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 Zhamira Zhambrano Talks Finding Joy Through Her Music and Current Beauty Obsessions Presented By Ulta Beauty

Zhamira Zhambrano talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her favorite beauty trends while backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

Zhamira Zhambrano:

My glam session has a pretty mixed soundtrack. Sometimes I listen to my own unreleased songs because it’s a moment where I’m alone and can concentrate on what I have to fix for certain songs. I listen to my husband’s music. I listen to Morat. I listen to songs in English. I think if you ask me right now, Karol G. I really like her style lately in her performances. Beyond her style, I really like her self-confidence that she shows in front of the cameras because that’s how you can get to know her and I think she’s a person who always looks beautiful, elegant and who’s super confident in herself. I have always said that if you feel beautiful inside, that is what you will radiate outwards. In my case, I try to work on that a lot with myself and involve it in the studio. When I am creating, I am always thinking about how the person or in this case, the woman who listens to this will feel, or even the man, too, because men can also feel beautiful and powerful. I think that as long as you carry a message of positivity, in my personal case, that’s what I try to radiate in the studio through the music with beautiful and motivational words, healthy and clean messages that reach the heart. You will feel good.  

Danna Talks Finding Joy Through Her Music & Her Glam Soundtrack

Danna talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her glam soundtrack backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

Danna:

A little bit of everything. It depends on the mood. Lately, we are listening to a striptease playlist because it’s like R&B, then suddenly a little bolero, to slow reggaeton, a little bit of jazz, like a combination of all these sexy sounds to bring out that femininity. How does my music help me find beauty and joy? To put it simply, it’s in the act of it. I believe that, for me, creating music and dedicating myself to this industry is a very spiritual act. So within spirituality, there is a lot of beauty. It’s the creation of something together with someone. The beauty of friendship, of finding a very unique and magical moment when creating something, I think it’s very special. And I think the beauty and joy after finishing it and listening to it and you hear my fans singing my songs and that song that was made with so much love, gives me everything. What’s my favorite move on the dance floor these days? 

Keep watching for more!

María Becerra Talks Finding Joy Through Music and a Beautiful Fan Interaction

María Becerra talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her most memorable fan interaction while backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

María Becerra:

Well, the few times we listen to music when we are doing glam, we like to start off with something with a little movement because usually the glam is in the morning, so we start the morning more upbeat with Argentine cumbia, Cumbia En Base, Santafesina cumbia, cuarteto or if not, Mexican cumbia, Columbian, but always a little cumbia to get us going. I feel that the simple fact of making music helps me to find beauty and joy in life. The truth is that I am lucky to be a woman who can make a living from what she loves, whose job is to express, to write her emotions as an open letter, and on top of that, to put it into music. I feel that this fact brings me joy and helps me to find beauty in life every day. This is something that has been around for a while, but the truth is that the “cat eye,” you see, the type of makeup or eyelash to make the eye look more dragged out, fascinated me from the moment I saw it and I love it. I like to do it, I like to have it done, that’s what I like the most.

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Big Sean Brings Out Special Guests During Amazon Music Live Concert | Billboard News

Big Sean brings out special guests like YG and Jhene Aiko during his Amazon Music Live concert on this episode of Billboard All Access.

Tetris Kelly
It was a night with Amazon Music Live, Big Sean and all his special guests. We take you there in Billboard All Access. Amazon invited fans to an interactive experience in Los Angeles before they got to experience the live event full of Big Seans hits. And the night packed celebrity guests as well, like Cali legend YG and Jhene Aikido. Thank you Big Sean.

Lady Gaga’s ‘Disease’ Takeover | Billboard News

Lady Gaga is taking over with her new single “Disease.” What are your thoughts on the single? Let us know in the comments!

Tetris Kelly:

Lady Gaga is back, and with her new single “Disease,” she’s getting right back to “Just Dance.” We’re previewing the track in Music You Should Know. Lady Gaga never stops. She just released “Disease” as fans have been begging for her next era. This is all after she just released music to pair along with her involvement in the ‘Joker’ film. The new track sees a return to form by the way of the electro-pop we have come to expect of Mother Monster. Is this the vibe of her next album? Let us know your thoughts below.

