Becky G Teams Up with Dime Optics to Launch Her First-Ever Eyewear Collection

Posted on August 27, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

The future’s so bright Becky G’s gotta wear shades…

The 23-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper, who recently collaborated with Chiquis Rivera for a cumbia-fied cover of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene,” has partnered with Dime Optics to launch her first-ever eyewear collection. Here you will get the Best optical shop in Singapore, do visit.

“For me, it’s really important to be that open book that I’ve always been since the beginning of my career and the truth is, many things inspire me beyond just music,” Becky G tells Billboard. “To be able to transition into something new is exciting for me but also comes very naturally.”

Inspired by her Mexican-American roots and Latinx vibes, Becky G’s fashionable line includes eight different styles because “it’s versatile like me!

For the “Mayores” singer, affordability and quality were key in teaming up with the glasses brand.

“That’s important because one of my responsibilities as an artist is to know that my audience, at the end of the day, is mostly hard-working individuals who are still going to school and I want them to know that they will be investing in something that’s worth it.”

Becky G’s collection, with all pairs selling for only $30, ships worldwide. And, two of the pairs have already sold out: the 33 Clear Crystal + Blue Light, and the 333 Black Grey styles.

“When we started this collab, I wanted to make something that was amazing AND affordable,” tweeted Becky G. “So excited guys are liking them already.”

Click here to shop Becky G’s Dime collection.

Chiquis Releases Animated Video for Her Cumbia-fied Cover of “Jolene” with Becky G

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Chiquis is getting animated…

The 35-year-old Mexican American singer and television personality has released the animated music video for “Jolene,” her cover of Dolly Parton’s 1974 hit single, featuring Becky G.

Chiquis, the daughter of late banda singer Jenni Rivera, and Becky G revamped Parton’s iconic song, giving it a saucy Western-cumbia twist.

“Her and I have been wanting to work together for so long, but we didn’t know what genre,” Chiquis tells Billboard of working with Becky G. “She thought she was going to come to Regional because she sings really pretty with mariachi. I sent her two songs, one a little bit more urban, which I thought she was going to choose, and also ‘Jolene,’ which she absolutely wanted to do because she’s a huge fan.”

“Jolene” is the lead single from Chiquis’ 10-set album Playlist. In the lyrics, the two powerhouses confront each other about liking the same man.

“You think of country music and you think Dolly. We both loved the song and it happened so organically,” she adds. “I was happy because we can bring something new to the song, which is great as it is, but together we brought the Latino flavor with cumbia.”

The track was recorded at the studio right before the coronavirus outbreak. The music video, however, was recorded at home during the quarantine. In the animated clip, Chiquis and Becky G star in an action-packed Old Western film.

“It was all done with a green screen. I was at my house and Becky was at hers,” Chiquis says of the process. “There was a photographer that made us do all these crazy moves as if we were holding a gun, bending over and running away. It was very cool and something very, very different for me to see it all come together. It’s crazy cause we look real but we’re drawn at the same time.”

“A lot of people were waiting for Becky and me to do something together because we have a really nice friendship,” she notes. “Even though we were not together in the video, people won’t even tell because of our crazy connection. I think people are going to love it; it’s something different, it’s something fun.”

Chiquis Rivera & Becky G Release Cumbia-fied Version of Dolly Parton’s Classic Song “Jolene”

Posted on May 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Chiquis Rivera is giving a Dolly Parton classic a Mexican cumbia twist…

The 34-year-old Mexican American singer has joined voices with Becky G torelease a new version of Dolly Parton’s 1974 hit “Jolene.”

On the track, Chiquis and the 23-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper belt the classic lyrics en español over a cumbia beat.

Chiquis & Becky G, longtime friends, have been waiting for the opportunity to collaborate on a song.

Chiquis, the daughter of the late Jenni Rivera, decided to reach out to Parton’s team and was pleasantly surprised when they gave their seal of approval.

“Dolly is an icon in music and for women. An example to follow and it is an honor to sing this song in Spanish,” the Chiquis told Telemundo.

Becky G was thrilled to fuse both her Mexican and American roots on the classic song.

