Latin
Premios Juventud 2020: Selena’s Tribute, Pitbull Gets Emotional & More Highlights
Doing a live awards show in the midst of a pandemic is almost impossible but Univision managed to do it and the 2020 Premios Juventud exceeded all expectations. Airing live from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Fla. on Thursday night (Aug. 13), the 17th annual youth awards leveraged technology and innovation to provide for a safe environment for the few talent on-site such as Karol G, Sebastian Yatra, and El Alfa, to name a few. The audience was completely virtual. Premios Juventud, which this year paid tribute to many frontline heroes including volunteers at food banks and health professionals, kicked off with the PJ Takeover pre-show that included performances by Jay Wheeler, Kendo Kaponi, Neto Bernal, Pitizion, Alex Rose and Rafa Pabon. {“nid”:”9...
J Balvin Reveals He’s Recovering From Coronavirus
While accepting the video with a purpose award for his music video “Rojo” at Premios Juventud 2020, J Balvin revealed he tested positive for coronavirus and is on the road to recovery. In a pre-recorded video, Balvin, who spoke from his native Medellín, Colombia, said, “At this moment, I’m just getting better from COVID-19. These have been very difficult days, very complicated. Sometimes we won’t think that we’ll get it but I got it and I got it bad,” Balvin said. He continued, “My message to those that follow me, young fans and people in general is to take care. This isn’t a joke. The virus is real and it’s dangerous.” {“nid”:”9427032″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”...
Most Latino Adults Have Not Heard of the Term Latinx, New Poll Finds
In 2018, the term Latinx was officially added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary defining the word as a gender-inclusive term and an alternative to “Hispanic” or “Latino” used by people of Latin American descent who “do not identify as being of the male or female gender or who simply don’t want to be identified by gender.” While the term has recently gained popularity among younger Latinos, embraced by a handful of Latin artists like Becky G and Lauren Jauregui and used by some political figures like Julian Castro and Elizabeth Warren when referring to the Latino/Hispanic community, a Pew Research Center poll finds that only 23% of U.S. adults who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino have heard of the term Latinx and just 3% say they use it to describe the...
20 Questions With Carlos Rivera: The Mexican Crooner on His Journey to Abbey Road & New Single
It’s not every day that an artist gets to record at the iconic Abbey Road in London, which is why for Carlos Rivera it wasn’t enough to just include the 10 songs in his 2018 Guerra album. The Mexican singer-songwriter has now re-released the tracks and this time on his first-ever vinyl. “We had been wanting to do something special with these songs since recording at Abbey Road was a dream come true for me,” Rivera tells Billboard. “It’s not like any other studio where you can pay to record. To get there, I had to tell them my personal story. I told them I was a from the smallest state in Mexico, Tlaxcala, and that I always dreamed of becoming a singer and record at Abbey Road. I think they were touched by my story.” The vinyl includes the 10 songs ...
Vote for the Best 2000’s Latin Hit: Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Thalia & More
While Bad Bunny, J Balvin, and other reggaeton stars dominate the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart in the new era, the scenario was different 20 years ago. The Hot Latin Songs chart, which currently blends airplay, streaming data, and digital sales, was then dominated mainly by pop ballads and some tropical anthems with chart-toppers such as Chayanne, Thalia, and Marc Anthony, to name a few. In the year 2000, 18 Latin bops hit No. 1, showcasing the variety in musical taste and consumption. {“nid”:”9429942″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Thalia, Marc Anthony & More Latin Artists Who Had No. 1 Billboard Hits 20 Years Ago”,”relative_path”:”\/articles\/columns\/latin\/9429942\/hot-latin-songs-hits-in-2000\/...
A Sweet Ascent: Ozuna’s ‘Caramelo’ Hits No. 1 on Latin Airplay Chart
As Ozuna’s “Caramelo” hits No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart (dated Aug. 15), he nabs his 20th leader on the list which launched in 1994. The song hikes 5-1 in its eighth week on the chart (up 41% in audience impressions to 1 million, in the week ending Aug. 9, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data). The new achievement places him in a tie with Daddy Yankee for the third-most No. 1s among all acts on Latin Airplay, both with 20. Above them are only Enrique Iglesias who continues at the helm with 31 No. 1s and J Balvin with 23. “I am extremely grateful for the great support and acceptance that ‘Caramelo’ has had,” Ozuna tells Billboard. “I’m super happy with the news that there are already 20 No. 1 singles in my career. We are working hard to continue providing good music. Stand by for ENOC, c...
