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Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 included a series of emerging artists showcases, featuring everyone from Lupita Infante and Christian Alicea to Alejo, Zizzy and Chaparro Chuacheneguer.
Held in the Stardust Lounge at the Fillmore Miami Beach, the intimate concerts began on Monday, October 20th, with a set presented by Platoon featuring Colombian musician and producer Golden, known for his musical versatility (R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop, pop) and collaborations with artists such as Beelé, Hamilton, and Maria Becerra. Golden made his debut as a singer in June with the album Saoko Vol. 1, in which he shares his African roots, fusing them with salsa and lyrics that largely pay tribute to women. He was joined by two special guests: Cartagena-born Zaider, recognized for his fusion of Afrobeats and reggaetón; and producer Slow Mike.
On Tuesday, Oct. 21st, Peermusic presented an energetic showcase featuring four of its stars. Mexican artist Zizzy kicked things off with his unique fusion of rap, reggaetón, and R&B, adding a touch of romance. Famous for his collaborations with stars like Yng Iván and Álvaro Díaz, the Monterrey native demonstrated his talent as one of the most promising artists in the Latin urban genre. Next up was Alejo, the young Puerto Rican star who’s latest achievements include appearing at Lollapalooza Chile, performing at the Lunario in Mexico City, and participating in summer festivals in Spain. With his urban style and catchy rhythms, he had not only his fans singing and dancing, but also those he won over at the event.
Lupita Infante’s feminine presence added a special touch to the evening. Accompanied by a mariachi band, the great Pedro Infante’s granddaughter showcased her spectacular voice, singing the ranchera songs that have earned her two Latin Grammy nominations with her bold style and soulful vocals. Christian Alcea closed the show, captivating the audience with his energetic performance and getting everyone dancing. His spectacular way of fusing traditional salsa with modern rhythms, combined with his charisma, gives the genre a unique flavor.
To close out the week, Mexican music and dance took over the final showcase at Billboard Latin Music Week on Wednesday, Oct. 22, beginning with Silvia Zepeda’s rancheras, an artist signed to Luz Record who has been carving out a place for herself in the regional Mexican music scene throughout 2025. The audience sang along to songs like “Un Puño de Tierra,” in which she was accompanied by Lorenzo Méndez, one of the most respected voices in the genre and former lead singer of La Original Banda El Limón.
Meanwhile, Gerardo Fernández showcased his powerful voice, performing rancheras as well. With 13 albums in his discography, Pedro Fernández’s brother remains true to his roots, and he demonstrated this on stage.
The energy and fun came courtesy of two artists who are causing sensation on social media and within the Latino community of California. First, Juanito El Millonzuki, also known as “the king of urban ranch,” got the crowd dancing with his upbeat set. Shortly after, he was joined by another charismatic performer, Chaparro Chuacheneger — short in stature but with a big heart when it comes to spreading his positive energy through his songs, bringing the party to a close.
With over 30 years of history, Latin Music Week is the largest and most important gathering of Latin artists and industry executives worldwide. This year’s event featured a star-studded lineup that included Aitana, Anuel AA, Bebeshito, Carlos Vives, Carín León, Danny Ocean, DJ Khaled, Daddy Yankee, Emilia Mernes, Ivy Queen, Gloria Estefan, Grupo 5, Kapo, Laura Pausini, Luck Ra, Netón Vega, Olga Tañón, Óscar Maydon, Ozuna, Pablo Alborán, Rawayana, Suzette Quintanilla, Tokischa, Xavi, Yailin La Más Viral, and more.
Billboard Latin Music Week also coincided with the 2025 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which aired on Thursday, Oct. 23, on Telemundo, where Bad Bunny was honored as Top Latin Artist of the 21st Century.
