J Balvin Earns 10th No. 1 on Billboard Latin Airplay Chart with “Ambiente”

Make that a Perfect 10 for J Balvin

The 33-year-old Colombian urban singer has earned his 10th  No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Airplay chart with “Ambiente,” the fourth single off his latest studio album, Vibras.

J Balvin

The track zooms 10-1 in its 11thweek on the chart dated July 7, and earns the week’s Greatest Gainer honors thanks to a 70 percent increase in audience (to 16.74 million in the week ending July 1), according to Nielsen Music.

The nine-position leap is the biggest jump to No. 1 since March 10, when Wisin’s “Todo Comienza En La Disco,” featuring Yandel and Daddy Yankee, rose 11 ranks (12-1).

“Ambiente,” which was released on April 13, is Balvin’s third No. 1 of the year. It follows “X” with Nicky Jam, which topped the list on the April 28-dated chart, ruling for two weeks, and “Machika” with Neon and Anitta which led for one week on March 24.

“I’m extremely grateful for so many blessings, for seeing how every day we are reinventing ourselves musically,” Balvin tells Billboard. “Thankful as we go surprising the audience with different sounds and “Ambiente” has not been the exception. I am very happy with this 10th  No. 1. Thank you for everything, onwards with the Latin culture.”

For a second week in a row, Balvin has three songs in the top 10 (“Ambiente” at No. 1, “X” with Nicky Jam steady at No. 2, and “I Like It” with Cardi B and Bad Bunny moving 7-10).

Further, for the first time in his career, Balvin holds down the top two at the same time — an achievement only seven other acts have managed in the chart’s 23-year history. Balvin is also just the fifth act to be both Nos. 1 and 2 as a lead artist, and the first since Pitbull in 2011 (Oct. 15, 2011: “Rain Over Me,” featuring Marc Anthony was No. 1, and “Give Me Everything,” featuring Ne-Yo,Afrojack and Nayer was No. 2).

“Ambiente” also lands atop the Latin Rhythm Airplay chart, rising 8-1. It’s Balvin’s 10th No. 1.

Earlier this week, Balvin earned his first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 alongside Cardi B and Bad Bunny with their hit single “I Like It.”

Santos “Odio” Breaks Records as it Soars to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart

Romeo Santos is breaking records with his latest single…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican/Dominican American singer’s new single “Odio,” featuring Drake, which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart, has zoomed to the top spot on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart.

Romeo Santos

“Odio” soars 39-1 on the chart, marking the biggest jump to No. 1 since the chart switched to an airplay/sales/streaming hybrid methodology (from all-airplay) in October 2012.

“Odio” becomes Santos’ seventh Hot Latin Songs leader, a run that began with “You” in 2011.

In the process, Santos has also managed to set download and streaming records.

In its first week of availability, the track sold 55,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, entering Latin Digital Songs at No. 1 and setting the mark for the highest sales week for a Spanish-language track since the chart’s inception in January 2010.

“Odio” also sets the standard for the most streams on the 10-month-old Latin Streaming Songs chart, arriving at No. 1 with 1.6 million U.S. streams, according to Nielsen BDS. Of that sum, 1.2 million clicks are from YouTube views, split between user-generated clips (68%) and all official audio and lyric video content (32%), which does not yet include a proper video clip of the track.

On the radio side, Odio,” the second single from Santos’ upcoming set Formula, Vol. 2, garnered 10.8 million audience impressions, according to BDS, to debut at No. 1 on Latin Airplay. It’s his eighth chart-topper on the list and third to open at the summit. With the No. 1 entry, Santos ties Enrique Iglesias for most No. 1 starts in the tally’s 20-year history.

On the all-format Billboard Hot 100, “Odio” claims the highest debut for a Spanish-language song in the chart’s 55-year history, arriving at No. 45 as the list’s highest new entry. Santos is just the third tropical act to rank as high in a first week, following Gloria Estefan, whose “Heaven’s What I Feel” (an English-language track) entered at No. 34 in 1998, and iconic Mambo act Perez Prado and His Orchestra, whose instrumental classic “Patricia” ranked and peaked at No. 2 the week that the Hot 100 launched (Aug. 4, 1958).

Meanwhile, Santos’ prior single “Propuesta Indecente,” which has spent four non-consecutive weeks atop Hot Latin Songs, holds at No. 2, making him the first act to hold down the chart’s top two spots since Pitbull doubled up in October 2011 (with “Rain Over Me,” featuring Marc Anthony, at No. 1 and “Give Me Everything,” featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer, at No. 2).

