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On the eve of the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music, a group of women – many of them included in the Latin Women in Music executive list – gathered to celebrate each other at Telemundo Center on Wednesday, April 23, in Miami.Hosted by Sonia Clavell, manager to reggaetón icon Ivy Queen, the executive also announced the launch of Bravas Entertainment, set to offer professional training, mentoring, creative production, music distribution and support networks for emerging female artists in the industry.
The event kicked off with a poignant speech by Billboard’s Leila Cobo, who expressed the importance of representation.
“When we created Latin Women in Music, the goal was to honor the Latin artists who made an impact that year, but the heart of Women in Music has always been the executives who are at the side of those artists,” Cobo said. “When we talk about how to expand the role of women in music it’s a perpetual conversation. For me, the most important way to do that is to set an example, and to allow those coming up to dream because it’s hard for you to break through when there is no path.”
Ivy Queen also took the stage to share a few words about her fierce manager and talk about her rise in a male-dominated industry. “In the industry, we need friends,” the hitmaker said in her powerful speech. “True empowerment is not a hashtag, but a friend who reaches out to us and asks us if everything is OK. We need women who believe in our projects. Sonia is strong, and the important thing is to create a bond that you feel in your heart that they are supporting you.”
Clavell went on to invite the women present to collaborate with her and her new company. “We understand what it takes and what it hurts, but we also know how healing it is to have someone who believes in you. I would love along the way to be able to meet with you all and develop spectacular things for the new generation.”
The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24, exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Below, see photos from the special event.
Ana Bárbara
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Ana Bárbara at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Yailin La Más Viral
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Yailin La Más Viral at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Leila Cobo
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Leila Cobo at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
EL DIVO DE CUBA
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Eduardo Antonio a.k.a. EL DIVO DE CUBA at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Sonia Clavell
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Sonia Clavell speaks onstage at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Ana Rosa Santiago, Cris Falcao & Alexandra Lioutikoff
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Ana Rosa Santiago, Cris Falcao and Alexandra Lioutikoff at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Sophia Talamas
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Sophia Talamas at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
DARUMAS
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Ceci León, Vedala Vilmond and Aldana Aguirre of the DARUMAS at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Paula Cendejas
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Paula Cendejas at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Genesis Diaz
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Genesis Diaz at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Jessica Roiz & Griselda Flores
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Jessica Roiz and Griselda Flores at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Ivy Queen
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Ivy Queen speaks onstage at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Manuela Ferradas & Juana Ferradas
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Manuela Ferradas and Juana Ferradas at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Veronica Vaccarezza
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Veronica Vaccarezza at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Rosela Zavala & Ana Bárbara
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Rosela Zavala and Ana Bárbara at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Sonia Clavell
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Sonia Clavell at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Ivy Queen & DARUMAS
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Ceci León, Ivy Queen, Vedala Vilmond and Aldana Aguirre at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Daniela Darlin
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Daniela Darlin at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Azu Olvera
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Azu Olvera at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Rosela Zavala
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Rosela Zavala at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Pamela Bustios, Marcia Olival, Leila Cobo, Griselda Flores, Ingrid Fajardo & Sigal Ratner-Arias
Image Credit: Jose “Chepe” Devillegas
Pamela Bustios, Marcia Olival, Leila Cobo, Griselda Flores, Ingrid Fajardo and Sigal Ratner-Arias at the Billboard and BRAVAS Entertainment Honor Latina Music Executives event held at Telemundo Center on April 23, 2025 in Miami, Florida.
Five For Fighting‘s Grammy-nominated “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” became an anthem of solidarity and a No. 14 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2001 after it was repurposed as a tribute to the victims and first responders of the horrific Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks. The gentle piano ballad on which band mastermind John Ondrasik sings “I’m more than a bird, I’m more than a plane/ I’m more than some pretty face beside a train/ And it’s not easy to be me” in his homage to heroes who have the right to bleed provided succor at a time when Americans were wounded to their souls over the deadly assault.
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Now, Ondrasik’s song has gotten a second life as a means to call attention to the estimated 59 Israeli hostages still being held hostage in Gaza in the wake of militant group Hamas’ murderous Oct. 7, 2023 attack in which around 1,200 Israelis were murdered and 250 were taken hostage.
