Ivete Sangalo, Juanes, Juan Luis Guerra, Marc Anthony and many more. Among his latest releases are “NASA” with Camilo; “La Despedida,” included in the soundtrack of the movie Bullet Train; and “Yo Soy” with Eros Ramazzotti. He recently obtained his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and was honored by his hometown of Andalucía with the city’s highest distinction, a medal with the title of “Favorite Son.”
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Billboard Latin Music Week will take place Oct. 14-18 at The Fillmore Miami Beach at the Jackie Gleason Theater. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Billboard Latin Music Week will coincide with the Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will air on Telemundo. Latin Music Week tickets will not include access to the awards show this year. Instead, Billboard will host a special 35th-year anniversary celebration on the evening of Oct. 18, where INSIDER badge holders will receive exclusive invitations to this star-studded event.
For more information on Billboard Latin Music Week, updates on the schedule and more exciting announcements, visit BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.
In the “The Stars Behind the Star” franchise, the editors of Billboard Latin and Billboard Español share stories that have not yet been told about those who are not usually in the spotlight. Think “everything you don’t see on camera,” or “everything that happens behind the scenes.” These unsung heroes are essential to an artist’s team and their foundation. Today, we highlight Latin Grammy-winning music video director Carlos Perez.
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Carlos Perez has directed many of Latin music’s most viewed music videos, from Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee‘s “Despacito” to Marc Anthony‘s “Vivir Mi Vida.” But one helped change music history forever: “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee, the first single from his revolutionary album Barrio Fino, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart in July 2004 and became the best-selling Latin album not only of the year but of that decade.
The song and its respective video, which juxtaposed the adrenaline of racing with the sensuality of dancing women, helped make Daddy Yankee something of a reggaeton Messiah, reviving sales of the Latin genre, introducing a new radio chart in the United States (Latin Rhythm Airplay) and laying the foundation for the urban music that continues to dominate much of the Latin landscape.
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And Perez was much more than the director of “Gasolina”: He worked extensively with Daddy Yankee on the album’s art and marketing campaign, even though they met just six months before Barrio Fino came out thanks to a mutual friend, Raúl López, who was the manager of the Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética.
“I was in the United States and knew very little about reggaeton,” Perez says, “and my friend insisted: ‘Look, reggaeton is what’s coming.’ But I, ignorant of the subject, one day told him that the day I could work with the Jordan of reggaeton was when I was going to work in the genre. He told me, ‘I got it for you; give me a few days.’ And sure enough, days later, I had a meeting [with Daddy Yankee] at Villa Kennedy, a housing project in San Juan, Puerto Rico.”
As far as Perez knew, Daddy Yankee initially needed photos and art for his album, but the first thing the artist told him, he remembers, was: “Tell me everything you can do for this album.”
Director Carlos Perez
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As part of Barrio Fino‘s 20th anniversary, we traveled to 2004 with Perez to learn the details behind the success that inaugurated not only a musical movement but also a lifestyle. Built on a rhythm with an irresistible, global appeal that would eventually form the basis for other movements — from Medellin’s romantic reggaeton to Argentine trap — Daddy Yankee’s album opened doors and inspired subsequent generations of musicians throughout the region.
How long before did you start planning everything for this album?
We met six months before. He told me that he didn’t want to look at what was being done around him in the genre, and we wanted to make a release that, when it came out, would be on par with any release worldwide.
So I made him a proposal for a launch that included something that at that time was not common: the development of identity from the logo, the photography, and the general concept online. It was a launch that monopolized all distribution points. At that time, record labels were outsourced to different people. What I was selling was to make a consistent launch, and to monopolize all the content distribution points with a solid, aspirational image.
What did you think of Daddy Yankee when you met?
The first impression I had was of someone who was very clear about his horizon and his objective, and a person who listened, learned and, in the same way, challenged you. “If this is for this, why can’t it be for this, too?” He is a person who has an innate sense of the market and knows how to market.
For example, I think that, for about a year-and-a-half, he had been announcing the album with “Barrio Fino Coming Soon” in all the songs he recorded. That lets you understand how he already had the name and the concept of what he had been developing long before the album came out. He said that reggaeton had many attributes that allowed it to go global. Among them, it was not just a genre, but it had the culture of dancing, how one dressed, and how one spoke. I had all that very clear.
And did he show you his music that first day?
It was interesting, because I didn’t listen to the album. He has always been very private with music, so I didn’t listen to music until he was already mastering and delivering the album. Yes, I had heard little things, but I remember that he said it was a complete album with a range of musical diversity. He focused with me far beyond the music in the album’s concept of what he wanted to convey around the part. At that time, he did not see that album as something that was a selection of 10 songs; I saw it almost like a movie. I had a visual film behind each song, and that’s how I could explain them to you.
How difficult was it for you to create a concept with a genre that was not your favorite?
For years, he came from a genre called “The Underground.” I had already worked with Ricky Martin, Ricardo Montaner and Olga Tañón, and had made several international releases. So he was precisely looking to create a concept that did not turn its back on the essence of reggaeton, but also had a global look at its identity.
I grew up in the United States, so hip-hop influenced me. He often compared reggaeton with hip-hop, and it was much easier for me to understand where he was coming from and why the genre had all the necessary variables to make a more international release.
