Music

12 Aug 2023

Juanes Gets His Own Signature Fender Guitar & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music 

From career milestones and 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.

Juanes’ very own Fender guitar

Colombian star Juanes celebrated his birthday in a big way. The “Gris” singer unveiled his very own signature Fender guitar called the “Juanes Stratocaster.” The guitar features a custom “Luna White” satin finish, which is an ode to his first born daughter, Luna. According to a press release, all artist proceeds from the Stratocaster Guitar and the Juanes capsule collection will go towards Mi Sangre Foundation, Juanes’ philanthropic initiative.

“Nowadays, I feel that I only need this guitar and many ideas,” Juanes said in a statement. “My relationship with Fender began when I was living in Colombia. I decided to sell everything I had to buy my first Fender guitar and I came to the United States and recorded my first album. And today, I can say that we have a Juanes Stratocaster in Luna White. It’s a dream. I can’t believe it, I’m very happy.”



Sebastián Yatra at the U.S. Open

When you receive a personal call from tennis star Carlos Alcaráz inviting you to the U.S., you pick up the call and accept. That’s what Yatra did when Alcaráz called him to ask if he’d not only attend but also perform “Vagabundo” at the Sound of the Open show on Aug. 25 in New York. “Let’s go,” responds Yatra. “But you’ll have to sing the song with me. Thanks for the invite. I’m excited to see you again.” Tickets to show can be purchased here.

Family trip

Mexican singer Mario Bautista was recently in Paris celebrating his abuela‘s 95th birthday. The special trip was captured on photos, which Bautista later shared on social media with an emotional caption. “We took my grandma to France for the first time to celebrate her 95th birthday, almost a century old and traveling the world with all her creations, sharing one of the most valuable moments that life has given us,” he wrote. “Thank you, beautiful life, cheers to you, for so many blessing and moments with my family. Happy birthday, grandma, we’re going for the 100.”

Shakira, Shakira

Colombian superstar Shakira is confirmed for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week, set to take place Oct. 2-6 at the Faena Forum in Miami. The global artist — who in May was named Billboard’s first-ever Latin Woman of the Year — will participate in an exclusive superstar Q&A. Shakira joins a star-studded roster for the five-day legacy event that will feature exclusive panels and conversations with hitmakers throughout the week. Other confirmed artists for Latin Music Week include Peso Pluma, Nicki Nicole, Maria Becerra, Grupo Frontera, Natanael Cano, Arcángel, among many others.

Registration for the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week is now open at BillboardLatinMusicWeek.com.

Vicente Fernández’s upcoming new album

The musical legacy of Vicente Fernández continues to grow two years after his passing. In the years prior to his death, the greatest exponent of ranchera music recorded 200 songs that will be published in a series of albums. The first instalmment, Vicente Fernández Le Canta a Los Grandes Compositores de México, was released on Thursday. The set includes 20 songs by great Mexican songwriters of the 20th century. Ten of them are classics recorded for the first time by the Charro de Huentitán, as Fernández was also known, including “La Media Vuelta,” “Tú, Sólo Tú” and “A la Orilla de un Palmar.” 

Stream the album below:

11 Aug 2023

‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ Viral Hitmaker Oliver Anthony: 5 Things You Need to Know

Virginia country singer Oliver Anthony, a former factory worker, is going viral thanks to his song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” a scathing tale of greed and injustice that is rapidly being embraced and promoted by right-wing pundits.

“I’ve been selling my soul, working all day/ Overtime hours for bullsh– pay,” he sings in the song’s opening lines. A video, posted by radiowv, shows Anthony offering an acoustic performance, funneling the pain, frustration and angst of the working class into lines that rage against greedy rich men. The song takes on high taxes, abuse of welfare, and selfish politicians, with lyrics that have resonated mightily with music listeners. Elsewhere, he sings, “Lord, we got folks in the street, ain’t got nothing to eat and the obese milking welfare/ Well God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds/ Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds.”

In a YouTube video posted Aug. 7, Anthony shared that the performance video of “Rich Men North of Richmond” was his “first song to get out there that has been recorded on a real microphone and a real camera, and not just on my cell phone.” He also noted that he began writing his own music in earnest in 2021.

“Things were not good for a lot of people and in some respects I was one of those people,” Anthony said. “I had wasted a lot of nights getting high and getting drunk and I had sort of gotten to a point in my life where even things that I did care about didn’t mean anything to me anymore. This is certainly no Dr. Phil episode, but I found an outlet in this music. I started uploading a couple of songs.”