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Ondrasik told NPR on Wednesday (April 23) that he re-wrote some of the song’s lyrics at the behest of the mother of 24-year-old hostage Alon Ohel. “When they reached out, I’m like, ‘of course. I’m honored to do this.’ And very quickly, it became clear that ‘Superman’ should be the song,” Ondrasik said, noting that some original lines, such as “Find a way to lie about a home I’ll never see” didn’t fit the assignment.
“I couldn’t have that line, ‘a home I’ll never see,’ because we all hope and pray they will see – and many of the hostages have come home,” said Ondrasik, who traveled to Israel last April to perform the song in Tel Aviv’s so-called “Hostages Square” on Ohel’s piano; he also released another song, “OK (We Are Not Okay)” last year to honor the hostages. The new “Superman” lyrics find him singing: “Found a way to fly to a home I will soon see.”
Ondrasik, 60, who is not Jewish, told NPR that for him, “this is a moral issue. It’s not political. It’s not religious. Everybody should be demanding to release the hostages. It’ll put much more pressure on Israel to end this war.”
The singer uploaded a new video for the song to YouTube on April 14 — two days after the start of the Passover holiday — with a message of hope, writing, “The strength and perseverance of our hostage families, while enduring over seventeen months of unimaginable torment and devastation, often seems Superhuman. I am honored to collaborate with current hostage Alon Ohel’s mother Idit, brother Ronen, and family and friends with this new version of ‘Superman’ to support Alon and all hostages and their families.”
Check out the new video Ondrasik recorded with footage from Hostage Square below.
Miami’s long-running festival III Points has announced the phase one lineup for its 2025 edition.
The two-day fest will feature sets from artists including 2Hollis, Michael Bibi, Peggy Gou, Darkside, Barry Can’t Swim, Indira Paganotto, Nina Kraviz, Sean Paul, Anotr, Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, Denzel Curry, L’Imperatrice, Mk.Gee and Turnstile.
III Points 2025 will happen Oct. 17-18 at its longtime site at Miami’s Mana Wynwood. Tickets go on sale Thursday (April 24), with lineup additions to be announced in the coming months.
2025 will mark the festival’s 11th edition since it launched in 2013. The festival was founded by a trio of Miami natives, and over the last decade, has become a standout event on the U.S. electronic festival circuit, while also helping elevate Miami as one of the crown jewels cities in the country’s electronic scene.
The festival, which partnered with Insomniac Events in 2019, has a strong focus on local culture, typically booking many acts from the Miami scene and bringing in food and craft vendors who reflect the city’s thriving local culture.
Trending on Billboard
“I think it’s just very authentically Miami, and a real time capsule of Miami sonically and visually right now,” III Points co-founder David Sinopoli told Billboard in 2023. “I think people feel that when they come.”
“We’re thrilled to be bringing III Points back to Miami for its 11th installment”, Sinopoli adds in a statement. “It is not easy navigating a forward-thinking, multigenre festival in the North American music landscape nowadays 一 but I believe our commitment to our Miami music community has been the guiding force for us.”
See the III Points phase one lineup below:
III Points 2025
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Concert film Usher: Rendezvous in Paris will be streamed exclusively on BET+. Jointly announced by BET+ and Sony Music Vision, the film’s streaming release begins on May 8. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I’m happy to be partnering with BET+ to bring the celebration of my […]
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Just days after Maryland Senator Dick Van Hollen was able to confirm that wrongfully deported Kilmar Abrego Garcia was still alive and well in a Salvadorian prison, we’re learning that his wife and children in New Jersey had to be moved to a safe house after the Trump administration publicly revealed their home address.
According to Raw Story, Jennifer Vasquez Sura and her children had to be swiftly moved out of their home and into an undisclosed location after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, took to X and posted an old order of protection that Sura filed against Garcia in 2021. In an obvious attempt by this administration to further smear Garcia’s character to “justify” his deportation and their refusal to facilitate his return, the Trump administration just made Sura’s life that much more difficult by doxxing her address and putting a target on her home for MAGA to harass (as they’re known to do).
Per Raw Story:
“I don’t feel safe when the government posts my address, the house where my family lives, for everyone to see, especially when this case has gone viral and people have all sorts of opinions,” said Vasquez Sura. “So, this is definitely a bit terrifying. I’m scared for my kids.”
A DHS spokesperson did not respond Monday to a request for a comment about not redacting the family’s address, according to the newspaper’s lengthy story about Vasquez Sura—who shares a 5-year-old nonverbal, autistic son with Abrego Garcia and has a 9-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter from a previous relationship that was abusive.
