Fergie to Host Fox’s New Singing Competition “The Four: Battle for Stardom”

Posted on November 28, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a case of Connect Four for Fergie…

The 42-year-old part-Mexican American singer and Black Eyed Peas member will host Fox’s new primetime singing competition show The Four: Battle for Stardom, the six-episode series that will air at 8:00 pm Thursdays beginning January 4.

“This is a unique and modern show format that I believe will set the standard for the next generation of singing competition series on TV,” said Fergie, who has hosted the Los Angeles segments of ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for the past few years. “I am looking forward to being by the contestants’ sides during what could be the most important performances of their lives. Along with these amazing panelists whom I know and love, I hope my experiences as a solo artist and as a member of the Black Eyed Peas can help guide them in their quest to make it in the music industry.”

Created by Armoza Formats and produced by ITV Entertainment in association with Armoza, The Four also features expert panelists Sean “Diddy” Combs, DJ Khaled, singer-songwriter Meghan Trainor and record label exec Charlie Walk.

The format works backwards from typical competition shows: Four finalists, chosen from their auditions, will try to defend their coveted spots on the stage, as they are challenged by new singers determined to replace them. Each week, if any of the four are outperformed as determined by a panel of judges, they’ll go home and their challengers will take their place.

The singer who is the last standing at the end of the competition will see the panel of industry experts become key players on their team. The elite group will then guide the winner’s career to help make him or her a breakout star.

“Fergie is a genuine superstar,” said Rob Wade, President of Alternative Programming and Specials at Fox Broadcasting Company. “She’s fierce, she’s a force in her own right, and she knows exactly what these singers are going through. So who better than her to help guide them as they fight their way to the finish?”

The Four will beat to air ABC’s reboot of former Fox mega hit American Idol, which will launch in March and air on Sundays. Fox’s response to Idol 2.0 also will air while NBC’s rival singing competition The Voice is on hiatus, on one of the nights the original aired on Fox toward the end of its run.

Cardi B Earns No. 1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Charts

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

And the firsts just keep coming for Cardi B…

The 24-year-old half-Dominican American hip hop artist adds two new No. 1s to her growing tally as “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” rises 2-1 on Billboard’s Streaming Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay charts dated September 30.

“Bodak Yellow” spends its first week as the most-streamed song in the U.S. with 40.8 million domestic streams in the tracking week ending September 14, according to Nielsen Music. That comes two weeks after the song reigned atop the On-Demand Streaming Songs chart (dated September 16), which measures streams on on-demand audio services only. (Streaming Songs, on the other hand, includes plays both on-demand and programmed plays on all tracked services.)

The rapper becomes the second woman to lead the Streaming Songs chart in 2017, following Taylor Swift, whose “Look What You Made Me Do” has reigned for two weeks (and falls 1-2 on the latest ranking). She’s also the first female rapper to attain No. 1 on the chart in over three years, since Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” ruled for three weeks beginning on the chart dated September 6, 2014.

Meanwhile, “Bodak” ascends 2-1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, reaching No. 1 in the song’s 10th week on the chart with a 3 percent boost in airplay. In doing so, Cardi B is the first woman to lead the chart in nearly a year, following Rihanna’s “Needed Me” (October 8, 2016) and the first female rapper to reach No. 1 as a non-featured artist since Minaj’s “Truffle Butter” featuring Drake and Lil Wayne (March 21, 2015).

She’s also the first artist in 2017 to reach No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay with their first charting song. The last act to do so was Lil Yachty in a featured capacity (D.R.A.M.’s “Broccoli,” October 29, 2016) and Desiigner as a lead artist (“Panda,” June 4, 2016).

“Bodak” concurrently spends a fourth week atop Rap Airplay, bumps 6-3 on Rhythmic Songs and holds at No. 16 on the all-format Radio Songs for a second week while maintaining No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a second week as well.

Thus far, in addition to its Streaming Songs, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Rap Airplay triumphs, “Bodak” has also ruled Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (three weeks), Hot Rap Songs (five), Rap Digital Song Sales (five), Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop (five), R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs (six) and Rap Streaming Songs (six).

