Colman Domingo to Serve as Co-Chair of Vogue’s 2025 Met Gala

Posted on October 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo is preparing for a superfine moment….

Vogue announced the theme for the 2025 Met Gala is “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style,” with the 54-year-old Emmy-winning actor Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist among the event’s co-chairs.

The Met Gala theme draws inspiration from Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book, Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity.

Per the publication, the corresponding exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City will feature “garments, paintings, photographs, and more—all exploring the indelible style of Black men in the context of dandyism, from the 18th-century through present day.”

The dress code for the event will be revealed in the coming months.

Dandyism — a menswear style and code of conduct defined by its tailored outfits, refinement, sartorial elegance and gentlemanly manners — has been prevalent in the Black community for centuries. Black dandyism is known for integrating European menswear with an African aesthetic, marking social and cultural resistance as it fought devastating stereotypes against Black men throughout the 1800s and 1900s.

As a result, for the first time in history, this year’s co-chairs are all Black men.

Domingo, Lewis Hamilton, A$AP Rocky and Pharrell Williams will join Vogue’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour as the co-chairs the 2025 Met Gala, alongside honorary chair LeBron James.

The 2025 Met Gala will take place on May 5, 2025, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Bad Bunny and Jennifer Lopez served as co-chairs of the 2024 event, as did Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth.

The theme was Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and the whimsical “Garden of Time” dress code was inspired by a 1962 J.G. Ballard short story of the same name.

Kid Cudi to Co-Headline FanDuel’s Annual Super Bowl Party

Posted on February 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Kid Cudi is preparing for a Super performance…

FanDuel is partnering with Spotify this year for its annual Super Bowl party, with the 40-year-old part-Mexican American singer, songwriter and actor co-headlining alongside Calvin Harris.

The 2024 FanDuel Super Bowl Party powered by Spotify — which will be held at LIV inside the Las Vegas Strip’s newest resort, Fontainebleau Las Vegas, on Friday night, February 9 — is the company’s third annual Super Bowl event and will feature a live recording of The Ringer Gambling Show podcast with hosts John “JJ” Jastremski, Raheem Palmer and “Cousin Sal” Iacono.

On January 12, Kid Cudi released his ninth studio album, Insano, which features collaborations with Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Lil Yachty, Pharrell Williams, the late XXXTentacion, Lil Wayne and Young Thug.

The project debuted at No. 4 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart dated January 27.

The event comes just two days before Super Bowl LVIII at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium on Sunday (February 11), where the Kansas City Chiefs will take on the San Francisco 49ers for the championship.

It was announced in September that Usher would headline the 2024 Super Bowl halftime show. Usher also announced that his ninth album, Coming Home, will arrive on Super Bowl Sunday. This set marks his first new album since 2016’s Hard II Love, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard 200.

Mariah Carey’s Music to Be Featured as Part of Apple Fitness+’s ‘Artist Spotlight’ Workout Series

Posted on March 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ready to get fit with Mariah Carey?

Apple Fitness+ has added the music of the 52-year-old half-Venezuelan Grammy-winning singer to its newly added workouts.

In honor of Women’s History Month, Carey, Miley Cyrus and Shania Twain will be highlighted as part of the program’s Artist Spotlight series, which dedicates an entire set of workouts to a single artist and their discography.

Starting Monday, March 6, Fitness+ users can pedal to the beat of the “Flowers” singer’s music in a cycling workout, return to heart center when it’s a wrap on the Carey-inspired yoga workout and feel like a powerful woman post-strength workout featuring Twain’s tunes.

New workouts will roll out every Monday throughout the month of March.

The Lambily will need to stretch as far and wide as Mimi’s vocal range — which spans across five octaves and goes all the way up to those whistle tones we all try reaching when belting out her 1991 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash “Emotions” — ahead of her cycling, dance, HIIT and yoga workouts.

“You’ve got to make working out fun, do what you love, so it feels like burning energy instead of a job! I hear lots of people like listening to my music in the gym and it makes me so happy – it means it’s energetic and inspirational,” Twain said in a press statement. “That’s why I’m so excited for this Artist Spotlight series on Fitness+. So Giddy Up! And do what makes you happy!”

Other musicians who’ve had sets of Apple Fitness+ workouts dedicated to them include Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, BTS, Billie Eilish, Jennifer Lopez, Pharrell Williams, Ed Sheeran, The Weeknd, ABBA, Prince, Shakira, The Beatles, Nicki Minaj and many more.

