Music
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Xavi and Manuel Turizo captured hearts with their bachata collaboration “En Privado” at Premio Lo Nuestro 2025. Celebrated at Miami’s Kaseya Center, the Mexican-American star first kicked off with his No. 1 Billboard hit “La Diabla” before transitioning to their duet. The performance highlighted the duo’s versatility and artistic flair as they embraced the soft, […]
Madonna has shared her latest thoughts on the current activities of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Queen of Pop’s latest comments on Trump came following a controversial post from the official White House X account on Wednesday (Feb. 19). Sharing a fake Time magazine cover, the title was altered to feature Trump’s name, while a caption reading “long live the king” appeared above a smiling of the President, adorned with a crown.
The post, which was shared after his administration ordered New York to end congestion pricing, was also accompanied by a quote attributed to Trump, “CONGESTION PRICING IS DEAD. Manhattan, and all of New York, is SAVED. LONG LIVE THE KING.”
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Understandably, the post drew swift criticism from those who recognized the irony of the White House’s reference to Trump as a monarch, given the very circumstances upon which America was first founded. Madonna was one of those very people, who took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Feb. 20) to criticize the post.
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“I thought this country was built by Europeans, escaping living under the rule of a King, to establish a New World governed by the people,” she wrote. “Currently, we have a president who calls himself our King. If this is a joke, I’m not laughing.”
This is far from the first time that Madonna has responded negatively to actions from the Trump administration. Following Trump’s first inauguration in Jan. 2017, the musician addressed a crowd of over 500,000 women and men at the Women’s March on Washington, with her expletive-laden speech airing uncensored on C-Span, CNN and MSNBC.
“Welcome to the revolution of love, to the rebellion, to our refusal as women to accept this new age of tyranny, where not just women are in danger but all marginalized people, where being uniquely different right now might truly be considered a crime,” she told the gathered masses. “It took this horrific moment of darkness to wake us the f— up.”
More recently, Madonna responded to Trump’s myriad executive orders eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion positions within government branches and agencies, and numerous orders repealing protections for LGBTQIA+ individuals and members of other marginalized communities.
“It’s so sad to watch our new Government slowly dismantling all the Freedoms we have been fighting for and WON over the years,” she wrote, accompanying her post with a pride flag and a broken heart emoji. “Don’t give up the Fight!”
La India, known as “The Princess of Salsa,” was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 37th annual Premio Lo Nuestro, which took place Thursday (Feb. 20).
Salsa singer Luis Figueroa introduced the living legend, saying she was one one of the reasons he fell in love with the sound of salsa. Then, the woman of the hour, dressed in a regal blue suit, showed her prowess singing medley of her greatest hits, including “Ese Hombre,” “Dicen Que Soy” and “Mi Mayor Venganza,” with Sergio George on the piano.
Right after her riveting performance, Victor Manuelle presented La India with the special honor. “Today, I have the honor and privilege of giving an award to one of the most representative voices of our genre, baptized by Celia Cruz as ‘La Princesa de La Salsa,’” he said.
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In tears, La India gave a heartfelt speech: “This is for my fans, thank you for being by my side. I want to thank God, the Almighty, the one who never abandons us. I want to thank the musicians, Sergio George, I want to thank the Queen of Salsa, Celia Cruz, my godfather Pedro Knight, Tito Puente, Little Louie Vega. La India arrived, and I never looked back and I was loyal and remain loyal to my tropical salsa genre. To the Latinos, we are important in this land. They will never run us out of this land of the Americas. Never.”
Broadcasting live on Thursday (Feb. 20) from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. Becky G & Carin León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine nods each; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, with eight nominations each.
La India, Alejandro Fernández and Manuel Alejandro are being honored with special awards. This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.
Dynamic Mexican duo Belinda and Tito Double P lit up the stage at the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro with their captivating corrido “La Cuadrada.”
Reinventing herself as “Beli bélica” and embodying the persona of an undercover agent, Belinda teamed up with the rapidly rising star from Culiacán, Sinaloa. Together, they masterfully crafted a complex narrative of love and deception.
She took the stage with authority, initially clad in a black furry jacket. She then dramatically revealed a stunning red lace one-piece and complemented the look with big furry black boots. Tito complemented her presence perfectly, dressed in an all-black ensemble.
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Their performance vividly brought to life the drama and opulence depicted in their music video. Her crystalline vocals harmonized with powerful guitar riffs and vibrant trumpet sequences, while Tito’s growl deepened the song’s intensity.
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Earlier that night, Tito revealed to Billboard during the red carpet, “There’s an EP coming with Hassan, with Peso, in the next few months. The tour Ay Mamá starts in March throughout the United States.”
