Pedro Tovar Signs Worldwide Publishing Deal with Kobalt Music

Posted on March 22, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Tovar has a new deal…

The 22-year-old Mexican American lead vocalist, founding member and primary songwriter for Eslabón Armado has signed a worldwide publishing deal with Kobalt Music.

The agreement was done via Tovar’s Armado Publishing; Kobalt will administer his future songs globally.

“I’m excited to join the Kobalt Music family in this new career stage,” Tovar said in a statement. “As a songwriter, I have always sought a company that values creativity and provides the necessary support to elevate my music to a global audience. I know that with Kobalt, I’ll continue growing and sharing my stories through my songs.”

Since having a major breakthrough in 2020, the sierreño act has been on a winning streak and fueling the música mexicana (Regional Mexican) movement along the way.

Over the course of four years, Eslabon Armado released six consecutive chart-topping albums — all of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Albums chart. In 2022, the group made history, with Nostalgia becoming the first top 10-charting regional Mexican album ever on the Billboard 200.

A year later, Eslabon Armado released its blockbuster hit “Ella Baila Sola” with Peso Pluma. The song was a runaway success and made history when it entered the Billboard Hot 100‘s top five.

Last week, Eslabon Armado released its eight studio album, Vibras de Noche II, a follow-up to the band’s 2020 set Vibras de Noche.

“Pedro Tovar is one of the most exciting artists and songwriters making music today,” added Nestor Casonu, president of Kobalt Music Latin America. “Through this partnership, we’ve had the privilege of understanding the values of an extraordinary family, led by Doña Nelly, with whom we’ve built both a professional and personal bond. I’m excited about the great things we’ll achieve together in the future.”

“At Kobalt, we want to sign songwriters who have singular voices that resonate with a wide audience,” said Teresa Romo, Kobalt’s senior creative director for Latin America. “Our partnership with Pedro Tovar represents an exciting new phase in his songwriting career, and we’re honored to support his creative independence and nurture new opportunities.”

Bad Bunny Strips Down to His Underwear in Steamy New Calvin Klein Campaign

Posted on March 17, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is stripping things down…

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar has teamed up with Calvin Klein for the brand’s steamy spring campaign.

Calvin Klein described the campaign as “iconic from every angle” in the caption accompanying photos of the “Baile Inolvidable” hitmaker modeling the brand’s new Icon Cotton Stretch Boxer Briefs, which feature an “innovated smooth, stitch-free waistband,” they write in the description.

The images were captured by renowned photographer Mario Sorrenti.

In one shot, Benito strips down to black briefs, giving fans a closer look at his tattoos, including a horse on his chest, the year “1994” marking his birth, the sad heart from his Un Verano Sin Ti album cover and a bunny racing away on his arm.

Another image captures him in white underwear against a three-way mirror, showcasing his toned physique and rock-hard abs from multiple angles.

Bad Bunny’s latest collaboration with Calvin Klein is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the star’s busy schedule.

The “Tití Me Preguntó” singer is gearing up for a highly anticipated residency in Puerto Rico, set to take place later this summer at Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot (a.k.a. El Choli) from July 11 to September 14.

The residency will be in support of his latest No. 1 Billboard 200-charting album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos — and judging by his Calvin Klein campaign, it seems he has taken that sentiment to heart, capturing moments that showcase his undeniable star power from every angle.

Bad Bunny Releases Music Video for “La Mudanza,” A Love Letter to His Beloved Puerto Rico

Posted on March 11, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is expressing his encanto for his homeland…

In celebration of his 31st birthday on Monday, March 10, the Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar released new music video “La Mudanza,” which further cements his everlasting love for his homeland and family heritage.

The song – the outro track of his latest album, Debí Tirar Más Fotos – tells the story of Benito, a man who grew up in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, as the eldest of six siblings and worked hard from a young age, driving trucks like his father and grandfather, despite his dream of becoming an engineer.

The video begins by showing a nostalgic collection of old photos of his ancestors. Soon after, the visual depicts the birth of baby Benito. Halfway through, a the infant appears in a car seat, singing along to the song against a robust salsa rhythm.

“Calle Sol, Calle Luna, estoy en la noche oscura/ Yo no canto reggae, pero soy cultura,” the baby spits, referencing Puerto Rican reggae band Cultura Profética.

