Omar Apollo to Perform at This Year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival

Omar Apollo is reaching his (Austin City) Limits

The 24-year-old Mexican American bilingual singer/songwriter will perform at this year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival.

Omar ApolloApollo, a two-time Latin Grammy nominee, will perform on both weekends of the festival, which take places over the course of two weekends at the city’s downtown Zilker Park, with bands playing across nine stages on October 7-9 and October 14-16.

But Apollo isn’t the only Latinx artist set to perform…

BIA, born Bianca Miquela Landrau, will also form part of the eclectic lineup at this year’s fest. The 30-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer rose to acclaim with the hit single “Whole Lotta Money.”

Other Latinx performers include The Marias, Sabrina Claudio and Lido Pimienta.

ParamoreLil Nas XP!nkRed Hot Chili PeppersThe ChicksSZAKacey Musgraves and Flume the event.

Three-day Tickets are currently on sale here, with layaway plans starting at $25 down and 3-day general admission tickets for both weekends on sale here.

The lineup for the Austin Kiddie Limits will be announced soon, with music fans ages 8 and under admitted free of charge when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

Bad Bunny’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo Tops Billboard’s Monthly Top Tours Chart

Bad Bunny is officially a tour de force

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper/singer’s El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo repeats at No. 1 on Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart.

Bad BunnyBad Bunny rules in March with El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo earning $64.8 million from 337,000 tickets across 20 shows, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

That makes him the first artist to ever reign over back-to-back months. And one month after claiming the second-highest monthly gross for an arena tour ($39.8 million in February), his March figures rewrite the record entirely, blasting pass Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s $47 million run in December 2019.

Overall, it’s the second-highest monthly total since the charts launched in March 2019. Only The Rolling Stones stand in Bad Bunny’s way with their $95 million stadium sum in August 2019. Still, Bad Bunny’s March arena earnings stand above chart-topping stadiums runs by Ed Sheeran (April ’19), BTS (May ’19), Spice Girls (June ’19) and P!nk (July ’19).

The gargantuan $65 million haul is more than double the gross of his next closest competitors this month.

As previously reported, Bad Bunny’s February dates in Inglewood, Calif., and Dallas, among others, set local records for per-night gross and overall earnings.

In March, he continued to set regional high marks, including the three-night run at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. (20 miles outside of Chicago), which grossed $11.2 million and sold 51,400 tickets from March 10 to 12. More records were set in San Jose ($7.9 million on March 3-4), Phoenix ($3.2 million on March 6), and Orlando ($5.6 million on March 30-31).

While it didn’t quite reach the top, Bad Bunny’s double-header at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center earned $7.2 million immediately after his $3.8 million take the night before at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. That adds up to $11.1 million over three nights in the New York area.

These and other shows from the tour flood the Top Boxscores ranking, where Bad Bunny takes up seven spots. The Rosemont, San Jose and Brooklyn shows hit the top 10 at Nos. 2, 8 and 10, respectively.

El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo wrapped after two months on April 3 with $116.8 million. Its final triple-header in Miami will likely be the run’s last appearance on next month’s Boxscore report before yielding to Bad Bunny’s own next tour — World’s Hottest Tour. His follow-up level-up to stadiums in North and Latin America launches later this year.

In March, Bad Bunny narrowly took the No. 1 spot on Top Boxscores over a Latin American festival, keeping Mexico City’s Electric Daisy Carnival at No. 2. One month later, despite the record-setting overall haul, he is dethroned by Sao Paulo’s Lollapalooza Brasil. The three-day event grossed $23.2 million with a weekend attendance of 267,000 over March 25-27.

London’s O2 Arena is the month’s top-grossing venue with earnings of $26.8 million. It’s the first venue outside the U.S. to take the top spot on the 15,001+ capacity chart since Mexico City’s Foro Sol ruled over March 2020. Before that, you have to go back to May 2019, when the O2 itself topped the list with a slightly less massive $22 million.

Robert Trujillo & His Metallica Band Mates to Perform at This Year’s BottleRock Festival

Robert Trujillo is putting the rock in this year’s BottleRock festival…

The 57-year-old half-Mexican American musician, songwriter and bassist and his Metallica band mates will be headlining this year’s BottleRock, California’s premiere food, wine and music festival.

MetallicaMetallica will headline the event, taking place Memorial Day weekend (May 27-29), alongside P!nk, Twenty One Pilots and Luke Combs.

The fest, which includes more than 75 musical acts, also includes The Black CrowesKygoPitbull, Greta Van Fleet, Mount Westmore, a new hip-hop supergroup featuring Snoop DoggIce CubeE-40 and Too $hort.

The Napa Valley festival will also showcase the region’s wine, craft brew and culinary legacy.

“We’re happy to be bringing the first taste of summer back to music fans here in the Napa Valley,” says Dave Graham of BottleRock Napa Valley. “As fans have come to expect, our 2022 lineup has something for everyone, featuring a wide variety of genres that offer legendary performers with some of the most exciting new and emerging artists in the world.”

This year’s festival includes the highly entertaining Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage, showcasing a unique mashup of cooking demonstrations with renowned chefs, celebrities, performers and rock stars. Details on the 2022 Williams Sonoma Culinary Stage will be announced at a later date.

BottleRock Napa Valley will follow all local and state COVID-19 health & safety guidelines in place at the time of the event and will communicate all requirements to ticket holders beforehand.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Pacific. More details here.

Demi Lovato to Take Part in iHeartMedia & P&G’s “Can’t Cancel Pride” Virtual Benefit Concert

Demi Lovato is celebrating Pride in a big way…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actor will be taking part in iHeartMedia and P&G’s second annual “Can’t Cancel Pride,” a virtual benefit concert featuring some of the biggest LGBTQ names in music appearing to offer special performances, while also raising funds for nonprofit organizations dedicated to helping LGBTQ people around the world.

Demi Lovato

Hosted by Elvis Duran and Bebe Rexha, the event will take place on June 4, and will feature appearances and performances from Lovato, Lil Nas X, Troye Sivan, Rexha, Brothers Osborne, Busy Phillips, Hayley Kiyoko, Jennifer Hudson, JoJo Siwa, Marshmello, MJ Rodriguez, Nina West, P!nk, Ricky Martin, Regard and Tate McRae.

Along with putting on a good show, iHeartMedia and P&G are also partnering with Greater Cincinatti Foundation to help distribute the funds raised from the event to six organizations supporting the LGBTQ community in 2021, including GLAAD, SAGE, The Trevor Project, the National Black Justice Coalition, CenterLink, and OutRight Action International.

“As the country is returning back to normal and we are slowly starting to gather again, LGBTQ+ communities around the world are still feeling the devastating effects of COVID-19,”  iHeartMedia’s chief  marketing officer Gayle Troberman said in a statement. “We look forward to once again celebrating the incredible voices and allies of the LGBTQ+ community with an amazing night of music that will honor Pride and the communities’ fight for equal rights, all while benefiting six remarkable nonprofits that make an everyday positive impact.”

“Can’t Cancel Pride” will take place on June 4th at 9:00 p.m. ET on iHeartRadio’s TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram TV pages, PrideRadio.com and Revry, while also being broadcast on iHeartMedia radio stations nationwide and on the iHeartRadio App.

Learn more about the upcoming event here.

Bad Bunny to Perform at This Year’s Billboard Music Awards

Bad Bunny is bringing some Latin heat to the Billboard Music Awards

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer will perform “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” from his 2020 album El Último Tour Del Mundo, which made history as the first all-Spanish-language album to hit No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

Bad Bunny W Magazine Cover

In addition to topping the Billboard 200, Bad Bunny has also reached No. 1 on Billboards other flagship, all-genre chart, the Billboard Hot 100. He topped that chart with “I Like It,” his 2018 collab with Cardi B and J Balvin. In addition, he has cracked the top five on the Hot 100 with two other hits: “Mia” (featuring Drake) and “Dakiti” (a collab with Jhay Cortez).

Bad Bunny, a four-time BBMA winner, is nominated for seven more BBMAs this year, including top Latin artist and top Latin album, two categories he won last year. Bad Bunny is one of only nine artists with seven or more BBMA nods this year — and the only one representing Latin music.

He won his first Grammy on March 14, when his album YHLQMDLG won for best Latin pop or urban album.

Bad Bunny holds the record for the most top 40 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart with 104. He also holds the record for the most hits total on that chart: 111.

But Bad Bunny won’t be the only Latin artist to perform…

Karol G will take the stage for a special medley of her hits “Bichota” and “El Makinon.”

The 30-year-old Colombian singer’s most recent album, KG0516, debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart, becoming her first No. 1 on that list. It also made the top 20 on the Billboard 200, her highest ranking to date.

Karol G has amassed 25 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, including three No. 1s. She has had 10 No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart.

Hosted by Nick Jonas, the show will include performances by (in alphabetical order by principal performer) AJR, BTS, DJ Khaled featuring H.E.R. and Migos, Duran Duran, Glass Animals, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis with Sounds Of Blackness featuring Ann Nesby, Alicia Keys, P!nk, twenty one pilots and The Weeknd.

In addition to performing, P!nk will receive the ICON Award. She is the youngest recipient of that award to date.

Drake will receive the Artist of the Decade Award.  Trae Tha Truth will receive the Change Maker Award.