Alejo
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Alejo during the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Day 2 Showcase & Happy Hour (Presented by peermusic) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Silvia Zepeda
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Silvia Zepeda at Emerging Artist Showcase (Presented by UNO Production) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Golden
Image Credit: Nick Vega
Golden during the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Day 1 – Emerging Artist Showcase (Presented by Platoon) on October 20, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Chaparro Chuacheneguer
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Chaparro Chuacheneguer at Emerging Artist Showcase (Presented by UNO Production) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Lupita Infante
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Lupita Infante during the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Day 2 Showcase & Happy Hour (Presented by peermusic) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Zizzy
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Zizzy during the Billboard Latin Music Week 2025 Day 2 Showcase & Happy Hour (Presented by peermusic) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Juanito El Millonzuki and Gerardo Fernández
Image Credit: Chris Medina
Juanito El Millonzuki and Gerardo Fernández at Emerging Artist Showcase (Presented by UNO Production) at Stardust Lounge on October 21, 2025 in Miami Beach, Florida.
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
FBI Director Kash Patel is facing criticism over his reported use of a government-owned jet to travel to Pennsylvania State University last weekend, allegedly to watch his girlfriend, country singer Alexis Wilkins, perform at a wrestling event, according to The Independent.
Patel, 45, appeared alongside Wilkins, 26, at the Real American Freestyle event at Penn State on Oct. 25. Photos of the couple at the event were later shared on Wilkins’ X account, sparking online speculation about how the FBI director traveled there.
Podcaster Kyle Seraphin was the first to call out Kash Patel and Alexis Wilkins.
Podcaster Kyle Seraphin was among the first to question Patel’s actions.
“We’re in the middle of a government shutdown where they’re not even gonna pay all of the employees that work for the agency that this guy heads,” Seraphin said on the Oct. 28 episode of The Kyle Seraphin Show. “And this guy is jetting off to hang out with his girlfriend in Nashville on our dime?”
Seraphin went on to accuse the couple of “grifting off the American public.”
“He flew a $60 million aircraft to go hang out there. Is that gross to anybody else?” he added.
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Public data shows that Jet N708JH, the flight Patel allegedly traveled on, according to The Daily Beast, is registered to the United States Government. The jet made a roughly 40-minute trip from Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia to State College Regional Airport in Pennsylvania on Oct. 25. About two and a half hours later, the aircraft departed for Nashville, Tennessee, where Wilkins resides.
According to flight logs obtained by the outlet, the plane landed in State College, Pennsylvania, at 5:40 p.m. EST, took off at 8:03 p.m. EST, and arrived in Nashville, where Wilkins lives, at 8:28 p.m. CDT. The following morning, it reportedly left Nashville for San Angelo, Texas, for reasons that remain unclear.
As FBI director, Patel is required to use government aircraft to maintain safety and access to secure communications, but his use of the jet in recent months has raised eyebrows, as this reportedly wasn’t the first time he’s used a federal aircraft to see Wilkins.
In April 2025, just two months after assuming his role, Patel allegedly made several trips to Nashville to visit Wilkins and was also seen accompanying her to hockey games, The Daily Beast reported. Patel has defended his use of the jet in the past, arguing that “Congress made it mandatory” for him to use the government plane for any travel, The Independent noted.
Kyle Seraphin was sued by Alexis Wilkins in August for defamation.
This is not the first time Seraphin has publicly targeted the couple, either. According to CNBC News, Wilkins filed a lawsuit against Seraphin in August for $5 million in defamation damages after he claimed she was a “former Mossad agent” sent to compromise Patel.
On an Aug. 22 episode of his show, Seraphin remarked that Kash Patel “has had his own little ‘honeypot’ issue that’s been going on of late, so we’re just going to acknowledge it real publicly.”
He continued, “He’s got a girlfriend that is half his age, who is apparently is both a country music singer, a political commentator on Rumble, a friend of John Rich through [FBI Deputy Director Dan] Bongino, who also now owns a big chunk of Rumble, and she’s also a former Mossad agent in what is like the equivalent of their NSA.”
Wilkins’ lawsuit, filed in federal court in Austin, Texas, accuses Seraphin of defamation, stating that the conservative podcaster had “maliciously lied” about her. According to the complaint cited by NBC News, Seraphin “falsely” asserted that Wilkins was “an agent of a foreign government, assigned to manipulate and compromise the Director of the FBI.”
Alexis Wilkins’ attorney wrote that Seraphin used the fabricated story as “self-enriching clickbait.” Wilkins is seeking at least $5 million in damages.
The GAO found that DOJ executives spent a total of $11.4 million on non-mission flights between 2007 and 2011.
