Karol G Releases New “Barbie” Movie Track “Watati,” Featuring Aldo Ranks

Posted on June 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is getting dolled up…

The 32-year-old Colombian superstar has released “Watati,” the second single from the motion picture soundtrack for Barbie, starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken.

The single, which features an assist from Aldo Ranks, is a hard-hitting reggaeton track with EDM tones produced by Ovy on the Drums.

The uptempo track finds Karol G and the Panamanian veteran singing about having a good time at the club.

“Watati” follows the soundtrack’s lead single “Dance the Night” by Dua Lipa.

Other artists featured on the album include Nicki Minaj, Lizzo, Ice Spice, Tame Impala, and many more.

The full original soundtrack will be released on Friday, July 21st — the same day the film hits theaters.

Karol G Among Artists Appearing on Official “Barbie” Soundtrack

Posted on May 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is getting all dolled up…

The lineup of artists featured on the official soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated film Barbie has been revealed, with the 32-year-old Colombian singer and songwriter making the list.

No word yet on the track name for Karol G’s single.

But she isn’t the only Latinx artist set to appear on the soundtrack.

Ice Spice, who recently joined voices with Taylor Swift on the “Karma Remix,” will also form part of the Barbie The Album soundtrack. Both Ice Spice and PinkPantheress are credited, perhaps signifying that their joint hit “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” has a place on Barbie’s pink-tastic playlist.

Other confirmed artists are Charli XCX, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, FIFTY FIFTY, Dominic Fike, GAYLE, Ava Max, Khalid, The Kid LAROI and more.

Dua Lipa — the film’s resident pop star who’s portraying Mermaid Barbie in the project —previously announced her participation on the soundtrack, contributing the song “Dance The Night,” which arrived late last week.

More surprising, though, is that another of the film’s stars is also billed as a featured artist: Ryan Gosling, who’s playing Ken opposite Margot Robbie’s titular character.

The news comes in the form of a very on-brand poster shared by the soundtrack’s official Instagram, showing Robbie in character reading a pink-tinted newspaper (Barbie News, obviously) with the names of the project’s musicians printed in twisty, hot pink letters. “More Barbies & Kens to be announced…” it teases at the bottom.

The faux newspaper also directs readers to a new website called BarbieTheAlbum.com, on which limited edition vinyls and cassettes for the soundtrack are now available for preorder.

Barbie fans have quite the variety of different-colored options to choose from, including the “Candy Floss” vinyl, the “Cotton Candy” vinyl, the “Pink Bloom” vinyl and more.

According to Rolling Stone, the album was executively produced by Mark Ronson.

The soundtrack drops along with the Barbie film on July 21.

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Christina Aguilera Wins First-Ever Webby Award for “Beautiful (2022 Version)”

Posted on April 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera is celebrating a beautiful win…

The International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences (IADAS) has revealed the winners of the 27th Annual Webby Awards, with the 42-year-old half-Ecuadorian among the honorees.

Aguilera won the Webby Award for Music Video, General Video (Video) category for the new music video for her hit single “Beautiful.” “Beautiful (2022 Version)” was released to celebrate the 20-year-old anniversary of her Stripped album.

It’s Aguilera’s first-ever Webby Awards win.

Other winners include SZA as Artist of the Year, Tracee Ellis Ross with a Special Achievement Award and Sharon Horgan as Best Actress.

Barack Obama, Lizzo, Doja Cat, Blackpink, Hugh Jackman, Jimmy Kimmel, Hoda Kotb, Trixie Mattel, Serena Williams, the cast of Stranger Things and the cast of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever were also among the award recipients.

“This year’s Webby Winners speak to the incredible potential of the Internet and the people who shape it,” Claire Graves, president of The Webby Awards, said in a statement. “They have set the benchmark for excellence in their respective category and are an inspiration for us all to continue striving towards a more connected and creative digital world.”

Roy Wood Jr. will host the Webby Awards ceremony set to take place on Monday, May 15 at the Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Special Achievement Winners

Webby Lifetime Achievement Award: Shigetaka Kurita, the creator of the emoji, for his significant contribution to the worldwide cultural zeitgeist and impact on the way we communicate.

Webby Breakout of The Year Award: ChatGPT, the game-changing, generative AI writing tool that created a digital phenomenon that’s changing the way we work and create.

