Daddy Yankee Releases First English Track “This Is Not a Love Song”

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee is switching tongues…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter and actor has released the uptempo song “This Is Not a Love Song” en ingles.

Daddy Yankee’s new track was produced by the Cataracs, who’ve worked with everyone from Enrique Iglesias to Beyonce. It also features newcomer Duncan.

There are currently no plans for an English-language album, according to a spokesperson for the entertainer, one of the most revered rappers in Latin music.

But Daddy Yankee is releasing the 10th-anniversary edition of Barrio Fino on October 7.

Yankee, who has been working with producers like Diplo and Jim Jonsin, was searching for the right English-language song. When the Cataracs song surfaced, it struck a chord.

“Over these past 10 years I focused on bringing my music to the forefront of the Latin music world, but when I got this track from The Cataracs, I knew I had to run with it,” Yankee said in a statement. “Most people have only ever heard me in Spanish so it shocks everyone to hear me rap all in English. The hook helps bring it to life. Duncan’s voice is one of a kind and he just adds that magic touch to the record.”

A decade ago, Barrio Fino was heard around the world. In the U.S., sales have totaled 1.08 million to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums on July 31, 2004. It spent 24 weeks at No. 1 and holds more weeks at No. 1 than any other urban album in the chart’s history. Only four other albums have had more weeks at No. 1. The ranking:

Gloria Estefan, Mi Tierra (58 weeks at No. 1)
2. Selena, Dreaming of You (44 weeks)
3. Luis Miguel, Segundo Romance (29 weeks)
4. Ricky Martin, Vuelve (26 weeks)
5. Daddy Yankee, Barrio Fino (24 weeks)

The album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 on April 16, 2005.

“Ten years ago ‘Gasolina’ introduced me and my music to the mainstream market and helped pave the path for many artists that came after me with a vision and a dream,” Yankee added.

“This Is Not a Love Song” went on sale Tuesday (Sept. 9) through iTunes and other digital platforms.

Sheila E. Releases Music Video for New Single “Lovely Day”

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a lovely day for Sheila E. fans…

The 56-year-old part-Mexican Grammy-nominated drummer, percussionist, singer and songwriter has released the music video for her new R&B track “Lovely Day.”

Sheila E. shared the sun-drenched video exclusively with Billboard.

“The video was shot at my friend’s house, actor Jack Coleman, and on location in Los Angeles. The scene in which my dog Emma pulled me on the beach was not planned,” Shelia E. tells Billboard.

Last year Sheila E. released Sheila E. Icon, an album that celebrated her 40th anniversary in the music business.

Sheila E. was nominated for an American Music Award and two Grammy awards for Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Performance Femalefor her iconic song “The Glamorous Life,” which was written by Prince.

During her noted career, Sheila E. has also collaborated with Lionel Richie, George Duke, Ringo Starr, Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Beyoncé, Hans Zimmer and Kanye West.

Aside from her new album, which was released last November, Sheila E. is preparing to release her first memoir The Beat of My Own Drum on September 2.

Gomez Leads the Latino Pack of Teen Choice Award Nominees

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

She may pursuing projects that shed her Disney Channel image, but Selena Gomez is still a teen sensation.

The first round of 2014 Teen Choice Awards nominees have been revealed, and the 21-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress has received two nods, the most of any Hispanic star.

Gomez, a 10-time Teen Choice Award winner, is nominated for Choice Female Hottie, an award she took him in 2012 and 2013.

This time around, she’s up against Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Kendall Jenner, Bella Thorne and Rihanna in the category.

Gomez is also nominated in the Choice Smile category. She’s facing off against Austin Mahone, Demi Lovato, Harry Styles and Taylor Swift for the award.

In addition to Gomez, Thorne and Lovato, Latino nominees include Cameron Diaz, Lea Michele, Pitbull, Jake T. Austin and Fifth Harmony’s Camila Cabello, Lauren Jauregui and Ally Brooke Hernandez.

The 2014 Teen Choice Awards, which celebrate teen icons including celebrities across entertainment realms including music, movies, television, fashion and others, will air live on Fox on August 10.

Currently fans between ages 13-19 can vote once each day per category can vote for these initial nominees at www.teenchoiceawards.com.

Hosts, performers, presenters and additional nominees will be announced soon.

