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When today’s reggaetón stars refer to the genre’s OGs, names like Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Wisin and Yandel always come up. During Latin Music Week, Yandel will star on his own panel, which, like his upcoming album (out Oct. 10 on Warner Music Latin), is titled Elyte and will feature new and legendary reggaetón names across 19 tracks.
At 47 years old — and now on his 11th solo set — Yandel is not only comfortable in his role as a solo act, but also as a leader and mentor to a new generation and a bridge between reggaetón’s past and future.
What does being a reggaetón OG mean to you?
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I feel blessed to be here and still be relevant. It’s any artist’s dream. I’m a real OG, a real musical gangster. I know how to traffic my music and lead my business. It’s been 25 years of killing it. I’m someone who respects new generations and collaborates with new artists. I think that’s what keeps me relevant.
How do you see reggaetón today versus 20 years ago?
The evolution of reggaetón has been a complex process, both musically and culturally. Reggaetón came up in the ’90s as a mix of reggae in Spanish, dancehall and hip-hop. In its beginnings, it was cruder, born from the parties and experiences in the streets of Puerto Rico. It has adapted, and in recent years it has integrated other genres like pop, trap, electronica and smoother rhythms like pop and ballads, which have allowed it to be more versatile and accessible to a global audience. It’s gone from being a marginalized genre to dominating global charts.
What’s your role in the genre today?
I’ll continue to explore different sounds, but keep faithful to reggaetón while incorporating trap, pop and dembow. On Elyte, I’ll display a versatility that maybe wasn’t there last year. And I’ll continue to grow on the business side, continue to be relevant and a bridge between classic and modern reggaetón. You know, keep being a legend. Captain Yandel.
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Metallica closed out its visit to Mexico on Sunday (Sept. 29) with a final tribute to the country. Bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett once again surprised the crowd who gathered at the GNP Seguros Stadium (formerly known as Foro Sol) with a performance of another classic from the Mexican popular songbook: “Los Luchadores” by the legendary tropical music group La Sonora Santanera.
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“El Santo, el Cavernario, Blue Demon y el Bulldog,” sang Trujillo, who is of Mexican origin, while Hammett delighted the 65,000 fans gathered at the venue with his challenging riffs, according to figures provided by the promoter OCESA.
With the band’s unique interpretation of La Sonora Santanera’s classic song, the quartet ended a series of performances in Mexico City that marked its return to the country after a seven-year absence. In total, Metallica gathered 260,000 attendees during four sold-out shows, according to OCESA.
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The legendary Californian metal band, also made up of vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, visited Mexico as part of its M72 World Tour. The group promoted its four dates —Sept. 20, 22, 27 and 29 — with photos of guitar picks with drawings of Mexican pop culture such as the iconic wrestler “El Santo” and a colorful piñata.
Each show included a song in Spanish by a Mexican act, all performed by Trujillo accompanied by Hammett. On Friday (Sept. 27), the band played its own version of the Mexican group El Tri’s classic “A.D.O.” The gesture was reciprocated hours later by the Mexican band’s frontman, veteran rocker Alex Lora, in a video posted on social media.
“Thank you, Metallica, for making my classic A.D.O. yours! Thank you, Trujillo! Thank you, Hammett! And long live rock n’ roll!” Lora said in a video on Instagram, in which he also played the first few verses of his celebrated song.
Previously, during the band’s first night on Sept. 20, Metallica paid tribute to the norteño music group Los Tucanes de Tijuana by playing “La Chona.” Two days later, the rockers paid tribute to rock group Caifanes with their cumbia-themed hit “La Negra Tomasa.”
Metallica’s history with Mexico began three decades ago while promoting its Black Album (1991), when they performed five shows at the Palacio de los Deportes in 1993. Since then, the band has maintained a close relationship with the country, including recording the live DVD Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria (2009), which portrays three spectacular nights in June 2009 at the Foro Sol (now the GNP Seguros Stadium).