What is one of your earliest anecdotes of that time?
We had a second meeting in Miami, and a budget had already been developed. I shared an office with a friend, and we had a house where the first floor belonged to my friend and the second floor was mine, so every time a guest of mine came, we had to go through [his house] and invade the space.
The day Daddy Yankee arrived, my friend was meeting with about ten or twelve executives from the city of Miami. That’s where Yankee arrives with his chains, his cap, and it was quite interesting to see the reactions of all these people when he enters. Obviously no one knew who the guy was, of course, he was new. But just because he was walking around with twenty chains and the cap, everyone was like, “Who the hell is this?” [Laughs]
Apart from “Gasolina,” did you make any other Barrio Fino videos?
Yankee was so clear with the marketing that he figured out that MTV allowed you to deliver a four-and-a-half-minute video, so he decided that for the release, he wanted to include three songs within those four-and-a-half minutes. I mean, it was basically a minute-and-a-half, a minute-and-a-half, a minute-and-a-half.
Then he chooses “King Daddy,” which for him is like the conceptual theme of the character. If you listen to it, it defines the character of the Barrio Fino album. [Also] he chose “No me dejes solo” with Wisin y Yandel, which he thought was one of the most commercial songs on the album. And then “Gasolina,” which he was always very clear about, was “a hit.”
Those three songs were filmed on that first shoot. After that, I also made a video for “Corazones,” one of the album’s hip-hop songs, and we did a couple of other things.
If Daddy Yankee asked you to re-record the video for “Gasolina” today, how much would you change it?
It’s just that when “Gasolina” takes off, MTV obviously asks for a full video of the entire length of the song, but we didn’t have that back then. We talked about having an extra day of shooting because I didn’t think we had enough material. Then the speed was such that what is known today as the “Gasolina” video has different parts. I actually filmed and edited a minute-and-a-half, then someone else — I don’t even know who it was, because my office didn’t handle that — they repeated much of the material. They even added shots to that video that I would never have used.
Also, the resources and the budget with which we worked were very limited, so today would be another film. I would love to re-record the video. They have never talked about it. Well, at one point I think there was talk about doing something for the anniversary, but it never happened. It was the video that I wanted to do again.
Did you ever think you were creating a historic album?
I knew that the concept of the album was special because he also, within his vision for the album, wanted to project a clean image, a more mainstream image. So I was very clear that the title of Barrio Fino was very powerful. I was clear that Raymond was an artist in every aspect, and I knew that we were going to have a release like no other album just because of the fact that we were integrating everything into one. I was very clear when starting Barrio Fino that I was working with the Jordan of reggaeton. That was clear from the beginning. Very clear.
What do you think is essential for a video to become unforgettable?
A good song. You can have all the money in the world, all the creativity in the world, and if the song is s–t… the video is going to be s–t.
Music is the essence of our business. Many people forget that nowadays. There is a lot of talk about algorithms, TikTok and hooks, but there is no longer talk about great songs and great artists. So it is a very saturated industry. Unfortunately, I think there is a saturation of junk music. I still try to be selective.
You often return to work with the same artists over the years, including Daddy Yankee, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony and others. How important is it to you to create that connection?
The thing is that the creative artist relationship is a relationship like any other: there are people who can see love with a temporary eye, and others who see it in the long-term. I get so involved, and take it so personally for the projects that I get involved in, that it seems to me that it is very important not only to be selective about the song and the music but to be selective about the chemistry that exists and the vision that the client, the singer, or the group have, and how compatible we are. So I have always said that when I sit down with a client or an artist for the first time, I always share with them that I like marriages. I am not a big fan of “one-night stands,” because they are very problematic.
MTV and TelevisaUnivision will partner for the second consecutive year with a live, hosted simulcast of the 2024 VMAs on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Univision, the most-watched network among U.S. Hispanics. An encore presentation of the awards show will air on UniMás at 11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
This is a reversal of what transpired last year, when the live simulcast aired on UniMás at 8 p.m. ET and the encore presentation aired on Univision at 11:30 p.m. ET. This platform flip portends a much bigger live audience this year, given Univision’s greater reach.
Univision will bring exclusive show access to its audience, with original, in-show commentary from entertainment host and reporter Alejandra Espinoza throughout the three-hour broadcast, live from New York’s UBS Arena.
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“We’re excited to build on last year’s unique and enormously successful partnership with TelevisaUnivision,” Bruce Gillmer, president of music, music talent, programming & events, Paramount and chief content officer, Music, Paramount+, said in a statement. “Together, we were able to reach the largest live Spanish-speaking audience in VMAs history and deliver +29% [year-over-year] ratings growth. We look forward to celebrating the world’s top artists, including some of the biggest Latin superstars, with our fans around the globe.”
“TelevisaUnivision is excited to partner with Paramount for the second consecutive year to bring the VMAs to our audience,” said Ignacio Meyer, president of U.S. Networks at TelevisaUnivision. “Latin music’s rising influence on mainstream culture is undeniable. We’re proud to be the exclusive Spanish-language home in the U.S. for this year’s award show, offering viewers an in-language, front-row seat to this celebration.”
MTV calls this year’s show the “most global VMAs in show history.” The show will have three Latin performers — Anitta, Karol G and Rauw Alejandro, plus Camila Cabello, who has Latin roots. (The show has also booked K-Pop star LISA.)