Notably, studies have been conducted on the flight habits of government officials in the past. In 2013, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) was tasked with reviewing non-mission-related travel by Department of Justice (DOJ) executives. The GAO examined data from fiscal years 2007 through 2011 to determine which DOJ executives used department aircraft for non-mission travel, as well as the frequency, purpose, and cost of such trips.
During those five years, three officials who served as Attorney General (AG) or Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) accounted for 95 percent (659 out of 697) of all DOJ executive non-mission flights, at a total cost of $11.4 million. Of those flights, approximately 74 percent (490 out of 659) were taken for official business purposes—such as conferences, meetings, and field office visits—while 24 percent (158 flights) were for personal reasons, and the remaining 2 percent (11 flights) combined both business and personal travel.
GAO noted at the time that while the Attorney General has long been obligated to use government aircraft for every type of travel, the FBI Director—until 2011—had the discretion to use commercial air service for personal trips.
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Trending on Billboard 50 Cent wasted no time in trolling BMF star Lil Meech after the Starz series was canceled following four seasons. 50 fired away on Instagram on Wednesday (Oct. 29) after news of the show produced by his G-Unit Film & TV division was canned. He posted a series of Photoshopped pictures featuring […]
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Megadeth has revealed the tracklist for its upcoming final album, and it’ll include a long-awaited bonus track.
The band revealed its self-titled album, due out Jan. 23, will have 10 tracks and will include an 11th bonus song called “Ride the Lightning.” The song was cowritten with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich, which Megadeth’s frontman Dave Mustaine explained was included on the album to celebrate his career.
“As I come full circle on the career of a lifetime, the decision to include ‘Ride the Lightning’, a song I cowrote with James, Lars and Cliff, was to pay my respects to where my career first started,” Mustaine said in a statement.
Megadeth announced in August the band would be saying farewell after 16 albums. Mustaine confirmed their next project would be the group’s last, sharing a video to the band’s YouTube and social media pages that included Mustaine’s alter ego, Vic Rattlehead, delivering the news.
“For over four decades, I’ve been chained in silence, but the end demands my voice,” Vic begins while seated behind a desk. “It is confirmed: The next Megadeth studio album will be the last. Forty years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire. And when the new year rises, the global farewell tour. You’ve heard the warning. Now prepare yourself, Cyber Army. Stay loud, stay tuned, and meet me on the frontlines.”
Mustaine then thanked fans in a press release for their commitment and celebrating the band’s impact on rock. “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” he said at the time. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.”
The band will additionally join Iron Maiden on its Run for Your Lives Tour next year.
Check out the tracklist below.
Trending on Billboard
On the strength of top sellers from the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack, Sabrina Carpenter and Morgan Wallen, Universal Music Group’s revenue grew 5.3% to 3.02 billion euros ($3.53 billion at the quarter’s average euro-to-dollar exchange rate) in the third quarter of 2025, the company announced Thursday (Oct. 30). In constant currency, which removes the impact of considerable foreign exchange fluctuations since the beginning of the year, UMG’s revenue rose 10.2% in the quarter.
With all three of UMG’s business units posting gains, adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), a common measure of profitability, increased 6.9% (11.6% in constant currency) to 594 million euros ($694 million). Adjusted EBITDA margin — EBITDA as a percentage of revenue — improved to 22.0% from 21.6%.
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CEO Lucian Grainge emphasized the company’s long-term value creation and strategic efforts that don’t show up in the financial results. “Importantly, we continued to drive progress on our strategic plans, including our artists’ and songwriters’ creative and commercial success, our global expansion, the industry’s embrace of our responsible AI initiatives and the continued implementation of Streaming 2.0.,” he said in a statement. A day earlier, UMG announced a settlement and licensing agreement with AI music generator Udio. Just hours before earnings were released, UMG trumpeted a partnership with Stability AI to create tools for artists and producers that are powered by “responsibly” trained generative AI.
In the recorded music division, revenue rose 3.6% (8.3% in constant currency) from the prior-year period to 2.22 billion euros ($2.60 billion). Recorded music subscription revenue improved 3.6% (8.7% in constant currency) to 1.52 billion euros ($1.78 billion), in line with the company’s projections of 8% to 10% annual growth. The company said subscription growth came primarily from an increase in the number of global subscribers.