He uploaded “Ain’t Gotta Dollar” last year and notes he’s since put out approximately a dozen songs he recorded on his cell phone, including “90 Some Chevy” and “Living in the New World.”

Of “Rich Men North of Richmond,” he said it centers on the problems of the working class, noting, “The universal thing I see is no matter how much effort they put into whatever it is they’re doing, they can’t quite get ahead because the dollar’s not worth enough, they are being over-taxed. … I want to be a voice for those people. And not just them, but humans in general.” He went on to add, “As long as you’re above the dirt, you’ve got a fightin’ chance.”

Anthony’s grizzly, acoustic sound and straightforward songwriting style is already drawing stylistic comparisons to artists including Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers.

Here, five things to know about Anthony and “Rich Men North of Richmond”:

11 Aug 2023

Bob Dylan Speaks Out on Death of ‘Lifelong Friend’ Robbie Robertson

Two days after Robbie Robertson’s death at age 80 following a long illness, his friend and collaborator Bob Dylan is speaking out.

“This is shocking news,” Dylan said in a statement provided to Billboard. “Robbie was a lifelong friend. His passing leaves a vacancy in the world.”

The two legends share a long history. Robertson, whom Dylan famously called a “mathematical guitar genius,” played guitar with Dylan starting in the mid-1960s, after Dylan became aware of Levon and the Hawks, an early iteration of what became The Band. As Dylan notoriously switched from acoustic to electric, their reception was hardly positive. As Robertson recalled to Mojo in 2017, “When The Hawks hooked up with Dylan, he found this explosive, dynamic thing. Because of his intensity, it raised everything up and we didn’t come down enough and people were saying this music is so loud we can’t hear the words. Part of that was he wanted that raging spirit on these songs. We got booed all over North America, Australia, Europe, and people were saying this isn’t working and we kept on and Bob didn’t budge.”

The Hawks backed Dylan for several months, with their efforts captured on 1998’s The Bootleg Series, Vol. 4: Bob Dylan Live 1966: The ‘Royal Albert Hall’ Concert.

Their relationship was exploratory and revelatory, especially in the early days. “The obvious thing we learned – that everybody learned – was there was a new way of songwriting. There was a much more colorful, descriptive, humorous, outrageous thrill ride of wordplay,” Robertson told Mojo. “We hadn’t seen this before – this was breaking some big rules. I remember saying to Bob one time, ‘Maybe there’s too many verses in this’ [Laughs], and he said, ‘There probably are, but that’s what I was thinking about when I wrote it.’ His spirit was on fire, and he was knocking down the boundaries that had been built up around music. It excited me to be part of this revolution.”

Robertson also played on Dylan’s legendary 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. Dylan and The Band famously recorded in 1967 at Big Pink, the house several members of The Band rented in West Saugerties, New York. The complete recordings from those sessions were released in the voluminous 2014 set The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete.

Robertson and Dylan continued to collaborate for decades, including The Band covering Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece” on 1971’s Cahoots album and touring together in 1974, as well as recording Dylan’s No. 1 studio album Planet Waves together.

For the very successful 1974 tour, the audience finally realized Dylan and The Band were right all those years ago, Robertson told Mojo: “We do a tour, the [1974] Dylan/Band tour, we play the same way [as we did in 1966], same intensity and everybody says, ‘Wow, that was amazing.’ The world came around – we didn’t change a note.”

Dylan also was one of a number of legendary musicians joining The Band for The Last Waltz concert, taped on Thanksgiving Day, 1976. The show concludes with Dylan’s “We Shall Be Released.”

11 Aug 2023

Kelsea Ballerini Feels ‘Supported & Seen’ by Chase Stokes: ‘He’s Such a Wonderful Human Being’

Kelsea Ballerini is letting love in. During her Friday (Aug. 11) appearance on the Today show, the country singer was asked about a recent viral video of her and Chase Stokes kissing before she hit the stage — which prompted her to share a few kind words about the Outer Banks star and her rumored boyfriend.

“I’m so happy. He’s here too. It’s nice to feel so supported and seen,” Ballerini said, sweetly adding that the actor is “such a wonderful human being.”