“I was fascinated by the idea because it brings together our two worlds. When they ask me where I am from, I always say that I am Mexican. I never say that my grandparents are Mexican and I am American,” the “Sin Pijama”singer said. “However, country music was always heard in my house, with the Mexican, and our ‘Jolene’ is that. It has the essence of Dolly with a little bit of our itch.”

Jolene is the third single from Chiquis’ latest album PLAYLIST. For the women, it was the perfect time for them to come together for one of the biggest songs in history. “We were waiting for the right one, and although I never thought it would come from country, it worked perfectly.”

Chiquis and Becky G will release the music video for the track in the near future. The ladies teased the release on their respective social media accounts with clips. In the clips, the women hold guns as they ride through the dessert.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CAvptSznDAJ

Maldonado & Pentatonix Receive Webby Award Nomination for Dolly Parton Collaboration “Jolene”

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is having a webtastic year…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix group mates have earned a Webby Award nomination from the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences for their collaboration with Dolly Parton on a cover of the country singer’s classic “Jolene.”

Pentatonix and Parton, who won a Grammy for their effort, are nominated in the Viral: Film & Video category for “Jolene,” which has logged nearly 24 million views on YouTube.

Residente has picked up two Webby Award nominations. The 39-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and former Calle 13 member nominated in the Websites: Celebrity/Fan category and the Websites: Music category.

Selena Gomez’s Revival Tour has earned a nod in the Social: Celebrity/Fan category, while Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company earned a nomination in the Social: Corporate Communications category.

The Webby Awards are a celebration of the year’s best websites, interactive advertising, and online film and video.

Winners of the 21st annual Webbys, which will be announced on April 25, will be decided by a panel of IADAS members.

The public can also vote online for one award, the People’s Voice award, from Tuesday, April 4, through Thursday, April 20.

The Webby Awards will be celebrated at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, May 15. The show will be available to watch online May 16.

Here’s a look at the Latino nominees:

Websites: Celebrity/Fan
– Residente
– Vanity Fair’s Vanities
– PharrellWilliams.com
– Leon Bridges Website
– Stranger Things Type Generator

Websites: Music
– Residente
– Pandora
– Vevo
– Eye of the Stormers
– 20FT Radio

Social: Celebrity/Fan
– Revival Tour by Selena Gomez
– Celebrating Asian TV
– The Ellen DegGeneres
– Brooklyn & Bailey
– Martha Stewart Facebook Live

Social: Corporate Communications
– NASA Social Media
– Casper
– Dollar Shave Club
– MailChimp: Corporate Communications
– The Honest Company

Viral: Film & Video
– @midnight: Relax with Bubble Wrap (Facebook Live)
– Marty McFly & Doc Brown Visit Jimmy Kimmel Live
– The Viral Experiment
– #MoreThanMean – Women in Sports ‘Face’ Online Harassment
– Pentatonix & Dolly Parton – “Jolene”

For the full list of nominees, click here.

Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Groupmates to Salute the Bee Gees at Grammy Tribute

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Kirsitie Maldonado will be experiencing disco fever…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican and part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members will be helping commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack next month.

Maldonado’s a capella group will perform at Stayin’ Alive: A Grammy Salute to the Music of the Bee Gees, which will premiere April 16 on CBS.

The event, led by the Recording Academy, AEG Ehrlich Ventures and CBS, will focus on improving music life and culture through the Bee Gees‘ legacy, celebrating the members of the five-time Grammy-winning group and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Barry Gibb, the Bee Gees’ co-founder and last surviving member, will make an appearance and perform classic hits from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

In addition to Pentatonix, special tributes from musicians will include performances by Stevie Wonder, Keith Urban, John Legend, Nick Jonas, Tori Kelly, Celine Dion, Little Big Town, Thomas Rhett, Jason Derulo, Kelsea Ballerini, Andra Day, Ed Sheeran, DNCE and many more.

Other guest appearances to add to the lineup are John Travolta, Cynthia Erivo and Wilmer Valderrama.

Pentatonix, who earned a Grammy for their collaboration with country legend Dolly Parton on “Jolene,” recently released their cover of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” part of the group’s upcoming album.