On Wednesday, The New Republic published a short article highlighting the safe house detail and noting that “the government has not commented on the decision to leave the family’s address in the document it posted online,” sparking a fresh wave of outrage over the Trump administration endangering the family.
As with everything else that this administration does, it’s all about the cruelty.
Fortunately, Jennifer Vasquez Sura and her family have been moved to a safe house, but we just hope that the Trump administration doesn’t learn its whereabouts because knowing them they’ll just “leak” where that place happens to be too.
What do y’all think about this latest development in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case? Let us know in the comments section below.
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A new documentary has been announced by the BBC titled P Diddy: The Rise and Fall, which will examine the life and current circumstances of Sean “Diddy” Combs. Yinka Bokinni will serve as the lead journalist investigating the finer points of Combs’ status, from being a mogul to where he currently stands, as he faces a legal battle for the ages.
The BBC announced that the upcoming documentary will undoubtedly bring into focus the fame, power, and influence that Combs gained over the years as the head of Bad Boy Records and producing several hit songs for artists under his guidance. The documentary will also peer behind the veil and reveal how Combs allegedly used his stature to control others, dole out violent threats, along with countless reports of sexual assault and abuse.
Combs will face trial next month over charges related to racketeering, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution, among other heinous claims. Combs and his legal team have claimed that their side is innocent despite mounting complaints filed by accusers.
In a statement, Bokinni said, “My job is to tell stories—but never did I imagine I’d be telling this one. Investigating the alleged actions of Diddy has forced a spotlight onto the darker side of an industry so many of us dream of belonging to. We sang his songs, bought into the lifestyle, watched the shows and wanted more. This has been an emotional, sometimes difficult experience. And with a trial on the horizon, what happens next will no doubt be gripping—in the most sobering way.”
P Diddy: The Rise and Fall airs this coming Monday (April 28) on BBC Three and Player. Learn more here.
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Photo: Samir Hussein / Getty
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Lil Wayne will be enjoying the NFL Draft in style. He has announced a Green Bay Packers-themed capsule collection with Mitchell & Ness.
As per Hypebeast, Lil Wayne is taking his love for the green and gold to new heights. This week, the authentic sports clothing brand announced a new drop that reinterprets the Green Bay Packers’ signature logo and marks. These limited-edition pieces put a fun twist on team wearables and game day apparel. Included in the capsule is a black jersey that features high density rubber print Packers lettering, tackle-twill name, and number graphics. In terms of branding it also carries screen-printed logos on the sleeves, an embroidered NFL crest and the Lil Wayne logo on the gusset. In addition, there is also a hooded sweatshirt and T-shirt in the mix, both available in two colorways.
Lil Wayne explained why this capsule collection is important to him in a formal statement. “We had to create something that reps the G but still drips with that Tunechi flavor. It’s more than merch,” he said. “It represents legacy, loyalty and a little bit of luxury for the real ones.” Emilie Arel, president of Mitchell & Ness, also commented on why the collaboration made so much sense. “This collaboration represents the essence of Mitchell & Ness – merging one of the most talented worldwide entertainers with iconic sports franchises and bold merchandise designs” she said. “We couldn’t be more excited to launch a collection with Lil Wayne at the NFL Draft and are excited to see this relationship come to life and different points throughout the year.”
The Lil Wayne x Mitchell & Ness capsule is available now. You can shop it here.
Fanatics
Katy Perry must be feeling nostalgic for her brief time in space, as the pop star brought two fans dressed as astronauts up on stage with her at the kickoff show of her Lifetimes Tour Wednesday night (April 23).
In a clip from the show posted on X, Perry chats with her crowd at Arena CDMX in Mexico City between songs while walking around on stage when she spots two fans wearing blue NASA suits. “You guys look so good,” she gasps. “You just got back from space!”
“I want these gentlemen to come on stage, because they are dressed like my most current timeline,” she adds as the rest of the audience cheers, later snapping a selfie with the fans on stage.
Trending on Billboard
Wednesday’s show marked the first of more than seven months’ worth of performances blocked off on Perry’s global trek, which supports her most recent album, 2024’s 143. She also played several hits from past albums — while dressed in various spacey outfits and at one point suspended from the ceiling by wires — such as Billboard Hot 100-toppers “Dark Horse,” “E.T.” and “Roar.”
