Music

El Fantasma’s ‘El Exitoso’ Travels to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart

El Fantasma’s “El Exitoso” continues to find success on Billboard’s Latin airplay charts (dated March 16) as the track surges 5-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay and rallies 18-2 on the overall Latin Airplay tally.

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“El Exitoso” climbs 5-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay with a robust 72% gain in audience impressions, to 8.3 million, earned during the March 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate.

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As “El Exitoso,” released last October via Afinarte, advances to the summit, it ejects “Por El Contrario,” by Becky G, Leonardo Aguilar, and Angela Aguilar, from the lead. The latter falls to No. 3 with a 20% drop in impressions, to 6.8 million.



With the new success, El Fantasma captures his sixth No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay, which began when “Encantadora” took over the radio ranking for four weeks in 2019. Here’s a recap of all the champs:

Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
June 1, 2019, “Encantadora,” four
Aug. 14, 2021, “Soy Buen Amigo,” one
Sept. 25, 2021, “Tus Desprecios,” with Pepe Aguilar, one
Oct. 1, 2022, “Soldado Caído,” one
Sept. 9, 2023, “La Vida Cara,” one
March 16, 2024, “El Exitoso”

Thanks to “El Exitoso,” Afinarte leads Regional Mexican Airplay for a second term in 2024, after the label last led through Los Dos Carnales’s “Gracias a Ti,” for one week in charge on the Feb. 24-dated list. The label picks up its 10th champ overall.

Beyond its Regional Mexican Radio reign, “El Exitoso” also conquers new territory on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, where it flies No. 18-2. With the rise, El Fantasma collects his 10th top 10 there, and achieves his best chart performance to date. Previously the singer-songwriter reached a high of No. 4 with “El Selectivo” in May 2023.

(G)I-DLE Scores Fourth Top 10 on Album Sales Chart With ‘2’

(G)I-DLE collects its fourth top 10-charting album on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated March 16), as the South Korean pop group’s latest release, 2, debuts at No. 4 with 8,500 copies sold in the U.S. in the week ending March 7, according to Luminate.

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Also in the top 10 of the latest Top Album Sales chart, Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson lands his first solo top 10 as his new set The Mandrake Project bows at No. 5. Plus, ScHoolboy Q’s new Blue Lips starts at No 6, marking his fourth top 10-charting effort.

Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.

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TWICE’s With YOU-th holds at No. 1 on Top Album Sales with nearly 17,000 sold (down 82%), after debuting atop the list a week ago. LE SSERAFIM’s Easy is also a non-mover, sitting at No. 2 in its second week with 10,500 (down 69%). Taylor Swift’s chart-topping 1989 (Taylor’s Version) rises 6-3 with nearly 9,000 (down 5%).

(G)I-DLE’s 2 debuts at No. 4 with 8,500 sold – essentially all from CD sales. The set was available in four collectible CD editions, including one Target-exclusive variant. All packages contained branded paper merchandise, some of which is randomized.

Dickinson’s The Mandrake Project starts at No. 5 with 8,000 sold, landing the Iron Maiden singer his first solo top 10 effort. The set was available to purchase as a standard digital album, in four CD variations (a standard edition, two with enhanced packaging, and one with a signed insert), and a pair of vinyl LPs (including one with a signed insert).

ScHoolboy Q’s Blue Lips debuts at No. 6 with nearly 8,000 sold – with more than half of that sum from vinyl sales (4,000 – his best week ever on vinyl). The set was issued in just one vinyl edition, pressed on translucent blue-colored vinyl.

Four former No. 1s round out the latest top 10: Swift’s Lover is steady at No. 7 (7,000; down 2%), Swift’s Folklore rises 9-8 (6,000; up 2%), Olivia Rodrigo’s Guts jumps 16-9 (5,500; up 14%) and Swift’s Midnights dips 8-10 (nearly 5,500; down 10%).

In the week ending March 7, there were 1.153 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 9.6% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 850,000 (down 12.9%) and digital albums comprised 304,000 (up 1.4%).

There were 442,000 CD albums sold in the week ending March 7 (down 17.1% week-over-week) and 403,000 vinyl albums sold (down 7.9%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 4.318 million (down 30.3% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 4.601 million (down 47.8%).

Overall year-to-date album sales total 11.936 million (down 36% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 8.963 million (down 40.6%) and digital album sales total 2.973 million (down 16.2%).