Cardi B’s “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart

Posted on September 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s another feat for Cardi B…

The 24-year-old half-Dominican American hip hop artist continues her breakthrough year as her hit single “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” climbs 2-1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (dated September 16). The move gives Cardi B her first leader on the list.

The song’s ascent corresponds with gains in streaming, as it rises 1 percent to 42.3 million U.S. streams for the week ending August 31, according to Nielsen Music and holds at No. 1 on R&B/Hip-Hop Streaming Songs.

The tune also grows at radio, lifting 11 percent to 55 million in audience for the week ending Sept. 3, which prompts a 20-17 move on the all-format Radio Songs chart. It declines, however, 4 percent in downloads in the week ending Aug. 31, but remains at No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales.

“Bodak” also marks the first song by a woman billed in a leading role to lead Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs in all of 2017. Only one other woman, Rihanna, has appeared on a chart-topping tune this year, in a featured role on DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts,” which led for the seven weeks immediately preceding “Bodak.” Rihanna also boasts the last No. 1 by a leading woman before Cardi B, when her “Needed Me” topped the September 24 and October 1-dated charts last year.

Furthermore, as “Bodak” is Cardi B’s first charting hit, the rapper is the first lead act to reach the summit with her debut entry since D.R.A.M., whose “Broccoli,” featuring Lil Yachty, reigned for one week last October.

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee Top Spotify’s Global Top 30 Songs of the Summer 2017 List

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee are officially the stars of the summer…

Spotify has revealed its global most-streamed songs of the summer, and 39-year-old Puerto Rican singer and 40-year-old Puerto Rican rapper’s juggernaut “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, reigns supreme.

The smash hit — which this week capped its record-breaking 16th week atop the Billboard Hot 100 — garnered more than 786 million streams on Spotify this summer, specifically between June 21 and August 27.

In global streams, “Despacito” is followed by DJ Khaled‘s “Wild Thoughts” with Rihanna and Bryson Tiller at No. 2, and French Montana‘s “Unforgettable” at No. 3.

In the U.S., “Despacito” is instead followed by Lil Uzi Vert‘s “XO TOUR Llif3” at No. 2, with “Wild Thoughts” taking No. 3. Later down the line on both lists are Calvin Harris, Kendrick Lamar, Charlie Puth, Demi Lovato and others.

Spotify’s head of Latin culture Rocio Guerrero is calling 2017 “the summer of Latin music,” with five Spanish-language songs featured in the global top 30 ranking.

The list includes Willy William and J Balvin‘s “Mi Gente,” Maluma‘s “Felices los 4,” Danny Ocean‘s “Me Rehúso,” and both the original “Despacito” and remix featuring Bieber.

Notably, only seven female artists make the global top 30 list, and only three — Demi Lovato with “Sorry Not Sorry,” Rita Ora with “Your Song” and Maggie Lindemann with “Pretty Girls” — are the main artists, rather than featured guests, on their included tracks.

Gomez to Host This Year’s WE Day

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s all about WE for Selena Gomez…

The 24-year-old Mexican American singer is set to host this year’s WE Day, a one-day event aiming to celebrate America’s youth by bringing together 16,000 young people and encouraging them to take action on social issues.

“The electricity of an arena full of thousands of young people who are making real change in the world is like nothing I’ve ever experienced,” Gomez, who has attended the event in the past, said in a statement. “I am grateful to be a part of such a supportive community and hope I can inspire the kids at WE Day just as they continue to inspire me.”

The star-studded lineup also includes a musical performance by Alicia Keys and appearances by Demi Lovato, Tyrese Gibson, Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Alessia Cara, DJ Khaled, Emeli Sandé, Shay Mitchell and more. Even Miss Piggy and the other Muppets will grace the stage.

WE Day is connected to a yearlong educational program, WE Schools, which provides schools and community groups with curriculum, educational resources and action campaigns.

The event will take place on April 27, at The Forum in Inglewood, California.

