Christina Aguilera to Receive Spirit of Hope Award at Billboard Latin Music Awards

It’s a spirited time for Christina Aguilera.

The 41-year-old half-Ecuadorian American actress and pop star will receive the Spirit of Hope award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

Christina AguileraThe special award — which was established in 1996 in honor of the late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla — will recognize Aguilera for her philanthropic and humanitarian contributions beyond her musical work.

Aguilera will also perform during the awards show, which will take place on Thursday, September 29, at the Watsco Canter in Miami, and will be broadcast live on Telemundo beginning at 7:00 pm ET.

The Billboard Latin Music Awards — where Bad Bunny leads the list of finalists with a staggering 23 nods across 13 categories — will be simulcast on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock, the Telemundo App, and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.

In addition to her musical accolades, including more than 75 million records sold worldwide, five No.1 Billboard Hot 100 hits, and a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, the artist also known as Xtina has lifted her voice to help end the cycle of domestic abuse, been a longtime supporter and ally to the LGBTQ+ community, raised awareness about HIV/AIDS research, and traveled the globe to help feed children in poverty-stricken areas.

Aguilera joins past Billboard Spirit of Hope recipients including Gloria Estefan, Emmanuel, Willy Chirino, Olga Tañon, Maná, Los Tigres del Norte, Ricky Martin, El General, Soraya, Juan Luis Guerra, Shakira, Ricardo Montaner, Juanes, Daddy Yankee, Marc Anthony, Carlos Vives, Carlos Santana, Luis Fonsi, and Maluma.

Ricky Martin Earns 18th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with Reik-Collab “A Veces Bien y A Veces Mal”

Ricky Martin has made his triumphant return to the top of the charts…

The 50-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor has returned to the No. 1 spot for the first time in over four years on a Billboard airplay chart as “A Veces Bien y A Veces Mal” with Reik rises from No. 7 to lead the Latin Airplay ranking dated August 27.

Ricky MartinMartin & Reik’s first collaboration lands at the summit in its 17th week boosted by a 43% gain in audience impressions to 9.1 million earned in the U.S. in the week ending August 21, according to Luminate.

With the biggest percentage gain of the week in terms of audience, it ejects Bad Bunny and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porto Bonito” from its one week in charge. It falls to No. 2 on the current chart.

“A Veces Bien y A Veces Mal” marks the 18th ruler for Martin and first since his one-week champ “Fiebre,” featuring Wisin & Yandel, in May 2018. With the new champ, the pop star enters a tie with Bad Bunny for the eighth-most among all acts, both with 18 wins.

Plus, he continues to hold the second-most victories among Latin pop acts, trailing only Enrique Iglesias (32 leaders). Overall, J Balvin continues at the helm with 35 No. 1s.

Here’s a look at the male-dominated scoreboard:

35, J Balvin
32, Enrique Iglesias
28, Ozuna
26, Daddy Yankee
22, Wisin
21, Maluma
19, Romeo Santos
18, Bad Bunny
18, Ricky Martin
16, Carlos Vives
16, Nicky Jam
16, Shakira

For Reik, “A Veces Bien y A Veces Mal” provides the Mexican trio their fourth No. 1 and first since “Si Me Dices Que Sí,” with Farruko and Camilo, reigned for one week in June 2020.

In addition to the song’s Latin Airplay domination, Martin and Reik celebrate their Latin Pop Airplay coronation, as the track climbs 4-1 with the Greatest Gainer honors of the week.

Further, the track debuts at No. 50 on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs chart.

Bad Bunny Earns 18th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with Chencho Corleone-Collab “Me Porto Bonito”

Bad Bunny continues his chart-topping ways…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer’s collaboration with Chencho Corleone, “Me Porto Bonito,” leads another Billboard Latin chart as the track ascends from No. 9 to lead the Latin Airplay ranking dated August 20.

Bad Bunny

It comes just three weeks after Bad Bunny topped the list with “Moscow Mule,” which jumped 11-1 on the July 30 chart (it’s No. 4 on the new chart).

“Me Porto Bonito” rallies 9-1 on Latin Airplay in its fifth week, the fastest trek to the top between Bad Bunny’s collection of 18 No. 1s among 36 career appearances.

On the tracking week ending in Aug. 14, “Me Porto Bonito” earned 9 million in audience impressions, up 35%.

