Latin
Myke Towers’ ‘Lyke Mike’ Lands In Top 10 on Top Latin Albums Chart
The 23-track set debuts at No. 3. Myke Towers claims his second top 10 on the Top Latin Albums chart as his third studio album, Lyke Mike, debuts at No. 3 on the May 8-dated survey. The set follows Towers’ sophomore effort Easy Money Baby, his first entry on the all-genre Latin chart (No. 1 start, Feb. 2020). Lyke Mike, released April 23 on One Way International/Warner/Warner Latina, earned a little more than 16,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 29, according to MRC Data, 4,000 units ahead of its predecessor’s debut week sum, despite its No. 3 start. Nearly all of Lyke Mike’s starting sum is powered by streaming activity. The Top Latin Albums chart ranks the most popular Latin albums of the week in the U.S. base...
‘Wonder Women of Latin Music’ Panelists Stress the Importance of Mentorship at LAMC
For the second year in a row, the 23rd annual LAMC is offering free registration for all panels, workshops and showcases. Check here for the full panel and concert schedule. Below, the most memorable moments from the “Wonder Women of Latin Music” panel: On climbing the corporate ladder Maria Fernández: “I was very lucky to have many opportunities and take advantage of them. Most of my career has been in entertainment and I got into the music business by chance. I decided it was a good moment to make a change after working for Disney and DirectTV and applied to this job at Sony and 30 minutes later I was contacted. Since, I’ve had amazing allies and really I owe this position to Afo Verde, he has always been very supportive of women and under his...
Billie Eilish, A$AP Rocky, & Post Malone to Headline Governors Ball 2021
DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage and more slated for Sept. 24-26 event at Citi Field in New York. The 2021 Governors Ball festival will take place at New York’s Citi Field from Sept. 24-26, and will feature headlining sets from Billie Eilish, A$AP Rocky and Post Malone. The 10th anniversary edition of the festival — which took a break in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — will follow all mandated state and federal guidelines at the time of the event, according to a release. More than 60 acts will take the stage over the weekend, including J Balvin, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Ellie Goulding, Leon Bridges, 21 Savage, Young Thug, Portugal. The Man, Burna Boy, Future Islands, Phoebe Bridgers, Jamie XX, Carly Rae Jepsen, Big Thief, Bleachers and many mor...
5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (May 1)
“This Covid crisis has taken many of our loved ones from us too soon and is keeping us isolated from our extended families for far too long,” the band members said in a statement. “Thankfully, there is a very clear path for us to move toward that better tomorrow, together again, by getting vaccinated. We know it’s critically important to get the word out that, regardless of any confusion that may have caused some of us to have questions early on, we know that safe and effective vaccines are now available to us all.” According to the CDC, 101,407,318 people in the U.S. (which is 30.5% of the total population) have been fully vaccinated. Gustavo Santaolalla teams up with CORE for COVID-19 vaccine PSA Renowned producer and composer Gustavo Santaolalla ha...
Latin Remix of the Week: Pedro Capo, Nicki Nicole & De La Ghetto Talk Sensual Collab ‘Tu Fanatico’
“It occurred to me to have a girl that can add that feminine energy in the song and a colleague who would add fire,” he says. “It was always clear to me that Nicki and De La Ghetto were it. I sent them the song immediately and I’m grateful that they connected with the song.” It was at the video shoot, helmed by director Daniel Eguren, that both Puerto Rican artists met Nicki for the first time. “I didn’t have much time to talk or hang out with them, everything happened so fast,” the Argentine trap star admits. “But something that I learned from them was their energy and how they see music. They are constantly talking about their culture and I was constantly paying attention because I like to learn about their movement. Being there with Pedro and De La Ghetto was inc...
What New Grammy Rules Mean for Latin Music & The Latin Grammys: Analysis
The notion of a Latin committee was born precisely from the desire to showcase material that was exquisite but perhaps not commercial, and to avoid a default win for big crossover names. But as Latin music has become increasingly mainstream in the United States — and let’s remember that the Grammys honor U.S. releases — the need for a small committee to determine the fate of the music is less urgent. What remains to be seen is how this empowered voting body will act with Latin releases. Will they take the easy way out, voting primarily for those names they recognize? Our hope is that those who end up voting in the Latin categories are those who work within the genre and know its players. The reduction in the number of categories that can be voted on — from 15 to 10 —...