Tyla Gives BLACKPINK’s Lisa a First Listen of Her Track ‘A.R.T.’

Tyla’s gearing up to release her long-awaited album following the success of “Water,” and the star took to Instagram to share a sweet moment leading up to the drop.

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The singer shared a video of the social media platform in which she’s giving BLACKPINK superstar Lisa a “first listen” of one of the tracks off the upcoming project, titled “A.R.T.” Lisa is seen feeling the groove as she bops her head along to the beat.

See the clip here.

Tyla’s highly anticipated debut LP is slated to arrive on March 22. Named one of Billboard‘s R&B/Hip-Hop Artists to Watch in 2024, the 22-year-old’s eponymous album will feature 14 tracks, including “Water” and the anthem’s Travis Scott-assisted remix.

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Earlier this month, Tyla announced that she is canceling her North American and Europe tour dates and pulling out a handful of festivals, including Coachella, due to a worsening injury.

“As much as this is something I would rather have dealt with privately, it’s important that I share what I have to share with you today,” she wrote. “For the past year I’ve been silently suffering with an injury that has tragically worsened. I’ve seen doctors and specialists with high hopes but the pain has only become more agonizing as has the severity of the situation.

“I am absolutely heartbroken to have to say this but as of right now I won’t be able to proceed with the tour. In consulting with medical professionals it’s become increasingly clear that continuing any festival or tour dates would jeopardize my long-term health and safety.”

Bon Jovi’s ‘Always’ Music Video Hits 1 Billion YouTube Views

Bon Jovi has notched another video in the Billion Views Club. The band’s clip for their 1994 hit, “Always,” hit one billion views on YouTube.

It’s their third music video to reach the accomplishment, following 2000’s “It’s My Life” and 1986’s “Livin’ On a Prayer.” The Marty Callner-directed clip showing a difficult breakup stars Jack Noseworthy, Carla Gugino, Jason Wiles and Keri Russell and was made available on YouTube in 2009.

“Always,” featured on Bon Jovi’s 1994 album, Cross Road, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, marking one of the band’s 10 top 10 hits on the tally. “Always” was also bass player Alec John Such’s final single with the band before he left in late 1994.

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Cross Road, meanwhile, debuted and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and remained on the chart for an impressive total of 57 weeks. The album featured lasting hits like “Livin’ On a Prayer,” “Wanted Dead or Alive,” “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “I’ll Be There For You,” among others.

In other Bon Jovi news, the band is the subject of an upcoming deep-dive four-part docuseries that drops next month on HuluThank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story chronicles the band’s epic, four-decade career. All episodes will arrive for streaming April 26, retelling the Bon Jovi story with personal videos, unreleased early demos, original lyrics, and never-before-seen photos, according to Hulu.

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Watch the “Always” music video below.



Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette & Black Pumas to Headline Pitchfork Music Festival: See Full Lineup

Carly Rae Jepsen, Alanis Morissette, Black Pumas and more are officially headed to the Windy City this summer. Pitchfork Music Festival announced its 2024 lineup on Wednesday (March 13), tapping dozens of artists for performances in Chicago’s Union Park July 19-21.

Jepsen, Morissette and Black Pumas are all billed as headliners, as are Jai Paul, 100 Gecs, Jamie XX, Jessie Ware, Brittany Howard and Muna. Spread out over three days, the weekend’s festivities will also feature Jeff Rosenstock, Yaeji, Sudan Archives, Amen Dunes, Billy Woods & Kenny Segal, Tkay Maidza, Doss, ML Buch, Rosali, AngryBlackmen, Black Duck, De La Soul, UNWOUND, Bratmobile, Wednesday, Water From Your Eyes, Sweeping Promises, Feeble Little Horse, HotlineTNT, Kara Jackson, L’Rain, Lifeguard, Grandmaster Flash, Les Savy Fav, Crumb, Jessica Pratt, Mannequin Pussy, Hailu Mergia, Model/Actriz, Nala Sinephro, Maxo, Joanna Sternberg and Akenya.

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Beer, wine and cocktails will be available on site, as will food from local restaurants and stands for artist merchandise. Plus, vinyl vendors, craft business owners and poster sellers will set up shop on the premises.