Latin and Latin pop crossover music has been an important part of the performance mix on VMA broadcasts since 2018. Last year, four Latin artists performed on the show – Shakira (as part of her Video Vanguard award presentation), Karol G, Peso Pluma and Anitta (the latter both solo and in tandem with K-pop stars TOMORROW X TOGETHER).
Prior to that, in 2022, J Balvin (with Ryan Castro), Anitta and Bad Bunny performed. In 2021, Ozuna, Cabello and Tainy (in tandem with Shawn Mendes) represented Latin music. In 2020, Maluma, CNCO and Nicky Jam (in tandem with Black Eyed Peas and Tyga) did the honors. In 2019, CNCO (in the pre-show), Cabello (with Mendes), Rosalía and Ozuna (in a joint performance) and J Balvin and Bad Bunny (also in a joint performance) all performed. In 2018, Jennifer Lopez (receiving a Video Vanguard award) and Maluma performed.
Anitta is this year’s top Latin nominee, with three nods – best Latin and best editing for “Mil Veces” and another nod for best Latin for “BELLAKEO.” Bad Bunny and Alejandro each have two nods. Bad Bunny is nominated for artist of the year and best Latin for “MONACO” Alejandro is nominated for best Latin and best cinematography for “Touching the Sky.” Karol G, Shakira, Cardi B and Myke Towers each have one nod.
Bruce Gillmer and Den of Thieves co-founder Jesse Ignjatovic are executive producers of the 2024 VMAs. Barb Bialkowski is co-executive producer. Alicia Portugal and Jackie Barba are executives in charge of production. Wendy Plaut is executive in charge of celebrity talent. Lisa Lauricella is music talent executive.
Warner Chappell Music has renewed their partnership with the Mon Laferte, signing a worldwide administration deal.
“I’m really excited for what’s ahead. They were the first ones to have faith in me,” said the Chilean-Mexican singer-songwriter in a press release.
This reunion marks a significant homecoming for the artist, who previously collaborated with Warner Chappell in the early 2010s when her early albums like Desechable (2011), Tornasol (2013), Mon Laferte, Vol. 1 (2015), and La Trenza (2017) were released.
“It’s great to have Mon back at WCM,” added Gustavo Menéndez, president or U.S. Latin & Latin America at Warner Chappell Music. “We initially signed her back in 2013 when she had just moved to Mexico, and it was perfect timing — an opportunity to understand her dreams and aspirations from the start. I admire her for the incredible artist, songwriter and performer that she is and am personally very happy to have her back – this return signifies a beautiful full-circle moment for us.”
The announcement of this deal follows the release of a Netflix documentary about her life, titled Mon Laferte, Te Amo, which premiered earlier this month. The Latin Grammy-winning artist is currently on her Autopoiética World Tour, produced by Live Nation, in support of her latest 2023 album of the same name. The tour has taken her through Europe, North, Central and South America.
“Mon’s artistry is unforgettable in every sense of the word,” said Carlos Ruíz, managing director of Warner Chappell Music México. “She’s a passionate songwriter, an incredible performer, and an even more remarkable human being. With a fearless approach, she has stayed true to her art while constantly evolving, surpassing labels. Our entire team is really looking forward to supporting her in this next phase of her career.”
For the time being, Universal — whom she was previously with — will still administer her albums Norma (2018), 1940 Carmen (2021), Seis (2021) and Autopoiética. In May, Mon Laferte signed a record deal with Sony Music Latin. In October and November, she is poised to perform a few more dates in Mexico City and Ciudad Juárez as well as Chile’s Viña Del Mar.
With the first quarter of the 21st century coming to a close, Billboard is spending the next few months counting down our staff picks for the 25 greatest pop stars of the last 25 years. We’ve already named our Honorable Mentions and our No. 25 and No. 24 stars, and now we remember the century in Bad Bunny — who grew from Latin trap phenom to globe-conquering superpower and transformed what it means to be a pop star in the U.S. and beyond.
It’s easy to forget in 2024 how unusual the concept of a foreign-language U.S. pop star was as recently as last decade. Even as Latin pop enjoyed a massive crossover moment at the turn of the century, and reggaetón became a global force in the mid-’00s, the only artists able to regularly dominate the U.S. mainstream were those who performed in English (or collaborated with English-language hitmakers). Daddy Yankee was as legendary a 21st century reggaetón artist as they come – his 2022 sendoff album was called Legendaddy – but his signature hit, the all-Spanish “Gasolina,” still topped out at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005. Even his historic, chart-conquering Luis Fonsi teamup “Despacito” needed a Justin Bieber remix to get over the Hot 100’s top in 2017, and neither Fonsi nor Yankee has made the chart’s top 20 again since.
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And then came Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio didn’t transform global pop music overnight, but over the course of his six-year rise to dominance, he infiltrated the mainstream in a way no other Spanish-language artist – no foreign-language artist of any kind, really – ever quite has. That’s because not only did Bad Bunny establish himself as one of the most reliable hitmakers on the planet (and in the U.S. specifically) while also becoming one of the most recognizable faces and personalities in pop culture at large, but he did it all while seemingly making no artistic concessions to anyone – not to radio, not to trends, and certainly not to the English-speaking world.
