Maluma Teaming Up with Nicki Minaj & Myriam Fares to Release New World Cup Anthem “Tukoh Taka”

Maluma is getting into the World Cup spirit…

The 28-year-old Colombian singer, songwriter and actor is joining voices with Nicki Minaj and Lebanese artist Myriam Fares to release a new official World Cup anthem this Friday, November 18, according to FIFA.

MalumaThe single will be released via Universal Arabic Music/Universal Music Group/ Republic Records.

Titled “Tukoh Taka,” the track will make history as the first FIFA World Cup song featuring English, Spanish and Arabic lyrics.

The cross-continental collaboration features a high-energy synergy between Minaj, Maluma and Fares as they rap and sing about uniting fans worldwide and celebrating together.

Fans can also expect a “cinematic” music video premiere to accompany the track that same day.

This year, FIFA has released a handful of official songs for the 2022 World Cup. The first song released was the uplifting track “Hayya Hayya (Better Together),” featuring Trinidad Cardona, Davido and Aisha, which fuses R&B and reggae influences. For the first time ever, the tournament’s soundtrack will feature a multi-song collection, with international artists “showcasing diverse musical genres that span the world, setting the tone for a truly global celebration,” according to FIFA.

In 1990, almost sixty years after the first-ever edition of the World Cup, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) began to adopt songs that would become the official soundtrack of the global soccer event, which happens every four years.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off on November 20 with host nation Qatar’s tournament opener against Ecuador. A total of 32 teams representing different countries will participate. In the end, one is crowned the World Cup champion on December 18.

Thiaguinho Signs New Record Deal with Virgin Music

It’s a big deal for Thiaguinho

The 38-year-old Brazilian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has signed a record deal with Virgin Music, according to Billboard.

Thiaguinho

In hopes of catapulting Thiaguinho to mainstream success, the signing — which took place in Miami — comes on the heels of a “new cycle on Thiaguinho’s career, envisioning his international career such as the development of his new projects,” according to a statement from the company own by Universal Music Group.

“It’s with a great pleasure for me to join forces with Virgin to take my art and the culture of our country to new places and even more people. I’m very grateful and I’m excited for the start of this work,” Thiaguinho said in a statement.

Miguel Cariello, general director of Virgin Music Brasil, added: “I’m happy for having another dreaming coming true. Thiaginho, just like Virgin is synonyms with boldness and joy. We’ll use these attributes that we have in common to fly even higher, to further strengthen the career of this great artist in Brazil and seek to break through the borders across the world.”

With more than three million listeners on Spotify and over two million YouTube subscribers, the Latin Grammy-nominated artist is an exponent of traditional Brazilian genres such as samba and pagode, which he fuses with pop and R&B.

“Thiaguinho has been part of the Brazilian music scene from a young age, becoming one of the most successful artists of the Pagode and Samba genres,” stated Jesús López, chairman/CEO Universal Music Latin America & Iberian Peninsula. “His determination to extend his success outside of Brazil and that he has chosen Virgin Music as his travel companion, gives us great joy and also responsibility.”

Sammy Colon Named the Winner of Telemundo’s “La Voz”

Sammy Colon is voicing his excitement…  

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican singer has been crowned the winner of the second season of Telemundo’s La Voz.

Sammy Colon

Colon, a member of Carlos Vives’ team, not only won the highly coveted trophy. He also takes home a $200,000 cash prize and a recording contract with Universal Music Group.

After Telemundo paused production on the show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the grand finale, which aired Sunday night, comes less than a month after the network resumed the show with coaches Alejandra Guzmán, Vives, Luis Fonsi and Wisin, and the remaining 28 contestants to kick-off “Los Enfrentamientos” or Cross Battles.

Ultimately nabbing the most audience votes, Colon takes the title, followed by finalists Jose Class (Team Fonsi), Sugeily Cardona (Team Guzman), and Andrea Serrano (Team Wisin).

“Thank you to everyone who voted at home,” Vives said during the show. “Sammy is very deserving of this title. Thank you for believing in this boricua.”

Colon dedicated his win to all the 80-plus contestants who formed part of the competition.

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Colon is the second winner of La Voz U.S., following the winning voice Jeidimar Rijos of Team Fonsi on the inaugural season in 2019. Colon also became the second Puerto Rican to win the competition.