Here’s the full list of nominees:

Choice Movie: Action

Divergent
Edge of Tomorrow
Godzilla
Maleficent
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Choice Movie Actor: Action

Jamie Campbell Bower, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Tom Cruise, Edge of Tomorrow
Theo James, Divergent
Kellan Lutz, The Legend of Hercules
Mark Wahlberg, Lone Survivor

Choice Movie Actress: Action

Emily Blunt, Edge of Tomorrow
Lily Collins, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Elle Fanning, Maleficent
Angelina Jolie, Maleficent
Shailene Woodley, Divergent

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Captain America: The Winter Soldier
The Amazing Spider-Man 2
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Thor: The Dark World
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Chris Evans, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Andrew Garfield, The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Chris Hemsworth, Thor: The Dark World
Liam Hemsworth, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Josh Hutcherson, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Halle Berry, X-Men: Days of Future Past
Scarlett Johansson, Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Jennifer Lawrence, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire and X-Men: Days of Future Past
Natalie Portman, Thor: The Dark World
Emma Stone, The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Choice Movie: Drama

American Hustle
Heaven Is for Real
Million Dollar Arm
The Fault in Our Stars
Veronica Mars

Choice Movie Actor: Drama

Bradley Cooper, American Hustle
Russell Crowe, Noah
Jason Dohring, Veronica Mars
Ansel Elgort, The Fault in Our Stars
Jon Hamm, Million Dollar Arm

Choice Movie Actress: Drama

Kristen Bell, Veronica Mars
Sandra Bullock, Gravity
Jennifer Lawrence, American Hustle
Emma Watson, Noah
Shailene Woodley, The Fault in Our Stars

Choice Movie: Comedy

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Blended
Ride Along
The Other Woman
Vampire Academy

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy

Will Ferrell, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Kevin Hart, Ride Along
Ice Cube, Ride Along
Johnny Knoxville, Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa
Adam Sandler, Blended

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy

Christina Applegate, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Drew Barrymore, Blended
Zoey Deutch, Vampire Academy
Cameron Diaz, The Other Woman
Emma Roberts, We’re the Millers

TELEVISION

Choice TV Show: Drama

Hart of Dixie
Pretty Little Liars
Switched at Birth
The Fosters
Twisted

Choice TV Actor: Drama

Keegan Allen, Pretty Little Liars
Jake T. Austin, The Fosters
Lucas Grabeel, Switched at Birth
Ian Harding, Pretty Little Liars
Avan Jogia, Twisted

Choice TV Actress: Drama

Troian Bellisario, Pretty Little Liars
Rachel Bilson, Hart of Dixie
Lucy Hale, Pretty Little Liars
Maddie Hasson, Twisted
Maia Mitchell, The Fosters

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Arrow
Once Upon a Time
Sleepy Hollow
Teen Wolf
The Vampire Diaries

Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Josh Dallas, Once Upon a Time
Joseph Morgan, The Originals
Tyler Posey, Teen Wolf
Ian Somerhalder, The Vampire Diaries
Paul Wesley, The Vampire Diaries

Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Nina Dobrev, The Vampire Diaries
Ginnifer Goodwin, Once Upon a Time
Kat Graham, The Vampire Diaries
Claire Holt, The Originals
Kristin Kreuk, Beauty and The Beast

Choice TV Show: Comedy

Austin & Ally
Glee
New Girl
Sam & Cat
The Big Bang Theory

Choice TV Actor: Comedy

Ashton Kutcher, Two and a Half Men
Ross Lynch, Austin & Ally
Chord Overstreet, Glee
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
Andy Samberg, Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Choice TV Actress: Comedy

Kaley Cuoco, The Big Bang Theory
Mindy Kaling, The Mindy Project
Laura Marano, Austin & Ally
Lea Michele, Glee
Debby Ryan, Jessie

Choice TV: Animated Show

Adventure Time
Family Guy
Gravity Falls
Regular Show
The Simpsons

Choice TV: Reality Competition Show

American Idol VIII
Masterchef Junior
Survivor
The Amazing Race
The Voice

Choice TV: Reality Show

Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey
Dance Moms
Keeping Up With the Kardashians
Real Husbands of Hollywood
Total Divas

Music

Choice Male Artist

Jason Derulo
Pitbull
Austin Mahone
Ed Sheeran
Justin Timberlake
Pharrell Williams