With 18 leaders on his account, Bad Bunny breaks a tie with Ricky Martin as the act with the eighth-most No. 1s on Latin Airplay.

Here’s the scoreboard:

35, J Balvin
32, Enrique Iglesias
28, Ozuna
26, Daddy Yankee
22, Wisin
21, Maluma
19, Romeo Santos
18, Bad Bunny
17, Ricky Martin

The song concurrently takes over Latin Rhythm Airplay with a 7-1 lift in its eighth week.

The new leader gifts Bad Bunny his 18th No. 1 on both surveys. Meanwhile, Chencho Corleone scores his second Latin Airplay ruler and third on Latin Rhythm Airplay, dating back to his first offering, the five-week ruler which arrived through his featured role in Tito El Bambino’s “A Que No te Atreves,” in 2014.

In addition to the new chart-topper, Bad Bunny also ranks in the top 10 with one more song. Former champ “Moscow Mule” darts 5-4 after a 9% drop in weekly audience impressions.

“Me Porto Bonito’s” Latin Airplay coronation arrives 13 weeks after the song conquered the No. 1 spot on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, which blends airplay, streaming data, and digital sales. The song has since held steady atop the tally thanks to its continued streaming success. In the tracking week ending Aug. 11, the song generated 20.22 million U.S. streams, a 1% decline from the week prior, according to Luminate.

Despite its 1% streaming decline, “Me Porto Bonito” remains strong atop Latin Streaming Songs also for a 13th week (and counting). Further, it dips 2-3 on the overall Streaming Songs, after its two-week coronation for Bad Bunny’s first and only champ on that survey.

Jennifer Lopez to Perform at Charity Gala for Ukraine Children & Families

Jennifer Lopez is helping to raise funds for the children of the Ukraine…

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is set to perform on the Italian island of Capri at a Ukraine-focused charity gala for UNICEF.

Jennifer LopezExpected guests at the exclusive event, which is called LuisaViaRoma for UNICEF, include Leonardo DiCaprio; Jamie Foxx; Elon Musk’s mother, the supermodel Maye Musk; Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto, and Vanessa Hudgens.

The intimate Capri charity event will take place in the island’s Certosa di San Giacomo, a 14th-century monastery with a large grassy cloister area and a stunning view of the Mediterranean.

Lopez will be the main musical act at the exclusive gala, where the hit-making DJ Diplo and singer/actress Sofia Carson, as well as Switzerland’s DJ Cruz, are among other artists that are expected to take the stage, Italy’s La Repubblica reported.

Past editions of the charity concert have been complemented with performances by the likes of John Legend, Katy Perry and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, as well as Rita Ora, Ricky Martin and Ellie Goulding, according to Variety sister publication Women’s Wear Daily, which broke the news in May that Lopez would headline the Capri gala.

After kicking off with musical entertainment, the event will be followed by a lavish dinner and charity auction.

The guest list also includes Dutch supermodel and actor Lara Stone; U.S. producer and director Tonya Lewis Lee; Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki; and, from Italy, singer and songwriter Sangiovanni and actor Matilde Gioli, according to La Repubblica.

During the charity gala, UNICEF representatives based in Ukraine will join the soirée remotely. A documentary will also screen, detailing the work being done by UNICEF at the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan that welcome Syrian children and their families.

It’s Lopez’s first stage performance since marrying actor Ben Affleck earlier this month.

Bad Bunny’s “Moscow Mule” Soars to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

Bad Bunny has racked up another chart-topper…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer returns to the summit on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Moscow Mule” soars 11-1 on the July 30-dated chart.

Bad Bunny

It’s the 17th champ for Bad Bunny, who first secured a No. 1 in February 2018.

“Moscow Mule” rallies to the top of the all-genre Latin chart in its 11th week with a 49% gain in audience impressions, to 9.9 million, earned in the U.S. in the week ending July 24, according to Luminate.

The song’s growth makes it the chart’s Greatest Gainer.

Some of the greatest radio supporters of “Moscow Mule” during the July 18-24 tracking week were in New York and Philadelphia, leading with New York’s WSKQ (2 million impressions, up 50%) and WXNY (1.3 million, up 49%) and Philadelphia’s WHAT (749,000, a 43% gain).