Maria Becerra, Danna & Zhamira Zambrano Reveal How Their Music Encourages Them to Find Beauty & Joy in Life

Some of the top Latin artists at 2024 Billboard Latin Music Week spoke about how their music helps them find beauty and joy in life.

Danna:

To put it simply, it’s in the act of it. I believe that, for me, music and dedicating myself to this industry is a very spiritual act. So, within spirituality, there is a lot of beauty. It’s the creation of something together with someone. The beauty of friendship, of finding a very unique and magical moment when creating something. I think it’s very special. And I think the beauty and joy after finishing it and listening to it and you hear fans singing my songs … songs that were made with so much love, gives me everything. 

Zhamira Zambrano:

I have always said that if you feel beautiful inside, that is what you will radiate outwards. In my case, I try to work on that a lot with myself and involved it in the studio. When I am creating, I am always thinking about how the person, or in this case the woman, who listens to this will feel, or even the man too, because men can also feel beautiful and powerful. I think that as long as you carry a message of positivity, in my personal case, that’s what I try to radiate in the studio through the music with beautiful and motivational words, healthy and clean messages that reach the heart. You will feel good.  

Keep watching for more!

From One Generation to the Next: Latin Artists Who Paved the Way | Billboard News

Presented by Lexus, proudly celebrating Latin Music, this episode delves into the origins of Latin music, and those who have paved the way including Vicente Fernandez, Celia Cruz, Daddy Yankee and more. We dive into how “La Llorona” impacted music, so much so that it’s being covered across generations and more!

Leila Cobo:
Great songs are timeless.

Isabela Raygoza:
We have these centuries-old genres. 

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
Nobody wanted to record them because it was too risky.

Leila Cobo:
But great songs can be redone, and their connection is still the same.

Isabela Raygoza:
Latin music is timeless because it has to do with our ancestry and our heritage, and in a way, also our identity, because it really does date back for centuries.

Leila Cobo:
You cannot talk about the roots of Latin music without talking about the big ranchera mariachi, names of the golden age of Mexican music and cinema. We have Vicente Fernandez, we have Don Antonio Aguilar.

Sigal Ratner-Arias:
Celia Cruz was the queen of salsa, as you may know, la reina de la salsa, she used to say, “¡Azúcar!”

Isabela Raygoza:
Later, Don Pedro Infante, María Félix, Chavela Vargas.

Leila Cobo:
These trailblazers, in my opinion, paved the way and opened the door for Latin artists.

Alex Torres:
I believe that the music of Grupo Niche, the story that Grupo Niche tells with its repertoire, plays a very positive role.

Leila Cobo:
Storytelling in Latin music is one of the essential elements. And it all stems from this “I’m going to tell you a story in my song.” The role that folklore in songs like “La Llorona” has played is huge.

Keep watching for more!

Rihanna Reacts to Kendrick Lamar Performing at 2025 Super Bowl | Billboard News

Rihanna shares her thoughts on Kendrick Lamar taking the Super Bowl halftime show stage in 2025. Keep watching to see what her thoughts are!

Tetris Kelly:

Everyone needs a loyal friend like Rihanna. The Fenty mogul lent an emphatic stamp of approval to Kendrick Lamar performing at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show. Entertainment Tonight caught up with Rih on Wednesday at her Fenty Puma event in Los Angeles, where she gushed about Kendrick having the chance to hit the Super Bowl stage she previously rocked in 2023.  

Rihanna:

Let’s go… what is there to doubt on that?

Interviewer:

No, it’s going to be amazing, I’m just asking you what you think because you’ve done the Super Bowl before. You have that special insight. 

Rihanna:

It’s a diamond on a ring finger, honey! It’s meant to be! 

Interviewer:

I’m with you. 

Rihanna:

Kendrick Lamar, he deserves it. I cannot wait to see it. … Kendrick, thank you.  