Billboard Music Awards finalists and winners are based on key fan interactions with music, including audio and video streaming, album and digital song sales, radio airplay, and social engagement, tracked by Billboard and its data partners, including MRC Data and Next Big Sound. This year’s awards are based on the chart period of March 21, 2020 through April 3, 2021.

Fan-voted categories include top social artist and top collaboration. Voting opened on May 10 and closes May 21 at 11:59 p.m. PT on Twitter and billboard.com/bbmasvote. For more information, visit billboardmusicawards.com/vote.

Demi Lovato Performs Rousing Rendition of National Anthem at the Super Bowl

It’s a star-spangled night for Demi Lovato

Demi Lovato

The 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress helped kick off Super Bowl LIV on Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami with a soaring rendition of the National Anthem

Wearing an all-white pantsuit with a belt, Lovato delivered a note-perfect rendition of The Star Spangled Banner, nailing both the dramatic “land of the free” climax and the elongated closing “brave” note. 

The anthem has been performed at the Super Bowl in recent years by P!nkLuke BryanLady GagaIdina Menzel and Gladys Knight

The Super Bowl marks Lovato’s second Sunday in a row delivering a high-profile performance on national television, having debuted her new heart-wrenching single “Anyone” at the Grammys a week earlier

The song is expected to debut on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, Lovato’s first entry on the chart since “Sober” in 2018. 

Demi Lovato Makes Emotional Return to the Music Scene with Grammys Performance of New Single “Anyone”

Demi Lovato‘s back, and she’s bringing the house (and the tears) down…

In the 27-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress’ gave her first live performance in two years at Sunday night’s Grammy Awards, debuting her new, highly personal single “Anyone.”

Demi Lovato

Lovato, who was so overcome with emotion that she had to restart the performance a second time, took the stage in a dramatic white gown, and backed only by piano to sing the song’s somber, pain-filled lyrics. 

“I feel stupid when I sing / Nobody’s listening,” she sang, with tears running down her face.

Lovato has said that she recorded “Anyone,” four days before her near-fatal overdose in July 2018. And it’s easy to believe someone near rock bottom penned those lyrics. 

“I tried to talk to my piano, I tried to talk to my guitar,” she begins. “Talked to my imagination / Confided into alcohol / I tried and tried and tried some more / Told secrets ’til my voice was sore.” She goes on, singing that she felt dumb for praying, that her wishes upon shooting stars were for naught, that even with “a hundred million stories / and a hundred million songs / I feel stupid when I sing / Nobody’s listening to me.”

Lovato’s emotional performance earned rave reviews from her peers online…

“Oh Demi Lovato, you just tore me down,” wrote P!nk. “I’m so glad you’re here to sing those words, to sing like that.” 

“I am in tears. That is singing. That is heart and that is truth,” said Sam Smith in his Instagram Story.

Lovato’s longtime friend Selena Gomezposted a pic of the performance and wrote, “I wish there were words to describe how beautiful, inspirational and DESERVED this moment was. Demi I’m so happy for you. Thank you for your courage and bravery.”

Cardi B Makes History as Her Latest Single “I Like It” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

Cardi B is making history…

The 25-year-old half-Dominican American rapper has become the first female rapper with two No. 1s on the Billboard Hot 100, after her hit single “I Like It,” featuring Bad Bunny and J Balvin rises from No. 2 to No. 1 on chart.

Cardi B

Cardi B first reigned with her debut single, “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves),” for three weeks beginning October 7, 2017.

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny and Balvin earn their first Hot 100 No. 1 each.

Cardi B passes four female rappers who previously topped the tally with one No. 1 apiece: Lauryn Hill, with “Doo Wop (That Thing),” in 1998; Lil’ Kim, with “Lady Marmalade,” with Christina Aguilera, Mya and P!nk (2001); Shawnna, as featured on Ludacris‘ “Stand Up” (2003); and, Iggy Azalea, with “Fancy,” featuring Charli XCX (2014).

Cardi B’s bilingual track reworks the venerable “I Like It Like That,” originally performed by Pete Rodriguez in 1967 and taken to No. 25 on the Hot 100 in 1997 (titled “I Like It”) by The Blackout Allstars; the latter act included Tito Nieves, who also recorded a notable solo version. (In between, the composition appeared in the 1994 film I Like It Like That and earned a synch in a 1996 Burger King commercial.)

“I Like It” is from Cardi B’s debut album, Invasion of Privacy, which launched atop the Billboard 200 chart dated on April 4 and includes “Bodak Yellow.”

Cardi B is the first artist to notch a pair of Hot 100 No. 1s from a debut album since Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, whose The Heist yielded “Thrift Shop,” featuring Wanz and “Can’t Hold Us,” featuring Ray Dalton in 2013.

Cardi B is the first soloist with a pair Hot 100 leaders from a debut LP since Bruno Mars, whose Doo-Wops & Hooligans produced “Just the Way You Are” (2010) and “Grenade” (2011).

And, Cardi B is the first female soloist with two Hot 100 No. 1s from a debut album this decade, and the first since Lady Gaga, whose The Fame generated “Just Dance,” featuring Colby O’Donis and “Poker Face,” both in 2009.

Prior to “I Like It,” Bad Bunny reached a No. 36 Hot 100 high with “Te Bote,” with Casper Magico, Nio Garcia, Darell, Nicky Jam and Ozuna.

J Balvin notched a prior No. 3 best with “Mi Gente,” with Willy William and featuring Beyoncé, last October.

“I Like It” concurrently takes over atop the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where Cardi B previously led with “Bodak Yellow,” for six weeks, and “Finesse” (one). It  becomes her second No. 1 on Hot Rap Songs, after “Bodak Yellow” (eight). Bad Bunny and J Balvin lead each list for the first time.

Cardi B & Bruno Mars to Perform “Finesse (Remix)” at This Year’s Grammy Awards Show

Cardi B is ready to make her Grammys debut…

The 25-year-old part-Dominican rapper will partner with Bruno Mars to bring their “Finesse (Remix)” to the Grammy stage when the 60th Annual awards come back to New York City on Sunday January 28.

Cardi B & Bruno Mars

Along with Mars and Cardi B, the Recording Academy revealed that 2018 Grammy nominees Luis Fonsi & Daddy YankeeKesha, and SZA will also join the roster.

In addition, Alessia Cara, Khalid and Logic will join voices for a performance, taking the stage with a group of suicide attempt and loss survivors in a special performance of “1-800-273-8255.”

Previously announced performers include Childish Gambino, Lady Gaga, Little Big Town, Patti LuPone, P!nk, and Ben Platt.

Mars, who is the third most nominated artist of the night after JAY Z and Kendrick Lamar, has earned six nominations including album of the year and best R&B album for 24K Magic as well as record of the year for “24K Magic” and song of the year for “That’s What I Like.”

Cardi B, who will make her Grammy debut this year, received two nods for “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” (best rap performance and best rap song).

Current three-time Grammy nominees Fonsi & Daddy Yankee are up for record of the year, song of the year, and best pop duo/group performance (“Despacito” featuring Justin Bieber) after winning big at the Latin Grammys back in November 2017.

The show will be hosted by award-winning television personality and performer James Corden and will be broadcasted live on CBS at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT.

Cardi B Makes History as “Bodak Yellow” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

It’s an extra special (and historic) feat for Cardi B

The 24-year-old part-Dominican American rapper, whose real name is Belcalis Almanzar, becomes the first female rapper in nearly 19 years to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart without the assistance of any other credited artists, as her debut hit “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” rises from No. 2 to No. 1 on the latest chart (dated Oct. 7). And she’s the first Dominican artist to reach the top of Billboard’s main singles chart.

Cardi B

“Bodak Yellow” makes Cardi B just the second female rapper to top the Hot 100 without any other billed artists, following Lauryn Hill‘s first solo Hot 100 entry (apart from the Fugees), “Doo Wop (That Thing),” for two weeks beginning with its November 14, 1998, debut at No. 1.

Cardi B is only the fifth female rapper ever to lead the Hot 100 at all. After Hill, Lil’ Kim ruled for five weeks in 2001 with Christina Aguilera, Mya and P!nk on “Lady Marmalade“; Shawnna reigned as featured on Ludacris‘ “Stand Up,” which topped the December 6, 2003, chart; and Iggy Azalea‘s introductory Hot 100 hit, “Fancy,” featuring Charli XCX, led for seven weeks in 2014.

Cardi B is also the first female soloist to top the Hot 100 with a debut track unaccompanied by another artist since Meghan Trainor, whose “All About That Bass” led for eight weeks beginning September 20, 2014.

“Bodak Yellow” rises at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart with 46.4 million U.S. streams, up 14 percent, in the week ending September 21, according to Nielsen Music. It bounds 12-3 on Digital Song Sales chart, up 85 percent to 56,000 downloads sold in the week ending September 21, marking the Hot 100’s top gain in download sales (aided by a 69-cent discount price in the iTunes Store).

The track also lifts 16-13 on Radio Songs, with 62 million all-format audience impressions, up 8 percent, in the week ending September 24.

“Bodak Yellow” spends a fifth week at No. 1 on the Rap Airplay chart and a second week atop R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay; crowns the Rhythmic Songs airplay chart, with a 3-1 rise; and debuts on Pop Songs on at No. 37.

Cardi B’s breakthrough hit also spends a sixth week at No. 1 on the Hot Rap Songs chart and a fourth frame atop Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.