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Jason Aldean rings up his milestone 40th top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as he hoists “Whiskey Drink” three spots to No. 8 on the list dated April 19. The song rose by 8% to 18.6 million audience impressions April 4-10, according to Luminate.
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The single, which Kurt Allison, Jonathan Edwards, Tully Kennedy and John Morgan co-wrote, is from Aldean’s LP Highway Desperado. In November 2023, the set arrived as his 12th top 10 on Top Country Albums.
Aldean has the eighth-most Country Airplay top 10s since the chart launched in 1990. Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw and George Strait are tied for first with 61 each. He also scores simultaneous Country Airplay top 10s for the first time. He’s featured on Morgan’s “Friends Like That,” which pushes 5-4 for a new best (24.3 million, up 10%).
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Aldean’s run of Country Airplay top 10s began in 2005 when “Hicktown” reached No. 10 that October. “Why” followed, becoming his first of 25 No. 1s in May 2006.
Moroney Is A-‘Okay’
Megan Moroney earns her second Country Airplay top 10 as “Am I Okay?” hops 13-10 (16.5 million, up 9%). The Savannah, Ga., native wrote the song with Jessie Jo Dillon and Luke Laird, and Kristian Bush produced it. The single is from Moroney’s same-named LP, which entered Top Country Albums at its No. 3 peak last July, marking her second top 10. Her Lucky hit No. 10 in May 2023.
Moroney notched her first Country Airplay top 10 with her rookie single, “Tennessee Orange” (No. 4, June 2023). She then added two top 20 hits: “Can’t Break Up Now,” with Old Dominion (No. 19, May 2024), and “I’m Not Pretty” (No. 14, July 2024).
Making Themselves at ‘Home’
LOCASH, the duo of Preston Brust and Chris Lucas, tops Country Airplay for a career-high second week with “Hometown Home” (29.9 million, down 1%). The act previously led with “I Know Somebody” for a week in October 2016.
Ester Dean is responding after Keri Hilson expressed regret over her Dean-co-written “Turnin Me On (Remix)” aimed at Beyoncé.
The songwriter hopped on Instagram Thursday to clear the air after Hilson said during an interview with The Breakfast Club that the decision to shade Queen Bey on “Turnin’ Me On” negatively impacted her career. “It’s a regret,” Hilson said at the time, denying that she wrote the song and pointing to Dean’s pen instead.
Dean noted that her post is an “open letter” to Hilson and other creatives. “Back in July 2008, I started working with [producer] Polow Da Don in Atlanta,” she began. “Later, I moved to Los Angeles to write for Polow’s artist over at Interscope. I wasn’t famous. I wasn’t chasing clout. I was in the studio – day and night – writing 3 to 4 songs a day. No friends. No family. Just work.”
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She went on to rewrite some of the lyrics off the “Turnin’ Me On (Remix)”: “Your vision cloudy if you think that you’re the best/ You can dance, she can sing/ But she need to move it to the …,” which many believed to be in reference to Beyoncé’s 2006 hit “Irreplaceable.”
Those lyrics, Dean admitted in her open letter, were “tacky,” but not forced. “No. That was me. I wasn’t in the room with Keri writing this together,” she continued. “I didn’t know her personally. She was already a star. I was just a writer trying to earn my place. I did my job and left. Keri came in another time and wrote her own verse – her pen, her voice.”
Dean went on to clarify, “I didn’t work with Beyoncé until years later when I signed to Roc Nation as a writer. There was no ‘plot’ no ‘beef squad’. No secret industry mission. Just writers writing.”
She added: “Keri was already massive. She didn’t need saving. She was out here making history. Why Speak Now? Keri was speaking on big platforms I didn’t have access to – and it was her story to tell, not mine. I stayed writing. No hate. No shade. Just truth.”
Dean concluded her letter by noting that what Hilson went through was unfortunate. “She’s a great artist, a beautiful spirit, and she deserves grace,” the songwriter wrote. “She took her lessons. I’ll take mine.”