Altafonte Appoints Ricardo Chamberlain to Global Marketing Senior VP
Ricardo Chamberlain has been appointed Altafonte’s global marketing senior vice president, Billboard has learned. As global marketing svp, Chamberlain will be tasked with developing strategic initiatives and opportunities for Altafonte’s artists, including planning, direction, and coordination of multi-territorial marketing campaigns. He will work closely with the directors and teams of each territory. “Ricardo’s passion for music and his creator and tech spirit together with his deep experience in the music industry are an unbeatable combination to make Altafonte the most innovative independent music company on the market,” said Inma Grass CCO and partner in a statement, coining Chamberlain a “wonderful person and a great professional.” You Deserv...
5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (April 24)
From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week. A Montaner Reality Show Multimedia company NTERTAIN, at the helm of Neon16’s Lex Borrero, Tommy Mottola and Range Media Partners, announced earlier this week the start of the development and production for its first original series, Los Montaner. The unscripted docu-series, executive produced by Borrero, will follow the daily life of the Montaner family: Ricardo Montaner, Marlene Rodriguez, Mau y Ricky, Evaluna Montaner, Camilo Echeverry, Sara Escobar and Stefi Roitman. Range Media Partners will co-finance the project, handling global sales of the series....
Myke Towers Breaks Down 5 Ultra-Personal Tracks on ‘Lyke Mike’ Album: Exclusive
The set, which includes collaborations with Miky Woodz, Jon Z, Ñengo Flow, and Sahir, is an ode to basketball, el barrio and, his biggest inspiration, Michael Jordan. “He’s the person that has motivated me the most, not only musically but in my life, overall,” he notes. “He doesn’t sing, but he has a winning attitude. Whenever I have free time, I buy his shoes, his games — he’s always inspired me.” Lyke Mike is also a tribute to his fans, the ones who knew Myke Towers before he was Myke Towers — the ones who followed his career from the underground rap scene, up. “My fans accepted that I had to do what I had to do to continue growing. I couldn’t just stay doing mixtapes and rap,” he says. “Every time people want to hear me rap, they can always return to Lyke Mike.” An ultr...
Deorro Drops New Spanish-Language Single “Ponte Pa’ Mi” With Jon Z
Deorro is gearing up for the release of his massive forthcoming Latin-dance crossover album, ORRO. Fans have already been treated to the Spanish-language singles “Me Siento Bien” and “Si Tú No Estás Aquí,” and now he’s now ready to unveil the third single off the highly anticipated album. Enter “Ponte Pa’ Mi” featuring Jon Z. Yet another showcase of Deorro’s diverse production skill set, the track is a bouncy fusion of electro and Cumbia, beckoning for hips to be moved. Jon Z’s effortless flow floats over the kinetic beat, picking up speed and reeling it back around every corner. Deorro’s new single “Ponte Pa’ Mi” featuring Jon Z is the third single off the forthcoming “ORRO” album.&nb...
Executive of the Week: CMN CEO Henry Cárdenas
“Never, no one expected that,” Cárdenas tells Billboard. “In fact, Noah [Assad, Bad Bunny’s manager] called me like three days before and said, ‘How many tickets do you think we’ll sell [in presale]?’ He thought it’d be around 150,000. I told him 200,000…. If Bad Bunny puts 50 dates more on sale today, he’ll sell them. In Miami, we sold out his three shows and there were 97,000 people waiting online to buy tickets.” Bad Bunny is arguably the hottest artist in the world right now, and ended 2020 as the most streamed act on Spotify. That he would sell was not in question. But, how did the Chicago-based CMN capitalize on the potential, and how did Cárdenas land the deal? Here, he explains what went into booking this tour when live music still seems so far away for so many. I have to thi...
J Balvin & Khalid’s ‘Otra Noche Sin Ti’ Debuts Top 10 on Hot Latin Songs Chart
“Otra Noche” joins another Balvin track on Hot Latin Songs. His recently released “Tu Veneno” (March 19), which is also part of Balvin’s forthcoming album, holds at No. 9 for a second week after its No. 6 debut and peak (April 3-dated tally). Khalid, who secured his first Billboard Hot 100 chart entry with “Location” in 2017, makes his Hot Latin Songs chart debut with “Otra Noche Sin Ti.” He’s one of a number of primarily English-language recording artists to make their Hot Latin Songs debut straight into the top 10 in the past 12 months. He follows Snoop Dogg, Travis Scott, 6ix9ine, Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, Doja Cat and Sia. (All but 6ix9ine scored their debuts through a collaboration with an established Spanish-language recording artist.) “Otra Noche” concurrently debuts on both Billbo...
