Natalia Jiménez Signs with Sergio Lizárraga’s Management & Booking Company LM Events

Natalia Jiménez has new representation…

The 39-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter, who is beloved in Mexico, has signed a management and booking deal with LM Events, the management and booking company headed by Banda MS manager and founder Sergio Lizárraga, according to Billboard.

Natalia Jiménez

The move marks the first time in recent memory that such a prominent pop act enters a management agreement with a company that specializes in the Regional Mexican market. The deal underscores how fluid and collaborative genres have become in Latin music, with the former demarcated lines between sounds and formats, and now business, increasingly fading.

“He [Lizárraga] has been a pioneer of the genre with Banda MS, taking them to international success, and he’s proven his mettle by remaining relevant in a very difficult industry,” Jiménez tells Billboard. “I think it’s a fascinating challenge and I’m 100% vested in this pairing.”

Jiménez rose to prominence as the lead singer of hit Spanish pop group La Quinta Estación. Since launching her solo career in 2011, she’s placed three albums on the top 10 of Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and six songs on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including No. 1 “Lo mejor de mi vida eres tú” with Ricky Martin.

And for the past decade, Lizárraga’s Banda MS has been one of the top groups in Latin music, in any genre, with 19 top-10 hits on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart.  They are also Mexico’s top-touring banda act and ended 2018 as the country’s most streamed act on Spotify. Last year, the band made history by pairing up with Snoop Dogg in the hit track “Que Maldición.” The fusion track marked the first time a major Mexican banda collaborated with a major American rap act, and landed both acts their first top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs track.

However, signing Jiménez or bridging pop and Mexican music, wasn’t something that Lizárraga was actively looking for. He and Jiménez met in 2019 when the singer and the group recorded a new version of “El Color de Tus Ojos,” a Banda MS hit, as part of Jiménez’s album México de mi Corazón, an homage to Mexican music that featured prominent acts from different genres.

Jiménez wanted to record the track with the full band, so Lizárraga invited her to their home base of Mazatlán to record in his studio. There was a feeling of mutual respect, and last year, Jiménez called Lizárraga and asked if he’d be interested in handling her. “I was surprised at first; I wasn’t sure whether to take her seriously,” says Lizárraga. “Then, we met and I took it very seriously indeed. I know it’s a different genre, but in the end, it’s the music business and a lot of things overlap.”

Lizárraga is widely seen as one of Mexican music’s most successful executives. He helms Banda MS’s label, Lizos Music, launched in 2013, and also opened up LM Events as a management and booking subsidiary for the band and other groups.

“We have a lot of plans [with Natalia],” he says. “I have great songwriters in my team, and she can sing rancheras, mariachis, ballads, which is our expertise. I’m giving her a huge team to work with, in every department, and I’m bringing my honesty, which is flag. Finally, I plan to devote myself entirely to her new music.” Jiménez’s upcoming album is México de Mi Corazón 2, which will be produced by Armando Ávila, who worked on the first set.

She continues to be signed to Sony Music Latin, which also has a close relationship with Banda MS; the label was in charge of distributing and marketing the Snoop Dogg collaboration.

“This is a new and fascinating direction for me, particularly because regional Mexican music is the genre I’m most enjoying right now,” said Jiménez. “This is a woman who, musically speaking can sing anything, in any genre. I definitely feel the pressure,” laughs Lizárraga. “But I like a good challenge.”

Jiménez was previously signed to Westwood Entertainment, the company that manages Carlos Rivera and Reik, among others.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Breaks Spotify Single-Day Streaming Record

Mariah Carey is ending the year with a bang…

The 51-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer’s insta-classic holiday song, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” has blown past Spotify’s single-day streaming record.

Mariah Carey

The song, which was released in 1994, received more 17,223,000 million streams on December 24 alone.

The track always surges towards Christmastime and already held several previous single-day streaming records: “All I Want for Christmas Is You” held the top spot going into 2019, though it was usurped by Ariana Grande’s “7 Rings” in January of that year, which garnered over 15 million streams in one day.