The Martinez Brothers to Take the Stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Posted on January 4, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

The Martinez Brothers are headed to the California desert…

The Latino-American duo of disc jockeys, music producers, and remixers from The Bronx have been added to the lineup for the 2017 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The full roster was announced Tuesday (Jan. 3) on the festival’s official website, and features Radiohead, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar as the headliners for both weekends of the fest. Also featured in the lineup are the xx, Travis Scott, Father John Misty, Future, Bon Iver, DJ Snake, Tove Lo, DJ Khaled and New Order.

It’s the latest high-profile gig for The Martinez Brothers, comprised of brothers Steven and Chris Martinez.

They’ll appear at the SXM Festival in March.

Taking place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, over the weekends of April 14-16 and April 21-23,

Passes for Coachella will go on sale at 11:00 am PST on Wednesday, January 4.

Check out the full list of artists below.

Pitbull Lends Voice to Epic Remix of Kent Jones’ Hit Single “Don’t Mind”

Posted on July 16, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Pitbull doesn’t mind a hot collaboration…

The 35-year-old Cuban American rap superstar has joined voices with Lil Wayne for a remix for the ages.

The two superstars jumped on Kent Jones breakout single “Don’t Mind” for an incredible remix, according to Complex.

Pitbull and Lil Wayne add the perfect amount of flavor to this track.

“I’m surrounded by Carribean queens/I’m talkin’ Cubans, Puerto Ricans and Dominican things/I got Jamaicans and them Haitians […] I got them Trini’s and them Beijing’s and they all for me,” Pitbull raps.

Lil Wayne decided to switch it up and actually rap in French and DJ Khaled even joined in on the fun.

Ashanti & Rick Ross Film Music Video for Their “I Got It” Collaboration

Posted on January 18, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Oh boy! Ashanti isn’t afraid to show the world she’s “got it!”

The 33-year-old part-Dominican American R&B singer/actress joined forces with Rick Ross to film the music video for their collaboration, “I Got It.”

Ashanti, who starred on the final season of Lifetime’s Army Wives series, was spotted cozying up to the rapper at The Bank Lounge in Miami this past week.

In a photo posted on Ross’ Twitter page, Ashanti dons a black leather corset dress and knee-high boots. Ross, meanwhile, sports his signature black sunglasses while standing beside her.

“Ashanti lookin like $$.. Video coming soon,” he captioned the pic.

Also spotted on the set were DJ Khaled and the song’s producer L.T. Hutton. It’s not clear whether or not they’ll appear in the upcoming video.

“I Got It” is lifted from Ashanti’s long-delayed new album BraveHeart. Originally scheduled to be released last year, the singer’s fifth studio set is now slated to arrive on February 18 via her own record label Written Entertainment.

Miguel Receives Three 2012 BET Awards Nominations

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

The nominations for the 2012 BET Awards have been unveiled… And, rising star Miguel leads the Latino pack of nominees with three nods.

The 25-year-old half-Mexican R&B singer/songwriter has received a nomination in the Best Male R&B Artist category. He’ll face off against fellow Latino singer Bruno Mars, as well as Chris Brown, Trey Songz and Usher.

In addition, Miguel has been nominated in the Best Collaboration category with Wale for their song “Lotus Flower Bomb.” Other nominees include Beyonce f/ J. Cole – “Party,” Big Sean f/ Kanye West & Roscoe Dash – “Marvin & Chardonnay,” DJ Khaled f/ Drake, Rick Ross & Lil Wayne – “I’m On One,” Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto,” The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis.”

Miguel’s final nod comes in the Coca-Cola Viewer’s Choice Award category for his same collaboration with Wale on “Lotus Flower Bomb.” The pair will face off against Beyonce – “Love On Top,” Chris Brown – “Turn Up the Music,” Drake f/ Lil Wayne & Tyga – “The Motto,” Mindless Behavior – and “Hello,” The Throne (Jay-Z & Kanye West) f/ Otis Redding – “Otis.”

But Miguel and Bruno Mars aren’t the only Latino artists getting nominations… Zoe Saldana received a nod in the Best Actress category, while New York Giants’ star Victor Cruz was nominated in the Subway Sportsman of the Year category.

The 2012 BET Awards, which will be hosted by Samuel L. Jackson, will be held on July 1 at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium. Last year’s awards show drew 7.7 million viewers on BET.

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