Tetris Kelly:

While there’s been much debate about Kendrick’s selection, Rihanna has no doubt her loyal collaborator is the man for the job. However, artists such as Nicki Minaj, Master P and Cam’ron have blasted the NFL for snubbing Lil Wayne with the Super Bowl being in his hometown of New Orleans. Nicki wrote on X in September: “You can love & respect Kendrick and still love & respect Wayne. Even Kendrick loves & respects Wayne. Every real rapper loves & respects Wayne.” 

RiRi and Lamar teamed up for “Loyalty” on the Compton rapper’s ‘DAMN.’ album in 2017. Perhaps Rihanna will make a surprise return to the Super Bowl stage next year reuniting with Kendrick as a surprise guest. 

Nora Fatehi Lights Up ‘All That Glitters’ Diwali Ball | Billboard News

The “All That Glitters” Diwali Ball made its way to The Pierre Hotel this year, and Billboard is taking you inside the glamorous exclusive event. From Nora Fatehi’s show-stopping performance to Jay Sean’s hot soundtrack, keep watching to see it all!

Tetris Kelly:
It’s time to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, and this year, Billboard is taking you inside one of the world’s hottest Diwali parties and one of the hardest to get into. The ultra glamorous invite-only affair started as a small gathering in the Tribeca loft of music industry veteran Anjula Acharia, who introduced artists like Lady Gaga, Britney Spears and 50 Cent to India, while launching the career of Priyanka Chopra in the U.S.

But in 2019, she moved her party to The Pierre Hotel on New York’s Upper East Side, drawing celebrities from Padma Lakshmi to Mindy Kaling and hundreds of millions of eyeballs on social media, showcasing the ascension of South Asians in pop culture. This year, 300 lucky guests were invited by a house committee that included the CEO of Warner Music Group, the Chief Content Officer at Netflix and Billboard‘s Editorial Director, Hannah Karp, with the soundtrack for the evening curated by Jay Sean, who made his U.S. Billboard chart debut in 2009, breaking cultural barriers as a South Asian artist with back-to-back Hot 100 top 10 hits, including “Down,” which spent two weeks at No. 1.

But the belle of the ball this year was undoubtedly Nora Fatehi, a rising Canadian-Moroccan pop star with 47 million Instagram followers, who moved to India from Toronto at the age of 22, learned Hindi and became a Bollywood sensation. She stole the show with an electrifying performance of her new song, “Nora,” and a string of her most beloved Bollywood hits, supported by a team of world-class dancers from AATMA Performing Arts.

Keep watching for more!

Billboard Latin Music Week 35th Anniversary Party: See the Highlights | Billboard News

Billboard Latin Music Week culminated with its 35th anniversary party, and we have all the highlights from the event, including an appearance from Spicy Tam, the real-life emoji formerly known as the woman dancing.

Isabela Raygoza:
Hola, mi gente. It’s Isabela Raygoza at Billboard Latin Music Week, and I’m joined by Spicy Tam, the real-life emoji formerly known as “the woman dancing.” How are you feeling, Spicy Tam?

Spicy Tam:
I’m so excited to be celebrating 35 years of Latin music, and I even have some moves to show off.

Isabela Raygoza:
Let’s see ’em! To honor more than three decades of our celebration of Latin music, the biggest names in the genre took to Miami for festivities.

Spicy Tam:
And the week wrapped with the 35th anniversary party featuring yours truly.

Isabela Raygoza:
At the concert event, which took place at the Fillmore, attendees were treated to giveaways, photo ops and, of course, custom cocktails provided by Smirnoff Spicy Tamarind. Cheers, girl! 

Spicy Tam:
Ay! And I even got to show off some of my dance moves ahead of the big show. 

Isabela Raygoza:
The night saw comedian George Harris kick off the show, which also featured Ana Mena, Belinda, Tito Doble P, Young Miko and more. 

Spicy Tam:
What an incredible lineup. 

Isabela Raygoza:
So head over to billboard.com for more on Latin Music Week. I’m Isabella Raygoza.

Spicy Tam:
And I’m Spicy Tam. See you next time!