According to the Apple Fitness+ website, anyone who purchases a new iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Apple TV (and hasn’t previously subscribed to Apple Fitness+) will have free access to Apple Fitness+ for three months before paying $9.99 monthly, or $79.99 annually. New subscribers who already have the aforementioned Apple products can get free access to Apple Fitness+ for one month. Apple Fitness+ can be shared with up to five family members.

J Balvin Reclaims Crown as Artist with Most Videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club

Posted on September 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

J Balvin is YouTube’s ’s Billion baller…

The 37-year-old Colombian singer’s “Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” music video in collaboration with Black Eyed Peas has surpassed 1 billion views, officially making him the artist with the most videos in YouTube’s Billion Views Club once again, according to the video platform.

“Ritmo,” which was released on October 11, 2019, on YouTube, marks Balvin’s 12th entry as a lead, featured artist or collaborator. Prior to reclaiming the crown this week, Balvin was tied with Justin Bieber with 11 music videos each with a billion views.

In 2016, he became the first Latin urban artist to reach 10 digits with a video on the platform with “Ay Vamos.” He was only the third Latin artist to reach a billion views, following Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando,” featuring Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno, and Romeo Santos’ “Propuesta Indecente,” both in 2014.

Balvin also has one of the top five fastest videos to reach the billion-view mark with “Mi Gente,” surpassing the number in 103 days.

“Ritmo (Bad Boys for Life)” samples Corona’s ’90s hit “Rhythm of the Night,” fusing hip-hop and pop with Balvin’s incendiary and infectious take on reggaeton.

The track topped the Billboard Hot Dance/Electronic Songs and Hot Latin Songs

charts in 2020, becoming the Peas’ first leader on each ranking and Balvin’s first on the dance chart.

The video, which shows scenes from the Bad Boys for Life movie, now joins the Willy William-assisted “Mi Gente”; “X (Equis)” with Nicky Jam; “Con Altura” with Rosalia; “China” alongside Anuel AA, Daddy Yankee, Karol G, and Ozuna; “No Me Conoce (Remix)” with Jhayco and Bad Bunny; “Ay Vamos”; “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny; “Ahora Dice” with Chris Jedi, Ozuna, and Arcangel; the Farruko-assisted “6AM”; and “Safari” featuring Pharrell Williams, BIA, and Sky in the billion-views club.

Bobby Cannavale Joins Voice Cast of Illumination/Universal Pictures’ Animated Film “Sing 2”

Posted on December 23, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is getting musical…

The 50-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor has joined the voice cast of Sing 2, the Illumination/Universal Pictures sequel to the 2016 animated hit.

Cannavale is among a roster of cast newcomers that includes U2 lead singer Bono, Pharrell Williams, Halsey, Letitia Wright, Eric Andre and Chelsea Peretti.

Reprising stars include Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johannsson, Taron Egerton, Tori Kelly and Nick Kroll.

The film will be ready for theatrical holiday release a year from now.

“Sing 2 transcends the animation genre, immersing audiences in a fully realized world populated by complex characters, each with bold aspirations and relatable challenges,” said Illumination founder/CEO Chris Meledandri. “We are thrilled that the Sing franchise attracts such exceptional talent, and we are delighted to announce this extraordinary cast. The film is a musical celebration of the unrelenting pursuit of one’s dreams, no matter how large the challenges that stand in your way. At its core this movie speaks to the power of optimism and belief.”

In Sing 2, Buster Moon (McConaughey) and his cast of underdogs push their talents beyond their local theater, hoping for a shot to perform at the most prestigious venue in the entertainment capital of the world: The Crystal Tower Theater. To do that, though, they’ll first have to impress the powerful and egotistical entertainment mogul—and likely gangster—wolf Jimmy Crystal (Cannavale) and prove that they are worthy of his stage. Crystal will let them perform, on condition Buster convince the world’s most reclusive rock legend, lion Clay Calloway (Bono) out of self-imposed seclusion after the death of his wife and persuade him to perform in the show.

Williams plays Alfonso, an elephant ice-cream-truck owner who becomes the first crush of shy elephant Meena (Kelly). Halsey voices Jimmy Crystal’s teenage daughter, Porsche; Wright plays a streetwise feline dancer who helps earnest gorilla Johnny (Egerton) regain his confidence while learning his choreography; Andre plays a self-important yak; and Peretti voices Jimmy Crystal’s haughty canine assistant and talent scout. Witherspoon returns as harried mother pig, Rosita; Johansson reprises as rocker porcupine Ash and Kroll returns as the pig artiste, Gunter.