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Bad Bunny first made his presence known in 2016, after his single “Diles” – released on SoundCloud, while Ocasio was still working as a supermarket bagger – attracted enough viral attention to both get him a label deal with Hear This Music and Rimas Entertainment and earn a remix featuring established reggaetón hitmakers Farruko, Arcángel and Ñengo Flow (and a fellow rising star in Ozuna). The song didn’t make much chart impact, but became a slow-burning streaming success – and later that year, Bad Bunny released “Soy Peor,” which would become his first entirely solo hit when it peaked at No. 19 on the Hot Latin Songs chart in September 2017, establishing him as a leading voice in the burgeoning Latin trap scene.
Over the next year, Bad Bunny would also become a fixture on the Hot 100, appearing on hits alongside Becky G (“Mayores”) and Enrique Iglesias (“El Bano”), while also contributing his growing star power to All-Star cuts like “Krippy Kush” and “Te Boté,” the latter his first top 40 entry on the chart. While Bad Bunny was just one artist of many on the latter two songs – with a combined 10 total credited names between them – he stood out for both his distinctive voice, a congested-but-buttery croon which also made his trademark artist tag (“Bad Bunny bay-beh!!”) instantly unforgettable, and for his impeccable fashion style, an unconventional mix of the flamboyant and the basic that always seemed to land within the realm of timeless cool.
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It all led up to his 2018 feature appearance on American rap superstar Cardi B’s “I Like It,” one of pop’s great star-making moments of the 21st century. While Bad Bunny did not yet have the household name recognition of either Cardi or fellow guest reggaetonero J Balvin – who’d recently scored a massive U.S. crossover moment of his own with the Willy William collab “Mi Gente,” even landing Beyoncé for the song’s remix – his verse still kinda stole the show, from its opening “chambea, chambea” chant. Wearing cat-eye sunglasses and a Puerto Rico World Baseball Classic jersey in the song’s hugely popular music video, Ocasio already looked like an icon in the making. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and ensured that all eyes everywhere were now on Bad Bunny.
The heat from “I Like It” did not take long to translate to Bad Bunny’s career as a leading man. Just a few months later, he returned with “MIA,” which landed a guest verse from perhaps the only hitmaker with even more juice than Cardi B in 2018: Drake, in the midst of a year where he’d spend a combined 29 weeks atop the Hot 100 with Scorpion singles “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What” and “In My Feelings.” Not only did the Canadian-born superstar play the hook man for Bad Bunny’s new single, he actually sang in Spanish for it – showing that this early in his rise, Benito already had the clout to get the English-speaking pop world to come to his turf. “MIA” was another enormous success for Bad Bunny, reaching No. 5 on the Hot 100 and enduring for long enough to end up the No. 1 year-end single on the 2019 Year-End Hot Latin Songs chart.
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Amazingly, Bad Bunny’s entire rise to stardom transpired before he even released his debut album. That came at the tail end of 2018, however, with X 100pre. Rather than cash in on his two years of hits and big-name collabs to that point, Bad Bunny’s debut album featured only a couple of his previously released singles and just a few guests, with “MIA” stuck at the end like a bonus track. The album drew rave reviews and reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200, hanging around the chart well into the next decade and ultimately spending 177 weeks on the listing, confirming that Bad Bunny was already much more than just a singles artist.
Bad Bunny
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Bad Bunny
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In June 2019, while Bad Bunny was still spinning off X 100pre hits, having further success with singles alongside hitmakers Tainy (“Callaíta”), Lunay (“Soltera”) and Jhayco (“No Me Conoces”) and taking a break in between legs of his first arena tour, Bad Bunny would further electrify his now-global audience by reteaming with his “I Like It” collaborator J Balvin for the Oasis EP. Despite having just eight tracks, the set made both the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and the top 10 of Billboard’s year-end staff albums list for 2019. Perhaps most importantly, while Bad Bunny was unquestionably the little brother of the two from a star perspective on “I Like It” just a year earlier, by the time of Oasis he and Balvin were clearly on even footing as the two leading hitmakers in reggaetón and Latin trap.
But while Balvin’s stateside star would fade somewhat as the decade turned to the 2020s, Bad Bunny’s would only get brighter. In 2020 alone he would release a trio of albums – YHLQMDLG (short for Yo Hago Lo Que Me Da La Gana, “I Do Whatever I Want” in English) in February, castoffs compilation Las Que No Iban a Salir (The Ones That Were Not Coming Out) in May and El Último Tour del Mundo (The Last Tour in the World) in November – that continued to expand his sound and his global profile, attracting rave reviews (even from many listeners and publications who had not traditionally shown interest in Latin pop or reggaetón). His albums became event releases – doubly so because he started scheduling them around major calendar events (X 100pre on Christmas Eve, YHLQMDLG on Leap Day, El Último on Thanksgiving, etc.) What’s more, in December, Último made history by debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking not only Bad Bunny’s first appearance atop the chart, but the first entirely Spanish-language No. 1 album in the chart’s near-60-year existence.