In Hilson’s aforementioned interview with The Breakfast Club, she said part of the blame belonged to Polow.
“I tried to fight him on it and I began writing my own,” the singer said. “The mistake that I made was not continuing to fight. But I was in tears, I was crying, I was adamant that I did not want to do that.”
Dean had previously come forward and issued her own apology on Wednesday (April 9) after Hilson’s interview, claiming the verse was “childish.” She wrote in what appears to be a now-deleted post: “I see how it hurt people, especially women, and I take full accountability.”
Check out Dean’s full response shared April 10 below.
This week, Billboard’s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — features fresh new music, including albums by Luck Ra (Que Sed), Gepe (Undesastre Deluxe: Cerodrama) and Arthur Hanlon (2 Manos, 1 Mundo). Plus, Silvestre Dangond and Carín León team up for their hypnotizing new collaboration “Cosas Sencillas,” powered by vallenato’s signature accordion melodies, which was […]
The first track on Jon Pardi’s new album may be called “Boots Off,” but don’t expect the project to simply be a repeat of songs similar to his signature hits “Dirt on My Boots” and “Head Over Boots.”
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Each of his previous four albums reached at least the top 5 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, with his 2016 album California Sunrise debuting at the listing’s pinnacle. He’s lodged several songs in the upper echelons of the Country Airplay chart, with five No. 1s — such as “Heartache Medication” and “Last Night Lonely.”
On his fifth studio album Honkytonk Hollywood, out on UMG Nashville today (April 11), Pardi continues paying homage to his California roots and penchant for rock-infused, neo-traditional country, but he also crafted an album that showcases both the 39-year-old’s maturity as a person (he’s now a father to two young daughters) — and how, more than a decade into his career, he continues eschewing any creative confines.
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With the new project, the Red Light-managed singer-songwriter leaned into the influences of classic rock artists such as the Eagles, Tom Petty and Fleetwood Mac.
“The ‘70s country of the West Coast was Hollywood; when I say rock ‘n’ roll, that’s what I’m thinking about. Sonically, it’s there in the snare drums and the grit of the guitar and the grit of the whole recording itself. Classic rock, it blends so well with traditional country music, ’cause it doesn’t sound too crazy or modern. I feel like this record has good soul to it.”
Key to that sonic shift was Pardi’s choice to switch up producers and work with Jay Joyce, known for his no-boundaries, music-forward approach to making records. Grammy winner Joyce has fashioned enduring albums for Eric Church and Cage the Elephant, with Pardi crediting Church’s Carolina as a factor that drew him to working with Joyce.
“Some people call him a mad scientist. I call him a professor,” Pardi says of Joyce. “He always had an edge, something different about him. He’s a respectful music guy and I’ve been a big fan of his. I felt more than ever this was the time to reach out and he doesn’t work with everybody.”
They holed up at Joyce’s east Nashville church-turned-recording studio for the better part of a month, recording and piecing together the album’s 17 songs. Pardi also welcomed in his touring band to play on the album, placing the band’s tight-knit musicianship at the album’s fore.
“He took me and my band to school and we became even better players,” Pardi says of Joyce. “I remember him telling my guitar player, ‘Why are you f–king playing so much? You played so much on every song.’ It was just funny and we were learning. We had time on our side and that really helped this record be what it is. I’m not saying anything bad about the Nashville way. It’s a machine, it’s fast, it’s great, but it was nice to slow down. We were always in the studio, focusing on music. I wasn’t out bush-hogging or feeding cows.”
Honkytonk Hollywood builds upon and broadens the country-leaning, tough-minded sounds he forged on songs such as “Dirt on My Boots.” That rock influence is threaded through songs such as the slinky groove of “Hey California” and hard-charging “Friday Night Heartbreaker.”
The album isn’t all night-out party anthems. “He Went to Work” pays tribute to a father’s dogged determination to provide for his loved ones. Alongside “Hard Knocks,” it offers a double set of songs that inspired by his family and his father.