Other streaming revenue, which included ad-supported streaming, fell 4.8% (flat in constant currency) to 337 million euros ($394 million). The company attributed the decline to a shift in streaming activity to poorly monetized short-form videos from more effectively monetized video platforms.
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Physical sales jumped 18.4% (23.1% in constant currency) to 341 million euros ($399 million) due to initial shipments of Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, which had a street date after the end of the third quarter. Licensing and other revenue improved 0.9% (4.1% in constant currency) to 328 million euros ($383 million). Digital downloads were down 7.1% (unchanged in constant currency) to 39 million euros ($46 million).
Music publishing revenue improved 8.6% (13.6% in constant currency) to 543 million euros ($635 million). Publishing’s digital revenue grew 10.8% (16.8% in constant currency) to 327 million euros ($382 million) due to streaming growth and subscription revenue gains. Performance revenue rose 13.9% (17.3% in constant currency) to 115 million euros ($134 million). Synch revenue fell 1.6% (rose 3.3% in constant currency) to 63 million euros ($74 million). Mechanical royalties were down 7.1% (3.7% in constant currency) to 26 million euros ($30 million).
Merchandising and other revenue grew 9.3% (15.6% in constant currency) to 259 million euros ($303 million). Lower direct-to-consumer sales were more than offset by growth in touring merchandise sales.
Trending on Billboard
Jason Kelce might be gaining one of music’s biggest stars as a sister-in-law, but that doesn’t mean he’s any the wiser to the boundaries of basic musical genres. In a hilarious moment on Kylie Kelce’s Not Gonna Lie podcast posted Thursday (Oct. 30), the retired Philadelphia Eagles center left his wife absolutely perplexed when he classified a certain pop star — who’s previously collaborated with Taylor Swift — as a “hip-hop” artist.
While sitting together on a couch dressed in Frozen-themed Halloween costumes (Kylie showed up as Olaf the snowman, while Jason channeled Kristoff), the couple poked fun at their own lack of pop-culture knowledge by facing off in a round of trivia. When the football player challenged the podcaster to name one of the three artists who are set to headline Coachella next year, he provided the following hint: “I would say the two that I know are hip-hop artists.”
“You have guaranteed heard multiple [songs by] 2 and 3,” Jason continued, trying to help Kylie out. “One of them is on a new song with Taylor.”
The latter clue led Kylie to correctly guess Sabrina Carpenter, who guested on Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl title track released earlier in October. The two-time Grammy winner will split the Coachella billing with Justin Bieber and Karol G — none of whom are known for making hip-hop music — in 2026.
A puzzled Kylie then asked, “Did you count [Carpenter] in hip-hop?”
“I mean, what else would she be?” Jason replied, adding that pop and hip-hop are “the same thing these days” when the former field hockey player informed him of Carpenter’s actual genre.
Looking aghast, Kylie couldn’t help but go silent with a baffled expression for several seconds.
Though Jason is right that hip-hop is very popular, Carpenter has never once charted on any of Billboard‘s rap, R&B or hip-hop rankings. She has, however, scored multiple hits on the Billboard Hot 100 — including No. 1 singles “Please Please Please” and “Manchild” — as well as several pop, dance and country charts.
But, who knows? Perhaps Carpenter will make the pivot to hip-hop at some point, and if nothing else, Jason’s classification of her music may very well make for a hilarious conversation when their paths presumably cross at Travis Kelce’s future wedding to Swift.
Watch the full interaction on the latest episode of Not Gonna Lie above.
Trending on Billboard Drake is ready to party like it’s 1993 if the Toronto Blue Jays capture their first World Series title in 32 years on Friday night (Oct. 31). The 6 God took to Instagram on Wednesday night (Oct. 29) after the Jays throttled the Dodgers 6-1 in a decisive game five to taunt […]
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This article was created in partnership with AEG Presents.