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In 2021, Bad Bunny made the jump from pop hitmaker to unavoidable celebrity. He scored a brief cameo in F9, the latest installment of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise, and started appearing in commercials for Cheetos and Corona, the latter featuring his bilingual bantering with American rap icon Snoop Dogg. More unexpectedly, he launched a wrestling career – at first just performing his wrestling-themed “Booker T” at the Royal Rumble, then getting in the ring himself, both on his own and as part of a tag team with fellow Puerto Rican Damien Priest. He also used his newfound industry influence to help facilitate comeback moments for some of his hitmaking favorites of yore – enlisting Aventura for his hit “Volvi” and both co-writing and co-producing El Playlist de Anoche with Tommy Torres, giving each their biggest spotlight moment in years, if not decades.
Bad Bunny
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But as much as Bad Bunny accomplished in the first five years of his career, it turned out to all be the prelude to 2022. That May, he dropped Un Verano Sin Ti (A Summer Without You) – 23 tracks, again entirely in Spanish, with no major English-language guests, and with only closer “Callaíta” having been previously released. Like Último, it debuted atop the Billboard 200 – but unlike Último, it stayed there, spending 13 weeks at No. 1 on the listing, with at least 8-10 of its tracks also populating the Hot 100 during any given week that summer. Though no one single from it was really big enough to bring Verano to larger consciousness on its own, the album was so varied in sound – with tracks ranging from the sublime “Neverita” to the booming “Titi Me Pregunto” to the party-starting “Después de la Playa” – but so coherent in overall feeling, that different songs from it popped off at different times (and with different audiences). It ended 2022 as the No. 1 album on both the Year-End Billboard 200 and the Billboard staff’s Albums of the Year list, and also earned Bad Bunny his first Grammy nomination for album of the year.
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Between 2022 and 2023, his stateside visibility took yet another step up, as he co-starred (and had a big fight scene) with Brad Pitt in the action flick Bullet Train, pulled double duty hosting and performing on Saturday Night Live, and dominated the 2022 VMAs remotely from his headlining gig at Yankee Stadium – part of his globetrotting World’s Hottest Tour – where he won the artist of the year moonperson. (He also made headlines for kissing a male backup dancer during that performance, further demonstrating an allyship that has made him an icon for the LGBTQ community, a rarity for trap or reggaetón artists.) He also began dating American superinfluencer Kendall Jenner, news of which was met with some trepidation from his core fanbase, but which cemented him as a tabloid fixture, and half of one of pop culture’s preeminent 2020s power couples. Before 2023’s end, he even released another album: Nadie Saber Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, which also debuted atop the Billboard 200, albeit without quite the rapturous acclaim or staying power of Verano.
In 2024, Bad Bunny stands as simply one of the biggest culture-movers in music. The list of accolades and accomplishments he’s racked up in his career to this point is staggering, but his truest legacy may simply be proving that you can be the greatest pop star in the world – and he was ours for 2022 – without compromising your music, your image or your language for the American market. When Bad Bunny gets up at an award show this decade and accepts entirely in Spanish, he does it without apology or hesitation, and nobody even blinks at it. Now, it’s easy to see an artist like Karol G or Peso Pluma following their way through some of the doors he’s opened. And that’s the power of Bad Bunny: to be such an obvious, all-encompassing superstar that you forget just how long – and until how recently – those doors had been closed in the first place.
Read more about the Greatest Pop Stars of the 21st Century here and check back on Thursday when our No. 22 artist is revealed!
Luis Fonsi is back at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay chart thanks to “Santa Marta,” his first collaboration with Carlos Vives, which climbs 3-1 to lead the Aug. 31-dated ranking. It’s the Puerto Rican’s 11th champ and Vives’ seventh.
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“It’s like an anniversary song,” Fonsi previously told Billboard of “Santa Marta,” which praises genuine love and empathy. The song — released May 17 as one of 12 songs on Fonsi’s 11th studio album, El Viaje, which earned the Puerto Rican his 15th entry on Latin Pop Albums in June — was written by Fonsi alongside Mauricio Rengifo and Andres Torres, also producers of the album.
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“Santa Marta” crowns Latin Pop Airplay after a 1% gain in audience impressions, to 3.3 million, earned in the U.S. in the tracking week of Aug. 9-15, according to Luminate.
As the song lands at the summit, Luis Fonsi manages his 11th No. 1 on Latin Pop Airplay and seventh through a collaboration. His first collaboration to hit No. 1 was “Despacito” with Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber, which ruled the tally for 18 weeks in 2017. All of his No. 1s since have been collaborations. His first four leaders were all solo No. 1s, unaccompanied by any other artist, including his first No. 1, the five-week champ “Nada Es Para Siempre” in 2005.
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Vives, however, parked in the No. 1 slot for the first time in 1995 when “La Tierra Del Olvido” ruled for two weeks. The song, a core vallenato track, then made it to the pop radio ranking before it switched from a station-based tally to a genre-based survey. Since then, Vives has crowned Latin Pop Airplay six more times, his last through “Mujeres,” a collab with fellow country singer Juanes, for one week on top in December 2023.
“Santa Marta” places Luis Fonsi back at the lead on Latin Pop Airplay after almost three years, as the Puerto Rican last occupied the No. 1 spot with “Bésame,” with Myke Towers, in November 2021. He managed, though, three top 10s in between: “Vacaciones” with Manuel Turizo (No. 6 high in 2022), “Buenos Aires” (No. 10, September 2023) and “Pasa La Página “Panamá” (No. 6 high in January) The latter two (along with “Santa Marta”) are all from El Viaje.