Selena Gomez sent a pretty straightforward message to Benny Blanco at Sabrina Carpenter‘s concert in New York City. While enjoying the Short n’ Sweet Tour stop in Madison Square Garden Sunday night (Sept. 29), the Only Murders in the Building actress did a sensual dance to Carpenter’s performance of NSFW track “Juno” and shared a […]
Two decades ago, while hip-hop maintained its cultural dominance, reggaetón began to carve out a niche in the global music scene, and Fat Joe — deeply connected to his Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage and known for his unmistakable New York swagger — bridged the two genres. As both have evolved, so has he: His involvement in Don Omar’s 2005 “Reggaetón Latino (Chosen Few Remix),” alongside N.O.R.E. and LDA, marked a pivotal moment in bringing reggaetón and rap closer together.
Since then, he has consistently fused Latin influences with hip-hop, from his 2019 salsa-infused track “Yes” with Cardi B and Anuel AA (which samples Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón’s “Aguanile”) to the more recent single “Paradise” with Anitta and DJ Khaled. Fat Joe spoke with Billboard ahead of his conversation with N.O.R.E. during Latin Music Week about the intersection of hip-hop and reggaetón.
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How has your Latin heritage influenced your music?
Man, I just love making music for everybody. But every time we can tap the Latino market — because I’m Puerto Rican and Cuban, my wife’s Colombian — we do it for everybody. And you know, nobody knows how to celebrate like Latinos. It’s about time we teamed up with Anitta from Brazil and then DJ Khaled [with “Paradise,” which premiered at the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards] and make a Latino national anthem.
Since “Reggaetón Latino,” how have you seen the relationship between these two styles evolve?
I’m just proud of reggaetón and everywhere [those artists have] gone because when we started out, they were the little guys. Now they’re killing the whole game — Don Omar, Tego Calderón, Daddy Yankee, Wisin & Yandel, all the guys who pioneered the game and brought it over to America and then the world.
In your view, how have hip-hop and reggaetón supported or influenced each other’s wider cultural acceptance over the years?
Hip-hop is the blueprint. It’s the foundation of everything. Reggaetón came after and just took it to another level in the Latino space and the global space. Even people who aren’t Latinos love reggaetón, but hip-hop is always the blueprint. It started everything when you talk about the flow, the music, the fashion… It just runs neck and neck.
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
Demi Lovato is set to perform at the 2024 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Gala on Saturday, Oct. 5, at The Event Deck at LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles. The biannual Gala raises funds to support the hospital’s mission.
“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles holds a very special place in my heart,” Lovato said in a statement. “Over the years, it’s been my personal honor to meet so many families in their care and witness first-hand the compassion and brilliance of their staff. Creating hope and building healthier futures is at the heart of their mission, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate and support that at this memorable event.”
Lovato has notched eight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including Here We Go Again, which debuted at No. 1 in 2009. She has also had four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, topped by “Sorry Not Sorry,” which reached No. 6 in 2017. Her awards include an MTV Video Music Award for “Skyscraper” and two Grammy nods.
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Chuck Lorre, Bernadette and Sugar Ray Leonard, and AEG will each receive the Courage to Care Award for their humanitarian efforts at CHLA and beyond.
Lorre is one of the most successful producers in TV history, with such smash hits as Two and Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mom. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2012.
Actor Jon Cryer, one of the stars of Two and a Half Men, and his wife, actress and producer Lisa Joyner, will co-host the event. Kaley Cuoco, one of the stars of The Big Bang Theory, will serve as a presenter, along with actor Jamie Lee Curtis (a past winner of the Courage to Care award), actor Colin Hanks and radio broadcaster Ellen K.
This year’s honorary co-chairs are Jimmy Kimmel and wife Molly McNearny, and Kristin and Jeffrey Worthe. Kimmel and McNearny both won Primetime Emmys earlier in September for their work on the 2024 Oscars, which was voted outstanding variety special (live). Kimmel won as host; McNearny as an executive producer.
Sabrina Carpenter copped to possibly having a role in last week’s first-ever indictment of a sitting New York mayor. During her headlining show at Madison Square Garden in New York on Sunday night (Sept. 29), Carpenter took a moment to respond to the historic news from Friday that N.Y. Mayor Eric Adams had pleaded not guilty to five felony charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bribery after officials accused him of taking more than $100,000 in illegal gifts in exchange for allegedly helping out the government of Turkey.
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According to fan video of the moment, she joked, “Damn, what now? Should we talk about how I got the mayor indicted?” pulling her face away from the mic as she laughed while the crowd clapped and yelled. Carpenter was referring to reports earlier this month that tied the filming of her blood-soaked 2023 “Feather” video to one of the voluble Mayor’s friends.
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Carpenter made headlines last Halloween when just weeks after filming the visual inside Brooklyn’s Our Lady of Mount Carmel-Annunciation Parish Church in Williamsburg led to the demotion of Monsignor Jamie Gigantiello. The Church leader was relieved of his administrative duties after it emerged that he’d approved the shooting of the clip in which Carpenter, 25, bloodily offs former boyfriends and winds up in a skimpy black dress posing and wriggling on the altar in the ornate 130-year-old church next to a bedazzled coffin emblazoned with the message “RIP B–ch.”
After the video’s release, Bishop Robert J. Brennan said he was “appalled at what was filmed” at the church,” noting that the parish did not follow “diocesan policy regarding the filming on Church property, which includes a review of the scenes and script.” The song was featured on Carpenter’s 2022 Emails I Can’t Send album.
Carpenter’s name popped up earlier this month when reports said that federal investigators were also in the midst of an investigation into the relationship between Gigantiello and Adams’ former chief of staff, Frank Carone. The church was reportedly subpoenaed by federal investigators last week seeking information about possible financial and business tied between longtime friends Gigantiello and Carone, in an investigation allegedly tied to the filming of the video that has racked up more than 100 million views to date.
“It would be inappropriate to comment further on that review, which is still ongoing,” diocese officials said in a statement. “The Diocese is fully committed to cooperating with law enforcement in all investigations, including conduct at individual parishes or involving any priest.”
Adams plead not guilty last week on federal charges alleging that he accepted expensive travel and illegal campaign contributions from a Turkish official and other foreign dignitaries in exchange for political favors.
See fan video of Carpenter’s comment below.
Even over three decades into her decorated career, Mary J. Blige is still adding to her legacy. The queen of hip-hop soul announced her For My Fans Tour last week and revealed the full dates and venues on Monday (Sept. 30).
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Fellow R&B titans Ne-Yo and Mario will serve as openers on the North American trek. Artist pre-sale starts on Oct. 1, while the general public will have their shot on Ticketmaster on Oct. 4 at 10 a.m. local time.
“I am so excited to kick off this tour. I have amazing fans and am so grateful for all of the love and support they have given me throughout the years,” Mary J. Blige said in a statement. “This tour is for them, and I cannot wait to be able to travel to all these cities and see everyone.”
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She continued: “I am in such a place of immense gratitude and peace at this moment, so also having the chance to release my new album Gratitude on Nov. 15 ahead of this tour is really special to me.”
The 27-city tour kicks off on Jan. 30 in Greensboro, N.C., and will rumble through Atlanta, Buffalo, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, Newark, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington, D.C. and more before wrapping up in Boston on April 14.
The Yonkers legend isn’t letting up the rest of 2024. She kicked off the rollout for her upcoming Gratitude album with “Breathing” featuring Fabolous in August. Look for the project to arrive on Nov. 15.
Before Gratitude hits streaming services, Mary J. Blige will also be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a ceremony for the 2024 class taking place on Oct. 19 in Cleveland to cap off another banner year from the Power actress.
Find the full For My Fans Tour dates below.
Jan. 30 – Greensboro, N.C. @ Greensboro Coliseum
Jan. 31 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Lenovo Center
Feb. 3 – Atlanta, Ga. @ State Farm Arena
Feb. 6 – Charlotte, N.C. @ Spectrum Center
Feb. 8 – Tampa, Fla. @ Amalie Arena
Feb. 11 – Hollywood, Fla. @ Hard Rock Live
Feb. 14 – New Orleans, La. @ Smoothie King Center
Feb. 18 – Houston, Texas @ Toyota Center
Feb. 21 – Ft. Worth, Texas @ Dickies Arena
Feb. 25 – Denver, Colo. @ Ball Arena
March 1 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ Intuit Dome
March 7 – San Francisco, Calif. @ Chase Center
March 8 – Sacramento, Calif. @ Golden 1 Center
March 12 – St. Louis, Mo. @ Enterprise Center
March 14 – Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
March 16 – St. Paul, Minn. @ Xcel Energy Center
March 19 – Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena
March 22 – Buffalo, N.Y. @ KeyBank Center
March 24 – Toronto, Ontario @ Scotiabank Arena
March 26 – Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena
March 28 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Boardwalk Hall
April 2 – Columbus, Ohio @ Nationwide Arena
April 4 – Baltimore, Md. @ CFG Bank Arena
April 6 – Newark, N.J. @ Prudential Center
April 10 – New York, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
April 11 – Elmont, N.Y. @ UBS Arena
April 14 – Boston, Mass. @ TD Garden
Ariana Grande is sticking up for Ethan Slater in the face of ongoing speculation about the two Wicked costars’ romance.
While speaking to Vanity Fair for a joint cover story with fellow Wicked leading lady Cynthia Erivo published Monday (Sept. 30), the 31-year-old pop star spoke openly about her boyfriend and the allegations surrounding their love story for the first time. “I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie,” began Grande, who separated from ex-husband Dalton Gomez during shooting in February 2023 before filing for divorce that September. “A lot of people that were working on it did. We were away for two years.”
“The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it,” she continued of gossip surrounding her relationship with Slater, who split from his ex-wife Lilly Jay — with whom he shares a young son, finalizing their divorce just weeks ago — shortly before news of his and Grande’s romance came to light in July 2023. “That was definitely a tough ride.”
In the year since everything unfolded, some have speculated that the two stars began seeing each other while still with their former partners, despite multiple reports that both Grande and Slater’s past relationships had ended before they got involved. Others bought into rumors that the Spamalot actor walked out on Jay and their son, of which the “Thank U, Next” singer told the publication, “there couldn’t be a less accurate depiction of a human being.”
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“No one on this earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about,” Grande continued of her partner. “There is no one on this Earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bulls–t tabloid can rewrite in real life.”
Though she said she’ll “never go into certain details” about her relationship with Slater, the Victorious alum does appear to sing about her split from Gomez and the beginnings of her new romance with the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical star on her latest album Eternal Sunshine. The record spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 and spawned two No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “Yes, And?” and “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love).”
Grande has also stepped out with Slater a few times over the past year or so, although the couple has largely kept their relationship low-key. In April, the Grammy winner supported Slater at his final Spamalot show, and in June, the pair attended the Stanley Cup finals together.
See Grande’s Vanity Fair covers below:
The new docuseries Reggaeton: The Sound that Conquered the World reunites some of the biggest hitmakers in the genre — including Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen and Bad Bunny — to tell the story of how it went from underground music to a style that went on to reign supreme. Set to premiere Oct. 3 on […]
If Latin music exploded in 2023, it consolidated in 2024. According to Luminate’s 2024 Midyear Music Report, it is now the fastest-growing core genre in the United States, and Spanish is the second-most-consumed language in music both stateside and globally, behind only English.
This year, Billboard Latin Music Week celebrates it 35th anniversary Oct. 14-18 at the Fillmore Miami Beach, with a wide range of acts from around the world that reflects the genre’s versatility both musically and as a business. The festivities will include the Billboard Latin Music Awards (airing on Telemundo on Oct. 20) — plus these highlights. (For a full schedule of events, go to billboardlatinmusicweek.com.)
“From Viral Hits to Billboard Charts: The Power of Content Creators”
Content creators have become increasingly prominent in raising awareness of Latin music and artists — and now, many of them are signing recording deals of their own. In the past six months, Mexican influencers Yeri Mua and Domelipa signed with Sony Music, and Mario Bautista, another Mexican influencer, signed to Warner. At Latin Music Week, Mexican TikTok powerhouse Kunno — who has close ties to many Latin music stars and has also dabbled in music — will moderate a conversation between Mua, Domelipa and Bautista, along with internet personality Sophia Talamas and Venezuelan comedian Marko.
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“Making the Hit Live with Grupo Frontera”
Grupo Frontera
Eric Rojas
For a fourth consecutive Latin Music Week, this groundbreaking session will host artists as they develop a hit in real time. This year’s panel features the norteño band that has earned more than 20 No. 1s on the Billboard charts since 2022, as its six members showcase their knack for adapting songs from other genres into their personal style. Two previous tracks created at Latin Music Week have been commercially released: Blessd and Ovy on the Drums’ “Billboard” and Pedro Capó and Carín León’s “Existo.”
“From Clubs to Stadiums”
Feid
Christopher Polk for Billboard
An unprecedented number of Latin acts, including Bad Bunny, Karol G, Grupo Firme and Feid, have toured stadiums in the past year. But their road to massive ticket sales began with their ground-up development: For instance, Colombian star Feid’s remarkable run culminated in July with his first-ever stadium concert at Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium. Feid joins his manager, Luis Villamizar, and Hans Schafer, Live Nation senior vp of global touring, in a frank conversation about how to build a touring career that sells out major venues globally.
“The Winning Combo of Sports and Music”
Anitta
Pedro Vilela/Getty Images
Latin artists are developing closer ties than ever to the sports world, with ventures ranging from team ownership (Anuel AA, Ozuna, Bad Bunny, Marc Anthony) to sports-related gigs like Anitta’s recent halftime performance at the first NFL game in Brazil. This summer, Copa América, the soccer tournament that was played in the United States and featured steady cross-promotion between athletes and musicians, demonstrated the sport’s close ties with Latin acts — which will be the focus of a conversation between music stars and soccer stars Igor Lichnovsky and Leonardo Campana, moderated by Latin sports manager-agent Daniella Durán.
“The New Latin Music Business”
Latin artists, distributors and labels are becoming increasingly innovative in their deal-making, crafting everything from catalog deals to one-offs. Rancho Humilde, the label founded by entrepreneur Jimmy Humilde, has been a trailblazer in this regard, joining forces with different majors and distributors, and also making new label deals with its own artists. Humilde leads a conversation with Txema Rosique, vp of A&R for Sony Music U.S. Latin; Cris Falcão, managing director of artist and label strategy/GM of Latin for Virgin Music Group; and producer Atella, who is head of music for Zumba and leads the newly launched ZML Records.
“The Legacies Panel”
Chiquis Rivera
Alexander Tamargo/TELEMUNDO/Getty Images
Tradition runs deep in regional Mexican music, with many of its current top stars carrying on the musical legacies of famous parents and even grandparents. This once-in-a-lifetime panel will for the first time unite Chiquis Rivera, daughter of late banda legend Jenni Rivera; Camila Fernández, who is following in the mariachi tradition of her father, Alejandro, and grandfather Vicente Fernández; Lupita Infante, upholding the legacy of the iconic ranchera singer and actor Pedro Infante; and Majo Aguilar, representing the golden age of Mexican cinema through her musical heritage from grandparents Antonio Aguilar and Flor Silvestre. Sponsored by Smirnoff Ice, the discussion will delve into their individual and familial contributions to their rich cultural traditions.
“The Sony Music Publishing Icon Q&A With JOP (Jesús Ortiz Paz)”
The mainstay Latin Music Week Q&A this year spotlights the leader of Fuerza Regida and founder of Street Mob Records. Introduced by Jorge Mejia, president/CEO of Sony Music Publishing Latin, and moderated by Leila Cobo, Billboard’s chief content officer of Latin/Español, this session will provide deep insights into the band’s industry achievements and the expansion of its record label. Fuerza Regida became the first Latin band ever to top Billboard’s 2023 year-end Top Artists — Duo/Group list, and the act continues to innovate, introducing a blend of Jersey club and corridos (dubbed “Jersey corridos”) on the group’s 2024 eighth studio album, Pero No Te Enamores.
“The Icon Q&A With Gloria Estefan”
Gloria Estefan
Jesus Cordero
Fresh from receiving the Legend award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Women in Music celebration, the Cuban American superstar will sit for an intimate conversation about her four-decade career. Estefan — who rose to fame in the 1980s as lead vocalist for Miami Sound Machine, alongside her husband, Emilio, and changed pop music forever by infusing English-language pop with Latin flavor, while singing en español as well — became the first female Latin artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2023. The Broadway musical telling her life story, On Your Feet!, is being adapted into a feature film.
This story appears in the Sept. 28, 2024, issue of Billboard.