Rumors of Ballerini and Stokes dating began swirling in January when the pair was spotted spending time together at the College Football Playoff National Championship in Los Angeles. One month later, Ballerini dropped a 20-minute short film with her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat EP in which she detailed the devastation of her divorce from fellow country star Morgan Evans. Ballerini made an expanded version of the EP titled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good), which was released Friday.

“This record is about a chapter of my life that is no longer mine, and so I think being able to honor it through music is really beautiful and bookmark it and preserve it, because I’ve learned a lot and I think its valuable, but I don’t want to keep harping on the past. It’s the past. I’m moving forward,” Ballerini told Today of the release.

As for what’s on the horizon for the country star, she’ll be celebrating her 30th birthday on Sept. 12 and will be using the milestone to relax: “I’m about to turn 30 and I’m excited to take a little bit of time off and go celebrate with my friends and my family and hang with my dog, and really dig my heels into my real life a little bit and live a life to write about.”

For Ballerini’s Today performance, she hit the stage to play “Blindsided,” which also appears on the project.

See Ballerini talk about her relationship with Stokes and Rolling Up the Welcome Mat (For Good) in the video above.

11 Aug 2023

Morgan Wallen Teams With MLB, Habitat for Humanity for Nashville Baseball Park Renovation

Through his Morgan Wallen Foundation, the “Last Night” hitmaker — along with the Major League Baseball & MLB Players Association Youth Development Foundation and other local donors — teamed with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Nashville to help revitalize the Parkwood Community Club baseball and softball complex in North Nashville.

The Morgan Wallen Foundation has donated $500,000, with the MLB-MLBPA YDF donating the same amount, for a total of $1 million donated toward revitalization efforts. Other donors include the Speer Foundation, Airbnb, Nashville Sounds baseball and Wallen’s booking agency, the Neal Agency.

Wallen grew up playing baseball as a child and had hoped to pursue a career in baseball, until an injury sidelined those aspirations and he set his sights on a music career instead.

“I started the Morgan Wallen Foundation to support youth in two areas – sports and music,” Wallen said via a statement. “When I heard about Parkwood, right here in Nashville, I knew I wanted to help. Every child deserves a chance to play ball and be part of a team, and I truly appreciate this opportunity to be part of Parkwood’s next inning. I can’t wait to come back out here and see the park once it has been renovated.”

“In visiting the historic fields, I instantly felt the significance of Parkwood to Nashville’s baseball and softball community,” said Jean Lee Batrus, Executive Director, MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, via statement. “These sports have the power to strengthen lives and communities. YDF is thrilled to team up with Habitat for Humanity and other partnering organizations who are equally passionate about empowering youth access to baseball and softball.”

“The Nashville Sounds utilize the power of baseball to positively impact our community,” added Adam English, General Manager, Nashville Sounds. “Through our participation in “The Nine” program, this project is a great way for us to make an impact in giving all kids access to the best baseball facilities possible. My hope is that renovating these fields will yield a new generation of great ball players in Nashville, just like six-time MLB All-Star Mookie Betts.”

The contributions will support a larger fundraising goal aimed at creating a 59-acre park, as well as providing homes for 26 Habitat for Humanity homes in District 2.

The MLB-MLBPA YDF is a joint initiative by Major League Baseball and the Players Association to support efforts that aid in improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and globally.

11 Aug 2023

Bad Bunny & Rosalía Lead Rolling Stone En Español Award Nominations: Complete List

Nominations for the inaugural Rolling Stone En Español 2023 awards were announced Thursday, and Bad Bunny leads the list with six nominations. Rosalía has five, and Natalia Lafourcade, Juanes and Guitarricadelafuente each scored four.

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Presented by the editors of Rolling Stone En Español, the publication’s first-ever awards will be presented Oct. 26 in Miami, with music, film and television categories.

Among other nominees, Romeo Santos, Fito Páez and Karol G are competing for album of the year along with Bad Bunny, Juanes and Rosalía, who are in the running for artist of the year too.

Guitarricadelafuente is among the nominees for musical promise, a category that also includes Kevin Kaarl, Omar Apollo, Peso Pluma, Silvana Estrada, Villano Antillano and Yahritza y su Esencia, among others.

