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It’s been only two weeks since Karol G entered the record books with an unmatched 26 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” Now, the Colombian superstar is setting yet another new record over on the Tropical Airplay chart (dated Feb. 8).
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“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 30th week at No. 1 on the tropical radio ranking, marking the most weeks atop 30-year-old chart for any song.
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“Si Antes,” released June 21, 2024 via Bichota/Interscope/ICLG, reaches the record despite a 7% decline in audience impressions; that’s 8.8 million earned in the U.S. during the tracking week of Jan. 24-30, according to Luminate.
With 30 weeks at No. 1, Karol ends a historic run for Prince Royce, who previously commanded the chart for 29 weeks when “Carita De Inocente” capped its reign on the October 17, 2020-dated ranking.
As “Si Antes” resets the longest-leading run on Tropical Airplay, here’s a review of the songs with the most weeks atop, since the chart launched in October 1994.
Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Peak Date30, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, July 20, 202429, “Carita de Inocente,” Prince Royce, March 28, 202022, “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta,” Daddy Yankee & Marc Anthony, Jan. 2, 202118, “Inmortal,” Aventura, April 20, 201918, “Danza Kuduro,” Don Omar & Lucenzo, Nov. 13, 201015, “Bailando Bachata,” Chayanne, August 5, 202315, “La Mejor Versión de Mi,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, Oct. 26, 201915, “Centavito,” Romeo Santos, Oct. 13, 201815, “Dile Al Amor,” Aventura, Jan. 2, 201015, “Perdidos,” Monchy & Alexandra, Nov. 6, 2004
Elsewhere, “Si Antes” cedes the throne to Bad Bunny’s “El Clúb” on the overall Latin Airplay chart, after a record-extending 27 weeks at No. 1.
Rihanna is entering the Smurfs universe. The “Love on the Brain” singer is set to voice Smurfette in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming film based on the beloved animated blue characters, and she took to social media on Wednesday (Feb. 5) to share a teaser ahead of the official trailer release. In the 17-second clip, a small […]
After the devastating Hurst fire impacted the community of Altadena, Calif., in January, The Game heads out to the community of Altadena where he interviews first responders, local high school coaches and more about their survival stories from the Hurst fire.
Keep watching this Billboard News special to learn more about those impacted.
The Game:
This is some serious… It’s serious business, man, and after this experience, now, when I hear a fire truck coming down the street, I’m pulling over and I’m not annoyed because usually it’s like “agh I got to pull over.”
Firefighter 1:
Over there we have our kitchen.
The Game:
You know I like to eat. Is he a good cook?
Firefighter 2:
The best!
The Game:
So you guys went up?
Firefighter 1:
I mean, I was here the day that everything happened.
The Game:
Wow.
Firefighter 1:
It was myself and one of the partners. But unfortunately, he’s not here.
The Game:
How was that?
Firefighter 1:
It was one event where we thought that something was gonna happen and it just led to something way out of our hands.
The Game:
My like, my hat’s on, but it’s off to you guys, man.
DeAnthony Langston:
These guys are personal friends of mine. They’re high school coaches here. This is actually Tony’s crib that he grew up in right now. His mom’s crib right there, but all of them have their unique stories about how they were devastated about that right there. But this was a predominantly African American neighborhood, and just to see this is terrible man, and you coming out says a lot about you, man. And so I’d like everybody to introduce themselves and tell them what school you coach at.
Tim Tucker:
Not only were these fires big for our basketball program, two of our players lost their homes, but I also have residential treatment centers for kids. So I have group homes for kids. And we lost our girl’s house.
Keep watching for more.
Time to head over to Bruno Mars and ROSÉ’s “APT.” for a celebration. The high-energy track has officially reached the one billion views mark on YouTube, the video platform announced this week. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Just 105 days after its release in October 2024, the […]
Nicky Jam sits down with Billboard to share details about changing record labels, a new album on the way and more!
Are you excited for Nicky’s new music? Let us know in the comments!
Nicky Jam:This new album is like a new Nicky Jam.
Tetris Kelly:Nicky Jam has changed his record label, and we have the exclusive interview and announcement.
Leila Cobo:Nicky, you are switching record labels after a long time with Sony. So where are you going, first of all?