It was also the former American Idol judge’s first concert since returning from her 11-minute trip to space, with Perry joining Gayle King, Lauren Sanchez and more passengers on Blue Origin’s first-ever all-women flight crew on April 14. While hurtling through the edge of the Earth’s atmosphere, the musician sang part of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” and filmed a video revealing the Lifetimes Tour’s setlist.
Upon returning, Perry emerged from the rocket, kissed the ground and told reporters that the expedition had been “the highest high.”
“It is surrender to the unknown, trust,” she continued. “This whole journey is not about just going to space. It’s the training, the team, it’s the whole thing. I couldn’t recommend this experience more … It’s about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging. And it’s about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it. This is all for the benefit of Earth.”
But while Perry has said that she views the flight as being empowering for women, many people — from Emily Ratajkowski to Olivia Wilde — have criticized the trip as a waste of resources. “What’s the point?” asked Olivia Munn on Jenna & Friends. “Is it historic that you guys are going on a ride? I think it’s gluttonous.”
The “Firework” singer hasn’t directly addressed the hate, but at Wednesday’s show, she reportedly asked the crowd, “Has anyone ever called your dreams crazy?”
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According to reports, the senior producer for the long-running CBS investigative news program 60 Minutes resigned on Tuesday(April 22), citing a loss of journalistic independence. “Over the past months, it has … become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it,” Bill Owens wrote in a memo sent out to staff, adding, “To make independent decisions based on what was right for ‘60 Minutes,’ right for the audience.
“So, having defended this show — and what we stand for — from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward,” Owens concluded. His departure sent shockwaves through the news industry, as he was only the third person to ever hold that position in the show’s history. He maintained that he was not apologizing for the work done on the Harris interview in the memo, nor would he recommend a retraction.Observers quickly noted that the 57-year-old’s reference to losing journalistic control was tied to the show being sued initially for $10 billion recently by President Donald Trump, who took umbrage over the program’s October 2024 interview with Kamala Harris. Trump alleged that the interview was heavily edited to make him look bad. He recently upped the suit’s claims for damages to $20 billion.Another aspect of Owens’ resignation is that it comes at a tense time for CBS’ parent company, Paramount. Shari Redstone, the president, has been currying favor with Trump in order to get approval for the sale of her media conglomerate to Skydance Entertainment. Skydance Entertainment is run by David Ellison, the son of tech magnate Larry Ellison. Paramount reportedly has been in settlement talks with Trump since January. CNN’s Jake Tapper called the network out on Tuesday evening, addressing Redstone directly as he highlighted the severity of Owens’ resignation. “And that is the context of Shari Redstone’s likely bending of the knee. Hope the money’s worth it, Shari,” he said.
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For the past few months the entire Hip-Hop culture has been convinced that Diddy is pretty much cooked as his sex trafficking trial is set to get underway in just a few weeks. But low and behold former Diddy critic, Ray J, believes that Diddy will not only walk away Scott-free, but feels the charges lobbed against him are “nonsense.”
In a recent appearance on Sneako’s livestream, Ray J made the shocking prediction that the embattled music icon will be getting out of prison because he feels that the case against Diddy is a conspiracy, which will apparently somehow come crashing down and Diddy will once again be a free man.
“Puffy ’bout to get out too. On The dead homies, n*gga. Puffy getting out. All that sh*t they trying to charge that n*gga for is nonsense, bro. He did something bad that we all seen and that sh*t’s unacceptable, but that’s not what the charges are for. The charges are weak.”
Yeah, we don’t know about that, Ray. Unless he’s privy to some kind of inside information, it seems like the feds wouldn’t bring this big a case against someone like Diddy unless they had all their ducks in a row. But hey that’s just us.
Though Ray J talks about the laced bottles of baby oil and Diddy using remote controls as sex toys as “nonsense,” Diddy’s actually being charged with sex trafficking and transportation to engage in prostitution. Things that seem like he might’ve done given the stories we’ve heard.
Still, this is 2025, and with a certain “business man” in power who’s known to get charges dropped for people who kiss the ring and even importing sex traffickers into the United States, Diddy may very well have a slither of hope of walking out a free man at some point during or after his highly anticipated trial. Just sayin’.
What do y’all think about Ray J suggesting that Diddy’s coming home sooner or later? Is he onto something or just straight bugging out? Let us know in the comments section below.
