Karol G to Perform at This Year’s Billboard Music Awards

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is preparing a special medley…

The 32-year-old Colombian superstar is set to perform at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, taking place on Sunday, November 19.

Karol G — who’s had a banner year, scoring her first Billboard 200 leader with Mañana Será Bonito — will perform a trio of her hit songs during the awards show.

Karol G is nominated for five Billboard Music Awards, including top Latin artist, top Latin female artist, top Latin touring artist, top Latin album (Mañana Será Bonito) and top Latin song (“TQG” with Shakira).

Karol G’s Mañana Será Bonito, released in February, made history as the first all Spanish-language album by a female artist to top the Billboard 200.

The set includes her unprecedented collaboration with Shakira, “TQG,” which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. This year, Karol G also went on her first-ever U.S. stadium tour, which included stops in major markets like Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago.

With nods in 20 categories, Taylor Swift is the top finalist at the 2023 BBMAs. Bad Bunny and Peso Pluma have the most nods among Latinx artists with six; Eslabon Armado, Karol G and Selena Gomez follow with five each.

The 2023 Billboard Music Awards — which will be produced by dick clark productions — will have a first-of-its-kind collaboration with Spotify “Fans First,” which will bring fans up close and personal with their favorite artists.

Performances and awards will roll out across the BBMAs and Billboard social channels, as well as via BBMAs.watch on Sunday, November 19.

Bad Bunny Appears as The Nosferatu in New “Baticano” Music Video

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is having a fangtastic time…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar gets his creep on in the just-released music video for “Baticano,” a single off his third and latest No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.

Bad Bunny appears as the iconic vampire, The Nosferatu, in the clip.

Directed by Stillz, the music video has all the angles, shadows and hallmarks of the 1922 version of Nosferatu, a benchmark in German Expressionism filmmaking.

Steve Buscemi plays the father figure/mad scientist, who tells the pointy-eared creature, “they’re not ready for you in this world. But you are beautiful. Remember that. You are too perfect for this world.”

Bad Bunny is following in some mighty footsteps. Max Schreck’s performance in that early film was so compelling, Willem Dafoe reprised the role for 2000’s Shadow of the Vampire, which posited that, just maybe, Schreck was an actual garlic-hating, sunshine-avoiding vampire. Werner Herzog helmed the 1979 remake of Nosferatu the Vampyre, with Klaus Kinski, in the lead role, creepier than a box of spiders. Robert Eggers directs an update on the blood-sucking count, due out in 2024.

All 21 songs from Bad Bunny’s new album went on to enter the Billboard Hot 100, including “Baticano,” which bowed at No. 78 last month. It’s his fifth solo studio album, following last year’s blockbuster Un Verano Sin Ti. His 2022 album spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 albums chart and topped the year-end Billboard 200 as well — the first Spanish-language album to do so.

Following its release, Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana was confirmed by Spotify as the platform’s most-streamed album in a single day in 2023 so far.

Peso Pluma Provides Exclusive Dia de los Muertos-Themed Merchandise for Spotify’s 2023 Capsule Collection

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Spotify is embracing Peso Pluma’s style…

The digital music service has announced its 2023 Capsule Collection, featuring exclusive merchandise from artists including the 24-year-old Mexican Regional Mexican artist.

Other artists with exclusive Spotify merchandise include Daft Punk, Rosalía, Tyler, the Creator and Tems.

Each week, a different artist will release a new merchandise package.

Top streamers identified through Spotify’s Fans First program will get a first chance to buy items from the respective collections.

This week, Spotify kicked off the collections with the release of Peso Pluma’s merch line, which is inspired by Dia de los Muertos.

Fans can access the line through Spotify’s merchandise hub, with an array of items including a hoodie inspired by La Catrina, long- and short-sleeved tees, and a Calavera bandana.

“Spotify has always supported my music, since day one so it made sense to align with them,” Peso Pluma said in a statement provided by Spotify. “I use these capsule items in my day-to-day so I want my fans to have them as well. They have a special meaning to Mexican culture.”

Currently, Spotify users can purchase everything from Taylor Swift vinyl to Janet Jackson tour books on the platform. In October 2021, Spotify threw its hat into the e-commerce ring by partnering with Shopify to allow musicians to list merchandise directly on their profiles.

“I’m thrilled with the launch of our Capsule Collection and thankful to all the amazing artists for partnering with us on this,” said Jeremy Erlich, VP/head of music at Spotify. “We’re excited to provide another avenue for fans to support their favorite artists with unique and high-quality merch. Spotify is already where fans and artists connect, and we’re dedicated to continuing to find new ways to strengthen that bond within our platform’s ecosystem.”

Spotify Names Shakira Its Latest EQUAL Global Ambassador

Posted on September 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Equal time for Shakira…

The 46-year-old Colombian superstar has been named Spotify’s EQUAL Global Ambassador for the month of September, coinciding with the DSP’s celebration of “Shakira Day” on September 29th.

It also coincides with the 25th anniversary of her seminal album, Dónde Están Los Ladrones?, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.

Over the last 12 months, Shakira has seen a 138.5% increase in streams on the platform, according to Spotify.