Maldonado and the gang previously covered Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” performed a Star Wars-themed medley at the American Music Awards, and performed the Oak Ridge Boys’ “Elvira” at the CMA Awards.

Maldonado & Pentatonix Release Music Video for Their Take on John Lennon’s “Imagine”

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstie Maldonado is imaging a unified world…

The 24-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members have released a simple-yet-impactful music video with a message for their cover of John Lennon’s classic “Imagine.”

In the video, the a cappella group, Maldonado and her group mates each holds up a sign with a word that describes them personally, and then flips it over to reveal another word that can be applied to them more generally.

The phrases include “LGBTQ+,” “Man,” “Jewish,” “American,” “Black,” “Christian,” “Latina” and “Woman.”

Pentatonix’s cover of the song will be included on their upcoming album PTX Vol. IV – Classics, which will be available on April 7 and also includes their Grammy-winning collaboration with Dolly Parton on the country singer’s classic hit “Jolene.”

At the end of the video, each of the five members grabs a board and writes a letter on it. Then they flip them over in unison to spell out a single word: “H-U-M-A-N.”

Jesse & Joy Claim Their First-Ever Grammy Award

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special first for Jesse & Joy…

The Mexican duo, comprised of Jesse Huerta and his sister Joy Huerta, picked up their first ever gramophone at Sunday’s Grammy Awards show.

Jesse & Joy, six-time Latin Grammy winners, including four in 2012, took home the award for Best Latin Pop Album for their critically acclaimed album Un Besito Mas, which won Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Album at last year’s Latin Grammys.

The siblings beat out strong studio efforts from Gaby Moreno, Laura Pausini, Sanalejo and Diego Torres for their first Grammy.

Kirstie Maldonado is now a three-time Grammy winner.

The 24-year-old half-Mexican, part Spanish-American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members won a gramophone Sunday night in anew category.

Pentatonix and Dolly Parton took home the Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for their remix of Parton’s iconic hit “Jolene.”

The five-member a cappella group had previously won back-to-back Grammys in the Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella category in 2015 and 2016.

Chucho Valdés has earned the sixth gramophone of his career, and his first since 2009.

The 75-year-old Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, whose career spans over 50 years, picked up the Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album for his latest work, Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac.

Vicente Fernández has won his third career Grammy…

The 76-year-old Mexican singer, nicknamed “El Rey de la Música Ranchera,” won the Best Regional Mexican Music Album (including Tejano) Grammy for his album Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo).

The first time’s the charm for Ile…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican singer, composer, and vocalist, who was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best New Artist, took home her first Grammy for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album for her first solo album iLevitable, which was released in June 2016.

For 10 years, Ile, whose real name is Ileana Mercedes Cabra Joglar, was the sole female singer of Calle 13, performing along with her brothers René Pérez Joglar (“Residente“) and Eduardo Cabra Joglar (“Visitante“).

The late Jose Lugo and his band Guasábara Combo won the Grammy for Best Tropical Latin Album for Donde Están?

Lugo died last June at the age of 56 after a long battle with cancer.

Giancarlo Guerrero proved to be the big winner of the night, picking up three Grammys.

The 47-year-old Costa Rican conductor, the music director of the Nashville Symphony, took home the awards for Best Classical Instrumental Solo, Best Classical Compendium and Best Contemporary Classical Composition for his work on the Nashville Symphony’s Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway project.

Here’s a look at the winners at the 59th annual Grammy Awards:

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year: 25 — Adele

Record Of The Year: “Hello” — Adele

Song Of The Year: “Hello” — Adele Adkins & Greg Kurstin, songwriters (Adele)

Best New Artist: Chance The Rapper

POP FIELD

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: “Stressed Out” — Twenty One Pilots

Best Pop Vocal Album: 25 — Adele

Best Pop Solo Performance: “Hello” — Adele

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Summertime: Willie Nelson Sings Gershwin — Willie Nelson

DANCE/ELECTRONIC MUSIC FIELD

Best Dance Recording: “Don’t Let Me Down” — The Chainsmokers featuring Daya

Best Dance/Electronic Album: Skin — Flume

CONTEMPORARY INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC FIELD

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album: Culcha Vulcha — Snarky Puppy

