Residente is going the distance with Ricky Martin…
The 45-year-old Puerto Rican rapper, singer, songwriter and filmmaker. whose real name is René Pérez Joglar, and the 51-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actor have joined voices to release the new track “Quiero ser baladista.”
More than a song, Residente’s nine-minute, seven-second long single is being called a stream of consciousness on tiradera (diss tracks), music, lyrics, performance art and entertainment value, where the music video –a bona fide short film—is as important as the music.
The black and white flick kicks off with Residente being shot dead in an elevator, as what sounds like a tinkly “elevator music” version of Ricky Martin’s hit “Vuelve” plays in the background. From there, Residente revives, brings down his assailants, and, over sparse chords, delivers one of his signature raps centering on his lyrical prowess and the fact that he’s the best (“I’m the wolf who upsets the henhouse”).
Then, things take a turn. Residente reveals that his tied up captive is actually Sony Music Latin Iberia chairman Afo Verde, auditions as a balladeer, in Ricky Martin’s voice, then shoots Verde.
In turn, Martin shoots Residente and channels the rapper, in a recall of Justin Bieber playing Drake in “Pop Star.”
Ozuna is hoping to build up his music empire with a little extra braun…
The 31-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and rapper has signed with Scooter Braun‘s SB Projects.
The management deal is a partnership with Edgar Andino, founder and CEO of Andino Marketing Group.
Ozuna joins a SB Projects roster that includes Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande and Demi Lovato, among others.
The company also previously managed Colombian powerhouse J Balvin, who parted ways with SB in June 2022 and is now signed to Roc Nation.
“I’m confident that Scooter and his team’s global music expertise will open doors into new markets,” Ozuna said in a statement. “We all share the same strategic vision and direction to keep spreading my music worldwide. I’m truly excited about all the new opportunities the future holds.”
“His music is a true voice of his community, and we look forward to working with him here at Hybe on a global scale,” Braun, CEO of HYBE America, added.
A key figure in Ozuna’s team, Andino has helped the singer-songwriter land global deals that range from NFT collaborations to releasing a song for the Call of Duty video game.
Most recently, he led negotiations for Ozuna’s inclusion in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Official Soundtrack, performing “Arhbo” with rapper GIMS. The uplifting song, which they performed at the World Cup’s closing ceremony, peaked at No. 1 Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart.
“Working with Ozuna over these past years, one thing is for certain, we always go big,” added Andino. “For us, Scooter and SB Projects align with our vision. They are the perfect partners to help in our continued approach and take Ozuna to the next level of his career. We cannot be more thrilled and cannot wait for everyone to see what we have coming next.”
In May, he released Afro, a seven-track EP where he experiments with Afrobeats. It followed his 2022 studio album, Ozutochi, which landed at No. 5 on the Top Latin Albums chart. Ozuna is set to embark on his Afro Tour across Europe this summer, which has 16 confirmed dates, including stops in France, Spain, Italy, Israel and Holland. The monthlong trek kicks off July 7 in France and wraps Aug. 6 in Spain.
“We’ve been following Ozuna’s career for years and we’re excited to be bringing him into the family to work with him and Edgar,” Jennifer McDaniels, president of management at SB Projects, said in a statement.
“Ozuna’s music is unmatched. His ability to work across genres including reggaeton, Latin pop, and more, is phenomenal. With unique songs offering fresh perspective and beautiful sounds, we’re thrilled to amplify his artistry with this partnership.”
The legendary Argentine rockers drew a crowd of 300,000 to their free concert at Mexico City’s Zócalo, on Saturday, June 3, breaking the attendance record set by Grupo Firme last year, according to data supplied by the local government.
Up until last night, Grupo Firme, the boisterous Regional Mexican group, had drawn the biggest crowd ever (280,000) to the historic Mexican site.
But last night Los Cadillacs bested Grupo Firme and other seminal acts, including Rosalía, Sir Paul McCartney, Roger Waters, Shakira, the late ranchera icon Vicente Fernández, and even pop star Justin Bieber.
“¡Winds of liberty, blood of a fighter!” tweeted Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, quoting the lyrics of Los Fabulosos Cadillac’s famous song “Matador.” “We’ve made history again, breaking attendance records with 300,000 people in the Zócalo of Mexico City, enjoying an epic concert from Los Fabulosos Cadillacs,” she added.
The band — headed by singer Gabriel Fernández Capello, better known as Vicentico, bassist Flavio Cianciarulo and saxophonist Sergio Rotman — took over the second largest public square in the world (behind Tiananmen Square in Peking) with their blend of rock, ska, reggae and punk.