The video transitions to a scene where the present-day Bad Bunny is seen running through a field, proudly waving the Puerto Rican flag, before arriving at a local community gathering.

“A mí me quieren como a Tito y soy serio como Cotto/ Lugia, Ho-Oh, cabrón, hoy soy legendario,” he raps, drawing parallels between himself and revered Puerto Rican boxers Tito Trinidad and Miguel Cotto, while also invoking Lugia and Ho-Oh from the Pokémon series.

Debí Tirar Más Fotos reached No. 1 on multiple all-genre charts, including the Billboard 200 and Top Streaming Albums.

Benito told Billboard a few weeks after releasing the album, “This project isn’t mine. It belongs to many people: everyone who worked with me, it belongs to Puerto Rico, my friends, my family. This project belongs to all of us who feel proud of being from Puerto Rico and being Latin.”

Bad Bunny is set to embark on a historic residency in Puerto Rico, which is expected to boost the island’s economy.

Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” Claims Second Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Posted on January 26, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is still a man on top…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos earns a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated February 1, earning 151,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending January 23 (down 26%), according to Luminate.

Of the 151,000 equivalent album units earned by Debí Tirar Más Fotos in the week ending January 23, SEA units comprise 146,000 (down 25%; equaling 198.78 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it’s No. 1 for a third week on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 4,000 (down 46%; falling 8-11 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (down 30%).

Of Bad Bunny’s four chart-topping albums, it’s the second to spend more than a single week at No. 1; his 2022 set, Un Verano Sin Ti, has collected the most weeks atop the list, with 13 weeks, non-consecutively.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has reached the summit once again…

Following its first full week of activity, the 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos climbs 2-1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart dated January 25, scoring Bad Bunny his fourth leader on the list.

Bad Bunny’s album was released on an off-cycle Sunday (Jan. 5), and, thus, it arrived on the chart a week ago with only five days of activity (as the chart’s tracking week runs Friday through Thursday).

In the tracking week ending January 16, Debí Tirar Más Fotos earned 203,500 equivalent album units (up 67%) in the U.S., according to Luminate — largely driven by streaming activity.

The set was only available as a standard 17-song streaming album, and as a digital download for purchase (widely through all digital retailers, as well as Bad Bunny’s official webstore). Traditional album sales drove just under 8,000 of the album’s activity for the week.

Bad Bunny previously led the Billboard 200 with Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana (in 2023), Un Verano Sin Ti (2022) and El Último Tour del Mundo (2020)

Of Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ 203,500 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Jan. 16, SEA units comprise 195,000 (up 72%, equaling 264.03 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it holds at No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums chart for a second week), traditional album sales comprise 7,500 (down 3%, falling 6-8 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 1,000 (up 123%).

The 264.03 million streams of the album’s songs mark the largest streaming week for any album since Kendrick Lamar’s GNX arrived with 379.72 million (Dec. 7, 2024 chart), and the largest for any Latin music album since Bad Bunny’s own Un Verano Sin Ti debuted with 356.55 million (May 21, 2022 chart).

Like in its opening chart week, Debí Tirar Más Fotos was sale priced for $4.99 in the iTunes Store, as well as in Bunny’s webstore.

As Debí Tirar Más Fotos is mostly in the Spanish language, it is the 28th mostly non-English-language album to hit No. 1, and the first of 2025. Four mostly non-English titles topped the list in 2024, and all were Korean-language efforts. Of the 28 mostly non-English-language albums to reach No. 1, 18 are mostly Korean, six mostly (or all) Spanish, one mostly Italian, one entirely French and two mostly a blend of Spanish, Italian and French.

Bad Bunny’s “DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS” Becomes His Ninth Consecutive No. 1 Album on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart

Posted on January 13, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has another Latin chart-topping album on his hands…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar has logged his ninth straight No. 1 project on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart as DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS debuts atop the January 18-dated list.

The 17-track set also opens at No. 2 on the overall Billboard 200, No. 1 on the Top Streaming Albums, and No. 1 on the Latin Rhythm Albums charts.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS launches at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums with 122,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. during the January 3-9 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The set was released on January 5 via Rimas Entertainment, two days after the beginning of the tracking week which runs weekly Friday through Thursday. Thus, it arrives with five days of activity instead of the usual seven days.

DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS was available via streamers and through download services to purchase.

