The 30-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress is planning to release a rock-ified remix of her electro-pop track “Cool for the Summer,” one of her biggest hits, later this month.
In a 10-second teaser clip, Lovato is seen in a studio re-recording the pre-chorus of Lovato’s 2015 smash.
But this time, instead of being accompanied by synths and hooky background vocals, the Grammy nominee sings over pounding drums and razor-edged electric guitar.
“Go tell your mother 😏,” Lovato captioned the video, a play on one of the song’s lyrics. “Cool For the Summer (Rock Version) 5/25.”
Produced by Max Martin and Ali Payami, “Cool for the Summer” was originally released eight years ago as the lead single from Lovato’s fifth studio album, Confident.
The song peaked at No. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, whereas the album bowed at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.
About seven years later in March 2022, the song had something of a renaissance. A sped-up version of “Cool for the Summer” started trending on TikTok, and Lovato ended up releasing an official sped-up remix that April.
The rock remix of “Cool for the Summer” will sound more akin than the original to the style of music Lovato has been releasing more recently. Last year, she made a very deliberate departure from pop music — even hosting a joking funeral ceremony for the genre — and released a strictly hard rock album titled Holy Fvck, which peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard 200.
Following his smash cumbia-norteña hit collaboration “un x100to” with Grupo Frontera, the 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer/songwriter has just-released the Jersey club cut “Where She Goes.”
The English-titled, Spanish-language song sees Bad Bunny playing with dynamism with a subtle dembow rhythm, courtesy of super producer MAG.
Looking like a swaggering frontiersman armed with a cowboy buckle to boot, Bad Bunny rides around in a vintage Rolls-Royce in the Stillz-directed music video. He then appears on top of a tree amid the desert, and there’s also a scene that projects a Burning Man vibe with a tribe of people surrounding a massing bonfire.
Special guests include Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldinho, Frank Ocean, Lil UziVert,Dominic Fike, Sabrina Lada and more.
Lil Uzi Vert, who is also featured doing his famous TikTok dance, is an appropriate guest, as the “Just Wanna Rock” hitmaker helped spark Jersey club’s rise in 2022, a genre that is permeating the New York drill scene.
Bad Bunny is the first artist in Latin music to embrace the East Coast sound. Jersey club first originated in Newark, New Jersey, in the early new millennium.
“Baby, tell me the truth if you forgot about me/ I know it was only one night, that we’re not going to repeat,” Bunny croons in the opening verse against a dramatic, ominous electronic sound. “In you I wanted to find what I lost in someone else/ Your pride doesn’t want to speak to me, so we’re going to compete.”
Two days before the song’s arrival, Bad Bunny teased the new track on social media, introducing its first 42 seconds.
Although he mentioned a possible break in last December’s cover story, Bad Bunny proceeds to be at the forefront of pop culture. This year, he became the first Spanish-speaking artist to headline Coachella and made waves at the Met Gala. He also continues to churn out a bevy of No. 1 hits on Billboard‘s charts.
In a one-minute video posted on his TikTok account Monday, May 15, the 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning artist is in a vibrant room, rocking an all-black leather outfit and his natural curls as he shares a clip of new EDM-tinged single.
“Check this out,” he says in Spanish before pressing play.
A dramatic melody then begins, backed by Bad Bunny’s signature deep vocals.
“Baby, tell me the truth if you forgot about me/ I know it was only one night, that we’re not going to repeat/ In you I wanted to find what I lost in someone else/ Your pride doesn’t want to speak to me, so we’re going to compete,” he passionately chants in the opening verse.
Then, the rhythm transitions to a Jersey Club-inspired beat (a hybrid of house and hip-hop), where he continues, “I don’t like to lose, tell me what you’re doing to do.”
In the caption, he asked his over 31 million followers, “Tell me if you like it and I’ll send it to you via WhatsApp :)”
The upcoming single comes on the heels of his collaboration on Grupo Frontera hit “un x100to,” which marked his first time dipping his toes in the norteño-cumbia realm. The song earned Grupo Frontera its highest debut on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, entering at No. 3 on the April 29-dated ranking, and later hitting No. 1 on both the Latin Airplay chart and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart.
Last year, the artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio told Billboard his plans of taking a break in 2023, but would still release music.
“I’m taking a break. 2023 is for me, for my physical health, my emotional health to breathe, enjoy my achievements,” he said. “We’re going to celebrate. Let’s go here, let’s go there, let’s go on the boat. I have a couple of sporadic commitments, and I’ll go to the studio, but there’s no pressure. Remember yourself, cabrón. You’ve worked your a– off.”
Miguel is ready to shine a spotlight on must hear music…
The 37-year-old half-Mexican American singer, songwriter, and actor has teamed up with TikTok to launch #NewMusic, a global music discovery hub.