From early in the morning on Saturday, people from different parts of the city, and the country, lined up at el Zócalo in an effort to get access to the front rows of the stage. By the time the show started in the evening, the crowd was so large and tight, that some opted to move to the back to breath better.
The now-historic performance, which lasted around 90 minutes, is part of the group’s El León del Ritmo tour, which celebrates 30 years of one of its most celebrated albums, 1992’s El León, and three decades since the release of their fabled single “Matador.”
The fact that Cadillacs have been around for so long, and that they perform rock en español – a genre many say is fading — makes their accomplishment even more impressive. “They called them old, they made fun of them, and they answered with 300,000 people,” tweeted one fan.
“What happiness! How enormous and indescribable to be playing for all you! Thank you, eternal thanks. We receive this with our hearts,” said a visibly moved Vicentico to an adoring audience that sang to every song in their repertoire.
Following their performance at Coachella in April, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs will take their El León del Ritmo Tour to different countries, including Mexico, the Viña del Mar Festival in Chile, Spain and the U.S.
Here’s the full set list from their record-breaking performance:
“Demasiada Presión”
“El Muerto”
“Carmela”
“Estoy Harto De Verte Con Otros”
“El Genio del Dub”
“Calaveras y Diablitos”
“Los Condenaditos”
“El Aguijón”
“Nro. 2 En Tu Lista”
“Saco Azul”
“Siguiendo La Luna”
“V Centenario”
“Carnaval Toda La Vida”
“Mal Bicho”
“Matador”
“Mi Novia Se Cayó en un Pozo Ciego”
“Vasos Vacíos”
“El Satánico Dr. Cadillac”
“Yo No Me Sentaría en Tu Mesa”
Gracias a tod@s l@s asistentes al concierto de Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, junt@s rompimos un nuevo récord en la Ciudad. pic.twitter.com/zB16vqBZ9f
— Dra. Claudia Sheinbaum (@Claudiashein) June 5, 2023
There’s only one place Bad Bunnygoes… the top of the charts.
The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar’s “Where She Goes” has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart dated June 3.
“Where She Goes” launches atop the Billboard Global 200 with 71 million streams and 3,000 sold worldwide May 19-25, following its May 18 release.
The Spanish-language song arrives as his third No. 1 on the chart, after “Un x100to,” with Grupo Frontera, for two weeks earlier in May, and “Dakiti,” with Jhay Cortez (now Jhayco), for three weeks in November-December 2020.
Bad Bunny becomes the first soloist with three Global 200 No. 1s; overall, he’s second only to BTS, with six. Justin Bieber, BLACKPINK, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo and Taylor Swift each boast two.
“Where She Goes” marks Bad Bunny’s first Global 200 entry with no accompanying artists since he released his LP Un Verano Sin Ti, which dominated the U.S.-based Billboard 200 for 13 weeks in May-October 2022.
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” dips to No. 2 on the Global 200 after three weeks at No. 1, having become the chart’s first leader for the regional Mexican genre.
The Billboard Global 200, which started in September 2020, ranks songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
The 38-year-old Colombian urbano singer/songwriter and the 29-year-old Puerto Rican superstar have each notched their 13th video entry in YouTube’s Billion Views Club, according to the video platform.
Balvin and Bad Bunny have now tied the record Ozuna previously held on his own.
All three reggaeton acts have become the artists with the most entries in the Billion Views Club as lead, featured artist or collaborator.
Balvin and Bad Bunny achieved the milestone with their 2017 collaborative effort “Si Tu Novio Te Deja Sola,” a tropical, groovy, trap fusion with cheeky lyrics that put Bad Bunny on the radar. The vibrant music video, filmed in the captivating landscapes of Puerto Rico, was uploaded to YouTube on March 3, 2017.
In 2022, J Balvin reclaimed his crown after his Black Eyed Peas-assisted “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” video entered the club. He broke the tie he had with Justin Bieber, who currently has 11 titles with more than a billion views.
Earlier this year, however, Ozuna nabbed the crown notching two new entries with “Síguelo Bailando” and “Diles.” The latter — a collaboration with Bad Bunny, Farruko, Árcangel and Ñengo Flow, also became Bad Bunny’s 12th entry in the Billion Views Club.
Ozuna’s next video to hit one billion views will likely be “El Farsante” (977 million views as of press time). Balvin’s next contender is “Say My Name” with David Guetta and Bebe Rexha (982 million views). Bad Bunny’s next potential clip to reach the milestone viewership number is his feature on Nacho and Yandel’s “Bailame Remix” (975 million views).