Nicky Jam:I’m going to Virgin Records. I went with my gut. I thought it was the best move to do. I have too much respect for AFO, the president of Sony Records, Sony Latin Records. It’s just sometimes you feel like you have to move. You know, it’s nothing personal, you know, it’s a mix of business and something that I just felt in my gut that it was the best move to do. I’m very spontaneous, and it’s just the way I am. I could say just, you know, I’m a bohemian. You know, I take my luggage and I go wherever I have to go, and it’s just the way I am.
Leila Cobo: What were they offering you that you liked, or what did they bring to the table?
Nicky Jam:A lot of things, man, family wise, their whole team and the creative part. This corporate way of coming out with music, to kill the buzz of the music, the momentum of the music, you have to wait four, five, six months to come out with a single. With these people at Virgin, I don’t have to wait. If I feel that a song’s gonna be a hit in a moment. They are not gonna mess with my creative part. And they’re gonna say, go ahead and come out. And that’s the way Bad Bunny works.
Keep watching for more!
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Drake still feels a way about everyone realizing he got his a** handed to him by Kendrick Lamar.
Not feeling the love stateside, Drake took his OVO Force 1 to Australia, where he is currently on his Anita Max Win Tour, showing his Australian fans some love because he hasn’t been down under in years.
Initially, Drake was supposed only to do seven shows, but due to popular demand, The Boy hiked that number up to 16 and will see him hit the stage in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Auckland.
On night one, Drizzy has folks talking because of the interesting way he decided to address the massive elephant in the room, his battle with Kendrick Lamar, who is coming off an epic night at the Grammys where he swept, winning all categories he was nominated, including Song of The Year and Record of The Year for what many are calling the greatest diss record of all time, “Not Like Us.”
The “God’s Plan” crafter stuck to his concert formula of walking through the crowd to begin the show, but this time, he wore a bullet hole-riddled hoodie that hilariously was emitting smoke from the back, signifying all the shots he took, but also adding that he’s still here, while walking out to “Over My Dead Body.”
By the end of his performance, Drake reminded everyone who he was and that he was still alive despite Kendrick Lamar bodying him. “My name is Drake. I started doing music in 2008. I come all the way from Toronto, Canada. The year is now 2025, and no matter what, Drizzy Drake is very much alive.”
Drake Is Still Salty About LeBron James Attending The “Pop Out”
During his performance, Drake also let us know he is still very salty about LeBron James being at Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” concert and professing his love for “Not Like Us” during the Paris Olympics.
While performing “Nonstop,” Drake changed the lyrics, “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man.”
We are sure Drizzy will take more pot shots during his tour, until then you can see reactions to this stunt in the gallery below.
2. Pretty Much
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Reggaetón star Nicky Jam has signed a new global agreement with Virgin Music Group after spending more than a decade with Sony Music Latin.
Under the new agreement, Nicky Jam’s new music will be distributed by Virgin Music Group, which will also administer and supervise Nicky Jam’s catalog for YouTube and will work some material in digital platforms in different territories.
Nicky Jam (born Nick Rivera Camerino) disclosed the terms and impetus behind the deal during an exclusive interview with Billboard in Miami.
“I went with my gut,” he tells Billboard, noting that his contract with Sony had been up and he had met with several labels. “I thought it was the best thing to do. I have too much respect for Afo [Verde, chairman of Sony Music Latin Iberia] and my Sony family. I owe a lot to them and I love them very much. It’s just that sometimes you feel you have to move. I’m very spontaneous and that’s just the way I am. I could say I’m a bohemian. I take my luggage and I go wherever I have to go.”
In this case, Nicky Jam decided to go with a company that is giving him broad latitude. He’ll get to retain ownership of his masters, and will also have wide latitude in determining when he releases his music.
“It’s a distribution contract, but under that contract I can come out with music whenever I want. They are not going to mess with my creative part and that’s beautiful,” says Jam.
Nicky Jam’s new label deal coincides with a series of major changes in both his personal and professional life. Last year, he got married (to 22-yer-old model Juana Valentina Varón], split with his longtime manager Juan Diego Medina and spoke openly about his problems with alcohol and quitting drinking.