Elsewhere, despite its 1% lift in audience impressions, “Santa Marta” dips to No. 32 on the overall Latin Airplay chart, after its No. 31 high (Aug. 31-dated list) during its nine-week run so far.
Two assignments in three decades. Mexican businessman Alejandro Soberón Kuri, CEO of Mexican promoter OCESA, asked architect Pepe Moyao to build a venue on a simple soccer field on the east side of Mexico City to host a show for British legend Paul McCartney in 1993, which later became the iconic Foro Sol. Thirty years later, Moyao was tasked with the remodeling of the same venue for its transformation into the new Estadio GNP Seguros.
“Wouldn’t you like to see a permanent building here? Why don’t you do it? If it’s done, I’ll pay for it!” Moyao recalls Soberón saying when he invited him to create the original project.
Interestingly, it was not the ex Beatle who finally inaugurated the stadium in 1993 but Madonna, who at that time was touring with The Girlie Show to promote her album Erotica. Four years later, in 1997, it was named Foro Sol and its opening under that name was officiated with a concert by rock icon David Bowie. Since then, a myriad of international stars have performed at this place.
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But Moyao, who at that time was in his 30s and a decade earlier had won a youth architecture competition organized by UNESCO, not only built the most important music forum in Mexico, but also a place to hosts events beyond concerts.
“From the beginning, I thought it could fit a baseball stadium, which could also accommodate a racing track, so I thought of creating a multifunctional building, where the stage changes, is removed, moves,” explains the architect. “For six years, this place has been considered the best F1 circuit in the world.”
This year, after a six-month renovation, the renowned Estadio GNP Seguros opened its doors with three mega-concerts by American pop star Bruno Mars, held last August 8th, 10th, and 11th, with an attendance of 65,000 people each night, according to OCESA.
After this, a series of international stars including Metallica, Paul McCartney, The Killers, Eric Clapton, Twenty One Pilots, and Iron Maiden, as well as Latin stars like Feid and Natanael Cano, will perform at the stadium in the coming weeks and months. (For a list of concerts scheduled this year in Mexico, click here).
Below, five things you should know about Estadio GNP Seguros, told to Billboard Español by its creator, architect Pepe Moyao.
1. A Multifunctional Venue
Since its inception, when it was called Foro Sol, the place was designed as a multifunctional building that could adapt to the needs of the event, whether it be a mega rock concert or as the F1 home in Mexico.
“It is a multifunctional building where the stage changes, is removed, moves. It has been recognized six times as the best F1 circuit globally, and it is the only circuit where 30,000 people can watch the award ceremony up front, not done in the pits as in other countries,” Moyao says. “After the F1 ends, you can change it and produce a concert, it has that multi-functionality. It is a unique place in the world, a stadium designed exclusively for entertainment.”
2. Rainwater Reuse
With a capacity of up to 65,000 attendees, the stadium offers new benefits to provide greater comfort and services to fans, including a new 13,800 square meters (148,500 square feet) roof for sun protection and rainwater storage for subsequent reuse.
“The place had an expansion of more than 33,000 square meters of additional construction. From the top of the stands, we have a roof of over 13,000 square meters that will harvest rainwater, and what is captured will go to a cistern that will feed the bathrooms, be used for washing and watering planters, so we can reuse the water,” explains the architect.
3. Greater Comfort for the Viewer
The remodeled venue includes more comfortable seating for the audience, as well as new and improved spaces for the general audience and corporates.
“Previously, people sitting in the stands had to go down about 9 and a half meters to get to the bathrooms. Today, you go down 3 meters,” Moyao points out. “Let’s say that everything is focused on people’s greater comfort.”
4. Cutting Edge Technology
More than 280 state-of-the-art screens were installed in the venue to improve the visualization of the shows and provide more timely information to attendees. This is in addition to internal and peripheral stadium lighting for greater visibility and security.
“All installations, both electrical and hydraulic, are cutting edge, none of the old was preserved. There are LED lamps and low electricity consumption equipment,” said the architect.
5. 177 Days Construction & More Numbers
Although the renovation project of Estadio GNP Seguros lasted about two years, the remodeling took 177 actual days. Additionally, Moyao highlights over 710,000 man-hours went into this; the work of about 1,000 people; 15 companies working simultaneously. During that time, 24,436 shell-type seats were installed.
When Rauw Alejandro performed at the Governors Ball music festival in New York in June, he wore a burnt yellow and beige pinstripe suit with skinny pants, reminiscent of 1970s hipster New York — and previewing what to expect from his next studio album, due out on Sony Music US Latin.
“My dad is from Brooklyn and I have lots of family in New York, and obviously, there’s a lot of Puerto Rican culture there,” Alejandro says, speaking from Rosarito Beach, Mexico, where he headlined the Baja Beach Fest in August. “It’s a little inspired in the ’70s, the Fania All-Stars, all that. It’s a whole character, and I call it a ‘character’ because I see it as an overall concept. Music goes hand in hand with the visuals, the videos, the photos.”