Vote for Your Favorite Juanes Collaboration: Sebastian Yatra, Greeicy & More
Juanes is a man who enjoys working by himself but he also jumps on the wave when it comes to the new music trends, such as collaborating. In his 2019 album, Mas Futuro Que Pasado, the Colombian artist experimented with new sounds without compromising his Latin alternative essence. He navigated through the worlds of cumbia, vallenato and guasca (traditional folk music from Antioquia) with his authentic base and elements of electric guitar, reggae, rock. He also recruited some of the hottest Latin acts of today, such as Sebastian Yatra and Christian Nodal, for some promising collaborations. {“nid”:”9399756″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”LAMC 2020: Juanes Gets Real, Talks Creating Music During a Pandemic”,”relative_path...
Mozart La Para Vs. Lapiz Conciente: What to Know About the Never-Ending Dominican Rap Battle
In the urban world, the famous tiraeras is like a sport, where two artists battle each other so that their fans determine who’s the best lyricist. Daddy Yankee vs. Tempo, Tego Calderon vs. Lito y Polanco, Hector y Tito vs. Baby Rasta y Gringo, and Cosculluela vs. Anuel AA are previous rap battles that further proves tiraeras have been a part of the genre’s history for years. Most recently, Jhay Cortez and Bryant Myers confronted each other during the quarantine to come to terms on who’s the best trap artist of this generation. {“nid”:”9377122″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Jhay Cortez vs. Bryant Myers: Everything You Need to Know About the Latin Trap Feud”,”relative_path”:”\/articles\/columns\/latin\/9...
Latin Songs Inspired by Social Media: Don Omar’s ‘Myspace,’ J Balvin’s ‘Snapchat’ & More
Many of today’s hottest Latin artists were discovered on social media, including Bad Bunny who began creating his tunes on Soundcloud and Lele Pons who rose from Vine to Latin music star. Spanish crooner Pablo Alborán, Brazilian sensation Anitta, and up-and-coming JD Pantoja all leaped to fame after kicking off their careers on YouTube. In addition, many Latin songs are getting on the radar fueled by their success on TikTok, including Juanfran’s “Como Llora,” Nio Garcia’s “La Jeepeta” in collaboration with Brray, Juanka, Anuel AA and Myke Towers, and Grupo Firme’s “El Guero” featuring Marca MP, which have all secured spots on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart this year. {“nid”:”9428752″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”20 Popular La...
For International Artists, US Entry in the Pandemic Comes With New Hurdles
In March, Colombian superstar Carlos Vives was in the midst of filming season 2 of Telemundo’s singing competition series La Voz in Miami when COVID-19 sent most of the U.S. into lockdown. With production on hold, Vives returned to his home country to wait things out. Now, a full four months later, he is back on set. But returning to the U.S. was no easy task. “Colombia’s international borders were shut down,” says Vives’ business manager, Claudia Arcay, who notes that all commercial flights to and from Colombia were suspended, except for humanitarian and repatriation flights. “However, we had a work contract with Telemundo that we had to fulfill.” {“nid”:”9425791″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”What Do Virtual Festivals Pay A...
5 Uplifting Moments in Latin Music This Week (August 1)
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: Angela Aguilar honors artisan women This week, Angela Aguilar paid tribute to the beautiful and hardworking labor of artisan women in Mexico. In a photo, where she’s wearing a hand-made traditional dress, the Regional Mexican songstress expressed, “I carry our traditions in the embroideries of my dresses wherever we go, it fills me with pride to stand on stage dressed in Mexico.” Aguilar’s post was in celebration of World Embroidery Day on July 30. NEON 16, Tommy Mottola, and MITH Media unite for a good cause Multifaceted talent incubator NEON16, music executive Tommy Mottola...
From ‘The Nada’ to ‘Algo Ritmos’, a Dive Into Kevin Johansen’s Music Journey
The ‘sub-tropicalista’ celebrates his 20-year career anniversary. About a year ago, Kevin Johansen was sitting in a rooftop of a hotel in Miami, Fla. garbed in a spiffy navy-blue suit and his habitual tranquil look on his face. From that time onward, many things have happened, and in spite of his 20-year career anniversary, his spirit remains the same. There is no sound of birds or the robust trees whooshing through the air in the background. Instead, our conversation dwindles to the soulless connection of two screens 4,406 miles apart. Sitting in the comfort of his house in Buenos Aires, Johansen sips mate, crossed legged dressed in blue jeans and a blue sweatshirt. “I’m here, resorting to endurance, like everyone else,” he sighs with a smile. “Like my mother used to say, ‘do like the Phi...