As “Moscow Mule” takes over Latin Airplay, the previous champ, Wisin and Camilo’s “Buenos Días,” vacates the top spot after a one-week reign, with a 34% decline in audience impressions, falling 1-13. It’s the second-largest positional fall from No. 1 in 2022 after “SG,” by the all-star team of DJ Snake, Ozuna, Lisa and Megan Thee Stallion, which dipped 1-16 on the April 19-dated ranking.

With his 17th No. 1 on Latin Airplay, Bad Bunny ties Ricky Martin for the eighth-most No. 1s since the chart’s launch in 1994.

Here’s a look at the scoreboard:

35, J Balvin
32, Enrique Iglesias
28, Ozuna
25, Daddy Yankee
22, Wisin
21, Maluma
19, Romeo Santos
17, Bad Bunny
17, Ricky Martin

“Moscow” cracks the Latin Airplay No. 1 spot eight months after Bad Bunny captured his last champ, “Volví,” with Aventura, a one-week ruler in October 2021. The song also topped Tropical Airplay for 13 weeks and has ranked in the top 10 within its 51-week run (and counting).

In line with its Latin Airplay coronation, “Moscow Mule” powers to No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay, also Bad Bunny’s 17th win there.

The song previously ruled Hot Latin Songs and Latin Streaming Songs for one week on the May 21-dated survey.

Elsewhere, “Moscow Muke” is back in the top 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a 27-25 lift, after its No. 4 debut and peak, also on May 21.

Ricky Martin Offers Sneak Peek at New Music Video

Ricky Martin is offering a sneak peek at his latest music video…

After a busy weekend shooting the music video for his upcoming new single, the 50-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor has given fans a sneak peek to the clip via social media, along with a behind-the-scenes photo of him in action.

Ricky Martin“In this photo, a little tease of what the video of my next single is going feel like,” Martin wrote in the post. “It was a really long day, but everything flows amazingly well when surrounded by the right group of people. Nothing but love and light throughout the day. et, which is the second part to his Latin Grammy-winning EP Pausa. “I’ve created two separate albums. Pausa is more chill and relaxed,”

Martin told Billboard back in 2020 when he released the first part of his project. “The second one called Play has more upbeat music.”

Besides working on new music, Martin is busy with television projects as well. He will be the male lead in Mrs. American Pie, a new Apple TV+ comedy series. The cast will also include Kristen Wiig, Alison Janney and Laura Dern, who is executive producing the show.

Set to play Robert in the 10-episode series based on the novel by Juliet McDanielMrs. American Pie is Martin’s first television project since Ryan Murphy’s drama The Assassination of Gianni Versace on FX, in which he played Antonio D’Amico.

Ricky Martin Partners with Lin-Manuel Miranda & Hispanic Federation to Launch Advance Change Together Initiative

Ricky Martin is hoping to advance change in support of the LGBTQ+ community…

This week, the 50-year-old Puerto Rican singer, songwriter and actor has teamed up with Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hispanic Federation have announced Advance Change Together (ACT), a new initiative to support Latinx-led LGBTQ+ organizations.

Ricky Martin“Mi gente, we are always more powerful together,” Martin said in a video shared on social media. “We must unite to fight against attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, and speak up for the most marginalized among us.”

According to a press release, the initiative “will empower and support organizations working on the frontlines to protect and serve LGBTQ+ Latinx communities.”

The announcement was made June 14 as Pride Month festivities continue and just days after the six-year remembrance of the 49 lives that were taken during the Pulse Club massacre in Orlando, Fla.

Carlos Vives & Camilo Reach No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Baloncito Viejo”

Carlos Vives’ latest single has reached the summit of another Billboard chart…

A week after rising to No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart, the 60-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter and actor’s collaboration with Camilo has reached the No. 1 rank on the overall Latin Airplay chart as “Baloncito Viejo” rules the June 18-dated list.

Carlos Vives, Camilo,Vives and Camilo’s first collaboration lifts 2-1 in its 11th week with a 13% gain in audience impressions, earned in the U.S. in the week ending June 12, according to Luminate.

“Baloncito Viejo” becomes Vives’ 16th No. 1 on Latin Airplay, and first in almost three years.

He last achieved a No. 1 with “Si Me Das Tu Amor,” with Wisin, in August 2019.

In between, he’s scored four other entries, including “Canción Bonita” with Ricky Martin, the only other single — along with “Baloncito Viejo” — that appears on his latest studio album, Cumbiana II, which has secured a spot on the overall genre tally (the album debuted and peaked at No. 14 on the May 28-dated Tropical Albums chart).