Alejandro, whose six albums have all reached the top 10 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, is no stranger to chameleonic shows of artistry. His aesthetic has changed from album to album, notably with 2021’s Vice Versa (which debuted at No. 17 on the Billboard 200), along with its disco-tinged hit single “Todo de Tí,” plus his most recent album, 2023’s Playa Saturno.
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The upcoming Cosa Nuestra — a title inspired by the genre-defining 1969 Fania All-Stars salsa album by Willie Colón with Héctor Lavoe on vocals — includes the already-released “Touching the Sky” and “Déjame Entrar,” slick blends of funk, disco and R&B. (The latter track is bolstered by a video featuring a cameo by actor Adrien Brody). Producers include Alejandro stalwarts like Mag, Tainy and Mr. NaisGai, as well as veteran salsa producers like Nino Segarra.
Alejandro is approaching his new music with a new agency (UTA) and, instead of new management, is working with “a collective, a family, where we all bring ideas to the table,” he says. The core group consists of veteran manager Jorge “Pepo” Ferradas (who also manages Camilo and Rels B and spent a decade with Shakira), Alejandro’s longtime associate Matías Solari and business manager/attorney José Juan Torres. Ahead of Cosa Nuestra’s late-fall release, Alejandro will perform at the Global Citizen Festival in New York in September and at two arenas in Japan in October as part of Coke STUDIO Live 2024 alongside NewJeans and Rita Ora.
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You spoke about creating a character for this album. Who is he?
I give them nicknames. This is Raúl, Raúl Alejandro, which has more of a telenovela vibe. It’s a bit more like Raúl Alejandro and His Orquestra, which is more serious. My dad’s name is Raúl, so everyone calls me Raulito. I was Raulito on Saturno, a younger character, more active in the street, in the neighborhood. But now I’m Raúl, a more adult guy living in New York and re-creating the era when Puerto Ricans immigrated to the city. My grandmother came in the 1930s, 1940s when there was a big economic depression in Puerto Rico. Many genres — hip-hop, jazz, salsa — came from that time. I love to really study the world I’m going into and try to live it in the present with my touch.
How did you decide on the direction of Cosa Nuestra?
I like to visualize my plans long term. I’ll sit in my house, read a book, smoke a joint with a little cafecito, look at the sky and try to make a mental map of what’s coming up. I don’t like to repeat projects, so planning helps me achieve that. Saturno is an album inspired by the ’90s with more uptempo, electronic music, so don’t expect my next project to be more of the same. Obviously, my essence comes from R&B, and that can fit in any kind of rhythm. It’s not just about the music, but the eras overall.
Your album title is inspired by a classic salsa album. Will there be salsa on yours?
Salsa is not my essence, but it’s something that’s in my blood and in my culture, and it’s something I love. I come from urban music, but I can do other genres. The Colón-Lavoe Cosa Nuestra had the elegance and the musicality and the instruments, which you will hear on this album. It’s the first time I use my band and live music on almost an entire project. I usually write with my keyboard and my computer, but on this project I’m going to the roots.
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You had a hit with “Santa” alongside Jamaican producer Rvssian and Nigerian singer Ayra Starr. Are you planning any Afrobeats or African-inspired music on this album?
Afro is mixed in everything because for me, African music is the mothership. We inherited so much African music in Puerto Rico; our cultural mix is so rich and flavorful, and African music is in our blood. I’ve worked a lot with Rvssian, he’s a good friend, and all our collabs are Afrobeats and dancehall mixed with reggaetón. But everything comes from Africa. I’d love to tour Africa.
Dance has been front and center in the music videos for this album’s singles. What inspired that?
I’ve been studying my ancestors and all the richness of Puerto Rico, so there’s a lot of typical dance and dance that the world may not know. I’ve already used those elements, but I haven’t explained them. Those movements are inspired by something cultural … They’re inspired in salsa, in bomba, in plena, in dances from my island, obviously mixed with jazz, contemporary dance and hip-hop. It’s another aspect of my career.
This story appears in the Aug. 24, 2024, issue of Billboard.
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.
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Cazzu’s Tribute to Selena
This week, Cazzu surprised fans by reappearing on social media — following her very public breakout with Mexican artist Christian Nodal in June. The Argentine rapper was a guest on “Sesiones ¡FA!,” a platform hosted by Argentine actor and musician Mex Urtizberea, where she performed a heartfelt cover of Selena‘s timeless “Como La Flor.” Beyond giving the song a refreshing, reggae twist, the singer seemed happy and healed in the video. Cazzu and Nodal, who have a daughter together, called it splits in June after dating for nearly two years. “I feel the need to let you know that I AM OK, going through it in the best way possible,” she previously said on her Instagram Stories. “I choose to step away from social media for a while to detox and focus on my baby, who is my priority, and on my work.”
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J Balvin to Make Acting Debut
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J Balvin is set to make his acting debut in the forthcoming drug drama Little Lorraine, directed by Andy Hines. Starring Stephen Amell and Sean Astin, the film is “based on true events from the late 1980s, depicting a remote mining and fishing town’s transformation into a hub for a major cocaine smuggling operation,” according to Variety. “I’ve started acting — like real acting, not just cameos — and I just wrapped filming for a movie I’m in that comes out next year,” the Colombian artist, who will portray an Interpol agent investigating a Colombian drug importation ring, said. “I love that side of myself.”