“Looking back as a grown man, he had a lot on his plate,” Pardi says. “He had ran a big construction business and just a lot of hustle and bustle. We learned so much. We were always out in the country, either on big construction sites developing land or in agriculture. His side of the family is all farmers. And he could fix anything.”
Meanwhile, “She Drives Away” finds Pardi looking to the future and the kind of days that are ahead of him as a parent to his daughters Presley Fawn and Sierra Grace. Though Pardi wrote eight of the album’s 17 songs, he couldn’t resist recording this song, penned by Seth Ennis, Jordan Minton, Zach Abend and Jimi Bell.
“I wanted to write a Presley song, but that song showed up in the inbox and how are you not going to record that? You hear that song and you’re like, ‘I’m not going to write a better one. That one’s great.’ So I got my dad and daughter song, and I feel like the universal aspect of that song touches so many people. I was like, ‘This is going to be a father-daughter dance song all day… that is the pure emotion of songwriting, and that is why we write songs.”
It’s not lost on Pardi that his new album comes at a time when country music’s impact — both domestically and globally — has been surging, with artists including Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan, Luke Combs and Kane Brown doing headlining large international tours in areas including the U.K. and Australia, while continuing to headline arenas and/or football stadiums stateside.
“It’s not just one artist. There’s a handful. We’ve now entered the level where there is the football [stadium] level [of performers] and multiple artists are doing it,” Pardi says. “It’s always been like one guy— Garth, and Kenny Chesney — now it’s a bunch of people. It’s crazy.”
Though artists such as Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen have released elongated, 30-something track albums, Pardi says he won’t be following suit anytime soon.
“I mean, I thought [long albums] were going away,” Pardi says, “Then Morgan came out and was like, ‘I’m doing another 37.’ I’m like, ‘D–n it, I thought my 17 was a lot.’ That’s 20 more songs. I don’t think I’d ever go that many. I think 20 is a good amount of songs. I don’t think I would go more than 20.”
Pardi has seen the country music genre’s progressive-to-traditional ebbs and flows, and takes a “rising tide lifts all boats” perspective.
“Traditional country will always come back and save country music when it’s gone too far,” he says. “I compare Zach Top to when Randy Travis came out with songs [in the 1980s] and it’s like just a stone-cold country comeback. I’m always on everybody’s team. Country’s going to be poppy and popular, but you’re going to get all these new artists coming out with more of a rootsy-country song, or [a] traditional song that starts picking up steam.
“But all that pop, hip-hop and all the super-popular songs — that helps everybody, and it’s good for a traditional artist. It sucks sometimes — I mean, I’m on the Pardi train and I’ve been a steam engine since 2012. I’m never going to get a rocket ship, but I’m fine on the train tracks. Still chugging along, but you stay your path and you do what makes you feel good.”
New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.
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Luck Ra, Que Sed (Sony Music Latin)
Following his debut Que Nos Falte Todo, which was Spotify’s most-streamed album of 2024 in Argentina, Luck Ra drops his sophomore set Que Sed. Argentina’s breakout star, born Juan Facundo Almenara Ordónez, continues on the same streak that made him a household name: lyrics about heartbreak backed with feel-good, party melodies and his captivating falsetto vocals. Seriously, there’s no time to be moping over an ex with tracks titled like “Que Idiota,” “Un Clavo” and “Por El Ex No Se Llora.” On the 14-track set, Luck Ra reeled in collaborators Nicki Nicole, Kenia Os, Lola Indigo, Ke Personajes, Dread Mar I, Ulises Bueno and Tiago PZK, who’s on the focus single “Fue Culpa Tuya.” It’s also home to his previously-released notable team-ups with Chayanne (“Un Siglo Sin Ti”), Elvis Crespo (“Suavemente”) and Maluma (“Hola Perdida Remix”).