In addition to Miguel, the initiative will also include the participation of the Jonas Brothers and Niall Horan.
#NewMusic is set up as a dedicated space for artists around the world to showcase their new songs, and where fans can discover their next favorite track.
The hub will showcase new music content from artists on TikTok in one place, including early previews and music that’s still in development. Jonas Brothers, Miguel and Horan are featured artists on the hub.
Jonas Brothers have been trending on TikTok recently with their new album The Album and single Waffle House. R&B superstar Miguel has been buzzing on TikTok with the revival of his 2011 hit “Sure Thing” and to celebrate the hub, the musician has created a TikTok trialing his new track “Give It To Me.” Horan, who soared to fame as part of boy band One Direction, has posted a video of his new track “Meltdown.”
Paul Hourican, global head of music content and partnerships at TikTok, said: “We are thrilled to launch the #NewMusic Hub, which celebrates and champions artists of all genres, from up-and-coming talent to international superstars. TikTok is already a destination for artists who want to preview their newest works, and for music fans looking to discover new music, and this new feature will give artists a new way to connect with our global community. It presents an exciting opportunity to inspire artist creativity, spark connections, and foster a diverse musical landscape that embraces the unique talents and passions of artists and fans worldwide.”
One of Miguel’s iconic singles is a thing of history…
The 37-year-old half-Mexican American R&B singer has broken the record for the title with the most weeks on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart thanks to its second wind 11 years after its initial chart run.
The track logs an unprecedented 76th week on the list dated May 6, surpassing the 75-week marathon of the previous record holder, Mary J. Blige’s “Be Without You” in one continuous run in 2005-07.
“Sure Thing” achieves the record-breaking mark as it jumps 8-6 on the newest published chart.
The song, released in 2010, is enjoying a TikTok-fueled renaissance, as a sped-up version, has soundtracked more than 4 million videos on the social media platform.
While activity TikTok does not directly contribute to the Billboard charts, many of the app’s most popular songs have seen corresponding gains on streaming services that factor into Billboard chart rankings.
“I’m glad that ‘Sure Thing’ still connects and resonates with a new audience, and that they feel what I’ve always felt with this song,” Miguel tells Billboard of his new honor. “More than anything, this achievement is a wild reminder of how things – all across the board – can cycle back into cultural relevance.”
A clear hit today, “Sure Thing” was a smash in its original era too. The second single from Miguel’s 2010 debut album, All I Want Is You, reached No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for one week among the 61 total frames it logged in its initial run. Starting with its No. 20 re-entry on the list on the chart dated Jan. 14, 2023, “Sure Thing” has since added 15 more weeks to its total to accumulate its historic run.
As “Sure Thing” resets the leaderboard, here is a look at the tracks with the most weeks at No. 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since it became an all-encompassing genre survey in 1958:
Weeks on Chart, Song Title, Artist, Peak Position, Year(s) Charted 76, “Sure Thing,” Miguel, No. 1 (one week), 2011-12, 2023
75, “Be Without You,” Mary J. Blige, No. 1 (15), 2005-07
74, “God in Me,” Mary Mary featuring Kierra “KiKi” Sheard, No. 5, 2008-10
73, “On the Ocean,” K’Jon, No. 12, 2008-10
71, “You Make Me Wanna…,” Usher, No. 1 (11), 1997-98
71, “There Goes My Baby,” Usher, No. 1 (four), 2010-11
70, “Step in the Name of Love,” R. Kelly, No. 1 (two), 2002-04
68, “Can’t Let Go,” Anthony Hamilton, No. 13, 2005-07
66, “Blinding Lights, The Weeknd, No. 1 (11), 2019-21
63, “In My Bed,” Dru Hill, No. 1 (three), 1997-98
63, “Just Fine,” Mary J. Blige, No. 3, 2007-08
Though “Sure Thing” has already secured its place in the record books, it’s primed to extend its stay on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, which blends streaming, radio airplay and sales data into its rankings. In the latest tracking week (March 21 – 27), the song improved in two of the three metrics: sales and radio airplay.
“Sure Thing” sold 2,000 downloads, up 21% from the previous frame and registered 46.6 million in total audience, a 10% increase from the prior week, according to Luminate.
While the former No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart hit is receiving renewed play at that format, the majority of “Sure Thing” radio success comes from the pop and rhythmic format this time around. The single repeats at its No. 5 peak thus far on this week’s Pop Airplay chart – after never having made the list in its initial era – and advances 21-19 on Rhythmic Airplay, nearing its No. 14 peak from July 2011.
Radio gains help counter streaming slides in the past weeks, though the song maintains an overall high count. “Sure Thing” generated 11.1 million official U.S. streams in the most recent tracking week, essentially even with the prior week, and keeps it near its performance in prior weeks, with 11.1 million, 11.4 million and 11.7 million totals in the past three weeks, respectively.
The 30-year-old Brazilian superstar has signed with Republic Records, according to Billboard.
The news comes just weeks after Anitta and Warner Music Group agreed to part ways. The two parties released a joint statement to social media on April 4 announcing the news.
“After eleven years of successful partnership, we’ve agreed to go our separate ways,” the post read. “Anitta would like to thank the Warner Music team for all their support. And the Warner team wishes Anitta all the best in the future.”
Anitta signed with Warner Records in the United States in 2020 after previously linking with Warner Music Brazil in 2013. She had long voiced concerns about her relationship with WMG, from the label refusing to produce a video for an underperforming song to advising young artists to pay closer attention to what they sign.
During an Instagram livestream last May, Anitta said Warner only invested in her work “after it pays off on the internet. Unfortunately, there are things I can’t get, that’s why I don’t buy millionaire cars, because when I want to do something, I pay for it.” She added that Warner “is very tied to TikTok, to what goes viral, and if they don’t get a hit right away, they say ‘later.’”
The singer followed that with a tweet thread last month in which she blasted Warner, saying she regretted signing with the label and would have “auctioned off her organs” in order to be released from her contract.
During her run at Warner, Anitta scored a global breakthrough with her trilingual album, Versions of Me, which last year hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with its TikTok-driven single, “Envolver.” The song’s music video won in the category of Best Latin at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards. That same year, she also performed at Coachella and the Latin Grammy Awards.
Anitta will now join a superstar roster at Republic that includes Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj and more. Sources say Jesús López, chairman/CEO of Universal Music Latin Americaand Iberian Peninsula, and Paulo Lima, president of Universal Music Group Brazil, will work closely with the artist.
Anitta is managed by S10’s Brandon Silverstein globally.
Peso Pluma and Eslabon Armado are making Billboard Hot 100 history…
The 23-year-old Mexican singer and the American Regional Mexican group have each logged their first Top 10 on the Hot 100 with “Ella Baila Sola” on the chart dated April 22, 2023.
Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola” soars 17-10, led by 24.4 million streams, up 30%, as it wins the Hot 100’s top Streaming Gainer trophy, and jumps 6-3 on Streaming Songs.
Quartet Eslabon Armado, from California, and Peso Pluma, from Mexico, each reach the Hot 100’s top for the first time – as “Ella Baila Sola” makes history as the first regional Mexican song ever to hit the Hot 100’s top 10.
The genre has surged this decade, due in part to exposure on TikTok and other social media, with Gera MX and Christian Nodal’s “Botella Tras Botella” having become the first regional Mexican Hot 100 hit in May 2021, peaking at No. 60.
After “Ella Baila Sola,” Peso Pluma also has the second-highest-charting regional Mexican Hot 100 hit: “La Bebe,” with Yng Lvcas, rises to a new No. 17 best on the latest, April 22-dated chart.
The next-highest-peaking such hits: Yahritza y Su Esencia’s “Soy El Unico” (No. 20, April 2022 – it debuted at that rank, the highest entrance for a regional Mexican song) and Fuerza Regida and Grupo Frontera’s “Bebe Dame” (No. 25, this January).
Among Latin genres, regional Mexican’s arrival in the Hot 100’s top 10 follows that of Latin pop, which, after English-language hits by Gloria Estefan in the 1980s (plus Los Lobos’ “La Bamba,” in Spanish) surged in the late ‘90s and beyond thanks to songs (in varying degrees of English and Spanish) by Enrique Iglesias, Jennifer Lopez and Ricky Martin, among other stars.
At the same time, Marc Anthony helped tropical break through on the chart. In more recent years, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi’s pop-centered, mostly-Spanish-language “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, spent a then-record-tying 16 weeks at No. 1 in 2017, while, this decade, Bad Bunny, with Spanish-language songs, has carried the torch for Latin rhythm in the top 10.
As for Latin music overall, Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma earn the Hot 100’s third Spanish-language top 10 this year, following two Latin pop hits: Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” (No. 9, January) and Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” (No. 7, March).
“Ella Baila Sola” was released on Prajin Parlay/DEL Records, both of which likewise appear in the Hot 100’s top 10 for the first time.
The collaboration concurrently achieves a second week at No. 1 on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart, where it became the first leader for both Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma.
“We didn’t expect for the song to make so much noise!” Pedro Tovar, lead singer for the former act, and the song’s sole author, told Billboard upon its coronation. “I really liked the song when I first wrote it, but I didn’t really expect it to be such a big hit. I previewed it on my stories on Instagram and, two days after, it went viral on TikTok, and that’s when I knew that the song was going to do big numbers.”
“Normally I don’t expect to chart with songs,” Peso Pluma marveled. “We just enjoyed the process of doing it.”
The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.
The Regional Mexican group has joined voices with Bad Bunny to release the single “un x100to” on Monday, April 17, marking the first collaboration between the two acts, and a new twist for el Conejo Malo.
Produced and composed by Latin hitmakers Edgar Barrera and MAG, the romantic cumbia–norteño narrates the story of a person who misses their ex and makes an important phone call with one percent of battery left on their phone.
The Spanish-language ballad’s lyrics translate to: “I have only 1% left, and I’ll use it to say I’m so sorry/ If they’ve seen me in the disco with someone else, it’s just wasting my time/ Baby, I can’t lie to you; That story that they saw me all happy, that’s not true/ Nothing makes me laugh anymore, only when I see the photos and videos I see of you.”
The official music video shows the group and Bad Bunny performing the song in front of an isolated ranch in a desert.
Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, Bad Bunny first teased the track on his TikTok account on Sunday, April 16, where he’s seen singing part of the nostalgic lyrics and flaunting his cumbia-dancing skills.
Although he’s a longtime fan of Regional Mexican music, his new track with Grupo Frontera is only his second regional Mexican collab.
Prior to this, he worked with Natanael Cano for a remix of “Soy el Diablo,” a corrido.
Over the weekend, after he headlined Coachella, he also posted a video singing along to Cano’s “AMG” in collaboration with Peso Pluma and Gabito Ballesteros.
Two days after officially revealing their joint, three-track EP RR, due out March 24, the 30-year-old Spanish Grammy-winning singer and Rauw Alejandro revealed a snippet of one of their upcoming songs “Beso” on Wednesday (March 15).
In a steamy clip posted on Rosalía’s TikTok account, the power couple are seen closely facing each other in bed, as they sing their romantic verses like they’re on the verge of kissing each other.
It’s the first time that onlookers get to see and hear the pair sing together — and the new reggaeton-pop song already brims with equal parts conviction and seduction. With Rosalía’s breathy, flamenco-laden rasp, and Alejandro’s sensual R&B-laden vocals, their voices meet in perfect harmony.
“Yo necesito otro beso,” croons Rosalía, and her partner responds “Uno de esos que tú me das.” “Estar lejos de ti es el infierno,” she sings, “Estar cerca de ti es mi paz,” he responds. The pair then unite their voices, singing, “Yo me voy contigo a matar / No me dejes solo / ¿Pa’ dónde vas, pá dónde vas?”
Alejandro kicked off his Saturno World Tour last month in the Dominican Republic, and on Thursday and Friday (March 16-17), the Puerto Rican artist will venture to the Tri-State area with New Jersey and New York stops. The trek will continue to Mexico, Central America, and Europe throughout the summer before hitting up South America in the fall.
Earlier this month, Rosalía was recognized as Producer of the Year at the Billboard Women In Music awards. Rosalia, who had one of the most successful tours of 2022 with Motomami, will also be headlining some of the biggest festivals around the world such as Coachella, Lollapalooza (Chile, Argentina, Brasil, Paris), Primavera Sounds, Gurtenfestival and more.
On Monday (March 13), the beloved duet revealed the names of their songs of their EP, which also include “Vampiros” and “Promesa.” While RR is their first official release together, the couple have subtly collaborated on each other’s previous projects; Rosalía sang backing vocals on “Dile a Él” from Rauw’s first album, Afrodisiaco (2020) as well as “Corazón Despeinado” from Saturno (2022). Rauw co-wrote some lyrics in Rosalía’s “Chicken Teriyaki” from her Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning 2022 album, Motomami.
She also lent her pen on “Caprichoso” from Rauw’s EP Trap Cake, Vol. 2 (2022).
The 30-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer has offered her followers on TikTok a sneak peek of “Still Alive,” her new single for the Scream VI soundtrack.
To tease the song, Lovato appears with her back to the camera, slowly circling to reveal that she’s holding the famous Ghostface mask in front of her face.
As she lowers the shroud, Lovato’s voice can be heard singing, “Alive, I don’t want to just survive/ Give me something to sink my teeth in” before the song abruptly cuts out.
Naturally, Lovatics were clamoring to hear the entire track, which will be released on March 3.
“Demi Lovato is coming for blood,” one fan predicted in the comments, punctuating the sentiment with a single drop of blood emoji. Another wrote, “I’m so here for this era…keep slayinggggg,” while a third amusingly commented, “I work in a cinema and when I tell you this better be the end credit song so I can hear it 5 times a day when I’m cleaning I swear.”
“Still Alive” will serve as Lovato’s first taste of new music since releasing her seventh studio album, Holy Fvck, back in 2022.
The pop-punk fueled full-length contained collaborations with Yungblud, Royal & the Serpent and Dead Sara and ultimately topped three separate Billboard tallies: Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums.
In a 10-second teaser clip, Lovato is seen in a studio re-recording the pre-chorus of Lovato’s 2015 smash.
