State Champ Radio Latin
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Bad Bunny may be a global hitmaker, but at times, he still feels like a rookie. That’s what the Puerto Rican superstar (real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio) told Apple Music’s Zane Lowe during an interview in which he spoke about his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, and how he’s been reflecting on his own career and life now that he’s been in the industry for a decade.
“I’ve been reflecting about my whole life, my history, and also about my career, when I’ve been doing all these years, I’m about to turn 10 years in the industry,” he told Lowe. “And that’s f–king crazy because sometimes I feel that I’m a rookie, this is my first year! This is my first album to me.”
Debí is Bad Bunny’s sixth studio album, and it’s a celebration of Puerto Rico and the sonic heritage that has influenced his music. The 17-track album, released Sunday (Jan. 5), includes collaborative efforts with Chuwi, Dei V, Omar Courtz, Pleneros de la Cresta and RaiNao — all Puerto Rican acts. Throughout, he takes traditional Afro-Puerto Rican styles such as plena and jíbara, and fuses them with contemporary reggaetón and synths.
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During the interview, he also revealed that his favorite track is the third one on the set, titled “Baile Inolvidable,” which was recorded with young musicians from Escuela Libre de Música. “It’s a song that I have in my mind for maybe two years. The whole composition, the whole song, it was in my mind way before the song was created,” he expressed.
Benito also spoke about aging, and recalled a dark moment in his life. He shared that in his 20s, he felt depressed.
“I remember when I turned 20, I was depressed. I thought that I was I was going to die. It was the end of my life. I was, Oh, my God, I’m 20! I’m a f–king old man! I’m about to die! This is the end! I remember,” he said. “I’m just learning not to think too much and just trust in the life and God and the process and everything and enjoy the moment. But now I’m 30, people start to ask you, ‘Are you going to marry? Are you going to have kids?’ You start to think, ‘Am I wrong?’”
Check out the full interview above, in which Bad Bunny also reveals whether he’ll be touring in Europe this year.
Corridos singer-songwriter Netón Vega is igniting curiosity with new single “Loco.” His first venture into reggaetón, the track rallies 18-2 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (dated Jan. 11), to become his fourth top 10 and ties his best rank. The chart blends streams, airplay and sales to rank the most popular Latin songs of the week in the U.S.
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The Mexican singer-songwriter (from La Paz, Baja California Sur) is set to release his debut album, De Mi Vida Mi Muerte, on Jan. 20 (his birthday), which will house “Loco” as its first single. The song traces its new No. 2 peak largely to 8 million official U.S. streams (up 166%) registered during the Dec. 27-Jan. 2 tracking week, according to Luminate. It unlocks Vega’s second No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs. With the percentage increase, “Loco” also launches at No. 44 on the all-genre Streaming Songs chart and locks a No. 50 debut on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100.
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Vega, known more for corridos and penning songs for Peso Pluma and Tito Double P, has also collaborated with Natanael Cano, Gabito Ballesteros, Luis R Conriquez and other regional Mexican greats, with songs that have earned him three other top 10s on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Among them are “Si No Quieres No” with Conriquez and “La Patrulla” with Pluma; both reached a No. 2 high in June and September 2024, respectively.
In comes “Loco,” released Dec. 20 via Josa Records, for Vega’s first Hot Latin Songs top 10 of the new year and a new sound that has conquered the Latin rhythm audience. The reggaetón track has generated a combined 63,000 videos on TikTok. No video for the song has been released yet.
On a global leval, “Loco” earns Vega his highest debut on the Billboard Global 200, starting at No. 57, the Hot Shot debut of the week, with 20.3 million streams worldwide. Plus, it launches at No. 132 on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 12.4 million clicks outside the States.
Further, following his change of sound, Vega secures his first appearance on the Billboard Artist Hot 100. The chart measures artists’ activity across key metrics of music consumption: album sales, track sales, radio airplay and streaming. Using a methodology comprising those metrics, the chart provides a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.
Bad Bunny’s Second Single From New Album Debuts
Also on Hot Latin Songs, two songs from Bad Bunny’s sixth solo studio album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos, rank in the top 10.
“El Clúb” moves 10-9 with 4.6 million audience impressions and 4.5 million official U.S. streams. “Pitorro de Coco,” meanwhile, visits the chart for the first time, starting at No. 10, for Benito’s record-extending 79 career top 10s. The song registered 5.2 million official streams, suffice for a No. 9 debut on Latin Streaming Songs.
Elsewhere, “Pitorro de Coco” makes its debut across four other charts: No. 91 on Billboard Hot 100, No. 103 on Billboard Global 200, No. 135 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 2 on Latin Digital Song Sales.