Que Sed, which loosely represents his ambitious thirst and hunger in the music industry, puts the country’s cuarteto or cuartetazo movement on the map — a musical genre born in Córdoba similar to merengue — fused with urban, reggae and cumbia beats. “It’s very exciting to see the fruits of our labor come together. This album is an expression of my roots, with an eye reaching international markets,” says Luck Ra, one of Billboard’s 2025 Latin Artists to Watch. “It’s made with appreciation and love for the fans, and with an immense passion for music.” — JESSICA ROIZ
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Ela Taubert, “¿Cómo Haces?” (Universal Music Latino)
Colombian singer-songwriter Ela Taubert pays a meaningful tribute to her mother in “¿Cómo Haces?,“ the latest single from her debut album Preguntas a Las 11:11, to be released on May 9. With a mid-tempo pop rhythm driven by drums and guitar, the 2024 Latin Grammy winner for best new artist sings to that unconditional person who has always been with her, through thick and thin. The music video is an emotional collage of images of Ela in concert and backstage with her mother, as well as spending time with fans. In a powerful ending, the track concludes with a version of the chorus recorded live during a show with the crowd singing along at the top of their lungs. – SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS
Servando & Florentino feat. Maelo Ruiz, “No te Vayas” (Goalz Music – OPJR)
The Primera brothers, Servando & Florentino, joined forces with romantic music icon Maelo Ruiz for “No Te Vayas.” This single is another preview of their awaited album, SE BUSCAN: VIVOS O INMORTALES. The track masterfully revives the authentic essence of salsa. From the first verse, Maelo Ruiz’s distinctive and soulful voice commands attention as he shares heartfelt lyric. His delivery interlaces beautifully with the harmonious and sweet high vocals of Servando & Florentino, creating a rich tapestry of sound that reflects their musical heritage. — INGRID FAJARDO
Gepe, Undesastre Delux: Cerodrama (Altafonte)
Gepe’s two-disc album Undesastre Deluxe: Cerodrama is a testament to reinvention. Building on his tenth studio album Undesastre, this deluxe edition adds three new tracks that delve into themes of transformation and healing with a whimsical essence. “NOstás,” a nylon guitar ballad, captures feelings of longing with poetic prose, while “Cumbia Chica” (featuring emerging Chilean singer-songwriter Beléncha) brings festive energy with a dash of reggaetón. On the hip-hop-tinged “Otro Plan,” rapper Bronko Yotte delivers an introspective verse alongside the Santiago de Chile musician. Disc two also spotlights “La Cueca del Canario V.2,” originally released in February, enriched by Niño de Elche’s flamenco artistry. Fluidly genre-hopping and packed with memorable hooks, Gepe deftly blends tradition with innovation, crafting music that is heartfelt, danceable, and undeniably human. — ISABELA RAYGOZA
Rauw Alejandro, “Carita Linda” (Sony Music Latin)
Rauw’s first single since releasing his Top Latin Albums chart-topping LP Cosa Nuestra, “Carita Linda” is at its core a love letter to Puerto Rico — both sonically and lyrically. Powered by a hypnotizing fusion of bomba with urban beats, the single — penned by the artist himself and produced by Dímelo Ninow — continues Rauw’s commitment to elevating tropical music. The song’s lyrics capture an instant connection between two souls who are meeting for the first time, and that deep yearning for eternal love. Rauw debuted the song on April 5 during his Cosa Nuestra Tour stop in Seattle, where he sang “Carita Linda” for the first time. — GRISELDA FLORES
Banda MS & Luis Antonio López “El Mimoso,” “Sé Sincera Corazón” (Lizos Music)
Two of Sinaloa’s greatest banda exponents come together for this collaboration, with a ranchero-focused style. Written by Omar Tarazón and Sergio Lizárraga, “Sé Sincera Corazón” speaks of a relationship that is fading and of being at a crucial point to either continue it or end it. “Be sincere, heart/ Where is the arrow pointing/ Let’s revive love/ Or do we let it die?” they sing with great feeling. The union of Banda MS with Luis Antonio López “El Mimoso” is undoubtedly a pleasant surprise. The feeling they give it is the icing on the cake, which invites you to accompany it with a tequila. — TERE AGUILERA
Silvestre Dangond & Carín León, “Cosas Sencillas” (Sony Music Latin)
When Urumita, Colombia (Silvestre Dangond) meets Hermosillo, Sonora (Carín León), a new vallenato anthem emerges. The two hitmakers unite for the first time in this exciting collaboration — a partnership that was inspired by a spontaneous meeting during the renowned Vallenato Festival in Valledupar, Colombia last year. During the festival, Silvestre invited Carín to his home to enjoy a parranda with other Colombian musicians and composers. From this gathering, the idea for their collaboration was born. The song features beautiful accordion melodies that blend Silvestre’s high vocals with Carín León’s raspy tones. — I.F.
Yeisy Rojas, “Inmigrante y Qué?”
Latin Grammy-nominated Cuban artist Yeisy Rojas returns with a single, released independently, about the migrant experience and the importance of celebrating our roots, embracing our identity, and breaking down prejudices during times of tension for many immigrants in the U.S. “We live working, fighting for a dream/ You call me an immigrant, I proudly answer/ Immigrant, so what? / I bring my joy and my pain too,” Rojas sings over a contagious and sophisticated fusion of Cuban rumba, funk, salsa and hip-hop. “‘Inmigrante y Qué?’ is a song that seeks to make visible the stories of struggle and hope of those who have had to leave their homeland to build a new life,” Rojas tells Billboard Español, adding that “migrating is not a shame, but an act of courage and a source of pride.” — S.R.A.
Check out more Latin recommendations this week below:
Passover is one of the most musical of Jewish holidays. The annual springtime celebration of the ancient Israelites’ exodus from slavery in Egypt is full of beloved traditions, from the elaborate seder meal to inviting the prophet Elijah in to join the festivities, and, of course, the eating of unleavened bread called matzah. The meal […]
On Thursday night (April 10), Mary J. Blige, Mario and Ne-Yo reigned over New York City’s Madison Square Garden with three decades’ worth of R&B classics, heartbreak anthems and street hits.
Launched in support of her 2024 Gratitude album, Mary J. Blige’s For My Fans tour was a career-spanning dedication to her ride-or-die fanbase — an especially pertinent theme, given Thursday night marked Mary’s very first headlining show in her hometown’s most iconic venue. Before the nine-time Grammy winner and two-time Oscar nominee graced the stage, DJ Funk Flex primed the packed crowd — many of whom sported their sexiest boots and finest furs and fittest in honor of Mary’s iconic Misa Hylton-helmed style — with a set of New York ’90s and ’00s classics, including the obligatory phone-flashlight tributes to Biggie and DMX. Flex appeared throughout the night to soundtrack the transition between the artists’ sets, and kill time for production delays.
Mario, the night’s first opener, charmed The Garden with a brief set that included high-energy renditions of “Here I Go Again,” “Just A Friend 2002” and his Billboard Hot 100-topper “Let Me Love You.” Deftly working the stage and wooing the crowd, Mario helped the crowd begin their celebratory walk down memory lane — even though he’s fresh off the release of a new album, 2024’s Glad You Came, which houses “Keep Going (Aaaaahhhhh),” his first Adult R&B Airplay top 10 hit in 20 years. Later this month (April 24), Mario will head to the U.K. and Europe for his Glad You Came Tour, with special guest Eric Bellinger. The duo will hit intimate venues in key cities like London, Paris and Dublin, before concluding in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 17.