J Balvin
Cesar Buitrago
Chencho Announces Debut Solo Album
After a 25-year trajectory, where he gained success through the popular reggaetón duo Plan B, Chencho Corleone is ready to launch his debut solo album. Earlier this week, the Puerto Rican artist revealed the cover art and release date of his upcoming studio set. “The wait is over…,” he wrote on Instagram, revealing that his album Solo (alone) will be out on Sept. 13. “This album represents my commitment to my fans, who always expect the best from me,” Corleone said in a press statement. “Every track describes a situation that transports you and, at the same time, motivates you to dance. I’m thrilled to finally share ‘Solo’ with my fans and can’t wait to see their reactions.”
LAGOS Supports Venezuelan Immigrants
In efforts to support the Venezuelan community, pop duo LAGOS has partnered with the United Nations to ensure that Venezuelan refugees in Latin America and the Caribbean have access to food, shelter, medical care, education, and formal employment. Proceeds from their Alta Fidelidad 2024 Tour in Mexico will be donated to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. “This is a collaboration that is not only part of our present, but will also be a long-term commitment,” the duo expressed in an Instagram post. “We know that music has the power to unite and heal, and we want to do our bit for those who need it most.” Donations can be made here.
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard’s Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Carin León, Carlos Vives & Chimbala, “La Chancleta” (Socios Music/Virgin Music/Island Records)
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The unexpected fusion of Mexican, Colombian, and Dominican musical elements in “La Chancleta” is a delightful surprise, where Carín León collaborates with Carlos Vives and Chimbala. The upbeat song laces Vives’ tropical vallenato rhythms from the Colombian coast with Chimbala’s rapid and infectious Dembow melodies, all while León’s husky vocals bid farewell to a bad love. “No guardaste el pan para Mayo,” says part of the playful lyrics, which translates to “you did not save the bread for May” — a popular Spanish phrase that stresses the importance of saving for the future to avoid problems. — INGRID FAJARDO
Jesse & Joy and Banda MS, “Te Perdí” (Warner Music Latina)
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Finding the middle ground between their characteristic pop sound and banda sinaloense, Jesse & Joy venture to experiment with regional Mexican music with Banda MS on the song “Te Perdí.” The sweet female vocals that have conquered different generations merges perfectly with that of Alan Ramírez, one of the singers of the group that is characterized by its success with romantic songs. “And although it sounds silly, I know deep down I lost you/ If your heart is gone, then what is left for me to fight,” goes part of the lyrics to this pleasant-to-the-ear and easy-to-remember song. — TERE AGUILERA
Feid & Maisak, “Se Me Olvida” (Universal Music Latino)
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Despite being one of the biggest names in the reggaetón space today, Feid never holds back from supporting the new generation of urbano acts. “Se Me Olvida” attests to that, where the Colombian superstar teams up with promising newcomer Maisak, hailing from Santa Marta, Colombia. Produced by Fenix the Producer and co-penned by the two artists, “Se Me Olvida” is a romantic reggaetón ballad, where the heartfelt lyrics shine on its own. “I keep forgetting that I’m your ex, that I lost you/ And now the love of my life is with the love of her life,” goes the catchy chorus, which first went viral on Maisak’s TikTok — and as a result, Feid jumped on the track. — JESSICA ROIZ
Joaquina, “no llames lo mío nuestro” (Universal Music Latino/Arthouse)
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In her latest single “No Llames Lo Mío Nuestro” (Don’t Call What’s Mine Ours), Joaquina captures the strength of a young woman reluctant to make the same mistakes of the past. In this emotional pop track, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter sings to an ex who is looking to get back with her that she has closed that chapter and overcome their toxic relationship. “I can no longer be here for you whenever you want, don’t try to cover the sun with a finger/ You can no longer take the parts of me that you want, don’t come back because I’m no longer waiting for you/ Don’t call what’s mine ours,” goes the chorus. Driven by a guitar sound that’s perhaps more poppy than her previous work, the single is a new evolutionary step in the brilliant career of the youngest Latin Grammy best new artist winner, both musically and lyrically. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Cimafunk, Pa’ Tu Cuerpa (Terapia Productions/Thirty Tigers)
Erik Alejandro Iglesias Rodríguez, known as Cimafunk and originally from Pinar del Río, Cuba, redefines funk with his new album Pa’ tu Cuerpa. The set is a sonic mosaic that fuses Afro-Cuban rhythms with the contagious groove of R&B and the harmonic sensuality of soul, evoking giants like Earth, Wind & Fire, but with a Latin flavor. The album stands out for its originality, creating an exciting, danceable bridge between African American and Latin music. In addition, the musical arrangements are complex and dynamic, while Cimafunk’s performance is pure energy, charisma and mischief in each song.
Among the gems of the album, the single “Cuchi Cuchi” stands out for its magnetism, while “Catalina”, together with Monsieur Periné, shines for its fusion of styles and contagious joy. “Pretty” adds a note of sensuality and flavor, and closer “A tu merced” — a collaboration with Camila Guevara, Pancho Céspedes and Gonzalo Rubalcaba — ends the set with a more introspective cadence. With Pa’ tu Cuerpa, Cimafunk not only delivers “what your body needs,” but solidifies his place as one of the most innovative and captivating artists in contemporary music. — LUISA CALLE
Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below: