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Just a month after Eden Muñoz ruled Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart with “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” the singer, songwriter and producer is back at the summit with “Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar,” as the single jumps 3-1 to lead the Nov. 16-dated ranking. It’s the second song to enter the tally from his second-studio album, Eden.
“Extremely happy to land, once again, atop the chart with a song as important as ‘Traigo Saldo,’” Muñoz tells Billboard. “Not only for representing my roots; I’m talking about banda music. Congratulations to the entire team and of course, grateful for all who continue to trust my music.”
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“Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar” takes the lead on Regional Mexican Airplay with a 38% increase in audience impressions, to 8.1 million, earned on U.S. monitored stations during the Nov. 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate. With the gain, Muñoz sends Joss Favela and Luis R. Conriquez’s “Con Todo Respetillo” to No. 2, after the latter’s one week in charge.
Thanks to “Traigo Saldo y Ganas de Rogar,” Muñoz picks up his sixth No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay since “ Chale!” his longest-leading song, ruled for three weeks in 2022. Plus, Muñoz secures his third champ of the year, along with Alejandro Fernández, the most for any solo singer in 2024.
Here’s a recap of Muñoz’s collection of No. 1 hits, dating to his first as a soloist, in 2022:
Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1May 21, 2022, “Chale!” threeJuly 2, 2022, “Hay Que Hacer Dinero,” with Banda Ms, twoNov. 11, 2023, “Amor Clandestino,” with Mana, oneJan. 27, “Como En Los Viejos Tiempos,” oneOct. 12, “Mi Eterno Amor Secreto,” with Yuridia, oneNov. 16, “Traigo Saldo Y Ganas De Rogar”
Elsewhere, “Traigo Saldo” impresses one other main Billboard chart: it moves 9-3 on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, with 8.2 million audience impressions.
The song, released Aug. 19 on EMC/Sony Music Latin, was composed by Muñoz and Michelle Maciel.
All charts (dated Nov. 16, 2024) will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, Nov. 12). For all chart news, you can follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Ice Cube is back. The Compton icon has announced plans for his first album since 2018’s Everythang’s Corrupt. Cube revealed on Monday (Nov. 11) that his Man Down LP is slated to hit streaming services later this month on Nov. 22. “The album my fans have been waiting on,” Cube captioned his social media post […]
When Luis Jiménez arrives at the 2024 Latin Grammy Awards ceremony on Thursday (Nov. 14), he will have to play a doubleheader: He will walk the red carpet twice, speak to the same media outlets twice, and perhaps have to split up for the celebrations. The reason? The Venezuelan singer and musician’s two bands, LAGOS and Los Mesoneros, are both nominated this year — and in the same category!
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Both are up for best pop/rock song: LAGOS for “Blanco y Negro” with Elena Rose, and Los Mesoneros for “Diciembre.”
LAGOS is also nominated for best pop song for “Dime Quién.” The pop duo, formed in 2019 by Jiménez and Agustín Zubillaga, already won best pop/rock song last year with Lasso’s “Ojos Marrones,” which they co-wrote. But this time they compete as performers for two songs from their sophomore album Alta Fidelidad, released in May under Warner Music México.
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As for Los Mesoneros, the rock band, active since 2006, had already received a handful of nominations in the past, including for best new artist (2012), best rock album (in 2012 for Indeleble, 2020 for Pangea, and 2021 for Los Mesoneros Live Desde Pangea), as well as best pop/rock song (in 2020 for “Últimas Palabras”). Now they compete with a song from their album Nuestro Año, released in April independently.
“It’s the first time that the bands’ times were synchronized,” Jiménez tells Billboard Español. “When Pangea, Mesoneros’ third album, and Clásico, LAGOS’s debut album, came out, it’s not that it wasn’t challenging — but compared to the size of the projects today, it was too easy.”
He adds: “Now, without a doubt, the challenge is to find the time and the mental state to be able to work creatively and also be able to have those editorial lines separated. It is becoming more and more complicated. But I like a challenge.”
In its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammys will be broadcast live from the Kaseya Center in Miami on Univision, Galavisión and ViX starting at 8 p.m. (Eastern Time). A few days later, on Nov. 21, Jiménez will perform with Los Mesoneros for the first time at the iconic National Auditorium in Mexico City, where he lives.
Luis, how did you feel when you found out that you were nominated with your two bands in the same category?
A very strange, very particular sensation. Obviously, first and foremost it’s double the joy — “Oh, how crazy, they nominated us!” Then, this was a possible scenario and I didn’t really think much about what I would do if it happened; it was simply: “Well, let’s send all these songs, these albums, and whatever has to happen happens.” Receiving that news was really very nice, it is certainly special for me because for the first time they nominated Los Mesoneros and LAGOS simultaneously, and having that honor of being with all of them in that category is something wonderful.
The two albums came out only a month apart. How has this year been for you?
It’s been a titanic challenge. It really is difficult. I understand why no one does it, because it is very complicated to manage the time, and also to do things with excellence like this, in this format. But I think I’m very lucky and fortunate to have colleagues in each of the projects who support me in everything and who are incredible partners and who have also known how to handle this and help me make everything work out and turn out well, and do it with the standard that we have, and help me survive in the attempt.
Did you record with both bands in parallel? What was this process like?
Actually, thank God it wasn’t parallel, because that would have been very rough. Yes, there was a lot at times in the composition process, like sometimes I was writing with LAGOS and suddenly I went into a lock-out with Mesoneros, but it wasn’t so much that I was one day here and one day there, but rather taking a couple of weeks or a month with LAGOS, and then doing the same with Mesoneros. But the recording was appart. LAGOS recorded Alta Fidelidad about seven months before the Mesoneros album, or at least the second half. Although there were singles there that were sneaking in.
Any particular anecdotes trying to balance things with both groups?
Man, all the time, all the multitasking is crazy. I remember, for example, two or three years ago at the Latin Grammys, I also had to be there both with Mesoneros and LAGOS. LAGOS was there because we were going to play at a Warner party, and Mesoneros was nominated, and I had to go around all over Las Vegas even repeating some interviews — “Ah, is you again!?” And I was like, “Yes, but no.” And well, what’s going to happen now in Miami is going to be quite funny too, because even in the dressing room it’s a challenge. It’s a game of trying to be in two places at the same time. It’s challenging, it’s fun, and well, we’re now talking about that — doing the red carpet twice. It is quite particular.
You started doing rock with Los Mesoneros and then pop with LAGOS. Which genre do you identify with most today?
It’s very difficult to answer that — because it’s as if they’d ask you, “Who do you love more, your mom or your dad?” or “Which child do you love more?” Each one has its own thing and they fulfill me in different ways. Obviously I have always had a rock soul, but even since I was little I have also always been a pop lover. People who know me starting with Los Mesoneros never knew that I had that pop side, but it has always been there, actually. And now with LAGOS, I managed to [get to] that output and place where I can also show that side — but both satisfy me and make me happy in different ways.
As a performer, when you started with LAGOS, how difficult was it to find your own pop sound after years doing rock with Los Mesoneros?
It’s always a challenge and I think that’s the challenge, finding yourself within those scenarios. But I think that LAGOS is very interesting because when it came to light, in 2019, Agustín and I had actually been writing songs for other artists for a while, and making more pop music. And I enjoyed it a lot, it’s just that people didn’t picture it. For me, it was also an adventure to get involved in something that had nothing to do with what I had been doing, but also to discover other facets of myself.
Then, when we launched our LAGOS project, it was time to [ask ourselves], “What is our voice, what is our sound, how do we do it?” And that entailed some research, and a bit of trial and error — but luckily Agustín and I already had that very advanced work chemistry. And in some very crazy way — from Agustín with his set of influences, and me with my more alternative, more rock side — on paper it didn’t have to work, but it worked amazingly. I think that’s what gave LAGOS its identity.
What do your colleagues from both bands say? You’ve said they support you, but now with the nominations, is there any rivalry? Pride? Both?
I truly believe it’s been a miracle. I think that many project colleagues perhaps wouldn’t be able to tolerate such a dynamic — because it’s one thing to do it perhaps alternatingly, but doing it in parallel is a level further. That simultaneity has been the interesting thing, and I think I am seriously too lucky — because they have truly been a great source of support for me. I think they also see the level of dedication and effort and sacrifice that I make to give my 100% to both projects, and in reality they have been allies and are a crucial part of making it work. They are even accomplices.
Now that you have experienced this in parallel this year, is it feasible for you to maintain both bands in the future?
I think we have had to change a lot over time. Like, I have also had to learn to give up many things. I am so neurotic producing, writing, arranging, editing… I have also learned to adapt to growth, and increasingly see where I add more value [by giving] up roles. Yes, I want to continue doing this in parallel. Perhaps obviously now, after this year that has been so intense, we must adapt to delegating more… I think that now the challenge is going to be to get a schedule that’s a little less synchronized, but I do see it as a project that can continue and last longer.
If you win, who do you want to go on stage with to receive the award?
Look, I can leave happy with a scenario in which LAGOS wins in the category that is alone, and Mesoneros wins in the one that includes both. I think everyone ends up happy there. But in reality, whatever has to happen happens. I feel that with so many albums and so much music that comes out every week these days, it’s crazy to be on a list so short, that the Academy considers it one of the five best songs of the genre — and that those five include both bands — for me it’s quite an incredible achievement.
Someone pour Shaboozey up a double shot of whiskey, because he’s continuing to dominate the charts with “A Bar Song (Tipsy),” seven months after its release. The smash hit is at No. 1 for a 17th total week atop the Billboard Hot 100. Over the chart’s 66-year history, the song is now the longest-leading No. 1 […]
Three weeks after Liam Payne‘s shocking death, the Jonas Brothers appeared to pay tribute by performing One Direction’s “Night Changes” at the siblings’ concert in Highland, Calif., on Sunday night (Nov. 11).
Standing in a line onstage at Yaamava’ Theater, Nick, Joe and Kevin gave the song a delicate touch — the “Jealous” singer sharing lead vocals with the DNCE frontman while strumming dual electric guitars with the eldest Jonas brother. “We’re only gettin’ older, baby/ And I’ve been thinkin’ about it lately/ Does it ever drive you crazy/ Just how fast the night changes?” the trio sing as the crowd joined in.
At the end of the tune, Nick sang part of the last line — “It’ll never change….” — before pointing to the audience to finish it for him. “… for me and you,” fans delivered before applauding.
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The moment was inevitably full of unspoken emotions, as it comes as many in the music world — and certainly those who were close to Payne — continue to process the loss of the “Strip That Down” musician. On Oct. 16, the ex-boy band star fell to his death from the third-story balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, with toxicology reports later determining that he had “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” in his system when he died.
Police are still investigating the events that transpired leading up to the fall and detained three people in connection to the case this month. They were charged with abandonment of a person followed by death and the supply and facilitation of narcotics, according to the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor, but one of them — 24-year-old waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, who claims to have partied with the star the night of his death — recently publicly denied that he’d given Payne drugs.
Payne is survived by a son, Bear, whom he shares with ex Cheryl Cole. Many of the X Factor alum’s friends and family posted messages of grief in the days following his death, including all four of his former One Direction bandmates: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. In a separate full-band statement, the foursome wrote, “We are completely devastated … We will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Watch the Jonas Brothers cover “Night Changes” below.
In the wake of Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election and the official unveiling of the 2025 Grammy nominations, hip-hop and R&B have had nary a moment of stillness over the past week.
Notably, Beyoncé leads all artists with a jaw-dropping 11 nods for Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter LP, including a look in best melodic rap performance for “Spaghettii” (with Shaboozey and Linda Martell). Muni Long leads the R&B field with one nomination in each of its four categories, while AverySunshine and Durand Bernarr earned their first career Grammy nods (both for best progressive R&B album). On the rap side, Kendrick Lamar predictably dominated, with seven nominations for his Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers “Not Like Us” and “Like That” (with Metro Boomin and Future). It was also a watershed year for female rappers, with several of the genre’s leading ladies landing nominations, including Doechii (three, including best new artist), GloRilla (two), Rapsody (two), Cardi B (one), Latto (one) and Young Miko (one, best música urbana album).
Grammy nominations didn’t slow down the waves of new music, which included new albums from Ab-Soul (Soul Burger), Ferg (Darold), SahBabii (Saaheem), BabyTron (Tronicles), Real Boston Richey (Richey Rich) and more.
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With Fresh Picks, Billboard aims to highlight some of the best and most interesting new sounds across R&B and hip-hop — from SahBabii’s electric “Viking” to Mac Ayres’ plaintive “Blue Skies.” Be sure to check out this week’s Fresh Picks in our Spotify playlist below.
Freshest Find: Ferg feat. Coco Jones, “French Tips”
Darold, Ferg’s latest album, is the latest in a string of 2020s releases that find the brightest stars of mid-2010s/Blog Era hip-hop healing parts of themselves through tough introspection and general maturation. Between Coco Jones’ soulful, sultry vocals, a lift of Brandy’s classic “I Wanna Be Down” and ’90s-evoking production from Mario Winans and Tropkillaz. “When you wet, I start to tingle ’cause it’s too warm/ I ain’t put the condom on ’cause you got me stuck/ I’m pullin’ out, I ain’t ready to shoot the club off,” Ferg spits, simultaneously delivering a classic (slightly X-rated) hip-hop love song and a reminder of one of the remaining available methods to mitigate unwanted pregnancies. — KYLE DENIS
SahBabii, “Viking”
SahBabii was one of the leaders of the melodic rap movement in the mid-2010s, and he’s making another splash with his Saaheem comeback album. SahBabii’s rhymes are raunchier than ever as he raps over ethereal production that soundtracks his deep sea exploration. “Viking” has proven to be one of the early standouts from the project and even earned him a co-sign from Tyler, The Creator, who dubbed the intoxicating track to be “incredible.” He’s still doing things his way and “doesn’t give a f–k who like me.” Welcome back, SahBabii. — MICHAEL SAPONARA
Mac Ayres, “Blue Skies”
For his latest project, Mac Ayres went back to the beginning. With Cloudy, the Long Island-bred crooner compiled some of his most beloved SoundCloud cuts from the past eight years and sequenced them in a tender coming-of-age narrative. “Blue Skies,” the set’s ethereal, Chris Anderson-helmed closer, finds Mac pining for brighter days while balancing the warring energies of wanting to be understood without wanting to beg for acknowledgment. A deceptively heavy song, “Blue Skies” soars thanks in large part to Mac’s structuring of the song; his hushed delivery in the verses perfectly sets the stage for his impassioned belts of “Feels like forever got a hold on me/ Forever got a hold on me my friend” — a pair of lines that put many proper torch songs to shame. — K.D.
Jorja Smith, “Don’t Let Me Go”
A stripped-down instrumental with an acoustic guitar that could score a poignant scene in a movie is only amplified by Jorja Smith’s honeyed vocals. J-Money gets pensive about the pain of letting someone go, but her voice coddles emotional listeners to lay their heads collectively down on a soft cloud rather than a rock. “The wishing wells got all my coins/ But nothing seems to drift me back to you,” Smith sings. “Don’t Let Me Go” arrived as a two-pack featuring help from fellow British singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre, and it appears the tracks were several years in the making before receiving an official release in 2024. — M.S.
Hitkidd & Mello Buckzz, “Pardon Da Body”
Chicago emcee Mello Buckzz has been making waves for quite some time, and her latest collaboration is sure to add to that hype. “Pardon Da Body,” a boisterous link-up with Grammy-nominated producer Hitkidd for his Hitkidd for President album, finds Mello spitting standard braggadocious fare (the “body” in question refers to her figure, her SUV and her racks) over a piano-inflected dance-trap beat. With ample remix potential that can take this song anywhere for a ballroom-minded house set or a Jersey club compilation, “Pardon Da Body” harnesses the power of unbridled fun while keeping Mello front and center. — K.D.
Wolfacejoeyy & A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, “Dallas”
A Boogie Wt Da Hoodie dances into the sexy drill scene thanks to an invite from fellow New York captain Wolfacejoeyy, who is stamping his 2024 with “Dallas” and a major co-sign from the Bronx native. “Me and Boogie in a town bae, you know it’s going down,” Joey raps in his smooth yet soft-spoken flow. Young Jrue Holiday’s emotive rhymes have allowed him to continue to build off Valentino and have set up 2025 as his time to make a quantum leap to stardom. — M.S.
Ab-Soul, “9 Mile”
Ab-Soul wanted the introduction of his Soul Burger album to feel like the Belly, and he did justice by the Hype Williams classic. Soulo weaves through Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life” while opening up about his elusive yet militant approach. “Ain’t really confrontational but I crave chaos,” he admits. “9 Mile” then pivots to channeling his inner Eminem while calling back to B-Rabbit’s 8 Mile rap battles as Soulo gets candid about his suicide attempt. “I did jump off a bridge on Del Amo Boulevard/ I’m blessed but question why God would have mercy on a junkie,” he wonders. It’s a cinematic opener for the TDE rapper’s best project in a decade. — M.S.
Alissia got some very good news on Friday, when she became only the ninth woman (or team of women) to receive a Grammy nomination for producer of the year, non-classical.
Alissia’s only previous Grammy nod was for production and songwriting work on the deluxe edition of Mary J. Blige’s Good Morning Gorgeous, which was nominated for album of the year two years ago. (Her full name, Alissia Benveniste, appeared on her songwriting credit for “Love Without the Heartbreak,” which she co-wrote with Blige, Anderson .Paak and Rogėt Chahayed.)
Her credits during the current eligibility year included tracks by Rae Khalil, BJ the Chicago Kid, Jamila Wood and Lion Babe.
The Recording Academy introduced the producer of the year, non-classical category at the 1975 Grammy ceremony. Thom Bell, one of the architects of the Philly Soul sound, was the inaugural winner. In all this time, no woman has ever won in the category, either on her own or as part of a collaboration.
It’s a very different story in the producer of the year, classical category. Three women have won multiple times in that category, which was introduced five years after producer of the year, non-classical. Judith Sherman has won seven times, which puts her in a tie with David Frost, Steven Epstein and Robert Woods for the most wins by anyone in the category’s history. Joanna Nickrenz has won twice (once alongside Marc Aubort). Elaine Martone has also won twice.
Alissia is competing this year with D’Mile (Dernst Emile II), who is nominated in the category for the third year in a row; Daniel Nigro, nominated in the category for the second year in a row; and fellow first-time nominees Ian Fitchuk and Mustard (Dijon Isaiah McFarlane).
Who will win when the 67th annual Grammy Awards are presented on Feb. 2 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles? Hard to say, but it won’t be Jack Antonoff, who won the last three years in a row, but wasn’t nominated this year.
Here are all the women who have been nominated for producer of the year, non-classical. The years shown are the years of the Grammy ceremonies.
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman (1985)
Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox’s family is about to get bigger. On Monday (Nov. 11), the actress surprised followers with the announcement that she’s pregnant with her first baby with the rapper-turned rocker — almost exactly a year after she opened up about suffering a miscarriage with her partner.
In a characteristically gothic photo posted to Fox’s Instagram, the Jennifer’s Body star poses naked, covered head-to-toe in black liquid while cradling her belly. She also shared a black-and-white snap of her positive pregnancy test.
“nothing is ever really lost. welcome back 👼🏼❤️” Fox captioned the shots, tagging MGK so that his name appears right over her belly when on taps on the photo.
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Billboard has reached out to the stars’ reps for comment.
While their baby on the way will be their first together, Fox and Kelly are already parents to children from previous relationships. The “My Ex’s Best Friend” musician welcomed daughter Casie with ex Emma Cannon in 2009, while the Transformers alum shares sons Noah, Bodhi and Journey with ex-husband Brian Austin Green.
MGK and Fox first started dating in 2020. In January 2022, they got engaged, but sparked breakup rumors in February 2023 when the actress posted a seemingly pointed Beyoncé lyric to Instagram — “You can taste the dishonesty/ it’s all over your breath.” She later clarified, “There has been no third party interference in this relationship of any kind.”
In March of this year, Fox confirmed that their engagement had been called off. “I think, as of now, I don’t have a comment on the status of the relationship, per se,” she told Call Her Daddy‘s Alex Cooper at the time. “What I can say is [he] is what I refer to as being my ‘twin soul’ and there will always be a tether to him, no matter what.”
Fox also previously opened up about experiencing a pregnancy loss amid her relationship with MGK in November 2023, a painful topic she explored in her poetry book, Pretty Boys Are Poisonous. “I want to hold your hand / hear your laugh,” she wrote in the book. “But now / I have to say / goodbye.”
“I’ve never been through anything like that in my life,” Fox reflected on the passages to Good Morning America at the time. “I have three kids, so it was very difficult for both of us and it sent us on a very wild journey together and separately…trying to navigate, ‘What does this mean?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’” she recalled.
Rihanna has her finger on the Internet culture pulse. The superstar took to Instagram to share a montage of videos in which she’s seen sitting at a bus stop beneath a Fenty Beauty advertisement, soundtracked by an audio from Kodak Black’s viral yet erratic freestyle from Kai Cenat‘s Twitch stream earlier this month. During the […]
Who will win the top prize at the 2024 Latin Grammys? Every year, Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors dissect the top categories — song of the year, record of the year, album of the year, and best new artist — to forecast the winners and spotlight the most deserving artists.
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As we approach the Latin Grammys on Thursday (Nov. 14), our Latin/Español editorial team has engaged in a spirited analysis, weighing market trends and historical voting behaviors to make educated predictions. This discussion includes insights from Billboard Español‘s deputy editor Sigal Ratner-Arias and associate editor Isabela Raygoza; as well as the Latin team, assistant editor, Jessica Roiz; senior editor, Griselda Flores; and social media manager/staff writer, Ingrid Fajardo.
On its 25th anniversary, the Latin Grammy Awards ceremony will broadcast live from the Kaseya Center in Miami. Produced by TelevisaUnivision, the three-hour event will air on Univision, Galavisión, and ViX starting at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT).
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Here are our predictions:
Record of the year
“Mil Veces,” Anitta
“Monaco,” Bad Bunny
“Una Vida Pasada,” Camilo & Carín León
“Catalina,” Cimafunk & Monsieur Periné
“Derrumbe,” Jorge Drexler
“Con Dinero y Sin Dinero,” Fonseca & Grupo Niche
“Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” Karol G
“Mambo 23,” Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40
“Tenochtitlán,” Mon Laferte
“Igual Que Un Ángel,” Kali Uchis & Peso Pluma
Sigal Ratner-Arias: I feel strongly about “Igual Que Un Ángel.” I think it’s pun-intended, a heavenly pop song that is so pleasant to the ear with Kali’s vocal style and breathy tones, and Peso shows a softer side that we’ve never heard before. To me, it’s already a winner. I also love Camilo and Carín León’s salsa “Una Vida Pasada,” and I think that would be the runner-up.
Isabela Raygoza: I agree with that. That [“Igual Que Un Ángel”] was my pick, but I quickly want to highlight “Monaco.” I love its moodiness, Charles Aznavour’s references, and the menacing violin riffs; the lyrics are really elegant too. But definitely “Igual que un Ángel.” Not only did it perform extraordinarily well on many Billboard charts, peaking at No. 1, but what Sigal said, hearing Peso sing in an entirely new style really works for him, and Kali’s voice is so angelic and sultry. The production is so supreme that it drips with opulent sensuality. It’s a song you can dance and get frisky to.
Griselda Flores: I think it could be “Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” because it has Edgar Barrera, and it’s a nicely produced song. We’ve already heard Karol G do a more regional Mexican style but this norteño is a side that we haven’t seen from Karol. It softens her. And then there’s Barrera, who’s a [Latin] Grammy darling, and obviously that gives her an extra push. But I also think “Monaco” is very strong, because it’s arranged very nicely. It’s a strong contender because it was so catchy. I just hear it and it takes me back to a moment.
Ingrid Fajardo: For me, I would like “Monaco” to win. It’s such a special song on his album and the whole concept that Bad Bunny created. It’s so elegant in the way the intro with the violins, the lyrics, the concept of what he’s talking about and I would like Bad Bunny to win, he deserves it. I feel like he’s the only one who really experiments. He surprises us more and more.
Jessica Roiz: I agree with Ingrid, because we’re seeing Bad Bunny in a new light. He’s very experimental with everything he does, but just the whole classical aspect of it is beautiful. The first time I heard this song, it immediately set the tone for his album and this new era of maturity and evolution. The lyrics were a look inside of what he was going through professionally and personally. Musically, it also made me feel like I was in one of those Golden Age of Hollywood movies. The route he took with this song makes me feel like it’s worthy of a record of the year.