Her native country, Colombia, surpasses this global increase with a 213% growth during the same period.

Following her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards earlier this month, “Te Aviso, Te Anuncio (Objection Tango)” saw more than a 260% increase in U.S. streams on Spotify.

Selena Gomez’s Rema-Collaboration “Calm Down” Surpasses One Billion Streams on Spotify

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is celebrating a music milestone…

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer’s collaboration with Rema, “Calm Down,” has hit one billion streams on Spotify.

“I’m so grateful,” declared Gomez via Instagram Stories and Twitter. “Love you @heisrema!”

The billion-stream milestone is particularly special for Rema, as it’s the first time an African artist-led track has reached the number, per a press release.

“It’s a blessing. It’s not just a big win for me, my team and family, it’s also a big one for the culture. I feel really happy and I’m really proud of the fans as well for going back to the song and putting people on the song. Shout out to the DJs and everyone who made this possible,” the singer said in a press statement.

Over on the Billboard charts, “Calm Down” fared particularly well.

The crossover hit topped Billboard’s Adult Pop Airplay chart dated May 13, marking Rema’s first leader on the list. It also topped the all-format Radio Songs chart and Pop Airplay chart.

“Calm Down” also topped the Rhythmic Airplay chart for four weeks in May-June. On the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, the song has hit No. 3, becoming Rema’s first entry and Gomez’s ninth top 10.

Rema, from Nigeria, released the original version of “Calm Down” in February 2022 as a single from his debut solo LP, Rave & Roses. Its remix with Gomez arrived last August, and that version’s official video premiered in September.

Cardi B Re-Teaming with Megan Thee Stallion for New Single “Bongos”

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is marching to the beat of her own drum…

The 30-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rap superstar is joining forces with Megan Thee Stallion once again, this time on the new track “Bongos.”

Cardi B’s new track will be released on Friday (September 8, with the new track available to be pre-saved now via streaming services Spotify and Apple Music.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion unveiled the “Bongos” artwork with the announcement. The colorful visual shows the two rappers in coordinating blue and purple one-pieces and high heels, with their hair styled in playful, multi-colored curls, and lollipops in hand.

Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion haven’t shared further details yet, but this is their second collaboration — so fans are already hyped.

Their first song together — the NSFW smash hit “WAP,” released on Atlantic Records — spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2020.

“Y’all remember when the FCC almost sued me cuz I performed WAP at the Grammys? What about when all the republicans literally harassed me over it? On the news everyday… Y’all remember? Oooohhh cuz I do,” Cardi reminisced over the summer.

Last week, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion won a court ruling tossing out a lawsuit that accused them of stealing the lyrics to “WAP” and Megan The Stallion’s “Thot Shit” from an earlier track called “Grab Em by the P—-.”

Last month, Cardi B also gave an update on her sophomore album that interestingly turned out to be a decoy — or maybe “Bongos” just came to be very recently.

“I’m not going to release any more collaborations,” she said for her Vogue México y Latinoamérica cover story. “I’m going to put out my next solo single. Right now, I’m working on the cover art and ideas for the next record because it’s definitely coming up. Everyone always tells me I should put the record out now. They did when I released ‘WAP’ [with Megan Thee Stallion] and when I released ‘Up,’ but I always let them know I’m not going to wait long after all these singles. So stay tuned because it’s coming out very soon.”

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Bad Bunny Celebrates History-Making 1 Billion Spotify Streams for “Tití Me Preguntó”

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is celebrating his the latest streaming hit…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar recently visited Spotify’s newly launched Billions Club series.

Bad Bunny stopped by the series to enjoy a “Billions Brunch” with some of his closest friends and collaborators.

“The feeling of having 1 billion streams for this song right now is the same emotion I felt when I got 5,000 plays for the first time,” Bad Bunny said. “For me, it’s just as big knowing that there are people who want to listen and want to enjoy what you make.”

The song in question is “Tití Me Preguntó,” a track from his historic Un Verano Sin Ti album that officially reached 1 billion Spotify streams on January 23.

According to Spotify, Bad Bunny has 12 songs with more than 1 billion streams each on the platform — more than any other artist in Spotify history. He has accumulated 58 billion streams on the service, reigning as Spotify’s most-streamed artist of the year for the past three years.

In the video, Bad Bunny feasted on a lavish meal set on several plaques that commemorated his other songs with over 1 billion Spotify streams, including “Yonaguni,” “Dákiti” (with Jhayco) and “MIA” (with Drake).

In addition to basking in his record-breaking streaming success, the “Después de la Playa” singer also recounted the story behind the creation of “Tití Me Preguntó.” When tasked with telling the story of the song in 10 seconds, he replied, “That’s impossible. That’s a lifetime of love and romance.”

“It’s a song that was born very spontaneously,” he added. “All of the people mentioned in the song exist in real life. Nothing I say in that song is a lie, including the part where I say I want to fall in love, but I can’t.”

Nonetheless, Bad Bunny declined to specify which aunt he was singing about, because “they’ll get jealous and create a mess.”