The Billboard Live Music Summit returns to Los Angeles on November 3, honoring Usher as Touring Artist of the Year. With 8 Grammy Awards, 9 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hits, and countless sold-out arena tours, Usher has built a career few can rival. From his record-breaking Las Vegas residency to his electrifying world tours, he continues to redefine what it means to be a live performer. Another notable name in Latin music is Rauw Alejandro, who will be speaking with Hans from Live Nation and Leila Cobo on his rise in the Latin music space and his experience on touring.
Usher and Rauw Alejandro will appear in conversation during Billboard‘s Live Music Summit, held Nov. 3 in Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, click here.
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From iconic festival to global tour promotion for superstar artists, to some of the most iconic and well-known venues, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industry. They are a part of every step of creating a live music experience, bringing fans and artists together, which will all be covered at the Billboard Live Music Summit and Awards.
This year’s Live Music Summit will bring a wide range of touring executives and music industry professionals together for a day of insights and conversation. The event featured Usher along with other top artists and key touring executives sharing their perspectives throughout the day.
AEG Presents will be sponsoring the Luncheon, which will be held in between panels during the Live Music Summit. The Luncheon will allow artists, attendees, and panelists an opportunity to talk in a more relaxed setting, allowing for additional conservations and networking opportunities.
Usher will sit down with Gail Mitchell to speak about his current tour and how he went from being an aspiring artist to a household name. Usher’s legacy is unmatched – a 28-year touring career, which has taken him to arenas, residencies and the world’s largest stage: the Super Bowl.
Rauw Alejandro and Hans from Live Nation will join Billboard Español’s Leila Cobo in conversation about his rise in Latin Music and touring. Both Usher and Rauw Alejandro had two of the biggest tours in 2025. Which makes them the perfect representatives on the artists front. They will both appear on November 3 at the Billboard Live Music Summit and Awards in partnership with AEG Presents.
Rauw Alejandro
Marco Perretta
The Ticketing Panel panelists include Kristen Mitchell (Wasserman), Lauren mcKinney (Foundations Artist Management), and Dean Dewulf (AXS) and will be moderated by Dave Brooks (Billboard). Ticketing is one of the most important aspects of the touring industry, connecting fans to their favorite artists. The panel will focus on accessibility to tickets, fan first ticketing, and the steps ticketing partners are striving toward for the future.
The Agents Power panel will bring together top agents from WME, CAA, UTA, AGI, and Arrival Artists to cover all things related to artist development and representation.
Following the Ticketing, Usher Legend of Live, and Agents Panels in the morning, the AEG Sponsored Luncheon allowed leaders and attendees to come together by creating a space for networking and discussion in a relaxed, professional setting.
Live Music Summit 2025
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Billboard Live Music Summit 2025 returns on November 3 in Los Angeles. Click here for more information, the programming schedule, and to buy tickets.
Source: Christopher Polk / Getty
The rap girlies might not be seeing eye to eye lately.
GloRilla has been minding her business, courtside watching her boo Brandon Ingram play. Megan Thee Stallion has also been in lover girl mode with Klay Thompson. The pot was recently stirred by a troll online, who showed that there may be some tension between the two rappers. The tweet read, “We all know she started being bitter after she was outsold by GloRilla lmfaoooo.”
Guess who liked the tweet? Big Glo…
Raising a question mark on when the two Hot girls fall out? Last year, Meg and Glo went on tour together and were having the time of their lives. Things got even deeper when fans connected a few more dots. The Hot Girl captains former stylist, EJ King, has been working with Glo. EJ and the Houston rapper had a falling out around the same time as the Tory Lanez shooting in 2020. Since then, they haven’t been spotted with each other.
Meg’s current stylist, Kellon Deryck, hit EJ with a little sneak diss, posting a tweet saying, “You ain’t no Kellon.”
On the other hand, Megan recently dropped her highly anticipated song, “LOVER GIRL.” All the girlies who are head over heels for their partners have been using this song on social media. The Hot Girl teased this song while looping in her love for her current hubby, Klay Thompson. After the NBA season started, Thee Stallion promised to get back in the lab, saying, “Okay hotties my man gone to work now, y’all ready for me?”
For over two decades, Keith Caulfield has been an integral part of the Billboard charts team, tabulating which singles and albums are the most popular in the United States. To be more specific, Caulfield — managing director of charts and data operations — looks after the Billboard 200, the standard bearer for an album’s performance […]