From left: Larry Gonzalez, David Daza, Michael Cantor (VMG SVP, Business Affairs and Development), Chi Orjiakor (VMG VP, Strategy), Victor Gonzalez (VMG, President of Latin America and Iberia), Nicky Jam (Artist), and Armando Rodriguez (VMG SVP/General Manager of Latin U.S.).
Courtesy of Nicky Jam
Now, a fit and trim Nicky Jam is readying to release new music that he says reflects his current, positive state of mind. “If you listen to my last album, it was called Insomnio. It was mostly what I was going through: Drinking, partying, it was all dark,” says the singer. “This is the new Nicky Jam,” he adds.
“Nicky has been a true pioneer in Latin music,” says Victor González, president of Virgin Music Group for Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. “Having him choose Virgin Music Group for this new chapter of his career is incredibly rewarding for me and our entire team.”
Armando Rodríguez, general manager of Virgin Music Group for the U.S. Latin market adds: “Nicky is creating incredible music, and we are excited to work alongside him—not only on his upcoming releases but also in developing a strategic approach for his entire catalog.”
In the past couple of years, Virgin has notably expanded its Latin footprint, signing major names in Mexican music like Carín León, Pepe Aguilar, Angela Aguilar and Espinoza Paz. In the urban realm, Nicky Jam is their biggest get. The Puerto Rican star brings a legacy of hits, including the “El Perdón,” the 2015 smash alongside Enrique Iglesias that spent 30 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. All told, Nicky has charted nine songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and 58 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including five Number 1s. This week, he ranked at Nol 162 in streams globally on Spotify, a testament to his lasting appeal.
“This agreement with Virgin Music Group marks a new chapter in my artistic journey. I have always believed in the importance of evolution and adaptation, and I am confident that, together with Virgin Music Group, we will achieve incredible things,” says Nicky Jam.
The fallout from the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud has been picked apart, and it will be further delved into as part of IMPACT x Nightline: Kendrick v. Drake: The Feud episode coming to Hulu on Thursday (Feb. 6). Ahead of its streaming premiere, Billboard exclusively shares a clip from the ABC News Studios program […]
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The National Football League is removing the “End Racism” tag from its end zones for the upcoming Super Bowl.
The National Football League is moving to remove the “End Racism” phrase from its end zone at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, in time for Super Bowl LIX between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Unnamed sources revealed the decision, which was confirmed by NFL spokesperson Bryan McCarthy in a statement: “Teams have used on the field this year ‘Vote,’ ‘End Racism,’ ‘Stop Hate,’ and ‘Choose Love.’ This is part of the NFL’s Inspire Change,” adding: “Choose Love is appropriate to use as our country has endured in recent weeks wildfires in southern California, the terrorist attack here in New Orleans, the plane and helicopter crash near our nation’s capital, and the plane crash in Philadelphia.”
The “End Racism” phrase was present in the end zone during the NFC Championship Game held at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The decision marks the first time since 2021 that the “End Racism” phrase will not be in one of the end zones of an NFL game. The “Inspire Change” campaign began after the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin which led to nationwide protests against police brutality. It was also inspired by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other players’ protests by kneeling on the field. The sources also said that the move, first revealed to higher-level NFL officials, could be seen as being conciliatory towards President Donald Trump, who is reportedly slated to attend the game next Sunday (February 9) as a guest of Gayle Benson, the New Orleans Saints team owner. Trump has been long opposed to efforts of inclusion and anti-racism in the league, particularly during his first presidential term.
The NFL has signaled that it wouldn’t be following the current trend of companies removing their DEI efforts, with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell elaborating further at his Super Bowl press conference on Monday (January 3). “We got into diversity efforts because we felt it was the right thing for the National Football League,” Goodell said. “And we’re going to continue those efforts, because we’ve not only convinced ourselves we’ve proven it to ourselves — it does make the NFL better.”
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated Feb. 15, we look at the biggest threats to capture the No. 1 spot after Travis Scott’s “4×4” debuted atop the listing this week.
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Morgan Wallen, “I’m the Problem” (Mercury/Big Loud/Republic): Perhaps the most consistent artist in the upper stretches of the Billboard charts the past two years has been Morgan Wallen, who has racked up three Hot 100 No. 1s since 2023 (with his own “Last Night” and “Love Somebody” and the Post Malone-led “I Had Some Help”) and another five top 10 hits. On Friday (Jan. 31), he returned with the new single “I’m the Problem,” a bitter song about a toxic relationship that will serve as the lead single and title track for his upcoming fourth album, his first since 2023’s behemoth One Thing at a Time (still in the Billboard 200’s top five nearly two years later).