Toward the end of his Billions Club episode, Bad Bunny made sure to thank his fans for their continued support, as well as his mother and father for believing in him “not just in music, but with every decision [he’s] made” in his life.

Bad Bunny has earned 11 top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including his sole No. 1 single “I Like It” (with Cardi B & J Balvin). On the Billboard 200, he has notched five top 10 projects, two of which have reached the ranking’s summit: El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo (one week) and Un Verano Sin Ti (13 weeks).

Shakira to Receive Video Vanguard Award at This Year’s MTV Video Music Awards

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is being celebrated for leading the way…

The 46-year-old Colombian superstar singer-songwriter will receive the Video Vanguard Award at MTV‘s 2023 Video Music Awards on September 12, becoming the first South American artist to earn the award.

Shakira will accept the award and perform at the ceremony for the first time since 2006.

The “Hips Don’t Lie” singer is a four-time VMA winner and 30-time nominee.

She won her first VMA — the award for International Viewer’s Choice — Latin America (North) — in 2000 for “Ojos Así.” She snagged the same award in 2002 for “Whenever, Wherever/Suerte” and also scooped up the trophy for Best Choreography in a Video for 2006’s “Hips Don’t Lie” as well as Most Earth-Shattering Collaboration for 2007’s “Beautiful Liar” with Beyoncé.

Shakira has also earned three Grammys and 12 Latin Grammys in her career.

The Video Vanguard Award, named after Michael Jackson, went to Nicki Minaj last year. Previous winners include Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, David Bowie, Madonna and Rihanna. The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night director Richard Lester won the award at the first VMAs in 1984.

Shakira is nominated for four VMAs this year: Artist of the Year, Best Collaboration and Best Latin for “TQG” with Karol G, and Best Latin for “Acróstico.”

Earlier this year, her hit collaboration with Bizarrap, “Music Sessions Vol. 53,” set a number of streaming records on Spotify and YouTube.

Shakira first performed at the VMAs in 2002 with her rendition of “Objection (Tango),” and was the first artist to perform a song entirely in Spanish at the ceremony alongside Alejandro Sanz when they sang “La Tortura” in 2005.

Taylor Swift leads this year’s VMA nominations with eight, while SZA comes in second with six nominations. Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, Miley Cyrus, Sam Smith, Olivia Rodrigo and Kim Petras each have five nominations, and Blackpink and Diddy tie Shakira’s four. Demi Lovato, Karol G, Måneskin, and Stray Kids are confirmed to perform at the ceremony, with MTV announcing more performers soon.

Camila Cabello’s “Breathe Into It” Sessions for Calm Now Available on Spotify

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is embracing the calm…

The 26-year-old Mexican-Cuban American singer’s Breathe Into It sessions for Calm are available on Spotify as part of a partnership to make mindfulness more accessible in day-to-day life.

Eleven of the meditation app’s shows are now on the streaming platform, specially curated to support mental wellbeing by helping improve sleep, reducing stress and anxiety and building mindful habits. Therefore, those without a Calm subscription can still enjoy the practices the platform has to offer.

In Cabello Breathe Into It sessions, he “Havana” singer discusses the unpredictable nature of life, and how she found grace, peace and positivity amid struggles with boundaries and social media.

The superstar has often cited meditation as a useful practice in her life, noting that turning off social media and opting to meditate “helps me so much.”

Those looking for a dose of mindfulness can also enjoy episodes of Calm for Sleep, Calm for Stress & Anxiety, Calm for Meditation, Calm for Beginners, Calm for Kids, and episodes of Daily Mindfulness featuring voices from Jay Shetty, Mel Mah and Tamara Levitt.

Stream Cabello’s Breathe Into It episodes on Spotify here , and if you’re looking for more, sign up for Calm here.

Jennifer Lopez Teases That “This Is Me … Now” Album About Ready for Release

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez’s highly anticipated new album may be released in the near future…

After first teasing her new album in November, the 53-year-old Puerto Rican superstar announced on Instagram that This Is Me … Now is just about ready for release.

Lopez kept things vague in her post, simply sharing a black and white photo of her posing in front of a wall emblazoned with the title This Is Me…Now.

“Album delivery day ✨ #THISISMENOW,” she wrote in her caption.

It’s unclear what she means by “delivery day,” but J.Lo did confirm earlier this year that fans could definitely expect her ninth studio album by the end of the summer season.

“My upcoming album This Is Me … Now is coming out this summer,” she shared in March for Spotify’s new Countdown Pages feature. “Yes, you heard it here first. I’m super excited.”

This Is Me … Now serves as a follow-up to Lopez’s similarly titled 2003 record This Is Me … Then, which was dedicated to her partner at the time, Ben Affleck. The two were engaged in 2002 before parting ways in early 2004 — that is, until 2022, when the couple rekindled their romance. Now married to Affleck, Lopez has confirmed that This Is Me … Now is also inspired by Affleck and their stronger-than-ever relationship.

“The reason we’re here is because I want to capture this moment in time because it is even better than the first time,” the “Jenny From the Block” musician told Zane Lowe last year. “We captured me at this moment in time when I was reunited with the love of my life, and we decided we were going to be together forever. The whole message of the album then is this love exists. This is a real love.”

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