Webby Artist of The Year: SZA for the instant classic SOS, the true intention and consideration she injects into her work, and for her ingenious use of the Internet to share unique, brilliantly honest art.

Webby Special Achievement Award: Tracee Ellis Ross for her ingenious use of the Internet to share multidimensional stories of belonging, increase Black representation in the beauty industry, and serve as a constant, positive force.

Webby Podcast of The Year: SmartLess, honoring Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett for bringing nostalgia and laughter to listeners on their podcast SmartLess.

Webby Best Actress: Sharon Horgan for capturing the Internet’s attention with her acclaimed Apple TV+ show Bad Sisters, which she created, executive produced and stars in, as well as for her incredible career in comedy as a voice of radical self-awareness and razor-sharp wit.

Webby Special Achievement Award: Tobe Nwigwe for his innovative use of the Internet to create art that is imaginative and poignant as seen in his album moMINTS and his role as ‘Nick’ in the Netflix series Mo.

Webby Special Achievement Award: Under the Desk News for making the news accessible and understandable to young people through their candid, hard-hitting and synoptic reporting, all done in bite-sized pieces on Tik Tok.

2023 Winner Highlights

Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty Show Vol. 4 won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle, Branded Entertainment (Video)
The Daily Show with Trevor Noah– “America’s Door Problem” won the Webby Award for Comedy, General Video (Video)
Recess Therapy’s “It’s Corn” won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Video Remixes/Mashups, General Video (Video)
Trixie Mattel Transforms Into Dr. Manhattan won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle, General Video (Video)
Christina Aguilera – Beautiful (2022 Version) won the Webby Award for Music Video, General Video (Video)
Discord won the Webby Award for Community, General Websites and Mobile Sites, (Websites and Mobile Sites)
Spotify’s 2022 Wrapped won the Webby Award for Best Mobile Visual Design – Aesthetic, Mobile Specific Features & Design (Websites and Mobile Sites)
Google Store won the Webby Award for Best Mobile User Experience, Mobile Specific Features & Design (Websites and Mobile Sites)
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez won the Webby Award for Fashion & Beauty, General Social (Social)
Doja Cat x Taco Bell: A “Contractual” Partnership won the Webby Award for Best Influencer or Creator Endorsement, Features (Social)
My BTS Story won the Webby Award for Best Community Engagement, Features (Social)
LIZZO’S BIG GIRLS | Womxn’s History Month | Animated Social Video won the Webby Award for Arts & Entertainment, Social Video (Social)
Disney’s TikTok won the Webby Award for Entertainment, General Social (Social)
HBO Max’s “Negroni Sbagliato” won the Webby Award for Best Use of Video, Features (Social)
PinkVenomChallenge – YouTube Shorts x BLACKPINK won the Webby People’s Voice Award for Best Partnership or Collaboration, Features (Social)
Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever won the Webby Award for TV, Film & Entertainment, Social Content Series (Social)
Pod Save America: Obama’s Advice For Democrats won the Webby Award for Featured Guest, Individual Episodes (Podcasts)
ESPN’s 30 for 30 Podcasts won the Webby Award for Sports, General Series (Podcasts)
FIFA 23 x TED LASSO won the Webby Award for In-Game Integration, Individual (Advertising, Media & PR)
Netflix Stranger Things Global Rift Takeover won the Webby Award for Experience Marketing, Individual (Advertising, Media & PR)
The Coors Light featuring Patrick Mahomes won the Webby Award for Best Partnership or Collaboration, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)
Steak-umm Beef Sheets featuring Jimmy Kimmel won the Webby Award for Digital Campaign, Advertising Campaigns (Advertising, Media & PR)
The Apple TV app won the Webby Award for Best Streaming or OTT Service, App Features (Apps, dApps and Software)
Never Done Evolving featuring Serena Williams won the Webby Award for Technical Achievement, Virtual Video Features (Metaverse, Immersive & Virtual)

For the complete list of winners check the website here.

Webby Winners are selected by the IADAS. Members include Questlove, DJ and Producer; Tan France, Fashion Designer, Television Personality & Author; Natalie Guzman, Co-President & CMO, Savage X Fenty; Werner Vogels CTO, Amazon; Roxanne Gay, Host, The Roxanne Gay Agenda; Quinta Brunson, Writer, Director and Actor; Ziwe Fumudoh, Comedian and Writer; Reshma Saujani, Founder, Girls Who Code; LeVar Burton, Actor, Podcaster and TV Host; Takashi Murakami, Artist; Samantha Bee, Comedian; and Tracy Chou, Founder & CEO, Block Party.