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After a brief Funk Flex interlude, three-time Grammy winner Ne-Yo hit the stage for a swanky set that felt like a winning audition for a more full-bodied follow-up to his 2024 Las Vegas mini-residency. Opening with 2006’s “Stay,” Ne-Yo ripped through a well-oiled set that featured beloved cuts like “Closer,” “Sexy Love,” “Because of You,” “Miss Independent” and the 2006 Hot 100-topper “So Sick.” Flanked by hard-working backup dancers and assisted by a rotating collection of different hats, Ne-Yo put on a show that sat right in the lineage of sparkly-suited song-and-dance men.
Once Ne-Yo left the stage, Flex returned for a few more minutes of partying before Mary kicked off the second half of Thursday night’s four-hour R&B extravaganza. Sporting an oversized pink fur and platinum blonde inches, Mary opened her set with a poignant rendition of “Take Me As I Am” on the B-stage, eventually using 1997’s “A Dream” to get in a lift that transported her over the crowd and onto the mainstage, in time for “Love No Limit” and “Mary Jane (All Night Long).”
For the first part of her set, Mary prioritized her “day one” fans, clearly happy to be at home in New York with her people. At one point she did a bit of 1999’s “Your Child” a cappella, quizzing the crowd (who passed with flying colors) on the song’s lyrics. Mary spent most of her time on the main stage, which featured a massive structure of kintsugi hands clutching a crown, in front of video backdrops that frequently showcased Mary’s biggest career moments — from her dual 2018 Oscar nominations to her 2022 Super Bowl halftime show appearance.
The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul sauntered across the stage freestyling and hitting choreography with her backup dancers in a seemingly endless collection of gorgeous leotard-centric costumes — most of which came complete with a matching fitted and pair of boots. With 2005’s monster hit “Be Without You” placed in the center of the setlist, Mary smartly spread her biggest hits throughout the setlist, ensuring the show’s energy wasn’t centralized in one section. 2021’s Grammy-nominated “Good Morning Gorgeous” proved one of her set’s early highlights, accented by a passionate, gospel-evoking testimonial that previewed similar moments during “No More Drama” later in the night. Mary’s repeated message of gratitude for her relationship with her fans and their special bond of constant healing and maturation proved the night’s most emotional moments. With the current state of ticket pricing, it’s not often an artist’s crowd so accurately reflects the specific audience they serve and speak to, so it was especially beautiful to feel the love and mutual gratitude in The Garden on Thursday night.
Immediately after “Gorgeous,” Mary sang a pair of songs from her Gratitude album — “Here I Am” and “Don’t F–k Up” — the night’s lone dull moment. Earlier in her set, she performed the album’s lead single, “Breathing,” bringing out Fabolous to perform his guest verse. Soon after, Jadakiss came out for his verse on “Need You More,” which also appears on Gratitude. Unfortunately, both guest appearances were briefly marred by sound issues. Mary also reached out to a younger generation of BX hip-hop titans, tapping A Boogie Wit da Hoodie for a quick “Look Back at It” performance.
To end the night on a high note, Mary tore through some of her most enduring uptempo hits, including “The One,” “Just Fine,” “I Can Love You” — albeit with no Lil’ Kim — “MJB Da MVP” and, of course, her six-week Hot 100-topper, “Family Affair.”
To celebrate her very first MSG show as the lone headliner, Mary teamed up with Veeps to exclusively live-stream the April 10 show around the world. Each ticket included access to the live stream and an unlimited seven-day rewatch period. Veeps All Access members will be able to access the show for free as part of their subscription.
The For My Fans Tour will spend one more night in New York — at Long Island’s UBS Arena (April 11) — before concluding with its original lineup on April 19 in Memphis, Tenn. From April 21 to April 27, Mary will play four solo shows to officially bring the tour to a close.
As artists and fans from across the globe are flocking to the desert for this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, African music is set to make its biggest splash yet. South Africa’s Tyla, Nigeria’s Rema and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 and Ghana’s Amaarae will take over the festival this weekend and next. […]
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Trinidad James is back with a powerful new single, “My Biggest Hater. ” The track dives deep into self-reflection and perseverance.