With the new entry into the Billion Views Club, Balvin is now at No. 37 on YouTube’s Global Top Artists chart, whereas Bad Bunny lands at No. 6.
Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado are making Billboard Hot 100 history…
The 23-year-old Mexican singer and the American Regional Mexican group have each logged their first Top 10 on the Hot 100 with “Ella Baila Sola” on the chart dated April 22, 2023.
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” soars 17-10, led by 24.4 million streams, up 30%, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer trophy, and jumps 6-3 on Streaming Songs.
Quartet Eslabon Armado, from California, and Peso Pluma, from Mexico, each reach the Hot 100’s top for the first time – as “Ella Baila Sola” makes history as the first regional Mexican song ever to hit the Hot 100’s top 10.
The genre has surged this decade, due in part to exposure on TikTok and other social media, with Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s “Botella Tras Botella” having become the first regional Mexican Hot 100 hit in May 2021, peaking at No. 60.
After “Ella Baila Sola,” Peso Pluma also has the second-highest-charting regional Mexican Hot 100 hit: “La Bebe,” with Yng Lvcas, rises to a new No. 17 best on the latest, April 22-dated chart.
The next-highest-peaking such hits: Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Unico” (No. 20, April 2022 – it debuted at that rank, the highest entrance for a regional Mexican song) and Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera’s “Bebe Dame” (No. 25, this January).
Among Latin genres, regional Mexican’s arrival in the Hot 100’s top 10 follows that of Latin pop, which, after English-language hits by Gloria Estefan in the 1980s (plus Los Lobos’ “La Bamba,” in Spanish) surged in the late ‘90s and beyond thanks to songs (in varying degrees of English and Spanish) by Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, among other stars.
At the same time, Marc Anthony helped tropical break through on the chart. In more recent years, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s pop-centered, mostly-Spanish-language “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, spent a then-record-tying 16 weeks at No. 1 in 2017, while, this decade, Bad Bunny, with Spanish-language songs, has carried the torch for Latin rhythm in the top 10.
As for Latin music overall, Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma earn the Hot 100’s third Spanish-language top 10 this year, following two Latin pop hits: Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” (No. 9, January) and Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” (No. 7, March).
“Ella Baila Sola” was released on Prajin Parlay/DEL Records, both of which likewise appear in the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time.
The collaboration concurrently achieves a second week at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, where it became the first leader for both Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma.
“We didn’t expect for the song to make so much noise!” Pedro Tovar, lead singer for the former act, and the song’s sole author, told Billboard upon its coronation. “I really liked the song when I first wrote it, but I didn’t really expect it to be such a big hit. I previewed it on my stories on Instagram and, two days after, it went viral on TikTok, and that’s when I knew that the song was going to do big numbers.”
“Normally I don’t expect to chart with songs,” Peso Pluma marveled. “We just enjoyed the process of doing it.”
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.
Hipgnosis Song Management has acquired the song catalog of the 48-year-old Panamanian-American singer and songwriter, who co-wrote the 2017 smash hit “Despacito” alongside Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee.
According to the company, Hipgnosis has acquired a 100% interest in Ender’s publishing copyrights — including the writer’s share of performance — in all songs in her catalogue published, released or utilized through her Sony Music Publishing deal from 2007 through 2019, which includes more than 25 No. 1 songs.
“Despacito,” originally released in January 2017 and later in a bilingual version with Justin Bieber, spearheaded a global Latin movement made possible by streaming. The remix peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 — where it ruled for 16 weeks — and spent 56 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart.
To date, the original version has more than 8 billion views on YouTube. It also won three Latin Grammy awards, including song and record of the year. The Bieber-assisted version received nominations for both song and record of the year at the 2018 Grammys.
Ender has also penned songs for other artists like Los Tigres del Norte, Chayanne, Gloria Trevi and Prince Royce.
In 2017, Ender became the youngest person to be inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The amount paid for Ender’s catalog was not disclosed but it further highlights the interest in Latin or Spanish-language music catalogs.
“Erika Ender has defined Latin music for the last 30 years,” Merck Mercuriadis, chief executive and founder of Hipgnosis Song Management, said in a statement. “Her more than 40 Number 1 singles have made her one of the most successful and influential songwriters of all time. Over the last 5 years Despacito has ruled the airwaves and helped to drive the new LATAM domination going to Number 1 in 47 countries, but Erika is so much more than that one song with a rich catalogue of many incredible songs. I’m delighted to welcome her to the Hipgnosis Family!”