J Balvin to Perform at Australia’s Splendour In The Grass Festival

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Life is a splendour for J Balvin…

The 37-year-old Colombian urban superstar is heading to Splendour In The Grass, Australia’s leading mid-year music festival.

J Balvin joins a lineup that includes Lewis Capaldi, Lizzo, Mumford & Sons, Flume, Slowthai, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sam Fender, Idles and scores more.

Splendour returns to its home at Ngarindjin/North Byron Parklands from July 21-23, with tickets to the camping fest going on sale from this Friday (April 14).

For organizers Secret Sounds, part of Live Nation, this year’s event should feel like a return to normal, following a two-year pandemic which saw Splendour scratched from the calendar, and a comeback event in 2022 which was challenged by Mother Nature.

When its 2021 edition was wiped out, organizers shifted gears and used that timeslot to launch Splendour XR, a two-day virtual music festivals featuring more than 50 artist performances. Splendour XR was built alongside Linden Lab, the American digital entertainment developer that’s best known for building Second Life. But it wasn’t the real thing.

The real thing was established in 2001 in Byron Bay, a stunning beach spot on the most eastern point of Australia, a home to surfers, artists and Australia’s counterculture.

Today, Splendour is the only midwinter camping festival of its kind in Australia, and a place where internationals and homegrown performers have been known to test new cuts live for the very first time.

Three-day event tickets for Splendour are priced at A$447.51 (inclusive of booking fees); add A$197.27 for camping. Single day event tickets cost A$202.37.

Visit splendourinthegrass.com for more.

Jenna Ortega Doesn’t Flinch During Appearance on Sean Evans’ “Hot Ones” Show

Posted on March 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega isn’t afraid of a little spice…

The 20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress appeared on Hot Ones, the series from host Sean Evans, who interviews celebrities as they eat progressively spicier chicken wings.

While he’s shared wings with the likes of Lizzo, Kevin Bacon, the Wednesday star may just be the bravest celebrity he’s met thus far.

“I’m feeling pretty confident, honestly,” Ortega said at the start of the interview. “Typically I can handle my stuff, so I’m curious.”

And Ortega did manage to handle her stuff, taking on all ten wings without breaking a sweat. All while fielding questions from Evans about Wednesday, Scream VI, and when she knew she liked to “scare people” (“From a very early age.”)

But Ortega admits that one thing has gotten her down, and that was missing certified Bob Ross instructor David Arquette‘s painting class on the set of the fifth installment of Scream.

“David Arquette in, like, the first week sat us all down in this common room we had in the hotel where we played all the board games, and he taught us how to paint like Bob Ross,” Jack Quaid recalled from the Scream reboot set.

“I think I was actually working when people took that class,” Ortega said between bites of a level three hot wing. “There have been very few times when I’ve felt completely defeated. And that is one of them.”

Ortega, however, was not defeated by even the hottest hot sauce or by Evans attempting to win a staring contest with someone who doesn’t blink for a living.

Cardi B to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Grammy Awards Show

Posted on February 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is taking the stage on music’s biggest night…

The 30-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rap superstar will help hand out awards at the 65th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, February 5.

Previously, Cardi B made Grammy history as the first and only woman to win the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album as a solo artist was the second female rapper to have her album nominated for Album of the Year.

Other presenters include Viola Davis, Olivia Rodrigo, Shania Twain and Dwayne Johnson. Davis will become an EGOT if she wins in her category, best audio book, narration, and storytelling recording, on Sunday.

Performers set to appear on the show are Harry Styles, Lizzo, Bad Bunny, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Luke Combs, Steve Lacy and Sam Smith & Kim Petras.

The Recording Academy made its first performers announcement a week ago. It added a big name – Styles – on Sunday, January 29. The announcement was made during the fourth quarter of the AFC Championship game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs. The game aired on CBS, the Grammys’ network since 1973.

Three of this year’s four leading nominees – Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Adele – have yet to be announced as performers. But the Academy is expected to announce additional performers in the remaining days before the big show.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards will air live from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and will be hosted for the third year in a row by Emmy-winning comedian Trevor Noah.