Earlier this month, “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” even returned to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list.

https://twitter.com/MariahCarey/status/1342536443751763975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1342536443751763975%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhypebeast.com%2F2020%2F12%2Fmariah-carey-all-i-want-for-christmas-is-you-spotify-streaming-record

José Andrés Takes Part in Prince Harry & Meghan’s Spotify Holiday Special

José Andrés has joined the royal court…

Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, are kicking off their multi-year audio partnership with Spotify with a holiday special featuring a royal court’s worth of A-list guests, including the 51-year-old Spanish chef.

The stand-alone special promises “a collection of personal anecdotes and inspirational stories from a variety guests around the world … plus a surprise or two,” according to a press release.

In addition to José Andrés, billed guests include Stacey Abrams, Christina Adane, Brené Brown, Rachel Cargle, Deepak Chopra, James Corden, Matt Haig, Sir Elton John, Hussain Manawer, Naomi Osaka, Tyler Perry, and George the Poet.

Following the pattern set by Barack and Michelle Obama’s Higher Ground, the royal couple’s exclusive podcast partnership with Spotify, which starts in 2021, became known earlier this month. It followed the announcement of a Netflix deal earlier in the year. Archewell Audio is their production banner and teamed with Spotify-owned Gimlet Media to produce the special.

“We thought, what if we can bring together some people that inspire us – people that we admire…  and get their thoughts on what they learned from 2020,” the Duchess says in setting up the special.

Bidding good riddance to 2020, Prince Harry adds, “As we all know, it’s been a YEAR. And we really want to honor the compassion and kindness that has helped so many people get through it.”

The Duke and Duchess also single out a song that they say offers inspiration for listeners heading into 2021. “’This Little Light of Mine’ played at the very end of our wedding… while we were walking down the steps of the church,” Markle says. “It was the music that we wanted playing when we started our lives together. Because as we all know, ‘darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that…’” Replies Prince Harry, “The message of this song is one we hold so dearly. It’s about using the power we each have within us to make this world a better place.”

Bad Bunny to Star Opposite Brad Pitt in the Action Film “Bullet Train”

Bad Bunny is speeding into Hollywood like a bullet

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer will star opposite Brad Pitt in action film Bullet Train.

Bad Bunny

The Latin Grammy winner and platinum-selling recording artist joins a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, Michael Shannon, Logan Lerman, Masi Oka and Andrew Koji.

David Leitch will direct and also supervise the script, which will be written by Zak Olkewicz.

The film is based on the Japanese novel Maria Beetle by bestselling author Kotaro Isaka.

Plot details are vague, and it is unknown who Sanada will be playing.

Bad Bunny’s most recent album, El Ultimo Tour del Mundo debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, becoming the first all-Spanish album to reach this position. This year, he was proclaimed the No. 1 artist globally on Spotify and the No. 1 Latin artist of 2020 by Billboard for second consecutive year.

Most recently, he released his single Dakiti with Jhay Cortez, which made history as the first Latin song to simultaneously reach #1 on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. as well as on Spotify’s Top 200 and Apple Music’s Top 100: Global.

He’s set to make his acting debut in the Kevin Hart produced drama American Solestarring Pete Davidson, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Camila Mendes and Offset.

Camilo Launches Own Podcast “El Rincón de la Tribu”

Camilo is expanding his voice

The 26-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter, whose full name is Camilo Echeverry, has launched his very own podcast.

Camilo

As part of Spotify’s Show With Music, Camilo becomes the first Latino artist in any language to debut a program on the new audio experience with his podcast titled “El Rincón de la Tribu” in reference to his loyal fanbase.

For Camilo, who nabbed his first Latin Grammy and Grammy nominations this year, “El Rincón de La Tribu” is a meeting point for him and his fans.

“It’s much closer to being a face-to-face conversation where we discuss humanistic themes, anecdotes that are shared in an atmosphere of trust, and where love is the grandest revolution,” he said in an official statement.

The podcast officially kicked off on NovEMBER 23, just four days after Camilo won best pop song for “TuTu” at the Latin Grammys, with an episode called “Secret Anecdotes of the Latin Grammys.”

Other episodes that have already aired include how his bachata hit “Bebé” in collaboration with El Alfa was born and conversations with his wife, actress and singer, Evaluna Montaner.