The download version available on Benito’s webstore and the iTunes Store for $4.99. A physical version of the album has not been released. Of the album’s starting total, 8,000 units come from album sales, enough for a No. 6 start on the overall Top Album Sales chart.

The set is the only Latin album to appear on the chart’s top 10 since Ivan Cornejo’s Mirada debuted at No. 9 with 9,000 copies sold in August 2024.

Streaming activity contributes 113,500 units which represents 152.6 million official on-demand streams of the 17 songs on the album. The sum yields the largest streaming week for a Latin album in over a year, since Bad Bunny’s own Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana launched at No. 1 on Top Streaming Albums with 239.56 million on-demand official streams for its songs (Oct.ober 28, 2023-dated chart). Track-equivalent album units comprise the remaining 500 units of DeBÍ’s first week sum.

With DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, Bad Bunny lands his ninth straight No. 1 on Top Latin Albums, the entirety of his charting releases. The streak began with 2019’s X100PRE which led for 46 weeks. That same year, Benito scored his second champ through the J Balvin-jointed set Oasis (eight weeks atop). YHLQMDLG, however, became his most profitable project to date, with 70 weeks at No. 1, the longest-leading album overall since Top Latin Albums begun in 1993.

Here’s the recap of all those winning sets:

Peak Date, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
Jan. 5, 2019, X 100PRE, 46
July 13, 2019, Oasis, With J Balvin, eight
March 14, 2020, YHLQMDLG, 70
May 23, 2020, Las Que No Iban A Salir, one
Dec. 12, 2020, El Último Tour Del Mundo, 27
Jan. 15, 2022, Anniversary Trilogy, one
May 21, 2022, Un Verano Sin Ti, 60
Oct. 28, 2023, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va A Pasar Mañana, 10
Jan. 18, 2025, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS

Grupo Frontera to Perform at This Year’s RodeoHouston

Posted on January 10, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Grupo Frontera is heading to Texas’ biggest rodeo…

The Regional Mexican band will perform at this year’s RodeoHouston as it takes over NRG Stadium in the Lone Star State’s biggest city on March 4-23, 2025.

Grupo Frontera will perform on Sunday, March 16 as part of Go Tejano Day.

This year’s lineup is packed with both country and Latino performers, with Carín León joining Grupo Frontera on the lineup alongside country music luminaries including Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn, as well as hot-shot newcomers like Zach Top and Warren Zeiders.

Also on the bill is the genre-fluid hitmaker Post Malone, who made an indelible foray into country music in 2024 with his Billboard 200 chart-topping collaborative country album F-1 Trillion, which included the six-week Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen and “Pour Me a Drink” with Blake Shelton.

Beyond music, the longstanding festival will feature an array of activities for RodeoHouston attendees, including light shows, drone shows, a carnival, animal rides, a petting zoo, an array of food and beverage vendors and much more.

Tickets for RodeoHouston will go on sale starting January 16 at rodeohouston.com, in two waves through AXS. Wave 1 tickets for March 4 – March 13 performances go on sale at 10 a.m. (with the waiting room opening at 9:30 a.m.), and Wave 2 tickets for March 14 – 23 performances go on sale at 2 p.m. (with the waiting room opening at 1:30 p.m.).

Here’s the RodeoHouston concert lineup:

March 4: Reba McEntire – Opening Day
March 5: Riley Green – Armed Forces Appreciation Day
March 6: AJR
March 7: Bun B Birthday Bonanza – Black Heritage Day
March 8: Bailey Zimmerman
March 9: Carín León
March 10: Brad Paisley – First Responders Day
March 11: Zach Top
March 12: Lauren Daigle – Community Day
March 13: Jon Pardi – Volunteer Appreciation Day
March 14: Journey
March 15: Warren Zeiders
March 16: Groupo Frontera – Go Tejano Day
March 17: Charley Crockett
March 18: Post Malone
March 19: Old Dominion
March 20: Cody Jinks
March 21: Parker McCollum
March 22: Brooks & Dunn
March 23: Luke Bryan

Fuerza Regida to Perform at This Year’s Billboard Music Awards

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Fuerza Regida is preparing for a high-profile performance…

The Regional Mexican band will perform at the 2024 Billboard Music Awards, which will air on Thursday, December 12, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on FOX.

He will join Shaboozey, SEVENTEEN, Teddy Swims, Tyla, Coldplay, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Stray Kids as performers for this year’s awards show.