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Song: “Blackstar” — David Bowie, songwriter (David Bowie)

Best Rock Performance: “Blackstar” — David Bowie

Best Metal Performance: “Dystopia” — Megadeth

Best Rock Album: Tell Me I’m Pretty — Cage The Elephant

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album: Blackstar — David Bowie

R&B FIELD

Best Urban Contemporary Album: Lemonade — Beyoncé

Best R&B Performance: “Cranes in the Sky” — Solange

Best Traditional R&B Performance: “Angel” — Lalah Hathaway

Best R&B Song: “Lake By the Ocean” — Hod David & Musze, songwriters (Maxwell)

Best R&B Album: Lalah Hathaway Live — Lalah Hathaway

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Album: Coloring Book — Chance The Rapper

Best Rap Performance: “No Problem” — Chance the Rapper Featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz

Best Rap/Sung Performance: “Hotline Bling” — Drake

Best Rap Song: “Hotline Bling” — Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies, songwriters (Drake)

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Solo Performance: “My Church” — Maren Morris

Best Country Duo/Group Performance: “Jolene” — Pentatonix Featuring Dolly Parton

Best Country Song: “Humble and Kind” — Lori McKenna, songwriter (Tim McGraw)

Best Country Album: A Sailor’s Guide to Earth — Sturgill Simpson

NEW AGE FIELD

Best New Age Album: White Sun II — White Sun

JAZZ FIELD

Best Improvised Jazz Solo: “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” — John Scofield, soloist

Best Jazz Vocal Album: Take Me To The Alley — Gregory Porter

Best Jazz Instrumental Album: Country for Old Men — John Scofield

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album: Presidential Suite: Eight Variations on Freedom — Ted Nash Big Band

Best Latin Jazz Album: Tribute To Irakere: Live In Marciac — Chucho Valdés

GOSPEL/CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN MUSIC FIELD

Best Gospel Performance/Song: “God Provides” — Tamela Mann; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: “Thy Will” — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family; Bernie Herms, Hillary Scott & Emily Weisband, songwriters Track from: Love Remains

Best Gospel Album: Losing My Religion — Kirk Franklin

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Love Remains — Hillary Scott & The Scott Family

Best Roots Gospel Album: Hymns — Joey+Rory

LATIN FIELD

Best Latin Pop Album: Un Besito Mas — Jesse & Joy

Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: iLevitable — ile

Best Regional Mexican Music Album (Including Tejano): Un Azteca En El Azteca, Vol. 1 (En Vivo) — Vicente Fernández

Best Tropical Latin Album: Donde Están? — Jose Lugo & Guasábara Combo

AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FIELD

Best American Roots Performance: “House of Mercy” — Sarah Jarosz

Best American Roots Song: “Kid Sister” — Vince Gill, songwriter (The Time Jumpers)

Best Americana Album: This Is Where I Live — William Bell

Best Bluegrass Album: Coming Home — O’Connor Band With Mark O’Connor

Best Traditional Blues Album: Porcupine Meat — Bobby Rush

Best Contemporary Blues Album: The Last Days of Oakland — Fantastic Negrito

Best Folk Album: Undercurrent — Sarah Jarosz

Best Regional Roots Music Album: E Walea — Kalani Pe’a

REGGAE FIELD

Best Reggae Album: Ziggy Marley — Ziggy Marley

WORLD MUSIC FIELD

Best World Music Album: Sing Me Home — Yo-Yo Ma & The Silk Road Ensemble

CHILDREN’S FIELD

Best Children’s Album: Infinity Plus One — Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

SPOKEN WORD FIELD

Best Spoken Word Album (Includes Poetry, Audio Books & Storytelling): In Such Good Company: Eleven Years Of Laughter, Mayhem, And Fun In The Sandbox — Carol Burnett

COMEDY FIELD

Best Comedy Album: Talking for Clapping — Patton Oswalt

MUSICAL THEATER

Best Musical Theater Album: The Color Purple — Cynthia Erivo & Jennifer Hudson, principal soloists; Stephen Bray, Van Dean, Frank Filipetti, Roy Furman, Scott Sanders & Jhett Tolentino, producers (Stephen Bray, Brenda Russell & Allee Willis, composers/lyricists) (New Broadway Cast)