La Tribu will also enjoy curated songs recorded by Camilo and other artists, alongside his personal commentary.

https://open.spotify.com/show/4MeNSWxHuFcws0tBZgLFd6?go=1&utm_source=embed_v3&t=0&nd=1

Bad Bunny Leads Spotify’s Annual “Wrapped” Music Streaming Rankings

Bad Bunny’s this year’s Spotify star…

The streaming service has released its annual “Wrapped” report, summing up trends in audio, with the 26-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer leading the music streaming rankings.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny edged Drake to top the Most Streamed Artists Globally list, while his Oasis collaborator, J Balvin, coming in at No. 3 on the chart. Last year, the “Yo Perreo Sola” singer came in at No. 5 on the chart.

Bad Bunny’s first (of three) album of 2020, YHLQMDLG,came in at No. 1 on Spotify’s Most Streamed Albums Globally list.

Bad Bunny and J Balvin were the only two Latinx artists to appear on Spotify’s music lists.

Spotify 2020 Wrapped Global Top Lists

Most Streamed Artists Globally

  • Bad Bunny
  • Drake
  • J Balvin
  • Juice WRLD
  • The Weeknd

Most Streamed Female Artists

  • Billie Eilish
  • Taylor Swift
  • Ariana Grande
  • Dua Lipa
  • Halsey

Most Streamed Albums Globally

  • YHLQMDLG, Bad Bunny
  • After Hours, The Weeknd
  • Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
  • Fine Line, Harry Styles
  • Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa

Most Streamed Songs Globally

  • “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
  • “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I
  • “The Box” by Roddy Ricch
  • “Roses – Imanbek Remix” by Imanbek and SAINt JHN
  • “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa

Spotify 2020 Wrapped U.S. Top Lists

U.S. Most Streamed Artists

  • Juice WRLD
  • Drake
  • Lil Uzi Vert
  • Post Malone
  • Taylor Swift

U.S. Most Streamed Female Artists

  • Taylor Swift
  • Billie Eilish
  • Ariana Grande
  • Halsey
  • Megan Thee Stallion

U.S. Most Streamed Tracks

  • “The Box” by Roddy Ricch
  • “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd
  • “Blueberry Faygo” by Lil Mosey
  • “ROCKSTAR (feat Roddy Ricch)” by DaBaby, Roddy Ricch
  • “Life Is Good (feat Drake)” by Drake, Future

U.S. Most Streamed Albums

  • Legends Never Die, Juice WRLD
  • Eternal Atake (Deluxe) – LUV vs. The World 2,Lil Uzi Vert
  • Hollywood’s Bleeding, Post Malone
  • After Hours, The Weeknd
  • Please Excuse Me For Being Antisocial, Roddy Ricch

Alaina Castillo Getting Out the Vote as Part of Spotify’s “Play Your Part” Non-Partisan Initiative

Alaina Castillo is playing her part in getting out the vote…

There are less than two months before the U.S. presidential election on November 3, and Spotify has unveiled a non-partisan initiative, featuring the participation of the Latina singer, that’ll leverage the wide reach of the streaming platform to encourage voter turnout.

Alaina Castillo

Entitled “Play Your Part” and available on the “Home” section of Spotify’s official mobile app, the initiative is designed to provide resources, information and encouragement for users residing in the U.S.

The multi-faceted initiative, which kicked off on Wednesday, includes Spotify Voter’s Booth, a hub providing resources and information so users can register and make a plan to vote; new artist and influencer-curated playlists to keep users entertained during the voting process; special curated episodes about civic engagement from podcasts including Famous Fates: Movers & Shakers and Dope Labs; and video and audio voting reminders in several of Spotify’s flagship playlists.

Play Your Part includes a concerted effort to encourage young users to vote via partnerships with artists and influencers including Castillo, Conan Gray, King Princess, Chloe x Halle and more. From today, first-time voters on Spotify will receive messages from “fellow first timers” encouraging them to register.

Additionally, co-curated playlists from Seventeen Magazine and the music-focused voter registration organization HeadCount will be added to Spotify to encourage users to participate.

The Spotify-owned podcast company Anchor will also be launching an “election takeover” of its Sponsorships tool that will give podcasters the opportunity to donate their ad space to the voting nonprofits HeadCount, BallotReady and Democracy Works.