Choice Female Artist

Beyoncé
Miley Cyrus
Ariana Grande
Lorde
Katy Perry
Taylor Swift

Choice Music Group

5 Seconds of Summer
Fifth Harmony
One Direction
R5
Rixton

Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist

Martin Garrix
Calvin Harris
Kaskade
Skrillex
Zedd

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist

Iggy Azalea
Eminem
John Legend
Nicki Minaj
Justin Timberlake

Choice Rock Group

Coldplay
Imagine Dragons
One Republic
Paramore
The Black Keys

Choice Male Country Artist

Luke Bryan
Hunter Hayes
Jake Owen
Blake Shelton
Keith Urban

Choice Female Country Artist

Jana Kramer
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Choice Country Group

Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum
Parmalee
The Band Perry
Zac Brown Band

Fashion

Choice Female Hottie

Beyoncé
Selena Gomez
Ariana Grande
Kendall Jenner
Rihanna
Bella Thorne

Choice Male Hottie

Zac Efron
Ryan Gosling
Liam Hemsworth
Austin Mahone
One Direction
Ian Somerhalder

Choice Smile

Selena Gomez
Austin Mahone
Demi Lovato
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift

OTHER

Choice Comedian

Jimmy Fallon
Kevin Hart
Mindy Kaling
Andy Samberg
Kenan Thompson

Swizz Beatz to Attend Harvard Business School

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Swizz Beatz is headed to the Ivy League…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican hip-hop artist and record producer, born Kasseem Dean, has been accepted to Harvard Business School’s nine-week Owner/President Management Extension Program, the same one attended by Antonio “L.A.” Reid at the request of Clive Davis.

Beatz, the husband of Alicia Keys,made the announcement by posting his acceptance email on his Instagram account earlier this week.

“This might be one of the happiest days of my life,” he posted on his social media account. “From BX to Harvard.”

Beatz has produced hit singles for the likes of Nas, Nicki Minaj, Beyonce and Bono. He’s also a fashion and shoe designer, art collector and tireless brand promoter who spent the 2010-11 academic year as the first “producer-in-residence” at New York University‘s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.

The HBS program awards those who pass the curriculum a certification for the course, which is aimed at CEOs and heads of companies. The price tag is $33,000 per credit, with Beatz taking three credits for a cool 100 grand, beginning next month. He’ll live in Harvard housing.

“Admission is a selective process based on professional achievement and organizational responsibility. We look for professionals who have demonstrated business talent and leadership potential,” according to the school’s official site.

The program focuses on navigating the global economy, maximizing financial resources, aligning strategies and sales and other business skills.

Keys and son Egypt will join him in the dorm on weekends, according to Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman, who interviewed Swizz on the carpet at the The Amazing Spider-Man 2 premiere. His wife performed her soundtrack song with Kendrick Lamar at the post-premiere party.

Swizz, who never went to college, started his music career directly after graduating high school.

Armisen to Guest Star on Maya Rudolph’s NBC Variety Special/Pilot

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

He’s already the bandleader for his former Saturday Night Light cast mate Seth Meyer’s band on NBC’s Late Night with Seth Meyers… And, now Fred Armisen is about to reunite with another SNL alum.

The 45-year-old half-Venezuelan actor will guest star on Maya Rudolph’s upcoming variety special/pilot for NBC.

Revisiting the variety-show format, The Maya Rudolph Show special will air at 10:00 pm ET on Monday, May 19.

In addition to Armisen, the project will also feature appearences by Andy Samberg, Kristen Bell, Chris Parnell, Craig Robinson, Sean Hayes and Janelle Monae.

Raphael Saadiq will serve as the bandleader for the project, which is being produced by Rudolph, David Javerbaum, Erin David and Dave Becky, with Lorne Michaels serving as executive producer.

Rudolph and Armisen often collaborated together on SNL, including memorable skits as Beyonce and Prince in the recurring sketch “Prince Show.”

The pair also shared the stage on the SNL sketch “Bossa Nova” as a bossa nova band with host Alec Baldwin appearing as a sleaze bag.

Santos to Debut in the Top Five on the Billboard 200 Chart

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It could turn out to be a memorable week for Romeo Santos…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican/Dominican American singer is predicted to sell more than 90,000 copies of his latest album Formula, Vol. 2 in its debut week.