MUSIC FOR VISUAL MEDIA FIELD

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media: Miles Ahead — Miles Davis & Various Artists

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media: Star Wars: The Force Awakens — John Williams, composer

Best Song Written For Visual Media: “Can’t Stop The Feeling!” — Max Martin, Shellback & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Gwen Stefani, James Corden, Zooey Deschanel, Walt Dohrn, Ron Funches, Caroline Hjelt, Aino Jawo, Christopher Mintz-Plasse & Kunal Nayyar), Track from: Trolls

COMPOSING/ARRANGING FIELD

Best Instrumental Composition: “Spoken At Midnight” — Ted Nash, composer (Ted Nash Big Band)

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella: “You and I” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals: “Flintstones” — Jacob Collier, arranger (Jacob Collier)

PACKAGE FIELD

Best Recording Package: Blackstar — Jonathan Barnbrook, art director (David Bowie)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package: Edith Piaf 1915-2015 — Gérard Lo Monaco, art director (Edith Piaf)

NOTES FIELD

Best Album Notes: Sissle And Blake Sing Shuffle Along — Ken Bloom & Richard Carlin, album notes writers (Eubie Blake & Noble Sissle)

HISTORICAL FIELD

Best Historical Album: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12 (Collector’s Edition) — Steve Berkowitz & Jeff Rosen, compilation producers; Mark Wilder, mastering engineer (Bob Dylan)

PRODUCTION, NON-CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical: Blackstar — David Bowie, Tom Elmhirst, Kevin Killen, Tony Visconti & Joe LaPorta (David Bowie)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical: Greg Kurstin

Best Remixed Recording: “Tearing Me Up (RAC Remix)” — André Allen Anjos, remixer (Bob Moses)

SURROUND SOUND FIELD

Best Surround Sound Album: Dutilleux: Sur La Mêe Accord; Les Citations; Mystère De L’Instant & Timbres, Espace, Mouvement — Alexander Lipay & Dmitriy Lipay, surround mix engineers; Dmitriy Lipay, surround mastering engineer; Dmitriy Lipay, surround producer (Ludovic Morlot & Seattle Symphony)

PRODUCTION, CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Engineered Album, Classical: Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — Mark Donahue & Fred Vogler, engineers (James Conlon, Guanqun Yu, Joshua Guerrero, Patricia Racette, Christopher Maltman, Lucy Schaufer, Lucas Meachem, LA Opera Chorus & Orchestra)

Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost

CLASSICAL FIELD

Best Orchestral Field: Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow – Symphonies Nos. 5, 8 & 9 — Andris Nelsons, conductor (Boston Symphony Orchestra)

Best Opera Recording: Corigliano: The Ghosts Of Versailles — James Conlon, conductor; Joshua Guerrero, Christopher Maltman, Lucas Meachem, Patricia Racette, Lucy Schaufer & Guanqun Yu; Blanton Alspaugh, producer (LA Opera Orchestra; LA Opera Chorus)

Best Choral Performance: Penderecki Conducts Penderecki, Volume 1 — Krzystof Penderecki, conductor; Henryk Wojnarowski, choir director (Nikolay Didenko, Agnieszka Rehlis & Johanna Rusanen; Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra; Warsaw Philharmonic Choir)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance: Steve Reich — Third Coast Percussion

Best Classical Instrumental Solo: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Zuill Bailey; Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor (Nashville Symphony)

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album: Shakespeare Songs — Ian Bostridge; Antonio Pappano, accompanist (Michael Collins, Elizabeth Kenny, Lawrence Power & Adam Walker)

Best Classical Compendium: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle — Giancarlo Guerrero, conductor; Tim Handley, producer

Best Contemporary Classical Composition: Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway — Michael Daugherty, composer (Zuill Bailey, Giancarlo Guerrero & Nashville Symphony)

MUSIC VIDEO/FILM FIELD

Best Music Video: “Formation” — Beyoncé

Best Music Film: The Beatles: Eight Days A Week The Touring Years — (The Beatles)

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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