The show will be broadcast live on Sunday, February 5, at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on CBS, and will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

The 65th Annual Grammy Awards are produced by Fulwell 73 Productions for the Recording Academy. Raj Kapoor serves as showrunner and executive producer, alongside Ben Winston and Jesse Collins as executive producers. Phil Heyes joins the team for the first time as director. Eric Cook is co-executive producer with Tabitha Dumo, Tiana Gandelman, Patrick Menton, David Wild as producers.

Prior to the telecast, the Grammy Awards Premiere Ceremony will be broadcast live from the Microsoft Theater at 12:30 pm PT, and it will be streamed live on live.Grammy.com. Randy Rainbow, a first-time Grammy nominee this year for best comedy album for A Little Brains, A Little Talent, is co-hosting the show. His co-host has yet to be named.

Performers at the Premiere Ceremony include Arroj Aftab, Madison Cunningham, Samara Joy, Anoushka Shankar, Carlos Vives and The Blind Boys of Alabama with La Santa Cecilia.

Presenters at the Premiere Ceremony include Babyface, Domi and JD Beck, Myles Frost, Arturo O’Farrill, Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Jimmy Jam.

Los Lobos to Perform at This Year’s BottleRock Music Festival

Posted on January 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Los Lobos are ready to (bottle)rock…

The Latin American band will perform at this year’s BottleRock, the one-weekend music festival scheduled to take place May 26-28 this year in Napa Valley.

The artist lineup was shared in poster form on Instagram by BottleRock’s official account.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran and The Smashing Pumpkins are listed at the top in big letters alongside Post Malone, Lizzo and Lil Nas, billing the six of them as the festival’s main headliners.

Underneath, dozens of additional acts make up the rest of the lineup. Alvaro Diaz, Leon Bridges, Carly Rae Jepsen, Wu-Tang Clan and Sheryl Crow are listed, as are Bastille, Tove Lo, Japanese Breakfast, Yung Gravy, CAAMP, Ashe and more.

Three-day tickets for the festival are available for purchase on BottleRock’s website.

Several artists and bands scheduled to perform have already started posting their excitement for the festival.

“We are thrilled to share the first 👀 show announcement for 2023,” tweeted the National, also on the lineup. “We will play BottleRock… which takes place in beautiful wine country, Napa Valley, CA.”

“BOTTLEROCK AND ROLL” indie pop project Dayglow posted on its Instagram stories.

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Bad Bunny Makes History with Artist of the Year Win at the MTV Video Music Awards

Posted on August 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny continues etching his name in the music history books…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar was named Artist of the Year during Sunday’s Video Music Awards, becoming the first non-English-language performer to win the prize.

Bad Bunny was nominated for the honor alongside Drake, Ed Sheeran, Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, Lil Nas X and Lizzo. His hit song “Tití Me Preguntó” also received an MTV VMAs nomination this year for the Best Latin Award.

During the MTV telecast, Bad Bunny performed live from Yankee Stadium in New York as part of his World’s Hottest Tour. Other acts in the VMA performance lineup this year included Harlow, Nicki Minaj, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blackpink, Panic! at the Disco, Anitta, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Lizzo.

In May, Bad Bunny released his fourth studio album, “Un Verano Sin Ti,” which was the second all-Spanish-language record to debut atop the Billboard 200 chart in the United States, according to MTV. When it came out, Bad Bunny’s latest LP was also Spotify‘s most-streamed album of 2022.

Meanwhile, Anitta also made history at this year’s VMAs as she picked up her first American Moon Person.

The 29-year-old Brazilian singer-songwriter, whose won several MTV Europe Music Awards, won Best Latin for her viral hit song “Envolver,” becoming the first-ever Brazilian artist to take home an MTV Video Music Awards.

It was a highly competitive category, with Anitta competing against Bad Bunny, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Becky G and Karol G.