Here is the complete list:

Music

Album of the Year

Bailando Hasta El Apagón  — Vetusta Morla
Production: Carles Campi Campón, Vetusta Morla

De Todas Las Flores — Natalia Lafourcade
Production: Adan Jodorowsky, Natalia Lafourcade

Fórmula, Vol. 3 — Romeo Santos
Production: Ivan Chevere, Romeo Santos

Futurología Arlt — Fito Páez
Production: Diego Olivero, Gustavo Borner, Fito Páez

La Cantera — Guitarricadelafuente
Production: Raül Refree

La Neta  — Pedro Capó
Production: Diego Contento, Pedro Capó

La Sustancia X — Villano Antillano
Production: Ismael Cancel, Villano Antillano

Mañana Será Bonito — Karol G
Production: Varios

Marchita — Silvana Estrada
Production: Gustavo Guerrero

Mesa Dulce — Dante Spinetta
Production: Dante Spinetta


Motomami — Rosalía
Production: Varios

Nacarile — iLe
Production: iLe, Ismael Cancel

Ozutochi — Ozuna
Production: Varios

Tinta y Tiempo — Jorge Drexler
Production: Carles Campi Campón, Jorge Drexler

Un Verano Sin Ti — Bad Bunny
Production: Varios

Vida Cotidiana — Juanes
Production: Emmanuel Briceño, Juanes, Sebastián Kyrs

Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny

Bizarrap

Christian Nodal

Feid

Fito Páez

iLe

Jorge Drexler

Juanes

Karol G

Natalia Lafourcade

Rosalía

Shakira

Song of the Year 

“Algo bonito” — iLe + Ivy Queen
Songwriter: David Alberto Pinto, Ileana Cabra, Ismael Cancel, Ivy Queen

“Dance crip” — Trueno
Songwriters: Brian Taylor, Mateo Palacios Corazzina, Santiago Ruiz

“Despechá” — Rosalía
Songwriter: Chris Jedi, David Rodríguez, Dylan Wiggins, Gaby Music, Nino Segarra, Noah Goldstein, Rosalía Vila Tobella

“Hey mor” — Ozuna + Feid
Songwriter: Andres Jael Correa, Gerald Oscar Jimenez, Jan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, Salomon Villada Hoyo

“La jumpa” — Arcángel + Bad Bunny
Songwriter: Austin Santos, Benito A. Martínez Ocasio

“Llévame viento” — Natalia Lafourcade
Songwriter: Natalia Lafourcade

“La bachata” — Manuel Turizo
Songwriter: Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, Juan Diego Medina, Vélez, Luis Miguel Gómez Castaño “Casta”, Manuel Turizo Zapata, Édgar Barrera

“Monotonía” — Shakira + Ozuna
Songwriter: Albert Hype, Alejandro Robledo Valencia, Cristian Camilo Álvarez, Juan Carlos Ozuna Rosado, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Sergio Robledo, Shakira Mebarak

“Provenza” — Karol G
Songwriter: Carolina Giraldo Navarro, Daniel Echavarria Oviedo, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno

“¿Quién encendió la luz?” — Guitarricadelafuente
Songwriter: Álvaro Lafuente Calvo

“Sudaka” — Dante + Trueno
Songwriter: Dante Spinetta

“This Is Not America” — Residente + Ibeyi
Songwriter: Jeffrey Peñalva, Lisa-Kaindé Díaz, Naomi Díaz, René Pérez Joglar

“Tití me preguntó” — Bad Bunny
Songwriter: Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, MAG

“Tocarte” — Jorge Drexler + C. Tangana
Songwriter: Antón Álvarez Alfaro, Jorge Drexler, Pablo Drexler, Víctor Martínez

“Villano Antillano: ‘Bzrp music sessions, Vol. 51” — Bizarrap + Villano Antillano
Songwriter: Gonzalo Julián Conde, Villana Santiago Pacheco

“Volver a casa” — Pedro Capó
Songwriter: Pedro Capó

Breakout Star of the Year

Aitana

Guitarricadelafuente

Humbe

Kevin Kaarl

Omar Apollo

Omar Montes

Peso Pluma

Silvana Estrada

Trueno

Villano Antillano

Yahritza y su Esencia

Young Miko

Music Video of the Year

“Arrancármelo” — Wos
Director: Rafael Nir, Tomás Curland

“Canción desaparecida” — Juanes + Mabiland
Director: Kacho López Mari

“Mil y una noches” — Guitarricadelafuente
Director: Pedro Artola

“Ojitos lindos” — Bad Bunny + Bomba Estéreo
Director: Stillz

“Provenza” — Karol G
Director: Pedro Artola

“Saoko” — Rosalía
Director: Valentin Petit

“Solo por ser indios” (Official animated video) — A.N.I.M.A.L. + Juanes
Director: Penumbrart