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Hip-Hop Wired caught up with the ATL native to discuss the inspiration behind the song, and the conversation was as real as the record itself. When asked who his biggest hater is, Trinidad didn’t name names—he pointed inward. “The only person that can be my biggest hater is myself,” he said. “So in theory, my biggest hater is me.” That honest answer sets the tone for a track centered around battling self-doubt, staying focused, and continuing to evolve despite outside noise.
Known for breaking out with the hit “All Gold Everything,” many critics were quick to box James in as a one-hit wonder. But he’s never stopped creating. With “My Biggest Hater,” Trinidad shows he’s not only still here—he’s thriving. “I’ve hit multiple primes in my career,” he told us. “But this right now? This is the most polished version of me, artist, songwriter, entrepreneur… all of it.”
James also shared wisdom for artists coming up or struggling with expectations: “Don’t dwell on the past. Don’t anticipate the future. Just be present. That’s where the power is.” “My Biggest Hater” is more than a track—it’s a statement. DAD’s got another one, and it’s a reminder that even when the world doubts you, self-belief is undefeated.
Check out Trinidad James’ exclusive Hip-Hop Wired performance of his newest single “My Biggest Hater”:
Junior H is set to take the stage at Coachella, just a year after debuting at the event as a guest of his friend Peso Pluma. One of the most important exponents of new regional Mexican music today, Junior, known for global hits such as “Lady Gaga,” ‘Ella,” and “Tres Botellas,” will debut his own set on April 13 and 20.
“It’s a pride, it’s very nice to represent Mexico, represent the genre and share with people who like my music — although the goal is to go and win new fans,” Junior H tells Billboard Español ahead of the festival’s first weekend. “Coachella is a stage where artists from many countries perform. So, I’m very excited and of course it’s a challenge and a great opportunity.”
Although he said that he will not have guests and that his show will be shorter than what he normally presents in his concerts, the artist behind Hot 100 hits such as “Y Lloro”, “Fin de Semana” and “Bipolar” promises to give “the best of my repertoire.”
Trending on Billboard
Over the past five years, Junior H (whose real name is Antonio Herrera) has been carving a steady path since the days when he was discovered by the Los Angeles-based independent record label Rancho Humilde. Today, he has his own label, Sad Boyz Entertainment.
“La Letra Muda”, as he is also known, knows what it is like to be in front of large crowds. In May 2023, he twice packed the Plaza Mexico in Mexico City, with its 50,000 capacity — a long way from his early days of having a mostly social media-based following.
“That moment was really the beginning, where we realized we have real fans — not followers. It was awesome,” he says. “Then we jumped to the Foro Sol and it was beautiful. Later we came to the United States to very big places, so I’m infinitely grateful.”
With the concept of his 2023 album Sad Boyz 4 Life II, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and Top Regional Mexican Albums charts, Junior H had a quick connection with young people — who had known him as a performer of corridos tumbados, but found his new style to have deeper, more sentimental themes. The 23-year-old singer was born in Guanajuato, also the land of singer-songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez, so ranchera music was part of his childhood. And as a teenager, thanks to his sisters, he listened to Edén Muñoz — with whom he collaborated on “Abcdario” a couple of years ago, fulfilling a longtime dream in the process.
More recently, the group Máximo Grado, considered a standard-bearer in corridos, released his Somos Leyenda album, on which Junior H made an appearance. “Since I was a kid I’ve been a fan of theirs. The song I participated with, ‘El Hombre del Equipo,’ I used to sing it when I was doing lives during the pandemic,” he recalls. “[The group’s leader] Christian Felix used to see them, and that’s why he invited me. I’m fortunate to have accomplished things I never imagined. That’s why now I want to help other artists who are starting out with my record label.”
Junior H will now add CEO of Sad Boyz Entertainment to his career resumé. His first signed talent is the artist Gael Valenzuela, on whose new song (“El Chore,” released Apr. 10) he also appeared. Find that below.