Tickets for the event are already on sale, with options for both single and three-day passes available to concertgoers. General admission is priced at $219 for the entire festival and $109 for a single-day pass, with PLUS and VIP upgrades also on sale.

The 2024 showcase follows last year’s lineup of Radiohead side project The Smile, Big Thief, Bon Iver, Alvvays, Perfume Genius, Leikeli47, Nation of Language, Roc Marciano & The Alchemist, Youth Lagoon, Ric Wilson, Grace Ives and more. Past headliners include Mitski, The National, Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Robyn, HAIM and Charli XCX.

See the 2024 Pitchfork Music Festival lineup and schedule below.

Pitchfork Fest

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Justice Talk New Album, Confirm North American Tour & More at SXSW: 7 Major Takeaways

On Wednesday (March 13), French electronic music duo Justice flew into Austin, Texas, from Paris for a rare appearance at SXSW. The duo participated in a featured session simply called Justice: In Conversation, moderated by Billboard’s Katie Bain.

While the pair discussed their lasting legacy, which dates back to the 2007 debut album Cross, they also revealed details about its forthcoming album Hyperdrama, out April 26 – its fourth studio album and first in eight years.

With its first three albums, Justice always released a live version soon after, with its last being Woman Worldwide in 2018. When asked if they plan to follow suit with Hyperdrama, de Rosnay quoted Mike Tyson: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth,” he says. “We move without a plan.”

It’s a true statement for the duo, who took three-and-a-half years to finish Hyperdrama. And now that it’s done, they are looking ahead to their immediate future, which includes a return to Coachella in April – and, as they confirmed during their featured session, a tour to follow. 

“We’re super happy to come back [to Coachella],” says Gaspard Augé, speaking of when the duo made their live debut at the desert festival in 2007. ”It was a very significant event for us because we had just finished our first album and it was our very first live show, so it was a relief. It was a bit of a surprise for us because we never really dream about being musicians – and somehow, it happened.”

Below are the seven best takeaways from the featured session.

5 Women Who Perpetuate Their Family Legacy in Regional Mexican Music

The road to success in regional Mexican music, a genre historically dominated by men, has been difficult for women. But their constant struggle over the years has led them to have a greater presence at the forefront, although they are still a minority and much remains to be done to achieve equality. Even those who belong to families with a successful musical legacy have had to overcome obstacles to achieve their goals.

In honor of Women’s History Month, which is celebrated in March, Billboard Español spoke exclusively with Ángela Aguilar, Camila Fernández, Chiquis, Majo Aguilar and Lupita Infante, who answered three essential questions about what it means to them to belong to dynasties — mostly led by male legends of the genre. With the exception of Chiquis, daughter of Diva de la Banda Jenni Rivera, the rest are descendants of icons Pedro Infante, Vicente Fernández and Antonio Aguilar.

“For me, to be the only woman musically representing the Fernández Dynasty is something that makes me happy and makes me proud of the roots where I come from,” says Camila Fernández, granddaughter of Vicente, daughter of genre superstar Alejandro Fernández and sister of singer Alex Fernández.

“The representation of women in music is growing day by day and I believe that if we support each other, we would create more impact,” she adds. “Of course, there are a lot more things that can change.”

From the challenge of living up to the family name, to combining work and personal life and what can be done to elevate and empower the work of women in Mexican music, read what these five female stars have to say.

Ariana Grande Says ‘We Can’t Be Friends’ Video Is About ‘Toxic’ Patterns: Watch Behind-the-Scenes Clip

Ariana Grande paid the ultimate tribute to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in her recent “We Can’t Be Friends (Wait for Your Love)” music video, re-creating the 2004 Jim Carrey-led sci-fi romance’s mind-wiping premise in order to forget all memories of an ex-lover. And in a new behind-the-scenes clip shared Wednesday (March 13), the pop star gave insight into how she translated the film into a personalized visual.

“This video is our own short version of the Eternal Sunshine movie, because we felt like that was the perfect thing,” Grande tells the camera in the clip, standing on set of the music video’s snow angel scene. “Both of the characters end up discontinuing the cycle of their toxic pattern.”

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Directed by Christian Breslauer, who joined Ari in talking about the project in her behind-the-scenes footage, the “We Can’t Be Friends” music video finds the singer reflecting on her time with an ex-boyfriend played by Evan Peters, whom she calls “brilliant” in the new clip. On set, the two laugh together in between takes, both giggling as Grande leans her head on the American Horror Story alum’s shoulder.