El Alfa announced that he’s retiring from music this year and also taking a social media break following the death of his beloved grandmother earlier this week. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I know that life goes on but my feelings don’t go unnoticed. My grandmother […]
You know what they say: new year, new music! In celebration of 2025’s arrival, the Billboard Latin and Billboard Español teams have predicted some of the Latin music trends that we believe will take off this year based on their momentum from 2024.
Last year, we predicted that cumbia music in all its entirety and subgenres (chicha, sonidera, norteña, villera, etc) will see a massive growth. Indeed, cumbia was hot, especially amongst Argentinean artists: Nicki Nicole released “Ojos Verdes,” Tiago PZK teamed up with Ke Personajes for “Piel” and Puerto Rican rapper Myke Towers got experimental on “Los Depuro” with L-Gante, an innovative fusion between cumbia RKT and reggaetón.
We also predicted the rise of dance bélico or electrocorridos, and indeed, we hit the mark.
For their 2024 album, Pero No Te Enamores, Fuerza Regida teamed up with renowned DJs such as Major Lazer, ALOK, AFROJACK, and Gordo, for various EDM-infused bangers. Los Esquivel, Grupo Firme, Grupo Marca Registrada, and DannyLux, among others, also delivered club-ready tracks last year.
Now, with 2025 in full swing, we are seeing more Latin music trends in the horizon.
Latin Afrobeat, for example, not only became a very popular rhythm in 2024 but also dominated the Billboard charts. With viral hits “Ohnana” and “UWAIE,” Colombian newcomer Kapo entered three charts: Hot Latin Songs, Global 200, and Global Excl. U.S. Boza and Elena Rose also made waves with their breakout single “Orion,” which hit No. 2 on the Latin Pop Airplay chart.
Which Latin music trends should we be looking out for this year? Check out our predictions below.
Corridos Experimentation
Image Credit: Christopher Polk
After closing out 2024 by treating Miami to an explosive 10th anniversary lineup that included cinematic headlining sets from Travis Scott, Future and Playboi Carti, Rolling Loud is set to mount its seventh California showing on March 15 and 16 at Hollywood Park, on the grounds adjacent to SoFi Stadium, in Inglewood, Calif.
Playboi Carti — who debuted new tracks from his forthcoming I Am Music album during his 2024 Rolling Loud Miami headlining set — will return as a headliner for Rolling Loud California this year alongside Grammy-winning música Mexicana superstar Peso Pluma and Billboard 200 chart-topper A$AP Rocky. Other notable performers include Quavo, Bossman Dlow, Sexyy Red, Ken Carson, Destroy Lonely, YG, OsamaSon, Hurricane Wisdom, Molly Santana, Skaiwater, Ski Mask the Slump God, Ab-Soul, 03 Greedo, Larry June, Dom Kennedy, Kamaiyah, Blxst, 310Babii and more.
This year, Rolling Loud California will shift to a two-day format. Fans can spend the weekend experiencing carnival rides, brand activations, art installations and more than 75 artist performances across three different stages for $179 (general admission, no hidden fees). VIP passes begin at $499.
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“We’re excited to switch things up with a two-day format that keeps all the energy of Rolling Loud but makes it more affordable for our fans,” said Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif, co-founders and co-CEOs of Rolling Loud, in a press release. “By cutting down a day, we can offer the same epic lineup, dope activations and unforgettable vibes at a price that’s easier on the wallet. At the end of the day, it’s all about making sure everyone can come together to celebrate hip-hop without breaking the bank.”
Rocky (2019) and Carti (2023) have previously headlined Rolling Loud California, while Peso Pluma makes history as the first non-hip-hop artist to headline any edition of the festival. Like Carti, Rocky also has an album that’s expected to arrive in 2025. In a Billboard cover story last year, the Harlem rapper described his long-awaited Don’t Be Dumb record as “the best album he’s ever made.” In June 2024, Peso Pluma unveiled Éxodo, his Grammy-nominated fourth studio album, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and placed 23 of its 24 tracks on Hot Latin Songs.
Rolling Loud Miami celebrated the festival’s 10th anniversary in style, with an enflamed Future, Playboi Carti’s bald backup dancers and Owen Wilson’s “FE!N” cameo emerging as the weekend’s defining images.
Passes go on sale on Friday, Jan. 10, at 12 p.m. PT, only on Rolling Loud California’s website.
