Music

17 Dec 2022

5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (December 17)

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

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Ryan Castro’s Fashion Adventure

Ryan Castro has ventured into the fashion world, officially announcing his first-ever clothing line this week. Dubbed “Ghetto Med,” and sold exclusively in Medellin, the vibrant and trendy brand is inspired by the streetwear from the barrios of Colombia and includes t-shirts, jogger sets, hoodies, accessories, and sneakers, to name a few. The Colombian artist, who has collaborated with artists such as J Balvin and Feid, to name a few, premiered the clothing line with an exclusive concert in Medellin. For more information, visit www.ghettomed.com.

The Willy Chirino Way

To celebrate his 50 years in music, the city of West New York, NJ paid tribute to Willy Chirino on Thursday (Dec. 15) by naming a street after the Cuban salsa star. Accompanied by personalities such as Paquito D’Rivera, the singer of hits including “Medias Negras” and “Pobre Diabla” unveiled, along with the mayor Gabriel Rodriguez, the blue sign for the Willy Chirino Way — at the corner of 54th Street and Boulevard East. “Thanks to everyone who had something to do with this great recognition in the best place it could be. In West New York, next to the monument to our Apostle José Martí and another that exalts the memory of the combatants of La Brigade 2506. I feel extremely blessed and grateful,” the artist wrote on Instagram, where he shared a video of the celebration. This week, Chirino also released Sigo Pa’lante, his first studio album in over a decade.

Willy-Chirino-Gabriel-Rodriguez

Gonzalo Rodriguez

Trueno on Live with Billboard Latin

In a new episode of Live with Billboard Latin on Instagram Live this week (and the last of the year), Argentine rapper Trueno talked all things FIFA World Cup and reflected on his eventful 2022. The artist first spoke about the significance of Argentina possibly winning its third World Cup, his favorite players on the national team, and how his Nathy Peluso-assisted “Argentina” became an anthem during the monthlong tournament. Then, he opened up about a successful year, which included a World Tour, three sold-out shows at Luna Park in Buenos Aires, and his first-ever Latin Grammy nomination, only to promise more new music and exciting collaborations coming in 2023. Watch the full conversation below:

Bad Bunny’s Spotify Streak

It’s a no-brainer that Bad Bunny is the top artist in the world right now. With over 18 billion streams in 2022, the Puerto Rican act becomes Spotify’s most-streamed artist for a third consecutive year. Bunny makes history as the first artist to accomplish that feat. In celebration of his “three-peat,” Spotify presented Bunny with three championship-styled rings designed by Jason of Beverly Hills. The rings were inspired by some of his albums including El Último Tour del Mundo and Un Verano Sin Ti. “An epic showing for a career-defining year,” said Jeremy Erlich, Spotify’s global head of music content during the ring ceremony in Mexico.

One Lucky Mariah Carey Fan

Mariah Carey is making many fans happy this Christmas, including one her faithful “lambily” from Uruguay. This week, a fan named Mai documented her journey to see Carey live on Twitter. “Today I’m traveling from my country, which is 8.598km (5.342,55miles) away from NY, just to see my idol @MariahCarey,” she wrote on Monday (Dec. 12). “I remember when I started saving for this day 5 years ago, wishing and hoping for this day. Words can’t describe my happiness rn, love u forever Mimi!” The pop singer not only noticed her tweet but also upgraded the woman to the front row for Tuesday night’s (Dec. 13) “Merry Christmas to All” show at Madison Square Garden.

16 Dec 2022

Watch BTS Send Jin Off to Military Camp & Rub His Newly Buzzed Hair in Heartwarming, Intimate Video

Even before BTS‘ official debut, the group was recording and sharing personal and intimate moments with their fans so, naturally, ARMY got a glimpse into Jin‘s big day of enlisting in South Korea’s military service.

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All six of Jin’s band mates came to send him off to the Yeoncheon army base, located north of Seoul and just a few miles 10 miles from the Demilitarized Zone separating South and North Korea. BTS managed to avoid the crowds gathered at the base (which reportedly included dozens of journalists and security staff, plus a handful of fans) and enjoyed some quiet time with Jin.

Soundtracked to BTS’ new Proof song “For Youth,” the three-minute clip shows the stars cracking jokes, posing for photos and selfies, and the guys getting a kick out of rubbing their hands through Jin’s newly buzzed hair. 

Of course, Jin shared a message for fans before heading off: “Health is a top priority so I won’t get sick, and I hope you stay healthy too, ARMY.”

Viewers then saw RM, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook proudly watch Jin join his fellow recruits and give the first salute of his military service.

RM shared some additional thoughts at the end of the video that spoke to his nurturing side as the group leader. “Jin hates the cold so I’m a bit worried,” the “Wild Flower” star said. “But we’ll follow him soon. I don’t feel great sending him off, but he always does well wherever he is, so I’m sure he’ll do well. It’s sad, but this is everyone’s duty.”

Per South Korean law, all able-bodied men must serve in the armed forces for at least 18 months with varying lengths of service time. The BTS members shared earlier this year that they will all serve in the coming months with plans to reunite in 2025.

Watch the heartfelt Jin’s Entrance Ceremony video as part of BTS’ BANGTAN BOMB YouTube series below:

16 Dec 2022

Here’s Why Fans Think Dua Lipa Is Involved With Upcoming ‘Barbie’ Film

The long-awaited Barbie movie is finally hitting theaters on July 21, 2023, and the first teaser trailer was shared to the film’s new Instagram page on Friday (Dec. 16).

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And while it’s known that Margot Robbie stars as the iconic blonde doll, and Ryan Gosling will take on the role of her handsome boyfriend Ken, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the official Instagram for the film was following 15 people involved with the movie — including Dua Lipa.

Eagle-eyed fans who noticed began to speculate what the “Levitating” singer’s involvement in the film might be, with the most popular theory being that she’s contributing a song to Barbie‘s soundtrack. However, neither Lipa or the film confirmed any collaboration, and the Instagram account quickly unfollowed the pop star amid the buzz.

Director Greta Gerwig co-wrote the script for the Warner Bros. film with Noah Baumbach. Besides Robbie and Gosling, the jam-packed cast also includes Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Kate McKinnon, Simu Liu, Ncuti Gatwa and America Ferrera.

The new, 75-second teaser pays tribute to Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1968 outer space drama 2001: A Space Odyssey. “Since the beginning of time, since the first little girl ever existed, there have been… dolls,” says a narrator over sunrise scenes in the desert, as a group of girls play with their baby dolls in the dusty expanse. Our narrator continues, “But the dolls were always and forever baby dolls… until,” at which point we see the first glimpse of the towering Barbie posing in white sunglasses and a striped one-piece bathing suit, tilting her shades down to give the girls a wink.

Watch the new teaser for Barbie below.

16 Dec 2022

Kendrick Lamar Enlists a Very Famous Therapist in ‘Count Me Out’ Music Video

Kendrick Lamar is known to largely keep his personal life outside of the public eye–except when it comes to his music. On Friday (Dec. 16), he released the music video for his Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers deep cut, “Count Me Out,” depicting the Compton artist in a piano-side therapy session with Oscar award-winning actress Helen Mirren.

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Directed by Lamar and pgLang cofounder Dave Free, the video begins with a skit about Lamar taking a woman’s parking spot, before presenting a three-way split screen, showing the “HUMBLE” rapper rattling off his innermost thoughts on one side, Mirren with a steady gaze of empathy on the other, and in the middle, the scenes he describes playing out, including shots of Lamar’s partner, Whitney Alford.

The video and lyrics touch on themes of frustration, growth, infidelity and ego, staying true to the color scheme surrounding Lamar’s Big Steppers tour — black, white and red — as well as themes of life and death. Mirren’s vocals were also used in transitional moments during Lamar’s tour set.

Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers released in May and debuted atop the Billboard 200 chart, with 295,500 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 19, according to Luminate. The album earned Lamar Grammy nominations for both album of the year and best rap album, with “Die Hard” with Blxst and Amanda Reifer up for best best melodic rap performance. He also received a whopping four nominations for “The Heart Part 5” in categories including record of the year and song of the year.

16 Dec 2022

Olivia Rodrigo Shares Adorable Christmas Song She Wrote & Performed at Just 5 Years Old

Olivia Rodrigo shared a Christmas surprise Friday (Dec. 16) in the form of “The Bels,” the original holiday song she wrote when she was just 5 years old.

Even as a kindgartener, the pop sensation shows she had an early knack for rhyming as she sings, “Red and green is the Christmas queen/ Make the holidays special to me/ Oh, see the dancing gingerbread dance in your head/ Wait, wait, wait for the bells to ring there” over a beat perfect for sugar plum fairies.

Rodrigo also shared a note to her fans on her website along with the cute track, writing, “Hi guys!!! Hope everyone is doing well! I miss you guys! It’s been getting cold in LA & things are slowing down for the holidays. I put my little silver Christmas tree up in my living room & it makes me super happy. I’m so excited for the new year & everything that’s in store! I hope you guys have a holiday season filled with love & relaxation. Thinking of you always! All my love, Liv.”

For the past month, fans have been buzzing online that new music could be on the way from Rodrigo in the new year, based on the fan message she sent her top Spotify listeners as part of Spotify Wrapped 2022.

In November, the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series star performed “You’re So Vain” at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony to induct Carly Simon as part of the Class of ’22.

Stream “The Bels” here.

16 Dec 2022

Manuel Turizo’s ‘La Bachata’ Rules Billboard Argentina Hot 100 Chart for 13th Week

Manuel Turizo adds a 13th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Dec. 10). It’s the longest command in 2022, plus, it ties with “Otro Trago” by Sech, Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Anuel AA for the third-most week atop the tally since the chart’s inception in 2018. Here’s a look at the longest domination:

25 weeks, “Tusa,” Karol G & Nicki Minaj
16 weeks, “Entre Nosotros,” Tiago pzk, Lit Killah, Nicki Nicole & Maria Becerra
13 weeks, “La Bachata,” Manuel Turizo
13, weeks, “Otro Trago,” Sech, Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna & Anuel AA
12 weeks, “Hawai,” Malum & The Weeknd
12 weeks, “Calma (Alicia remix), Pedro Capó & Farruko

Bizarrap and Quevedo’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52” takes the runner-up slot and sends Rosalía’s “Despechá” to No. 3. Meanwhile, La Joaqui, Gusty DJ Salsatkbron’s “Dos Besitos” trades places with Rei and Callejero Fino’s “Tu Turrito” as the former rises 5-4 while the latter lifts 7-5.

Further, the week’s Hot Shot Debut goes to Arcangel and Bad Bunny’s “La Jumpa” as the song arrives at No. 42. The tune is part of Arcangel’s sixth studio album Sr. Santos which debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart.

Elsewhere, La Joaqui’s “Mañosa” takes the Greatest Gainer honors as the song rallies from No. 92 to No. 54.

Plus, Argentinian La Mosca Tse-Tse scores its first entry with “Muchachos, Ahora Nos Volvimos a Ilusionar” at No. 55. One rank below, Rusherking, Emilia and L-Gante’s “El Plan” bows at No. 56. Meanwhile, Arcangel concurrently scores a new entry as “Valtteri Bottas,” with Duki and Bizarrap debuts, at No. 80.

Lastly, Argentinian singer-songwriter BM secures his first entry claims with “M.A (Mejores Amigos)” at No. 94.

16 Dec 2022

Katy Perry Is the ‘Picture of Health’ in Ginger Root Costume

Sure, Halloween is long gone and we’re actually just nine days away from Christmas, but Katy Perry isn’t putting a good costume to waste.

The “Harleys in Hawaii” singer took to Instagram on Friday (Dec. 16) to share a series of photos, two of which she’s dressed in a life-sized ginger root costume and the third is a photo of a Bragg organic apple cider vinegar prebiotic shot that is filled with turmeric and, you guessed it, ginger.

“Picture of health,” Perry cleverly captioned the post, leading to confusion among fans in the comments section. “Why are you like this,” one fan joked, while another wrote, “u ate and left no ginger.”

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Some fans are also speculating that the photoshoot might be related to an upcoming music video. In September, the pop superstar joined Drew Barrymore on the actress’ eponymous talk show, where she hinted at making new music.

“I’ll probably go and make another record soon and write it and tour the world after this, which will be so great,” Perry shared as Barrymore let out a gasp. “But I’m pretty, like, even offstage. I’m more, like, businesswoman; I don’t talk a lot offstage. … I’m very, kind of, an observer. I really save my energy for when I have to go and turn it on. ‘Cause when I turn it on, it’s up to 11, girl.”

A new album would be a follow-up to the American Idol judge‘s sixth studio effort Smile, which was released in the summer of 2020 and contained the singles “Daisies,” “Smile” and “Not the End of the World.” 

16 Dec 2022

Danny Elfman ‘Surprised’ by ‘Wednesday’ Success, Thought It Was Going to Be ‘A Little Cult Thing’

Wednesday is officially a smash. The Netflix show, which premiered Nov. 23, has climbed the ranks since its release and has become the third most watched show on the streaming platform after Stranger Things and Squid Game, but for the show’s composer Danny Elfman, the success came as a major surprise.

Speaking alongside Phoebe Bridgers for an interview with NME published Friday (Dec. 16), the composer — well known and loved for his work on The Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland and more — spoke about what it was like working on Wednesday and how he feels about the show resonating with the masses.

“Wednesday was just fun. I grew up on The Addams Family, but I really also dug the Charles Addams cartoons even more so, so for me, it was like a well known kind of character, so to do a variation [of Wednesday] it was just fun,” Elfman said.