If sales figures hold up, Santos’ sophomore solo album would land in the Top Five on the Billboard 200 and give him his best sales week ever on the chart.

It would also result in the largest sales week for a Latin album since 2006.

The last Latin set to have a bigger week was RBD‘s Celestial, which sold 117,000 in its first week (ending Nov. 26, 2006). The last male solo artist to sell more than 90,000 was Daddy Yankee, when his Barrio Fino: En Directo — which would secure his best bow with 100,000 in the week ending Dec. 18, 2005.

But Santos isn’t the only Latino artist who could reach the Top Five.

Kid Cudi‘s Satellite Flight is expected to sell 90,000 as well. The set debuted in the iTunes Store on Tuesday (Feb. 25) with little advance warning. It is presently only available through iTunes — and only as a full album. He follows in the footsteps of Beyonce, who released her surprise self-titled album in December as an album-only set through iTunes. (After a week, the set’s tracks became available for individual purchase.)

The Billboard 200’s new top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, March 5.

Mars’ “Unorthodox Jukebox” Expected to Return to the Top 10 on the Billboard 200 Chart

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Expect to see Bruno Mars shooting up the charts this week…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter is expected to return to the top 10 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, following his highly lauded Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, February 2.

Mars’ Grammy-winning sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, sold approximately 40,000 copies in the week ending Feb. 2, according to estimates from industry sources.

That would represent a 164% gain compared to the previous week, when it sold 15,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album’s official sales figures, as tabulated by SoundScan, will be released later today (Wednesday, February 5 ), the same day that the new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed.

If the album returns to the top 10 with 40,000, it will mark the album’s first visit to the top 10 since the Billboard 200 chart dated Sept. 14, 2013, and its best sales week since last March.

Unorthodox Jukebox was already aiming to sell around 19,000 in the week ending Feb. 2, thanks in part to Mars’ exposure at last week’s Grammy Awards (January 26). Mars won the award for best pop vocal album, but did not perform on the show.

According to Fox, who cite Nielsen data, Mars’ halftime show attracted the largest audience in the history of the Super Bowl, with 115.3 million viewers. That figure surpasses the prior record of 114 million set by Madonna two years ago.

Last year, Beyonce headlined the Super Bowl halftime show (110.8 million), where she was briefly joined by her Destiny’s Child group members Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Unlike Mars, Beyonce didn’t have a current album riding high on the charts at the time.

In the week ending February 3, 2013, Beyonce saw her most recent album, 2011’s 4, re-enter the Billboard 200 at No. 100 with 4,000 sold (up 123%). The following week — after a full week of sales impact was felt from the game — the album climbed to No. 79 with 6,000 (up 59%).

The impact of the Super Bowl on Mars’ music sales — and on the Billboard charts — will be unique compared to all other halftime headliners in the modern era of Super Bowl halftime entertainment.

Since 1993, when Michael Jackson headlined the halftime festivities, the main performer on the show has generally been an act with a fairly deep catalog of albums and songs. Mars, however, has only released two albums — Unorthodox Jukebox (released in 2012) and Doo-Wops & Hooligans (2010).

Thus, all of the sales and chart impact felt by Mars will be concentrated on just those two albums (and their respective singles). Unlike previous years, where everyone from Beyonce and Madonna to Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen saw their post-Super Bowl chart impact spread across multiple albums and songs.

Mars’ Super Bowl Halftime Performance Features Three of Shazam’s Most Searched Moments

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Shazam! Bruno Mars’ halftime performance at the Super Bowl continues to help break records…

Not only did the 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer’s performance with the Red Hot Chili Peppers register a record 115.3 million viewers and earn a huge response on the Twittersphere, but it was one of the moments during the big game that nabbed the most Shazams.

The music search app beat its own Super Bowl record with more than 700,000 uses — more than double the count of last year’s game that featured Beyonce and Destiny’s Child as its halftime performers.

Despite all the music-related ads that aired throughout the broadcast, more than half of the Shazams occurred during Mars’ halftime performance. The top searched moment of the entire game was when the Red Hot Chili Peppers emerged shirtless and rocked the stage with on the band’s hit song”Give It Away,” followed by Mars’ first solo hit, “Just The Way You Are,” with which he closed the halftime show, along with a ton of fireworks.