“It’s kind of about erasing the pain and only wanting the best for someone, even if it means not each other,” Grande added. “It’s not like one person’s wrong, or the enemy.”

When Breslauer observes that everyone goes through heartbreak at some point, the Grammy winner pokes fun at her own past luck with love. “Or you’ll get many,” she quips, smiling knowingly into the camera lens.

Released Friday (March 9), Grande’s new album Eternal Sunshine is gunning for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. It was preceded by just one single — the Billboard Hot 100-topping “Yes, And?”

The vocalist spent the weekend out and about, promoting the record on Saturday Night Live March 9. In addition to singing “We Can’t Be Friends” and another new song, “Imperfect for You,” as that week’s musical guest, she joined in on a couple sketches with Bowen Yang and host Josh Brolin.

On Sunday (March 10), she and Wicked co-star Cynthia Erivo presented best original song at the 2024 Oscars, for which she showed out in a stunning, Glinda-esque pink gown. She gasped with delight upon reading that her friend, Billie Eilish, had won the category for Barbie‘s “What Was I Made For?”

Watch Grande behind the scenes of “We Can’t Be Friends” below.

Cardi B Loses a Veneer, Shows Off Toothless Grin

Leave it to Cardi B to still look good even without a tooth.

The rapper took to TikTok to show off a sleek look to the tune of her upcoming single, “Enough (Miami),” set for release on Friday (March 15), urging fans to wait for the end of the video. The scene then cuts to Cardi smiling at the camera with a missing veneer tooth, shouting “Meh-Ha,” in reference to the iconic Amanda Show character, Courtney.

On an Instagram broadcast channel, she then explained, “Why one of the veneers came out chewing on a hard a— bagel?”

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See the TikTok here.

Last week, Cardi teased the upcoming single over on TikTok. “Me vs. you and you know who they pickin’,” she raps on the track. “I can survive in the coldest conditions… B–ches is washed, soapin’ the dishes/ I apply pressure like boa constrictors/ One b–ch, two b–ch, old b–ch, new b–ch, none of y’all not gonna do s–t/ I’m in Miami I pull up on cruise ships.”

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The song is a follow-up to Cardi’s recently released single, “Like What (Freestyle).” The song is Cardi’s first solo record since 2021’s “Up,” which earned the rapper her first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit and a 2022 Grammy nomination for best rap performance. Since then she’s dropped “Tomorrow 2” with GloRilla, “Jealously” with Offset and the Megan Thee Stallion collab “Bongos.”

A new album from the rapper would mark her first since 2018’s Invasion of Privacy

Lil Nas X Gets Back to Rapping in Fiery New Music Teaser

Lil Nas X is preparing his Nasarati 2 mixtape and he’s been firing off snippets of music taking the temperature of the direction fans want to see him go.

His latest music teaser came via TikTok on Wednesday (March 13) where he tapped into his fiery rapping side with the slippery unreleased track. The 24-year-old previewed the snippet in what appears to be an airport terminal with guests walking by holding their luggage.

“My big sis just had another baby, popped him out the labia/ My other nephew sitting in class with a broken nephew, he had to beat a n—a ass for talking about his uncle/ Now listen, I ain’t saying I condone that sh–/ F— it, I’m saying I condone that sh–,” Nas X raps.

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Fans seemed to be receptive to the song as one person chimed in: “Lil nas cooked on this one ngl.”

Over the weekend, Lil Nas X admitted he’s been struggling with choosing songs due to fears of perception and success so he fired off a handful of snippets for fans to select their favorites.

“Been hoarding music for years smh i hate my relationship with fear of my songs not doing well and perception. i wish i could just release music and not give af,” he wrote to Instagram.

One of the viral snippets — tentatively titled “Trust Me” — saw Nas X not holding back describing sexual encounters growing up, which caused him to issue a statement alleging he’s not doing this for shock value.

“I hate explaining myself every time i do anything, but this is not for shock. this is me telling my story, y’all being uncomfortable by it does not make it a gimmick,” he wrote on X earlier this week. “This is for me and my fans fuck everybody else.”

The “Old Town Road” artist kicked off the year with his polarizing “J Christ” single in January, which peaked at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Listen to the Lil Nas X snippets below.