Unsurprisingly, “Problem” is off to a strong start on streaming, topping both the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA and the real-time Apple Music chart after its Friday release. The song has started to slide on both listings perhaps a little quicker than expected, with it being replaced by SZA’s Kendrick Lamar-featuring “30 for 30” atop the Apple Music chart and falling all the way out of the top 10 already on the Spotify listing. But it remains in the top 10 on iTunes even after getting passed by a number of Grammy-boosted songs, and it’s off to a hot start at country radio, with over eight million airplay impressions in its first four days of tracking (through Feb. 3), according to Luminate.
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“Problem” might not quite have the streaming start to be on the inside track for a No. 1 debut, but it should at least be another top 10 hit for the dominant country superstar.
Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars, “Die With a Smile” (Streamline/Interscope/Atlantic/ICLG): Despite Lady Gaga being present and performing at the two most high-profile multi-artist gigs of 2025 so far – Thursday’s FireAid concert at the Intuit Dome, where she closed out the multi-hour fundraising event, and Sunday’s Grammys, where she actually performed with Bruno Mars – she did not play her and Mars’ four-week No. 1 at either show. (Gaga and Bruno instead covered The Mamas and the Papas’ ‘60s classic “California Dreamin’” at Music’s Biggest Night.) Nevertheless, the song could get a bump from its win for best pop duo/group performance, and for Gaga’s headline-capturing acceptance speech standing up for the trans community.
In any event, “Die With a Smile” remains a monster on streaming, sticking in the top 10 on Apple Music and climbing back to No. 1 on Spotify’s Daily Songs Top USA chart. It also continues to threaten the reign of Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” on radio, though that 27-week Radio Songs No. 1 might not give up that spot so easily. Regardless, its continued strong showing across streaming, sales and radio, it should be a pretty strong contender to return to No. 1 for a fifth frame next week.
The Weeknd, “Cry for Me” & “Timeless” (w/ Playboi Carti) (XO/Republic): The Weeknd had a pretty enormous weekend, appropriately, as he both released his new album Hurry Up Tomorrow on Friday and then made a surprise return to the Grammys stage on Sunday after essentially boycotting the awards for four years after his After Hours blockbuster was shockingly ignored by the Recording Academy in 2021. The two songs he performed at the Grammys are also the two leading early performers from Tomorrow: “Timeless,” the Playboi Carti teamup that has already reached No. 3 on the Hot 100, and “Cry for Me,” a newly released early-album highlight.
Both songs should be a factor in the top 10 race next week. “Cry for Me” has the edge on Apple Music, while “Timeless” leads on Spotify – and “Timeless” is obviously ahead on radio, having a months-long head start building airplay (though “Cry for Me” should debut on Pop Airplay and Rhythmic Airplay this week). Neither is likely to be No. 1 next week, but The Weeknd always has tricks up his sleeve to give his hits a little extra boot, so they can’t be totally counted out in the weeks to come.
Travis Scott, “4×4” (Cactus Jack/Epic): The current No. 1 song on the Hot 100 is likely to have a considerable drop in week two, as the gargantuan first-week sales number the song posted (167,000) inevitably recedes, and the streaming numbers continue to slide. (The song is already out of the top 50 on both Spotify and Apple Music.) Nonetheless, Travis Scott‘s “4×4” won’t disappear completely, and has started to make gains on radio, with the song expected to jump on Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay in its second week, and possibly even make the top 20 on Rhythmic Airplay.
Doechii, “Denial Is a River” (Top Dawg/Capitol/ICLG): It won’t be a top 10 contender just yet, but the breakout hit from Doechii’s now-Grammy-winning mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal (which she performed, along with “Catfish”) should be the biggest beneficiary from her post-Grammy-night bump in streams and sales — and had already started to make pretty big waves on the charts, climbing to No. 55 on the Hot 100 this week. Radio is starting to kick in for the track as well, with “Denial” also a threat to make the top 20 on Rhythmic Airplay while shooting up Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay.