Cabello Leaving Fifth Harmony to Pursue Solo Career

Camila Cabello is ready to fly solo…

The 19-year-old Cuban-American singer and member of Fifth Harmony has left the all-girl group.

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In a message posted on social media and signed by “Ally, Normani, Dinah and Lauren,” the group writes, “After four and a half years of being together, we have been informed via her representatives that Camila has decided to leave Fifth Harmony. We wish her well.”

The remaining members, Ally Brooke Hernandez, Normani Kordei, Dinah Jane Hansen and Lauren Jauregui, state that they will continue the group as a foursome.

As recently as December 9, when the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball tour hit New York City, the group had announced plans to release a new album. Kordei told radio personality Elvis Duran, “2017, it’s going to be popping,” and Jane Hansen added, “The third album is definitely going to be so lit. We’re really excited.”

Fifth Harmony was formed by Simon Cowell on the second season of the The X Factor US in July 2012. In January 2013, they signed a joint deal with Syco Music, owned by Cowell, and Epic Records, L.A. Reid‘s record label, after finishing in third place on the show.

To date, The group has sold 424,000 albums, 7 million digital songs and earned 1.6 billion on-demand streams in the U.S., according to Nielsen Music.

Their honors include three MTV Video Music Awards, an American Music Award, a Billboard Women in Music award and seven Teen Choice Awards.

In the last two years, Cabello released two singles which reached the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100: “I Know What You Did Last Summer” with Shawn Mendes in 2015, and “Bad Things” with Machine Gun Kelly earlier this year.

Espinoza Hosting Simon Cowell & Univision’s Latin Boy Band Reality Show “La Banda”

It’s all about the boys for Alejandra Espinoza

The 27-year-old Mexican beauty-queen-turned-television-presenter is hosting Simon Cowell and Univision’s La Banda, which “aims to create the world’s ultimate Latino boy band through the largest Latino talent search in U.S. TV history,” according to an announcement from the Spanish-language network.

Alejandra Espinoza

The search for contestants for La Banda, which was developed by Cowell’s Syco Entertainment with Univision Communications and Saban Brands, is officially underway.

Boys (to men) ages 14 and older living in the United States and Puerto Rico are invited to audition online for La Banda. The search for potential Latin stars to compete on the upcoming Univision reality show has begun at LaBandaOficial.com.

“I’m very excited about this show,” says Simon Cowell, a producer on the show. “There is a huge amount of talent out there and La Banda is going to give five guys the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Co-produced with FremantleMedia Latin America, the show is set to premiere in fall 2015 on the Spanish-language network.

Winners of the competition — who will inevitably be compared to the Puerto Rican pop group Menudo, which started in the ’70s with a rotating cast of young singers and disbanded in 2009 — will receive a recording contract with Sony Music Latin and Syco Music, home of One Direction.

To be considered, potential participants should go to LaBandaoficial.com and upload pictures, videos or music files. After creating their online audition profiles, selected contestants will receive a “golden ticket,” which will allow them to participate in a private audition with the production team. The online casting will be followed by casting events across the United States and Puerto Rico in the spring of 2015.

“We are proud to start the search for the next great Latino boy band,” said Alberto Ciurana, president of programming and content for Univision Communications Inc. “There is vast talent in our community, and with La Banda, we will find and launch the next generation of musical superstars.”

McCreery Leads the Latweeno Pack of Billboard.com’s “21 Under 21” Honorees

He may only be a minor… But Scotty McCreery is a major player in the music industry…

The 19-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer and former American Idol champion has been named to Billboard.com’s 2013 list of 21 Under 21, a ranking of music’s most powerful minors.

Billboard.com 2013 21 Under 21

Now that Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez have turned 21, McCreery now ranks as the top Latweeno on the list, coming in at No. 8.

McCreery, who ranked at No. 4 last year, will be celebrating his 20th birthday early next month somewhat differently than most people his age. Onlysix days after he exits his teens, McCreery will release See You Tonight, his sophomore follow-up to his platinum 2011 debut album Clear As Day.

Scotty McCreery

McCreery continues his hot streak in 2013. The first single and title track from the new disc continues moving up the singles chart, and he also headlined his first tour this year. That, along with an endorsement deal with fried chicken chain Bojangles, makes him a shoe-in for this year’s list.

But McCreery isn’t the only Latino on the list…

Miguelito

Puerto Rican singer Miguelito comes in at No. 14 on the 21 Under 21 list. At 14 years old, he already boasts a Latin Grammy and a multi-million dollar branding business that includes “Miguelito” vitamins, clothing line, videogame, summer camp, party goods and a themed cruise.

According to his manager dad Wascar Valenzuela, Miguelito-branded products have sold more than $70 million to date.

With a newly minted representation deal with CAA and a new record deal with BlastMusic, Miguelito is poised to crossover early next year with new album, Here To Stay.

“People tell me I’m a 21 or 30-year-old mind inside a 14-year-old body,” says the reggaetón star.

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Meanwhile, Fifth Harmony, with 20-year-old Allyson Brooke Hernandez, 17-year-old Lauren Jauregui and 16-year-old Camila Cabello come in at No. 21 on the list.

Formed by Simon Cowell on last year’s edition of The X Factor, Fifth Harmony’s brief career so far is on the fast track for success.

Their triumphant debut single “Miss Movin’ On,” produced by the Suspex (the duo behind Lovato’s “Heart Attack“), became the first track from an American The X Factor alumni to break Billboard’s Hot 100, peaking at No. 76.

The song samples a debut EP expected on October 22 via Epic Records/Syco Music.

In the meantime, the quintet is on tour with Cher Lloyd and was recently featured in Disney‘s “Next Big Thing” series.