Fuerza Regida’s seventh studio album Pa Las Baby’s y Belikeada entered the Billboard 200 at No. 14 in November 2023 and has been a fixture on the chart for 58 weeks.

Its follow-up, Pero No Te Enamores, debuted and peaked at No. 25 in August.

The group has amassed 11 Hot 100 hits, including three that have made the top 30 – “Bebe Dame,” a collab with Grupo Frontera, “Sabor Fresa” and “Tu Boda,” a collab with Óscar Maydon.

Hosted by actress and comedian Michelle Buteau, the 2024 BBMAs will be broadcast live on Thursday, December 12, at 8:00 pm ET/PT on FOX and Fire TV Channels, and on-demand on Paramount+, with performances also rolling out across Billboard.com and via @BBMAs and @Billboard social channels.

The BBMAs will celebrate music’s greatest achievements with exclusive original performances, artist interviews, and award celebrations taking place from global locations and in the midst of sold-out tours.

Demi Lovato to Perform at 2024 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Gala

Posted on September 30, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is helping supports ick Los Angeles children…

The 32-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress will perform at the 2024 Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) Gala on Saturday, October 5, at The Event Deck at LA LIVE in downtown Los Angeles.

The biannual Gala raises funds to support the hospital’s mission.

“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles holds a very special place in my heart,” Lovato said in a statement. “Over the years, it’s been my personal honor to meet so many families in their care and witness first-hand the compassion and brilliance of their staff. Creating hope and building healthier futures is at the heart of their mission, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to celebrate and support that at this memorable event.”

Lovato has notched eight top 10 albums on the Billboard 200, including Here We Go Again, which debuted at No. 1 in 2009. She has also had four top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, topped by “Sorry Not Sorry,” which reached No. 6 in 2017.

Her awards include an MTV Video Music Award for “Skyscraper” and two Grammy nods.

Chuck Lorre, Bernadette and Sugar Ray Leonard, and AEG will each receive the Courage to Care Award for their humanitarian efforts at CHLA and beyond.

Lorre is one of the most successful producers in TV history, with such smash hits as Two and Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Mom. He was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2012.

Actor Jon Cryer, one of the stars of Two and a Half Men, and his wife, actress and producer Lisa Joyner, will co-host the event. Kaley Cuoco, one of the stars of The Big Bang Theory, will serve as a presenter, along with actor Jamie Lee Curtis (a past winner of the Courage to Care award), actor Colin Hanks and radio broadcaster

This year’s honorary co-chairs are Jimmy Kimmel and wife Molly McNearny, and Kristin and Jeffrey Worthe. Kimmel and McNearny both won Primetime Emmys earlier in September for their work on the 2024 Oscars, which was voted outstanding variety special (live). Kimmel won as host; McNearny as an executive producer.

Bad Bunny to Star in Darren Aronofsky’s Crime Thriller “Caught Stealing”

Posted on August 27, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has caught his next act…

The 30-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning rapper, singer, and record producer will star in Darren Aronofsky’s crime thriller Caught Stealing.

Hailing from Sony Pictures, the film also stars Austin Butler, Zoë Kravitz, Regina King, Matt Smith, Liev Schreiber and Will Brill.

Aronofsky will direct the film, which is based on the book by Charlie Huston. The script will be written by Huston, with Protozoa producing.

The film follows Hank Thompson (Butler), a burned-out former baseball player, as he’s unwittingly plunged into a wild fight for survival in the downtown criminal underworld of ‘90s New York City.

It’s unknown who Bad Bunny will play.

Bad Bunny recently wrapped his 46-date Most Wanted Tour, which grossed about $208M and sold more than 700,000 tickets, breaking records in 16 venues.

His latest album, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and became the year’s most-streamed album on Spotify in both a single day and week.

He hosted and was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October and co-hosted the annual Met Gala in May.

Caught Stealing marks a reunion for the studio and Bad Bunny as Sony was the one to give his big acting break by casting him opposite Brad Pitt in Bullet Train.

He made his on-screen debut in 2021 on the hit Netflix series Narcos: Mexico and most recently was seen in the Amazon film Cassandro, opposite Gael Garcia Bernal, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

He also will executive produce the upcoming Netflix adaptation of They Both Die at the End, a book by Puerto Rican author Adam Silvera.

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