“Sudaka” — Dante + Trueno
Director: Hernán Corera, Juan Piczman

“Te quería” — Lido Pimienta
Director: ​​J. Gallardo Kattah

“Tenemos que hablar” — Juan Pablo Vega + Ximena Sariñana
Director: Estefanía Piñeres

“This Is Not America” — Residente + Ibeyi
Director: Greg Ohrel

“Where She Goes” — Bad Bunny
Director: Stillz

Music Producer of the Year

Arca

Bizarrap

Carles Campón Brugada

Edgar Barrera

Juan Pablo Vega

Mag

Natalia Lafourcade

Ovy on the Drums

Rosalía

Raül Refree

Sebastián Krys

Tainy

Film & Series

Fiction Feature Film of the Year 

1976 (Chile, 2022)
Director: Manuela Martelli
Script: Alejandra Moffat, Manuela Martelli

Alcarràs (Spain, 2022)
Director: Carla Simón
Script: Carla Simón, Arnau Vilaró

Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Santiago Mitre
Script: Santiago Mitre, Mariano Llinás

As bestas (Spain, 2022)
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen
Script: Isabel Peña, Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu
Script: Alejandro González Iñárritu, Nicolás Giacobone 

Cerdita (Spain, 2022)
Director: Carlota Pereda
Script: Carlota Pereda

Competencia oficial (Spain, 2022)
Director: Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn
Script: Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn, Andrés Duprat 
México

Huesera (Mexico, Peru, 2022)
Director: Michelle Garza Cervera
Script: Michelle Garza Cervera, Abia Castillo

La extorsión (Argentina, 2023)
Director: Martino Zaidelis
Script: Emanuel Diez 

La jauría (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Andrés Ramírez Pulido
Script: Andrés Ramírez Pulido

Los reyes del mundo (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Laura Mora Ortega
Script: María Camila Arias, Laura Mora Ortega 

Utama (Bolivia, 2022)
Director: Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Script: Alejandro Loayza Grisi

Series of the Year

Belascoarán (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Ernesto Contreras, Hiromi Kamata, Gonzalo Amat
Creator: Rodrigo Santos

División Palermo (Argentina, 2023)
Director: Santiago Korovsky, Diego Núñez Irigoyen
Creator: Santiago Korovsky

El amor después del amor (Argentina, 2023)
Director: Felipe Gómez Aparicio, Gonzalo Tobal
Creator: Juan Pablo Kolodziej

Hasta el cielo (Spain, 2023)
Director: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Daniel Calparsoro
Creator: Jorge Guerricaechevarría, Daniel Calparsor

La primera vez (Colombia, 2023)
Director: Dago García, Mateo Stivelberg
Creator: Dago García

Las pelotaris 1926 (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Marc Cistaré, Jesús Rodrigo, Jacob Santana
Creator: Marc Cistaré

Los enviados (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Juan José Campanella, Hiromi Kamata, Martino Zaidelis, Camilo Antolini
Creator: Juan José Campanella

Nacho (Spain, 2023)
Director: David Pinillos, Beatriz Sanchís, Eduardo Casanova
Creator: Teresa Fernández-Valdés, Ramón Campos 

No me gusta conducir (Spain, 2022)
Director: Borja Cobeaga
Creator: Borja Cobeaga

Noticia de un secuestro (Chile, Colombia, 2022)
Director: Andrés Wood, Julio Jorquera Arriagada
Creator: Andrés Wood, Rodrigo García

Pálpito (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Camilo Vega
Creator: Leonardo Padrón

Santa Evita (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Rodrigo García, Alejandro Maci
Creator: Rodrigo García

Performance of the Year

Aline Küppenheim Gualtieri
1976 (Chile, 2022)
Director: Alejandra Moffat

Cristina Umaña
Noticia de un secuestro (Chile, Colombia, 2022)
Director: Andrés Wood, Julio Jorquera Arriagada

Daniel Giménez Cacho
Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Alejandro González Iñárritu

Guillermo Francella
El encargado (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Diego Blieffeld, Mariano Cohn, Gastón Duprat, Jerónimo Carranza

Jhojan Estiven Jiménez
La jauría (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Andrés Ramírez Pulido