Coming in third in Shazam’s statistics was Chevrolet’s “Life” ad, a sentimental spot that featured the song “Don’t Leave” by Ane Brun.

Fourth place belongs to Jaguar‘s “Rendezvous” ad, with appearances by Ben Kingsley, Tom Hiddleston and Mark Strong and using an epic action-film score.

Rounding out the top five was Mars’ “Runaway Baby” performance, which pulls from Barry Strong‘s 1960 hit “Money (That’s What I Want).”

Following Chevrolet and Jaguar in the top Shazamed Super Bowl ads were Bud Light‘s “Cool Twist,” Bank of America‘s ad which debuted the new single “Invisible” by U2, and Budweiser‘s moving military homecoming, “A Hero’s Welcome.”

Bruno Mars’ Super Bowl Halftime Show Attracts a Record 115.3 Million Viewers

Posted on February 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Move over Madonna! Bruno Mars is the king of Super Bowl entertainers…

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s halftime show, featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, attracted the largest audience in the history of the Super Bowl, attracting 115.3 million viewers, Fox announced Monday, citing Nielsen data.

That figure surpasses the previous record of 114 million set by Madonna two years ago and the 110.8 million who tuned in to watch Beyonce last year.

During his high-octane perforamance, which was a much-tweeted-about affair, Mars sang “Give it Away” with the Peppers, proved he’s got the moves like James Brown and closed with his hit ballad “Just the Way You Are” at halfway mark of a blowout win by the Seattle Seahawks over the Denver Broncos, 43-8. The game had an average viewing audience of 111.5 million viewers, the largest in history.

The final number was significantly higher than than 98.88 million viewers reported in the overnight ratings from Nielsen that measure the top 56 markets. It initially appeared Super Bowl XLVIII would be the fifth most-watched in history.

“It Just Got Real,” Declares Mars at His Super Bowl Press Conference

Posted on January 30, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Ready or not, Bruno Mars is about to take the biggest stage of his career this Super Bowl Sunday.

“I’ve never had to do a press conference before I perform, so it just got real, I guess!” joked the 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer at a Super Bowl press conference at Lincoln Center‘s Rose Theater in New York City.

Asked by Destiny’s Child member Michelle Williams, reporting for omg! Insider, how he felt about accepting the invitation to headline the halftime show, Mars responded, “We were all watching you as a band last year when you performed with Beyonce, and we were wondering just like, ‘What if one day we get the call to do that?'” he said, later noting that his favorite halftime acts to date also include Prince, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen. “It definitely came soon.”

Mars noted that he began rehearsing two nights ago, and was faced with the reality of the brutal cold in New Jersey and New York.

“There was a lot of things that happened — the microphone turns into a popsicle!” he explained. I’m grabbing the mic and it’s frozen! Just stuff like that that we’re taking into consideration, and getting some heaters on everything.”

But how will he keep his signature hairdo intact? “I got three gallons of hairspray in this thing, so I’m good!”

While he won’t be giving away any secrets about his set list — “It’s only a couple days away, they can hold tight,” he told reporters — Mars will stay true to his usual laid-back big-band aesthetic. “No matter where I perform, it’s my job to uplift the people — whether I’m performing at a graduation party, wedding, bar mitzvah, Grammys, Super Bowl, I’m gonna give it all I got,” he said of the gig. “I don’t trapeze and all that stuff. I hope to get people dancing and get people smiling. If you ever come to my shows, it’s just us up there with these songs and our instruments. I hope that’s enough.”

Mars also explained how he chose his co-performers. “The first band I thought of was the Red Hot Chili Peppers — I’ve been a fan of theirs for such a long time, I admire their career,” he recalled when the NFL presented him with the opportunity. “They’re a soulful band — and not just musically, but as people. I sat down with Flea, and he’s so passionate about music. Even to this day, doing it for so long, he’s still so passionate about creating music and performing. I want to surround myself with guys like that forever, and it’s an honor to share the stage with them. They’re one of my personal favorite bands of all time.”

He thanked the NFL for the rare chance to headline the televised event. “I still feel like a new artist — the NFL is such a prestigious stage, and they’re giving the new guy a shot. No, I haven’t been able to take it in, but I will. Come Sunday, I will.”

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