Camilo, meanwhile, clocks his sixth leader and first of the year. It follows “Millones” which ruled for one week in July 2021. Along with “Baloncito Viejo,” Camilo also charts with “Pegao” on Latin Airplay, at No. 42 on the current chart week.

Elsewhere, “Baloncito Viejo” rises to a new peak on Latin Pop Airplay with an equal 2-1 ascent. The move marks Vives first No. 1 in almost six years, since “La Bicicleta,” with Shakira, topped the ranking for 12 consecutive weeks, starting the July 9, 2016-dated chart.

Notably, both artists capture their fifth champ on Latin Pop Airplay.

Further, “Baloncito Viejo” holds its No. 1 rank on Tropical Airplay for a second week.

Airplay gains likewise push the song up the all-metric Hot Latin Songs, which factors radio airplay, song sales and streaming into its calculations. “Baloncito Viejo” climbs 50-41 and takes home the Greatest Gainer/Airplay honors.

Jason Canela to Appear on Apple TV+’s Original Comedy Series “Mrs. American Pie”

Jason Canela is taking a swing…

The 30-year-old Cuban American actor will portray a tennis pro in Apple TV+’s original comedy series Mrs. American Pie.

Jason CanelaCanela will recur on the series alongside Jordan BridgesKaia Gerber, Mindy CohnJulia Duffy and Claudia Ferri.

Written by Abe Sylvia and directed by Tate TaylorMrs. American Pie is a story about gorgeously impossible people. Set during the powder keg era of the early 1970s, it follows Maxine Simmons (Kristen Wiig) and her attempt to secure her seat at America’s most exclusive table: Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, the series asks the same questions that baffle us today: Who gets a seat at the table, how do you get a seat at the table, and what will you sacrifice to get there?

The 10-episode series also stars Laura Dern, Carol Burnett, Ricky Martin, Amber Chardae Robinson, Allison Janney and Leslie Bibb.

Mrs. American Pie was developed by Dern and her producing partner Jayme Lemons via their Jaywalker Pictures banner. Sylvia is writing, executive producing, and showrunning the series. Taylor will direct and executive produce alongside his producing partner John Norris via their Wyolah Entertainment banner. Katie O’Connell Marsh executive produces for Boat RockerApple Studios produces.

Canela portrays Eddie, a tennis pro at the Palm Beach high society club.

Bridges portrays Perry Donahue, an entrepreneur and old schoolmate of Douglas’ (played by Josh Lucas).

Gerber portrays Mitzi, a local manicurist.

Duffy portrays Mary Jones Davidsoul, an old-money member of the Palm Beach high society.

Cohn portrays Ann, an editor for the society column.

Ferri portrays Raquel, a Cuban ex-pat and member of the Palm Beach high society club.

Canela has appeared in Always Be My Maybe, Single in South Beach and The Rookie.

HBO Max Releases Trailer for Docuseries “Menudo: Forever Young,” Featuring Ricky Martin

Ricky Martin will be reliving his young moments this month.

HBO Max has released the first trailer for the four-part documentary Menudo: Forever Young, featuring the 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar.

Ricky Martin, MenudoThe documentary series will be released on June 23.

From Angel Manuel Soto and Kristofer RíosMenudo: Forever Young chronicles the rise and fall of the most iconic Latin American boy band in history, bringing viewers into the world of the popular teen idols’ global tours, magazine covers, ‘80s outfits, and screaming fangirls. But the four-part documentary also exposes that behind the glitz and glamor was a web of abuse and exploitation.

Menudo was formed by producer Edgardo Diaz in 1977 with 5 original members: Ricky Melendez, brothers Carlos and Oscar Meléndez, and the Sallaberry brothers, Fernando and Nefty.

The group changed members often mostly after the pre-teen and early teenage boys aged out around age 15 or 16. Two of its most famous members include Martin and Draco Rosa (as Robbi Rosa).

Menudo: Forever Young is executive produced by Cristina Costantini and Jeff Plunkett of Muck MediaAlex Fumero of Trojan Horse, Bryn Mooser, and Justin Lacob of XTR, and Soto; co-executive producers are Maura Anderson and Rios.

Directors are Soto (E1-E4) and Rios (E3, E4).