The film is written and directed by Garth Jennings.

J Balvin to Take Part in Special “Mind & Music” Conversation at This Year’s Latin Music Week

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

J Balvin will be talkin’ mind and music…

The 35-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer will sit alongside Deepak Chopra in a special Q&A conversation during the 30th anniversary Latin Music Week.

Balvin will participate in a first-of-its-kind Q&A panel with the well-being pioneer titled “Mind & Music: Finding Meaning and Fulfillment Through Mindfulness and Music.”

They’ll discuss what meditation means to them, its connection to music, and why they decided to start a 21-day meditation program together.

Meanwhile, Grammy-winning Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía will join a Q&A session with Oscar nominated, 13-time Grammy winning musician and producer Pharrell Williams in an artist to artist discussion of their parallel lives as renaissance artists with multiple ventures, from music to fashion.

Colombian singer-songwriter and philanthropist Carlos Vives will be joined by internationally renowned Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, Music & Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, in an enlightening conversation on the power of music and the arts as a global agent of change for a better society.

And superstar Ozuna, one of the top-selling artists in the world, will join Afo Verde, Chairman & CEO, Sony Music Latin Iberia, to discuss the crafting, production and promotion of his hit albums and songs.

This year’s event will take place virtually on its new dates October 20-23, 2020 here.

Bad Bunny to Take Part in LeBron James’ “Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020” Special

Posted on May 8, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunnyis celebrating the Class of 2020…

The LeBron James Family Foundation announced that it’s paying tribute to the class of 2020 with a one-hour multimedia event called Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020, with the 26-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer joining the roster of participating artists.

James’ virtual graduation party for this year’s graduation class, who’s seen their school year cancelled because of the coronavirus, will take place on Saturday, May 16 at 8:00 pm ET simultaneously on NBC, ABC, CBS, and Fox— as well as on the streaming platforms Complex Networks, Facebook app, Instagram, People TV, Snapchat, TikTok and YouTube.

In addition to Bad Bunny, the lineup includes Kane Brown, Lana Condor, David Dobrik, Dolan Twins, Karol G, Liza Koshy, Maren Morris, National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson, Olivia Wilde, Zendaya, Charli D’Amelio, Dixie D’Amelio, Chika, YBN Cordae, Loren Gray, H.E.R., the Jonas Brothers, Brandan Bmike Odums, Ben Platt, Henry Platt, Jonah Platt, Megan Rapinoe, Yara Shahidi, Lena Waithe, Pharrell Williams, Malala Yousafzaiand many more.

Working with the XQ Instituteand The Entertainment Industry Foundation, the show will allow the companies to honor the more than three million high school seniors who’ll miss out on the annual rite of passage due to the national shutdown caused by the COVID-19pandemic.

“We learned early on in our work with students and families in Akron that education is so much more than academics,” said James in a statement.

“It’s about a shared experience, a journey we’re all on together—students, parents, educators, community members, and everyone around them. With that not being possible right now, we’ve been working to find ways to help families get through this really difficult time. These students have worked incredibly hard for this and there’s no way we can let that go unrecognized. While this won’t be the graduation experience they were supposed to get, we hope we can still give them something special because they deserve it.”

The commercial-free show will be curated by high school students and educators from across the country, with support from the American Federation of Teachers, highlighted by a collection of commencement addresses, celebrity performances and inspirational vignettes.

Students, educators, and families are encouraged to submit their videos and photos online for consideration to be included in the telecast using #GraduateTogether. Artist JR is also inviting seniors to share their portraits for a national virtual yearbook celebrating the entire Class of 2020.

Local TV stations will feature custom breakaways to celebrate the achievements of high school students in their communities.

Graduate Together: America Honors the High School Class of 2020will be broadcast commercial-free on May 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC.

Gloria Estefan Nominated for the Songwriters Hall of Fame

Posted on November 6, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan has the write stuff of legends…

The 62-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter and former Miami Sound Machine member has been nominated for the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame.

Estefan, a three-time Grammy winner and three-time Latin Grammy, has penned numerousinternational chart-topping hits in English and Spanish, including “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” “1-2-3,” “Don’t Wanna Lose You,” “Here We Are,” “Coming Out of the Dark,” “Con Los Años Que Me Quedan,” “Mi Tierra” and “No Me Dejes de Querer.”