Martinez Cast in the Feature Film “Run All Night”

Natalie Martinez is about to run all night

The 29-year-old Cuban American actress, who most recently starred on CBSUnder the Dome, has signed on to star in Warner Bros.’ Run All Night.

Natalie Martinez

Martinez will star opposite Liam Neeson, Ed Harris and Joel Kinnaman the action thriller.

She’ll play Gabriela, the wife of Kinnaman’s character Mike and mother of their two young children. When Mike’s estranged mob hitman father Jimmy takes on his ex-boss, he and his son are forced to go on the run.

The film, written by Brad Ingelsby, will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

Martinez rose to acclaim as the spokesmodel for JLO by Jennifer Lopez. Her other credits include a supporting role in Death Race and an appearance in the music video titled “Rain Over Me” by Pitbull featuring Marc Anthony.

Anthony to Perform “God Bless America” at MLB All-Star Game

Marc Anthony is preparing for an all-star performance…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer will perform “God Bless America” during the seventh inning of the upcoming MLB All-Star Game, which will take place on July 16 and be broadcast live on Fox.

Marc Anthony

Anthony, whose salsa song “Vivir Mi Vida” has been No. 1 for the eight consecutive weeks on Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart, has gained acclaim for performing the national anthem, including a show-stopping performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner at the 2011 NBA Finals.

Meanwhile, Anthony’s “Rain Over Me” co-collaborator Pitbull will also make at appearance at the big game.

The 32-year-old Cuban American rap superstar will warm up the crowd at the Home Run Derby, taking place July 15 and airing on ESPN.

Mr. Worldwide will perform his hits “Don’t Stop the Party” and “Feel This Moment.”

American Idol winner Candace Glover will sing the national anthem before the start of the all-star game.

Pitbull Scores A Slam Dunk at the NBA All-Star Game…

Mr. Worldwide and Breezy aren’t afraid to spread their international love to an audience of sports fans…

Pitbull and Chris Brown performed a slam dunk at Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game in Orlando as part of a high-octane halftime show.

Pitbull & Chris Brown at the NBA All-Star Game

The 31-year-old Cuban American singer/rapper, dressed in all-black, kicked off the high-energy performance by singing a medley of his hits, including “I Know You Want Me” and “Rain Over Me.” Brown then joined Pitbull to sing their hit single “International Love” before breaking into a truncated version of his latest song “Turn Up the Music.” Then, Breezy withdrew from the spotlight to let Pitbull, Ne-Yo and Nayer close out the halftime show with a performance of their oh-so-popular “Give Me Everything.

Pitbull at the NBA All-Star Game

In no time, the halftime show felt like a block party; and Pitbull, surrounded by sultry backup dancers, was without a doubt the master of ceremonies.

Martinez to Star in CBS Drama Pilot

Natalie Martinez is heading to the Eye Network…

The 27-year-old Cuban American actress has been cast  in the pilot for the CBS drama Widow Detective, which centers on a decorated police detective who, after losing three partners in the line of duty, becomes surrogate husband, lover and father to their families.

Natalie Martinez

Martinez, who previously appeared as Detective Ariana Sanchez on Detroit 1-8-7, will play a widow in the pilot.

Martinez, who got her big break as the spokesmodel for Jennifer Lopez’s JLO by Jennifer Lopez fragrance, also stars in Pitbull and Marc Anthony’s video for “Rain Over Me.”

Lopez & Pitbull: This Year’s YouTube Royalty…

Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull claim the top spot on one of YouTube‘s “Rewind” lists, which track the most-viewed videos in the past 12 months.

Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican American bombshell and the 30-year-old Cuban American rap superstar’s clip for their scorching-hot hit “On the Floor” was the most-watched video of the year in the music category.

Lopez and Pitbull’s dancetastic video notched a staggering 453 million total views since its YouTube debut in March.

Pitbull actually had three highly viewed clips in the music video category this year, including his “Give Me Everything,” which features Ne-Yo and Afrojack with 189 million views since May.

Meanwhile, Bruno Mars ranked at No. 3 with his “Lazy Song” video, which has collected 249 views since its release in April.

YouTube Most Watched Music Videos of the Year:

  1. Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor”
  2. LMFAO’s “Party Rock Anthem”
  3. Bruno Mars’ “The Lazy Song”
  4. Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass”
  5. Pitbull’s “Give Me Everything”
  6. Pitbull’s “Rain Over Me”
  7. Jessie J’s “Price Tag”
  8. LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It”
  9. Katy Perry’s “E.T.”
  10. Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)”

Lopez Illuminates at the American Music Awards

On a high-octane night that showcased the star power of Latino artists, Jennifer Lopez shined brighter than the rest at the 39th Annual American Music Awards.

Jennifer Lopez American Music Awards 2011

In a performance that showed the 42-year-old Puerto Rican-American singer/actress pull away not one, but two layers of her outfit to reveal a barely there, sheer body suit, Lopez stole the show with a medley of her inescapable hits “Papi” and “On the Floor.”

She even started that sizzling performance by psyching out the audience with a faked emotional breakdown while singing the beginning “Until It Beats No More,” similar to the one she reportedly experienced earlier this fall while performing in New Jersey.

A short time after her show-stopping performance, Lopez returned to the stage to accept the award for favorite artist in the Latin music category and reflect on her “amazing” year.

“It’s been up and down and just exciting and overwhelming and so many things,” exclaimed a surprised Lopez, before breaking out the Spanish to thank her Latin-American fans. “Mi gente Latina, por so apoyo siempre, por todo su amor, por todo. Gracias! I love you!”

But Lopez wasn’t done rockin’ the AMA stage! She returned one last time to perform with Will.i.am on his new solo song “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever).” For the Black Eyed Peas member, debuting a solo song at the American Music Awards with a ponytailed Lopez in a blacklight-inspired performance is extra special.

“I collaborate in the Peas all the time, but this is the first time I’ve ever done big collaborations with big-name artists on my solo projects,” he told Rolling Stone before the show. “So it means a lot that J. Lo’s even considered performing with me, that’s dope. She’s great.”

Bruno Mars was the night’s only other Latino winner. He took home the award for favorite pop/rock male artist.

Meanwhile, Pitbull and Marc Anthony performed their hit song “Rain Over Me;” Enrique Iglesias performed a mash-up of his new single “I Like How It Feels” with the PG-version of “Tonight I’m Lovin’ You;” and Christina Aguilera joined Maroon 5 to perform “Moves Like Jagger.”

Alborán & Lovato Highlight the Stellar Performances at the Latin Grammys

The Latin Grammys aren’t solely a night to recognize the exceptional work of Latin musicians; they’re also a platform for showcasing the incredible talent of Hispanic artists to the entire world. And, this year’s awards show was no exception.

Latin Grammys Performances Shakira, Pablo Alboran & Pitbull

From international superstars like Calle 13 and Shakira—who took home awards for their great work in the past year—to rising stars like Sie7e and Pablo Alborán, the 12thAnnual Latin Grammy Awards featured high-octane performances by the brightest stars  in Latin music,
including some powerhouse duets. Even English-language artists like Demi Lovato and Usher made special guest appearances  during the show.

Here’s a look at the night’s best live performances:

Calle 13
This year’s big winners with a record-shattering nine awards kicked off the show with a electrifying performance of their smash hit “Latinoamerica,” which ended up winning the Puerto Rican urban hip-hop group the on the Song of the Year award. The show-stopping performance included a full orchestral accompaniment, which elevated the song to new heights.

Shakira
She’s this year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, so it’s no surprise Shakira performed twice during the three-hour show. During the Colombian singer’s first appearance, she looked flawless in a crystal-encrusted strapless gown with peach chiffon skirt as she performed her latest single “Antes de las seis,” a powerful and heart-wrenching ballad. Looking all the rockera, Shakira returned later in the broadcast to perform “Devoción,” and then busted a move with her backup dancers while singing her big hit “Loca.”

Pablo Alborán & Demi Lovato
Spanish singer Pablo Alborán, nominated for best new artist, performed a duet with 19-year-old part-Mexican singer/actress Demi Lovato. The pair performed his heart-wrenching ballad ” Solamente Tú” to perfection.

Wisin y Yandel & Sean Kingston
In another spectacular presentation, the Puerto Rican hip-hop duo sang their hit “Estoy enamorado.” Wisin y Yandel first appeared on the TV
screens in black and white, before breaking out in technicolor—with rapper Sean Kingston joining them.

Pitbull & Marc Anthony
Talk about a show-stopping moment—complete with a ever changing cast of sexy back up dancers. Call Pitbull and Marc Anthony’s high-energy of “Rain Over Me” an ode to Las Vegas, where this year’s show took place.

Mana & Prince Royce
The legendary Mexican band rocked the show during the performance of Mana’s hit “Lluvia al corazon,”  before being joined by rising star Prince Royce to sing a tropical remix of the band’s current single “El verdadero amor perdona.

Other outstanding performances:  Los Tigres del Norte and Paulina Rubio singing “Golpes en el Corazon”and Romeo Santos performing his hit “Promise” with Usher.

So which performance do you think stole the show?