When the interviewer asked if the show’s success came as a surprise to him, the composer replied, “Yeah, completely. But you gotta realize, I’m surprised by anything I do having any success. When Batman came out, I was composing to a cut that was so dark on the video I could barely even tell what was happening at the time. I thought this was going to be a little cult film at best, and so the fact that it was a big hit — that shocked me and surprised me. I thought Wednesday would be like Batman: I thought it was going to be a little cult thing.”

Wednesday has been quite the opposite of “a little cult thing” — the show’s synch of The Cramps’ “Goo Goo Muck” drove up on-demand streams of the track to more than 2 million in the U.S. in the week of Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, a more than 8,650% increase from the average 47 weeks before this year. And though Lady Gaga’s “Bloody Mary” was not featured in the show, it also gained 2 million streams thanks to the show’s corresponding TikTok dance trend.

Watch Elfman talk about Wednesday in the video above.

16 Dec 2022

Alicia Keys Set to Host ‘Holiday Masquerade Ball’ on Apple Music

Apple Music announced Friday (Dec. 16) that Alicia Keys is bringing her first-ever Holiday Masquerade Ball to the streaming service later this month.

A trailer for the virtual event — which will stream Wednesday (Dec. 21) — shows the superstar performing a soulful cover of “Please Come Home for Christmas” on the Apple Music Live stage. “Bells will be ringing sad sad news/ Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues/ My baby is gone and I have no friends/ To wish me greetings once again/ Choirs be singing ‘Silent Night’/ Christmas carols by the candlelight,” she sings while pairing a bejeweled mask quite literally dripping in crystals with a sleek, tuxedo-inspired pantsuit.

With an assist from TikTok, the Masquerade Ball will feature music from Keys’ new holiday album, Santa Baby, and include appearances by JVKE and Jon Batiste.

“This is THEE Holiday party of the season,” Keys said in a statement. “I’m grateful to Apple Music and TikTok for helping me create a magic moment to showcase my first holiday album, in such a special way, for everyone around the world.”

Upon its November release exclusively on Apple Music and the iTunes Store, Santa Baby debuted in the top 20 on Billboard‘s Top Holiday Albums chart and has so far spent five weeks and counting on the tally. The studio set — a follow-up to 2021’s KEYS — was preceded by original holiday offering and lead single “December Back 2 June.”

Keys also stopped by Billboard‘s Pop Shop Podcast earlier this month to chat about the album, telling hosts Katie Atkinson and Keith Caufield, “It has a soulfulness, a rawness, it has that New York energy in it too, but it just feels like something you could play from top to bottom. And I recorded it like that; we recorded it very consistently over about seven days, and it all really feels cohesive and great. And so I love it. I think now is the time.”

Watch the trailer for Keys’ Holiday Masquerade Ball here.

16 Dec 2022

Dekko, Danny Ocean & More: What’s Your Favorite New Latin Music Release? Vote!

Another Friday, another round of new releases in Latin music.

This week, Ricardo Montaner‘s son, Héctor Montaner, released his first single in 10 years. Titled “Dale, Dale,” the track serves as the theme song for the Disney+ series about his famous family, Los Montaner. “Dale, Dale” is a contagious cumbia tune that’s also perfect for the holidays. Perhaps best known for the 2004 hit “Amor del Bueno,” Hector never really strayed from music — he’s been producing and writing songs for artists including Thalía, Leslie Grace and his father.

Additionally, Danny Ocean goes experimental with a full electronic song. After releasing part one and part two of his album @dannocean, the Venezuelan singer-songwriter is back with new music. This time, he’s gifted fans a feel-good Spanglish anthem that’s all about living in the moment and embracing a newfound love.

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Also, rising Colombian acts Dekko and Totoy El Frío teamed up for “Antes de que muera.” Written and produced by Dekko himself (real name: Daniel Esquiaqui Lecompte), the acoustic corrido tumbado-inspired track sheds light on a bucket list they wish to accomplish before passing away, starting with “becoming a millionaire” and “owning the world.” “The life that I have led was not the one that mommy wanted/I became more badass that I guarantee/And they criticize me because I do what I want/But they need to know that ‘He who does not risk does not win,’” says part of the motivational lyrics.

Other releases include Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera‘s collaboration “Bebé Dame,” Jowell & Randy and Wisin & Yandel‘s “Si Te Pillo” and Quevedo and Myke Towers‘ first team up “Playa De Inglés.”

Which release is your favorite? Cast your vote — or enter in your favorite selection — in the poll below.