Earlier this year, Castillo was one of the artists featured as part of Spotify’s RADAR initiative, a global development program for emerging artists around the world. RADAR allows Spotify to deepen its commitment to young talent at all stages and strengthen their connections to their audiences.

Maria Becerra Becomes First Latin Artist to Join 300 Entertainment’s Roster

Maria Becerra has 300 reasons to celebrate…

The 20-year-old rising Argentinian singer-songwriter has signed with 300 Entertainment, home to artists including Megan Thee Stallion and Fetty Wap.

Maria Becerra

A promising act in the urban-pop scene in her native Argentina, Becerra becomes the first Latin artist to join the indie label’s roster. 

“When we were finalizing everything just a few months ago, I couldn’t believe it,” says Becerra, who cites Rihanna as her biggest inspiration.

“I did some research on them and the artists they have and realized that the 300 team can help me get to where I want to get in the future,” she adds. 

Although the future is hard to imagine amid a global pandemic, “I just want my music to be listened to worldwide and become a leading female voice in Argentina,” continues Becerra, who boasts of more than 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and has 2.5 million followers on Instagram.

Spotify Developing Original Audio Programming for the U.S. Latino Podcast Audience

Spotify is investing in Latinx voices…

The Swedish digital music service has created a team to develop original audio programming for the growing U.S. Latino podcast audience.

Spotify

Spotify, which over the last two years has made a sizeable investment into non-music audio formats like podcasting, will work with Latinx creators to produce both English- and Spanish-language programming.

Javier Piñol, who for the last two years has served as head of studios for Spotify in Latin America, will lead the group.

“As we continue to grow we want to make sure we’re developing content that is relevant to our audiences. Our mission is to bring the U.S. Latinx consumer the streaming access they want and need, all in one place,” said Courtney Holt, global head of studios and video for Spotify.

Latinos represent 18 percent of the U.S. population, or more than 60 million people, and they are listening to podcasts more than ever before. A quarter of Latinos age 18 and up in the U.S. have listened to a podcast in the last month, according to an Edison Research report published June 30. The report also found that the majority of Latinos started listening to podcasts within the last year.  

As a global platform, Spotify has invested in podcasts for Latin American markets, including Fausto and Se Regalan Dudas in Mexico and Café da Manhã in Brazil. Earlier this year, reggaeton artist J Balvinreleased the original podcast Made in Medellín, promoting the six-episode series during his Super Bowl halftime performance alongside Jennifer Lopez and Shakira.

“We have seen our podcast content consumption grow in Latin America, and now, we’re focusing on giving the U.S. Latin market well deserved attention as the best destination to consume relevant Latin podcasts,” added Holt. Spotify is already in business with digital creator and singer Lele Pons, who is developing a podcast for its platform.

Spotify reaches 286 million monthly users in 79 countries. The company has 130 million subscribers to its ad-free service. In addition to expanding its podcast programing in the U.S., the company is also beginning to bring local versions of its originals to other markets, per a Reuters report. It is starting with scripted series Sandra, which will get adaptations in countries including France and Mexico.

Yeison Jimenez Signs With Vibras Lab for Global Representation

Yeison Jimenez has a vibrant future…

The 28-year-old Colombian singer has signed with Vibras Lab, the management company headed by J Balvin co-manager Fabio Acosta, for global representation.  

Yeison-Jimenez-

Jiménez, signed to Sony Colombia, is one of the leaders in the country’s burgeoning “Música popular,” or popular music movement, the name given locally to Colombia’s take on regional Mexican music.

“Colombia is a trend-setter in music, and música popular, as they call the genre in Colombia, has seen huge growth there in the past year,” says Acosta. “Yeison is a leader in that genre and he has the potential to be one of those Colombian artists who are very successful with another genre, as happened with reggaetón and artists from Medellín.”

The deal with Vibras, says Acosta, will allow Jiménez to expand in other territories. 

Already, the singer/songwriter has more than 400,000 followers on Spotify

Jiménez’s music is an example of how regional genres morph. Although he’s rooted in Mexican norteño and mariachi sounds, he also adds tropical music and the traditional acoustic guitar of Colombian popular music from the countryside for a unique blend of sounds.

Jiménez joins a Vibras roster that also includes Colombian Manuel Medrano, Argentine rapper Cazzu, J Balvin and newly signed Matt Paris.