Juan Diego Botto
No me gusta conducir (Spain, 2022)
Director: Borja Cobeaga 

Juan Pablo Raba
Noticia de un secuestro (Chile, Colombia, 2022)
Director: Andrés Wood, Julio Jorquera Arriagada

Laia Costa
Cinco lobitos (Spain, 2022)
Director: Alauda Ruiz de Azúa

Laura Galán
Cerdita (Spain, 2022)
Director: Carlota Pereda

Luis Gerardo Mendez
Belascoarán (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Ernesto Contreras, Hiromi Kamata, Gonzalo Amat

Marina Foïs
As bestas (Spain, 2022)
Director: Rodrigo Sorogoyen

Natalia Oreiro
Santa Evita (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Rodrigo García, Alejandro Maci

Paulina Gaitán
Belascoarán (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Ernesto Contreras, Hiromi Kamata, Gonzalo Amat

Penélope Cruz
Competencia oficial (Spain, 2022)
Director: Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn

Peter Lanzani
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Santiago Mitre

Ricardo Darín
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Santiago Mitre


Director of the Year 

Alejandro González Iñárritu
Bardo, falsa crónica de unas cuantas verdades (Mexico, 2022)

Alejandro Loayza Grisi
Utama (Bolivia, 2022)

Andrés Ramírez Pulido
La jauría (Colombia, 2022)

Carla Simón
Alcarràs (Spain, 2022)

Francisca Alegría
La vaca que cantó una canción sobre el futuro (Chile, 2022)

Laura Baumeister
La hija de todas las rabias (Nicaragua, 2022)

Laura Mora Ortega
Los reyes del mundo (Colombia, 2022)

Gastón Duprat, Mariano Cohn
Competencia oficial (Spain, 2022)

Manuela Martelli
1976 (Chile, 2022)

Michelle Garza
Huesera (Mexico, 2022)

Rodrigo Sorogoyen
As bestas (Spain, 2022)

Santiago Mitre
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina, 2022)

Documentary Feature Film of the Year 

Alis (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Clare Weiskopf, Nicolas van Hemelryck

Eami (Paraguay, 2022)
Director: Paz Encina 

El eco (Mexico, 2023)
Director: Tatiana Huezo

María Luisa Bemberg: El eco de mi voz (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Alejandro Maci 

El sostre groc (El techo amarillo) (Spain, 2022)
Director: Isabel Coixet

Hip hop X siempre (Dominican Republic, United States, 2023)
Director: Jessy Terrero

Los sobrevivientes (Chile, 2023)
Director: Rosario Cervio

Mi casa está en otra parte (Mexico, 2022)
Director: Carlos Hagerman, Jorge Villalobos 

Mi país imaginario (Chile, 2022)
Director: Patricio Guzmán 

Si Dios fuera mujer (Colombia, 2022)
Director: Angélica Cervera 

Sintiéndolo mucho (Spain, 2022)
Director: Fernando León de Aranoa 

Una mirada honesta (Argentina, 2022)
Director: Roberto Persano, Santiago Nacif Cabrera

11 Aug 2023

Travis Scott’s ‘Utopia’: See Photos From His Circus Maximus Concert

Travis Scott celebrated his Billboard 200-topping album Utopia on Monday (Aug. 7) with a performance at Rome’s Circus Maximus.

The event marked the global live debut of the record-breaking album, with more than 60,000 attendees and a rare Kanye West appearance.

The show also got a bit rowdy, as CNN reported that at least 60 people required medical attention after someone sprayed pepper spray into the audience during the show according to Rome’s civil protection department; at press time it was unclear if the pepper spray was employed by venue security or a fan. A 14-year-old who climbed a false wall in an attempt to see the show for free was also reportedly injured after falling 13 feet.

Circus Maximus served as Scott’s replacement show for his canceled Pyramids of Giza concert in Egypt. Live Nation Middle East tweeted their reasoning for the cancellation, citing “complex production issues,” while Scott responded to fans seeking a further explanation. “Egypt in the pyramids will happen but due to demand and detail logistics they just need a bit a time to set lay on lands. I will keep up posted on a date which will be soon love you alllll,” he wrote on Twitter.

Utopia blasted in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated Aug. 12), marking the third-biggest week of 2023 for any album and the largest for any R&B/hip-hop or rap release. The project bows with 496,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 3, according to Luminate.

See below for photos from the Circus Maximus show.

11 Aug 2023

Rauw Alejandro, Karol G & More: What’s Your Favorite New Latin Music Release? Vote!