Here’s a look at the night’s big winners:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – Republic Records

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Bad Bunny – Rimas Entertainment

BEST ALBUM
Harry Styles – “Harry’s House”

SONG OF THE YEAR
Billie Eilish – “Happier Than Ever” – Darkroom / Interscope Records

BEST NEW ARTIST
Dove Cameron – Disruptor Records / Columbia Records

PUSH PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
December 2021: SEVENTEEN – “Rock With You” – PLEDIS Entertainment / Geffen Records

BEST COLLABORATION
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records

BEST POP
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records

BEST HIP-HOP
Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Baby – “Do We Have A Problem?” – Young Money / Cash Money / Republic Records

BEST ROCK
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Black Summer” – Warner Records

BEST ALTERNATIVE
Måneskin – “I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE” – Arista Records

BEST LATIN
Anitta – “Envolver” – Warner Records

BEST R&B
The Weeknd – “Out Of Time” – XO / Republic Records

BEST K-POP
LISA – “LALISA” – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records

VIDEO FOR GOOD
Lizzo – “About Damn Time” – Atlantic Records

BEST METAVERSE PERFORMANCE
BLACKPINK The Virtual | PUBG – YG Entertainment / Interscope Records

BEST LONGFORM VIDEO
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – Republic Records

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Harry Styles – “As It Was” – Columbia Records

BEST DIRECTION
Taylor Swift – “All Too Well” (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) – Republic Records

BEST ART DIRECTION
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow – “INDUSTRY BABY” – Columbia Records

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Doja Cat – “Woman” – Kemosabe Records / RCA Records

BEST EDITING
ROSALÍA – “SAOKO” – Columbia Records

Bad Bunny to Perform on the MTV Video Music Awards from Yankee Stadium

Posted on August 24, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny will be pulling double duty this weekend…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will perform on the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards live from his tour stop at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, August 28.

The tour stop is part of Bad Bunny: World’s Hottest Tour.

The 2022 VMAs are set to air from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

This will mark Bad Bunny’s second VMAs appearance. His first, three years ago, was a joint performance with J Balvin of “Que Pretendes.”

The VMAs have a long history of remote performances, dating back to the very first show in 1984 when David Bowie performed his hit “Blue Jean” live from London.

There have even been performances from stadiums before, such as Guns N’ Roses performing their hit cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” live from Wembley Stadium in London on the 1991 VMAs and Michael Jackson performing “Black or White” from his “Dangerous World Tour” stop at Wembley on the 1992 VMAs.

Bad Bunny is nominated for four VMAs this year, including artist of the year and album of the year. He would be the first non-English-language artist to win in either of those marquee categories.

His other nominations this year are for best Latin (“Tití Me Preguntó”) and song of the summer (“Me Porto Bonito,” his collaboration with Chencho Corleone).

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti has topped the Billboard 200 for eight non-consecutive weeks. This year’s other nominees for album of the year are Adele’s 30, Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House.

Last week, Bad Bunny received 23 nominations for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards. That put him with a tie with Ozuna for the most nods in the show’s history. Ozuna hit that mark three years ago.

Other artists set to perform on the show are Lizzo, BLACKPINK, Måneskin, Anitta, J Balvin, Marshmello x Khalid, Panic! At The Disco and Kane Brown.

Anitta Named One of PETA’s Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities of 2022

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Anitta is a vegan beauty queen…

The 29-year-old Brazilian singer, songwriter, actress, dancer, businesswoman and TV presenter and Lenny Kravitz have been crowned this year’s Most Beautiful Vegan Celebrities by PETA.

The annual award goes out to celebrities whose lifestyles inspire others to try veganism, which PETA states “saves the lives of nearly 200 animals a year; reduces their risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; and dramatically shrinks their carbon footprint.”

“With more than 65 million followers between them, Kravitz and Anitta are global superstars who are inspiring millions of people to go their way and let love rule by keeping animals off their plates,” said PETA’s senior VP Lisa Lange in a statement. “PETA’s Most Beautiful Vegans of 2022 are showing the world what it means to thrive on planet-protecting, plant-powered meals.”

Anitta first revealed to Billboard that she’d gone vegan in January of 2019 after watching the documentary Cowspiracy.

She’s the face of Future Farm, an international vegan meat brand based in her home country of Brazil, and has encouraged her fans to try out plant-based meat substitutions.

“Who has tasted plant meat?” she wrote on Instagram in May. “It’s like me: innovative, super hot, and good for the environment!”

Anitta and Kravitz now join a lineup of past winners such as Billie Eilish, Lizzo, Anderson .Paak, Jhené Aiko and Leona Lewis.

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