Bad Bunny is slated to make a special appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Monday (Jan. 13) as both a musical guest and co-host, Billboard can exclusively announce. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The 30-year-old superstar will perform live a song from his latest […]
With a booming wave of salsa artists including Luis Figueroa and Christian Alicea, there’s no doubt that the tropical genre is catching the attention of the new generation. More so, reggaetón artists are also dipping their toes into salsa music, introducing it to their younger and/or non-Latino fans. Salsa music has its origins Cuba and […]
On Sunday (Jan. 5), Netflix’s Emilia Pérez won big at the 2025 Golden Globes. The musical crime comedy – starring Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez and Karla Sofía Gascón – took awards for best performance by an actress in a supporting role (Saldaña); best motion picture — non-English language; best original song — motion picture for […]
Camila Cabello and Henry Junior Chalhoub, the Lebanese businessman the pop star’s rumored to be dating, were caught in a PDA-filled moment in paparazzi photos published by TMZ on Sunday (Jan. 4).
The “I Luv It” singer and her apparent love interest were seen frolicking in the ocean in St. Barts over the weekend. Pictures posted on TMZ and Page Six show the couple locking lips and being playful at the beach, where they held hands and enjoyed time together in the water.
Cabello, wearing a brown and white triangle bikini top and coordinating bottoms, kissed Chalhoub while the pair went for a swim.
The New Year sighting of Cabello and Chalhoub together in Saint Barthélemy is the first time they’ve been captured on camera getting cozy. Though neither of them have confirmed being in a relationship, rumors previously surfaced of them linking up in November in Saudi Arabia, at an after-party for an Elie Saab fashion show. Cabello performed a medley of singles including “Never Be the Same,” “Shameless,” “Señorita,” “Havana” and “I Luv It” at the Elie Saab show.
The Chalhoub family is behind the Middle East’s leading luxury retailer, the Chalhoub Group, headquartered in Dubai.
Last month, Cabello spoke about the response to her most recent album, 2024’s C,XOXO, in a profile for Nylon. C,XOXO debuted at No. 13 on the Billboard 200 albums chart upon its release in June.
Cabello said she felt the album was “misunderstood,” but she got praise from the best: “Oh, f—, now I’m going to sound name-drop-y,” she said. “But Beyoncé told me she loved my album, OK? That’s the gold star.”
“And I walked away fully, like, tears brimming in my eyes,” Cabello said. “She’s somebody I’ve watched from my childhood. Her and Taylor saying nice things about the album really meant a lot to me. Any time an artist that I respect has said something to me like, ‘Hey, I really love what you’re doing,’ it recharges my battery. A lot of the time I felt so misunderstood.”
Bad Bunny is reflecting on his homeland with the release of his latest album.
On Sunday (Jan. 5), the Puerto Rican superstar dropped Debí Tirar Más Fotos, his sixth studio album. The 17-track project celebrates the culture and history of his native island.
“I am Puerto Rican, I am Caribbean, and my music, my culture, my country’s history run through my veins, from plena to reggaetón,” Bad Bunny said in a press release. “At the peak of my career and popularity, I want to show the world who I am, who BENITO ANTONIO is, and who PUERTO RICO is.”
In an interview with Time, also published on Jan. 5, Bad Bunny shared his views on wealthy foreigners moving to Puerto Rico.
“Politically and historically, they know nothing about Puerto Rico, nor are they interested in knowing,” the rapper said. “They don’t even know that Puerto Ricans on the island don’t even vote for the president, but they do know that they can go to the island to legally evade taxes. That’s something that shocked me.”
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He added, “Tourists come here to enjoy the beautiful places, and then they leave and they don’t have to deal with the problems that Puerto Ricans have to deal with day-to-day.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Bad Bunny addressed comedian/podcaster Tony Hinchcliffe’s comments referring to Puerto Rico as a “floating island of garbage” during a Donald Trump rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden in October 2025.
“I consider myself a person who to a certain point likes dark humor,” he told Time. “But the detail was that it was not a standard comedy nor a comedy show, it was a political rally.”
“Most people don’t know who the f— you are,” the rapper aded, referring to Hinchcliffe. “They’re going to assume that you’re a politician at a political rally. So that awakens people who may be there and think the same as you, and say ‘Yes, Puerto Rico [is]….’ And all those racist people, at that moment, [it] gives them empowerment for a joke.”
In response to Hinchcliffe’s comment at the time, Bad Bunny posted a powerful eight-minute video on Instagram with the caption “garbage.” The clip celebrated Puerto Rico’s resilience and rich culture, showcasing both its historical and contemporary achievements.
Debí Tirar Más Fotos (which loosely translates to “I should’ve taken more photos”) follows Bunny’s 2023 project, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
His latest set features a lineup of Puerto Rican talent, including collaborations with Chuwi, Dei V, Omar Courtz, Pleneros de la Cresta and RaiNao. Bad Bunny blends traditional Afro-Puerto Rican styles like plena and jíbara with contemporary reggaetón and synths, working alongside MAG, Tainy, La Paciencia, and emerging producers Big Jay and Saox.
See Billboard‘s ranking of all 17 songs from Debí Tirar Más Fotos here.