In addition to their show-stopping performance, Tito received two nominations: Mexican music new artist and Mexican music collaboration of the year for his team-up with Peso Pluma on “Dos Días.” Belinda also received two noms at this year’s awards— pop female artist of the year and best female combination for her collaboration with Kenia Os on the track “Jackpot.”
Broadcasting live on Thursday (Feb. 20) from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.
To check out more coverage of Premio Lo Nuestro, visit Billboard.com.
Manuel Alejandro received the Visionary Award at the Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 ceremony. At 92 years old, the Spanish musician, arranger, and producer was recognized on Thursday (Feb. 20) for his six-decade career, during which he has written more than 500 songs and worked with iconic romantic crooners including José José, Rocío Jurado, and Julio Iglesias, among many others.
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The artist was recognized with an elegant and moving presentation in which Alejandro Sanz, Niña Pastori, Carín León and Laura Pausini, with Edgar Barrera on the piano and an orchestra, performed his classics “Procuro Olvidarte,” “Qué Sabe Nadie,” “Dueño de Nada” and “Mi Amante Amigo,” respectively, before joining their voiced for “Como Yo Te Amo.”
“For me this is a great celebration, because since I started in America so many years ago, this beautiful America, I realized that the strength of yours, of its people, ended when they heard a love song,” said Manuel Alejandro, hoarse but beaming with joy. “So, the only thing I did my whole life was delve deep, listen to your vibrations, your deepest feelings, and write them down verbatim. Nothing more.”
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Born in Jerez de la Frontera–Cádiz in 1932, Manuel Álvarez-Beigbeder Pérez (his real name) has music in his blood, as his father was renowned composer Germán Álvarez Beigbeder.
In the 1970s, he achieved success as the author of the most emblematic songs for Raphael: “Yo Soy Aquel,” “Cuando Tú No Estás,” and “Cierro Mis Ojos,” to name a few. He continued to write great hits that decade for voices like Libertad Lamarque, Pedro Vargas, Julio Iglesias, Rocío Jurado, “El Puma” José Luis Rodríguez, and more. In the 80s and 90s, he also wrote and produced for stars such as Emmanuel, José José, Isabel Pantoja, and Plácido Domingo.
“I share this award with magnificent songwriters such as this boy here, Edgar Barrera, who a few days ago receiving a Grammy mentioned me as a role model,” he added. “I also share it with those composers that you all know, like Roberto Cantoral or Armando Manzanero, who accompanied me along the way to get here.”
Other two artists received special awards this year: La India, who was honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro Lifetime Achievement Award, and Alejandro Fernández with the Premio Lo Nuestro Excellence Award.
Broadcasting live from the Kaseya Center in Miami, the 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro ceremony is co-hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza. Becky G & Carin León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine nods each; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, with eight nominations each.
This year, the gala’s theme is “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), honoring the artists, songs, and albums that connect the past, present, and future of Latin music.
Stranger Things star Joe Keery and his Djo project have taken on Haim’s “Gasoline” during his recent visit to Australia.
The performance took place as part of an appearance on Like a Version, the long-running covers segment from Australian radio station triple j. Keery was in the country over the past few weeks performing as part of the long-running Laneway Festival, which featured Charli XCX, Clairo, and Beabadoobee atop the bill.
The two-song session was launched with a rendition of Djo’s original track “Basic Being Basic,” which was issued in late January as the lead single from his upcoming third album, The Crux. For the customary cover, the focus was then shifted to Haim’s “Gasoline,” originally featured on their 2020 album, Women in Music Pt. III, and hit No. 30 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart,
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“Love that album, I think they’re such great artists,” Keery said of the original in a post-performance interview. “I love that they’re sisters and they’re making music together. I’ve got a big family, and the other song that we played, ‘Basic’, my sisters are singing on that. So I thought it’d be sort of cool to pay homage to them for that reason.”
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“It was a fun experience to me, and I hope they like it,” he added. “Shout out to them. I hope they’re making new music soon because we deserve another album from them. We’re overdue.”
Currently, Women in Music Pt. III serves as Haim’s most recent record, though the familial trio provided a video update in 2023 to reveal they were working on their fourth album. That same year also saw the release of “Home”, which was included on the soundtrack to Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
This isn’t the first time Djo’s music has been the focus of the Like a Version studio, either. In May 2024, Canadian quartet The Beaches covered “End of Beginning” for their own appearance on the segment. Originally released on the 2022 album Decide, the track gained traction in 2024, resulting in both a peak of No. 11 on the Hot 100, and a top rock song nomination at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards.
“To see that was really kind of a cool and a crazy experience,” Keery reflected. “I’ve never met them, but they did such a cool cover and to hear someone else’s interpretation of a song that I wrote was a really unique experience and something I’ll always remember.”