BAD BUNNY “MONACO”
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Album of the year
Bolero, Ángela Aguilar
Cuatro, Camilo
Xande Canta Caetano, Xande De Pilares
Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), Karol G
García, Kany García
Radio Güira, Juan Luis Guerra 4.40
Autopoiética, Mon Laferte
Boca Chueca, Vol. 1, Carín León
Las Letras Ya No Importan, Residente
Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, Shakira
Flores: I would want Carín León to win because he showcased how versatile he can be. Obviously, we know his palette is diverse but he cemented who he could be outside of regional Mexican without losing his essence. I want him to win because I think it’s a beautiful album, but I think Shakira could possibly take this one because of the momentum around her, the tour and her comeback album. I think she’s the strongest contender here.
Fajardo: It’s the same for me because Carín experimented and took us into his genre, but it also has a little bit of rock and country. It’s like Carín’s world, musically, but it also takes us into what he listens to and what he identifies with. The runner-up for me would be “Cuatro” by Camilo.
Ratner-Arias: I agree with Carín, he is my runner-up — but I feel that the competition is really going to be between Residente, who is a darling of the Latin Academy and who presented another innovative masterpiece with his album, and Shakira for her comeback and her heartfelt and personal songs. I would give my vote to her but I think Residente would be deserving and could take it.
Raygoza: I agree that Residente made a masterpiece. He presented himself as a more well-rounded artist, a songwriter who thinks outside the box with production and concept. But I also agree that Carín León could possibly take this one. I love that there is a regional Mexican song in this category; I think he’s the most-fitting darling-esque act for La Academia; however, my actual pick is Mon Laferte. The album opens up with “Tenochtitlán,” singing of the fallen ancient civilizations but the trip-hop-meets-bolero beat, à la Portishead. Then she switches to cumbia rebajada [on “Te Juro Que Volveré”]. I think her sound and voice are so haunting. She’s so poetic. I would love for her to win but I think Carín could win this one.
Roiz: I would like Carín to win as well because I feel that it would make a huge statement for música mexicana music. Yes, he’s experimenting but with what he likes and he’s consuming not with what’s trending. Notably, there’s that song he did with the gospel choir and it’s so passionate. Everything he sings comes out beautiful. I do hope he wins but it could also go to Residente or Kany García — I think those would be my runner-ups.
Carín León.
Jesus Fernando Espinoza
Song of the year
“A Fuego Lento,” Daymé Arocena & Vicente García, songwriters (Daymé Arocena & Vicente García)
“A La Mitad” (Banda Sonora Original De La Serie “Zorro”), Julio Reyes Copello & Mariana Vega, songwriters (Maura Nava)
“Aún Me Sigo Encontrando”, Rubén Blades, Gian Marco & Julio Reyes Copello, songwriters (Gian Marco & Rubén Blades)
“Caracas En El 2000,” Marvin Hawkins Rodriguez, Jerry Di, La Pichu, Danny Ocean & Elena Rose, songwriters (Elena Rose, Danny Ocean & Jerry Di)
“Derrumbe,” Jorge Drexler, songwriters (Jorge Drexler)
“(Entre Paréntesis),” Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Manuel Lorente Freire, Lenin Yorney Palacios & Shakira, songwriters (Shakira, Grupo Frontera)
“Mi Ex Tenía Razón,” Edgar Barrera, Andres Jael Correa Rios, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Karol G & MAG, songwriters (Karol G)
“Según Quién,” Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Luís Miguel Gómez Castaño, Maluma, Lenin Yorney Palacios & Juan Camilo Vargas, songwriters (Maluma & Carín León)
“Te Lo Agradezco,” Rafa Arcaute, Kany García, Carín León & Richi López, songwriters (Kany García & Carín León)
“313,” Leo Genovese, Residente & Silvia Pérez Cruz, songwriters (Residente, Silvia Pérez Cruz & Penélope Cruz)
Ratner-Arias: As a good Venezuelan I would like to see “Caracas en el 2000” win. It is a happy song, contagious, full of feelings, and nostalgia. It takes you back to a time in your life — it doesn’t matter that you’re not Venezuelan, but it takes you back to your homeland in those teenage years in a way that makes you smile and the chorus is super catchy. However, Residente’s song is very powerful and I think it’s very likely to win.
Flores: I don’t see a clear winner but I think that Jorge Drexler might have more of a chance here because it’s a beautiful song. It’s a spoken word and super poetic. Other than that, “Según Quién” was really catchy and resonated with listeners. Also, Elena Rose and Danny Ocean are beautiful songwriters, so I would like to see them get this recognition as composers.
Fajardo: I would like “Te Lo Agradezco” to win. I feel the lyrics are different. It’s a reminder of self-love from someone else’s point of view. I feel the same way that Jorge Drexler or Rubén Blades could win.
Roiz: I would like to see “Caracas en el 2000” win because it would be one of those statement-making moments. I love what the song represents — especially for Venezuela and for what all these artists have done for their country this year. I also think “Te Lo Agradezco” is a beautifully crafted song and it definitely has song-of-the-year potential. A strong runner-up for me would be “A La Mitad.” Maura Nava is a brand-new artist, coming from Julio Reyes Copello’s ArtHouse Academy, and it’s just surprising to see her in this category. It’s a very haunting and captivating song.
Raygoza: I’m gonna go with “Caracas en el 2000” because Venezuela had a huge year with its artists, and this song beautifully encapsulates that. It’s a powerful Venezuelan trio and the song is a youth nostalgia to their years living in Venezuela. I like the songwriting, enjoying a “cheese empanada,” it’s really cute! It reflects their life amid the country’s dramatic political shift. For my runner-up, I’m also going to go with Residente. I think it’s a very vulnerable song, especially after dedicating the song to a friend of his who passed away. The song navigates between mourning and remembrance, the nature of life, and how we cherish connections. I think it’s a beautiful orchestral ballad that touches on existence.
Jerry Di, Elena Rose & Danny Ocean
Warner Music Latina
Best new artist
Agris
Kevin Aguilar
Darumas
Nicolle Horbath
Latin Mafia
Cacá Magalhães
Os Garotin
Iñigo Quintero
Sofi Saar
Ela Taubert
Flores: Latin Mafia. I think they’re everywhere and everyone is talking about them. During Billboard Latin Music Week, I heard an executive say that they are the future of Latin music, and I kind of agree. They come with a different proposal, very unique, very real. They are brothers from Mexico doing avant-garde pop music, and it’s something refreshing for me. They excite me a lot, and I think they should and could win. A runner-up for me could be either Inigo Quintero or Ela Taubert — I think they have a good chance.
Raygoza: I want to echo what Griselda said because I feel similarly about Latin Mafia. They are groundbreaking in terms of their sonic configurations. Their sound is nostalgic but noisy. The production in their debut album is impeccable, they have rock, grunge, trip-hop, and skater punk, and it’s so unpredictable. Obviously, they had a huge year because they debuted at Coachella, and they signed to Rimas. They’re so unique in their presentation and it’s refreshing to see a group like them because it adds more versatility. They’re not pop nor urbano, they’re producers and they’re rockers, and I love that about them.
Fajardo: I agree. I feel that Latin Mafia represents an indie, conceptual, and creative side of music that we don’t hear a lot of in the United States. For me, they are super creative and I’m glad there is a space for them. My runner-up would be Ela, we have seen her very active this year and she has a lot of support.
Ratner-Arias: Each nominee in this category has their charm but my favorites here are Ela and Darumas. In fact, I would love for Darumas to win! Ela has a lot of beautiful pop songs that are relatable lyrics but I feel like we’ve seen a lot of singers like that already. Darumas represents something exciting and special by bringing funk, R&B, and Latin flavor. My vote is for Darumas, but the runner-up could be Latin Mafia.
Roiz: Personally, I would have loved to see Noreh in this category, but I agree with Sigal. I would love to see one of the girls win again. I was shocked when I saw Darumas here. They just kicked off their career this year, so this is pretty exciting. Their concept is super cool and they are very talented. I would love to see either Darumas or Ela Taubert win this one. Ela is a very well-rounded pop star.
Latin Mafia
@directony