“I am very excited about this partnership with Hipgnosis. I’ve always believed that music is eternal,” added Ender. “I’m confident my songs are in good hands with Merck and his team, and they will do their best to keep my catalogue active, present and alive, as they honor and recognize that the songs are the seeds to the entire music industry, the message that touches and marks people’s lives and where it all begins.”
The music video for Shakira’s latest single is breaking YouTube…
The clip for the 45-year-old Colombian superstar’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” in collaboration with hit Argentine producer Bizarrap, has broken a YouTube record.
The music video for the song was viewed more than 63 million times on YouTube in its 24 hours, making it the most watched Latin song in that time frame in the platform’s history.
The previous record was held by Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” remix with Daddy Yankee and Justin Bieber, which reached 25 million views in that same time frame. Shakira and Bizarrap more than doubled that amount of views on their video’s first day out.
“Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” has taken the world by storm, as Shakira seemingly addresses the end of her 11-year relationship with Gerard Piqué, as well as his new girlfriend Clara ChíaMarti.
Shakira and the former soccer player separated last year. They have two children.
In the song, Shakira sings that “I’m worth two 22-year-olds,” adding: “You swapped a Ferrari for a [Renault] Twingo/You swapped a Rolex for a Casio.”
She also declares that “a she-wolf like me isn’t for rookies” (in reference to her own 2009 single) and “I was out of your league, which is why you’re with someone just like you.”
Mariah Carey is still a global sensation this holiday season…
The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts.
The insta-classic Christmas song adds a 12th total week at No. 1 on the former and a seventh week atop the latter, dating to the charts’ inceptions two years ago.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” holds at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 with 108.1 million streams (up 16%) and 17,000 sold (up 6%) worldwide in the December 16-22 tracking week. The modern holiday classic, released in 1994, adds a 12th week at the summit, and fourth this holiday season, after it led for four weeks each over the 2020 and 2021 holidays.
With 12 weeks atop the Global 200, Carey’s “Christmas” passes The Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber’s “Stay” (11, 2021) for the sole second-longest reign since the chart began, trailing only Harry Styles’ “As It Was” (15, beginning this April).
Elsewhere in the Global 200’s top 10, José Feliciano’s 1970 carol “Feliz Navidad” dashes 13-10 (50 million streams, up 22%; 5,000 sold, up 18%, worldwide); it hit a No. 9 high in the 2020 holiday season.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” also continues atop the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart, with 65.1 million streams (up 14%) and 6,000 downloads sold (up 11%) in territories outside the U.S. December 16-22. The song adds a seventh total week at No. 1, and third this Yuletide season, after it ruled for a week during the 2020 holidays and for three frames over last year’s holiday season.
The two global charts, which began in September 2020, rank songs based on streaming and sales activity culled from more than 200 territories around the world, as compiled by Luminate. The Billboard Global 200 is inclusive of worldwide data and the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart comprises data from territories excluding the U.S.
Chart ranks are based on a weighted formula incorporating official-only streams on both subscription and ad-supported tiers of audio and video music services, as well as download sales, the latter of which reflect purchases from full-service digital music retailers from around the world, with sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites excluded from the charts’ calculations.
The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer, the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, rules Billboard’s Holiday 100 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”
Carey’s insta-classic holiday single notches its 52nd week at the top of the chart, which ranks the top seasonal songs of all eras via the same formula used for the Billboard 100, blending streaming, airplay and sales data.
“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has appeared on the chart for a total of 57 weeks since the list launched in 2011; it has topped the seasonal survey for 37 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season.
The holiday single also surges from No. 25 to No. 5 on the Hot 100.
The only other Holiday 100 No. 1s to date: Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe,” for a week in the 2011-12 holiday season; Pentatonix’s “Little Drummer Boy” (one, 2013-14) and “Mary, Did You Know?” (two, 2014-15); and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (one, 2014-15).
Carey’s 1994 carol crowns all three Holiday 100 component charts (with all surveys dated December 3): Holiday Streaming Songs (21.5 million streams, up 54%, in the Nov. 18-24 tracking week, according to Luminate); Holiday Airplay (20.6 million airplay audience impressions, up 80%); and Holiday Digital Song Sales (3,000 sold, up 57%).
“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey marveled of “Christmas” last year. “I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”
More than a song, Residente’s nine-minute, seven-second long single is being called a stream of consciousness on tiradera (diss tracks), music, lyrics, performance art and entertainment value, where the music video –a bona fide short film—is as important as the music.