Additionally, Estefan has penned songs for other artists, including “Let’s Get Loud,” performed by Jennifer Lopez, and “Whenever Wherever,” performed by Shakira. Additionally, she co-wrote “Reach,” one of two official songs of the 1996 Atlanta Games, with Diane Warren.

In all, 24 acts are in contention for the 2020 class. In addition to Estefan, performing nominees include Patti Smith, Journey, Vince Gill, the Isley Brothers, former Eurythmicsmembers Annie Lennoxand Dave Stewart, Mike Love, Bread’s David Gates and Steve Miller, The Neptunes, the creative, innovative production-songwriting duo of Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo, rap icons Outkast and rock pioneers R.E.M.Mariah Carey, who co-wrote 17 of her 18 No. 1 hits and earned her first Songwriters Hall nomination last year, is up for the prize again.

The Songwriters Hall gave The Associated Press the list of nominees Tuesday (Nov. 5), a day ahead of its official announcement.

Non-performing solo nominees are William “Mickey” Stevenson, Rick Nowels, Sonny Curtis, Jerry Fuller, Tony Macaulay, Bob McDill and Roger Nichols. Non-performing songwriting duos nominated include the late Tommy Boyceand Bobby Hart,Lynn Ahrensand Stephen Flaherty, L. Russell Brownand the late Irwin Levine, and Kye Flemingand Dennis Morgan.

Songwriters are eligible for induction after writing hit songs for at least 20 years. Six songwriters, or songwriting groups, will be officially inducted at the Hall’s 51st annual Induction & Awards Gala in New York on June 11, 2020. Eligible members can vote for three non-performing songwriters and three performing songwriters until December 16.

Becky G to Serve as Co-Host at This Year’s Global Citizen Festival

Posted on August 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Becky G is thinking globally…

The 22-year-old Mexican American singer/rapper and actress will serve as a co-host at this year’s Global Citizen Festival, taking place on September 28 at Central Parkin New York City.

The event has been held in New York every year since 2012, and calls on music fans to take action on a number of important issues to earn tickets to the show.

Global Citizen, a social advocacy group, hosts the festival to drive action toward its goal to end extreme poverty by 2030.

This year, Global Citizens are urged to pressure decision-makers to help end child marriage, support family planning, promote women’s entrepreneurship and shine a light on workplace safety.

In addition to Becky G, this year’s co-host roster includes Connie Britton, Nina Dobrev, Dakota Johnson, Becky Lynch,Aasif Mandvi, Bridget Moynahan, Kal Penn,Erin Richards, Seth Rollinsand Savannah Seller.

The lineup of performers includes David Gray, NCT 127, Queen + Adam Lambert, Pharrell Williams, Alicia Keys, OneRepublic, H.E.R., and Carole King, with special guests French Montana, Ben Platt, and Jon Batiste & Stay Human.

For the sixth straight year, MSNBCand Comcast NBCUniversalwill air a live simulcast of the event on MSNBC, and Ken Ehrlichand Live Nation will produce.

The festival will also be livestreamed on YouTubeand Twitter.

Daddy Yankee’s “Dura” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee has another No. 1 on his resume…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican rapper-singer has earned his ninth No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart, as “Dura” rises 4-1 on the March 17-dated list.

The song collected 16.4 million in audience impressions (up 15 percent) in the week ending March 11, according to Nielsen Music.

“Dura” is the first single from Daddy Yankee’s upcoming studio album El Disco Duro.

“This song belongs to the people, not me,” Daddy Yankee tells Billboard.

Daddy Yankee replaces himself at No. 1 on the Latin Airplay chart, as his featured turn on Wisin’s “Todo Comienza En La Disco” (also featuring Yandel) crowned the list a week earlier (March 10). On the new chart, is descends 1-5.

The last time an act replaced itself at No. 1 on Latin Airplay was on November 5, 2016, when J Balvin replaced himself atop the list. That week, Balvin’s “Safari,” featuring Pharrell Williams and Bia & Sky ceded the summit to Zion & Lennox’s “Otra Vez,” featuring Balvin. The latter jumped 4-1, earning Balvin his sixth leader. He’s since added a seventh No. 1 with “Mi Gente,” alongside Willy William, featuring Beyoncé.

On Hot Latin Songs — which blends airplay, sales and streams — “Dura” holds at No. 2 for a second week, and takes Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors. It also hits No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay, ascending 3-1. It’s his 17th leader on the list, extending his record for the most No. 1s in the 17-year history of the tally. In second place: Wisin & Yandel, with 14.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Pharrell Williams