Having first launched in 2004, the Like a Version series has gone from being a near-impromptu acoustic affair to featuring larger studio productions. Numerous artists have taken part over the past two decades, with the likes of Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, and more reinventing classic tracks in the process.
Alejandro Fernández was honored with the Premio Lo Nuestro a la Excelencia (Excellence Award) during the 2025 ceremony held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, a tribute that celebrated his expansive and influential career across various genres of Mexican music
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His children Camila and Alex Fernández warmly introduced the Mexican legend, commending his ability to captivate hearts with a voice that has gracefully transcended genres — from ranchera to Latin pop, and romantic ballads to mariachi — over the course of more than three decades.
Dressed in traditional, elegant mariachi attire complete with a striking sombrero, Alejandro Fernández demonstrated the enduring appeal of Mexican musical heritage.
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The medley of rancheras performed by Fernández, a tribute to his late, legendary father Chente, began with “Un Millón de Primaveras,” transitioned smoothly into the polka-driven “La Ley del Monte,” and culminated with the mariachi-fusion hit “Estos Celos.” The performance was a display of his vocal prowess and a vivid reminder of his contribution to elevating Mexican music on the global stage. During his performance, a candid shot captured Pepe Aguilar enthusiastically bobbing his head, visibly moved by the rendition.
The prestigious award was presented by Carín León, who handed the trophy to Alejandro Fernández amid cheers. In his acceptance speech, Alejandro expressed:
“This is an accolade that I deeply appreciate as it reflects the effort and perseverance put into my career. First and foremost, I thank my father, who I’m sure is throwing a party up there and would be immensely proud of this recognition. I also thank my mother, my children who are here today, my granddaughters, and my entire family. To Carlos, my lifelong companion, to my team from management, Alex, Jason, Octavio, and to Universal Music, my president Jesús López, Univision, and most importantly, to all my fans who have always supported me and shared my love for Mexican music.”
The 2025 Premio Lo Nuestro, with the theme “Uniendo Generaciones” (Uniting Generations), brought together a celebration of Latin music’s past, present, and future. Hosted by Laura Pausini, Thalia, and Alejandra Espinoza, the night was filled with memorable performances and accolades.
Natti Natasha commanded the stage at Premio Lo Nuestro with a captivating performance, where she gave a masterclass in bachata. Wearing a backless black dress with a high slit, the Dominican star performed “Desde Hoy,” the gorgeous song that opens her new album Natti Natasha en Amargue. The set is entirely produced and penned by […]
Paquita la del Barrio was honored in a big way at Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 on Thursday (Feb 20), just a few days after it was announced that she died at age 77. After playing a short clip of when Paquita won the Lifetime Achievement Award at Premio Lo Nuestro in 2016, Mexican music icon […]
Premio Lo Nuestro 2025 ceremoniously kicked off in Miami on Thursday (Feb. 20) with an opening act led by Will Smith and flamenco-pop artist India Martínez.
The duo opened the show with their heartfelt flamenco-rap track “First Love.” Martínez, clad in a black sequined dress, set the stage with soul-stirring vocals accompanied by evocative flamenco-style guitar strums that filled the venue. Will Smith, decked out in a sleek suit, soon joined her, melding his rhythmic rap verses with the song’s melodious flair. The performance peaked dramatically when Smith leaned in for a staged kiss, only for Martínez to walk away, heightening the theatrical tension.
The energy escalated as they transitioned into Smith’s very fitting 1997 hit “Miami,” with that classic sample of “And the Beat Goes On” by The Whispers, while he now rocked a tropical-styled shirt. DJ Khaled amplified the vibe with his characteristic vigor. Meanwhile, Thalia and the legendary Miami Sound Machine added their distinctive style to the act, capturing the evening’s theme of “Uniting Generations.” Thalia, also pulling double-duty as host with Laura Pausini and Alejandra Espinoza, shifted gears from presenter to star performer.
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“This is a really beautiful time for me as I’m starting to release new music,” Smith said a day prior at a private event, co-hosted by Neon16. “I’ve had a couple of years of really wonderful introspection, and I’ve had some beautiful revelations. I’m having a ball trying to express these things artistically.”
This isn’t the first time he’s made music with Latin stars: In 2016, Smith teamed up with Bomba Estéreo on “Fiesta Remix,” and last year the Philly rapper joined J Balvin at Coachella, where they re-enacted Men In Black.
With Premio Lo Nuestro broadcasting live from the Kaseya Center, Becky G and Carín León lead the list of nominations with 10 nods each. They are followed by Shakira and Myke Towers, with nine; and Ángela Aguilar, Emilia, Grupo Frontera and Leonardo Aguilar, each with eight nominations. La India, Alejandro Fernández and Manuel Alejandro are being honored with special awards.