This week, our New Music Latin roundup — a compilation of the best new Latin songs, albums, and videos recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — is powered by new music from Rauw Alejandro, Karol G, and Trueno, to name a few. 

Karol G dropped her new album Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), a set that’s not considered a deluxe or remix album but rather includes 10 fresh tracks. Re-entering her Bichota Era, this time with light-pink hair, Karol G delivers songs about overcoming adversities, self-confidence, being over her ex, and believing in love again. 

She navigates from hard-hitting perreos (“Gatita Gangster”) to chill reggae beats (“Me Tengo Que Ir”) to her first-ever cumbia song (“Mi Ex Tenía Razón”), inspired by Selena Quintanilla, and reeled in some impressive collaborators, such as Peso Pluma and Young Miko, to name a few.

While Karol G is celebrating life and love, Rauw Alejandro is heartbroken in his new track “Hayama Hana by Raúl.”

In the ballad set over weeping keyboards, Rauw not only opens up about his recent breakup from Rosalía but also pens an honest love letter. “What will come next? I don’t know/ But I know that for you it will be all the Grammys, hey/ They will study your art over time/ When they plan, I know that they always take you as an example,” he sings. “I’ll finish our little house in case you feel like coming back/ Today I stop writing to you, not loving you.” 

Other notable releases this week include Banda MS and Yahritza y Su Esencia’s first collaborative effort in “Solo Que Lo Dudes,” Luis R. Conriquez’s attempt at reggaeton music in “Botelleo,” and Trueno’s “TRANKY FUNKY,” among others.

Last week, Feid’s “Vente Conmigo” won the reader poll with over 44 percent of the votes. What’s your favorite new Latin music release of the week? Vote below! 

11 Aug 2023

Myke Towers’ ‘Lala’ Rules Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Chart

Myke Towers captures his third No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as his latest single, “Lala,” rises 2-1 to lead the Aug. 5-dated ranking. It’s his first champ since “Bandido” ruled for seven weeks in 2021. Since then, the Puerto Rican artist has placed two other No. 2-peaking songs: “Ella No Es Tuya,” with Rochy RD and Nicki Nicole, and “Pareja del Año,” with Sebastián Yatra, during the same year. 

“Lala” ejects “Los Del Espacio” by LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and FMK from the lead, with a 1-3 dip, after its seven-week command. 

Meanwhile, Maria Becerra’s “Corazón vacío” rebounds 3-2 after its one week in charge (July 22-dated list). 

A new top 10 arrives this week: Big One, Ulises Bueno and Rusherking’s “Mentiras | CROSSOVER #3” rallies 71-7 in its second week. With a 64-place climb, the song scores the Greatest Gainer honors and concurrently earns Bueno his first top 10 on his second try.

The Hot Shot Debut of the week goes to El Jordan 23 and Ugly Duck who both score their first entry with “Cabaña” at No. 58.

11 Aug 2023

Missy Elliott Recalls Walking to a Gas Station in Inflatable Suit From ‘The Rain’ Video: ‘We Was On a Budget’

Missy Elliott took a moment to reflect on one of her most iconic videos, “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly),” this week, revealing that she encountered a bit of a mishap after the inflatable suit she wore in the video was blown up to its large size.

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“Fun fact I had to go to a gas station in Brooklyn NY to get air in this blow up suit & the suit blew up so big I couldn’t fit in the car so I had to walk back to set down the street in this outfit in BROOKLYN,” Elliott wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in response to Rolling Stone ranking the clip at No. 1 on the list of the 150 best hip-hop videos of all time. “Dem ppl was riding pass like she must be high.”

Elliott shared some behind-the-scenes footage from the video set, which showed her — with help from her team — trying to make a quick dash wearing the shiny black ensemble. “High as a kite…I wonder if anybody from Brooklyn saw me that day walking down the street in that hot ass suit. If you look at the music video it had deflated by the time I got back to set so some scenes the suit flat after all that walking.”

The suit proved to be cumbersome to keep inflated — “but sh– we was on a budget so we kept the scenes where the the suit was deflated…that was so hood.”

The video and the inflatable suit were well worth the trouble. Following the track’s release, “The Rain,” along with single “Sock It 2 Me,” peaked at No. 4 on Billboard‘s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and put Elliott on the musical map.

Revisit the music video for Elliott’s “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” and see her recollections below.