Enrique Iglesias Agrees to Publishing Deal with Kobalt Music

Enrique Iglesias is celebrating a new deal…

The 42-year-old Spanish superstar has signed a publishing deal with Kobalt Music that includes his existing catalog, as well as future works, according to Billboard.

Enrique Iglesias

The deal encompasses Iglesias’ massive global hits like “Bailando,” which he co-wrote, as well as hits from his early romantic ballad days on indie Fonovisa.

All told, Iglesias has notched 38 top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart, a record surpassed only by Luis Miguel, who has 39. Iglesias has nabbed 18 top 10s since 2005.

“Enrique is one of the biggest global artists ever, so it is an honor that he has chosen Kobalt to support him in both creative and global admin services,” said Kobalt Music founder & CEO Willard Ahdritz in a statement. “He is an amazing singer, songwriter and producer with an extraordinary capacity to write in Spanish and English. The potential for his new music is massive and we’re excited to support him.”

Iglesis was previously signed to Sony ATV, but his contract there expired over a year ago, sources say. By signing to Kobalt, he follows in the footsteps of another major Latin star, Carlos Vives, who signed to Kobalt through its Latin division in October of 2016.

“It is a privilege to work with Enrique, a great human being and extraordinary artist whom I admire,” said Kobalt president of Latin America, Nestor Casonu. “Since the start of his career, he has consistently topped charts all over the world due to his great capacity to work, engage with his fans, as well as the respect and care he gives to the creative process of his songs.

Iglesias is currently signed as a recording artist to Sony Music Latin, where he went in 2015 after being a Universal Music Group (UMG) artist since 1999 (prior to Universal, Iglesias was signed to indie Fonovisa, which was later acquired by UMLE).

Last month, Iglesias accused UMG of “systematically underpaying” his streaming royalties in a lawsuit filed in a Miami federal court.

According to the suit, Iglesias has sought to inspect Universal’s bookkeeping after receiving what is described as a “small fraction” of his 50 percent royalty rate for streaming.

The artist and his legal team believe UMG’s “improper accounting” has resulted in a shortfall running in the millions of dollars, and is demanding the court enforce his streaming rate and force the label to pay lost royalties.

Lovato to Make Appearance at This Year’s Advertising Week

Demi Lovato is ready to rock this year’s Advertising Week

The 23-year-old part-Mexican American will make an appearance at the 12th annual industry gathering, which will be taking place in New York City on September 28-October 2.

Demi Lovato

Lovato will participate in a special Universal Showcase that includes Alessia Cara, as well as Joe Jonas with his new band DNCE (in partnership with Universal Music Group and Complex) on September 29 at Highline Ballroom.

But Lovato isn’t the only Hispanic artist to participate this year…

Zoe Saldana will speak on a September 29 panel about the future of social entertainment and the importance of reinventing how advertisers and millennials think about content, delivery and access.

Others Latinos appearing at Advertising Week include Saturday Night Live alumni Horatio Sanz, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dascha Polanco,.

Advertising Week will feature 250 distinct seminars, all taking place at venues in its Times Square hub: B.B. King’s; the Hard Rock; Liberty Theater; NASDAQ MarketSite; and the Times Center. All seminars and workshops will be streamed live, powered by MLB Advanced Media, at advertisingweek.com and in the official app.

Iglesias Leaving Universal for Sony Music

Enrique Iglesias is switching teams…

The 40-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter has left his longtime home at Universal Music Group and signed with Sony Music, according to Billboard.

Enrique Iglesias

His albums will most likely be released by Sony Music Latin in Spanish and RCA Records in English.

Iglesias had a long and positive relationship with Universal, which released his albums in English and Spanish for more than a decade.

But Sony offered major international support and, according to inside sources, one of the biggest contracts offered to any artist in recent years in terms of advances and royalties.

Sex and Love, which was released in 2014 and includes the hit “Bailando,” was Iglesias’ last album under his Universal contract.

Earlier this year, as a free agent, he recorded the single “El Perdon” with Nicky Jam, who is signed to Sony. The track was released by Sony Music U.S. Latin in Spanish, and rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (supplanting long-running “Bailando”). An English version was released in July as is being worked jointly with RCA.

There is no word of a new album yet.

Iglesias’ first record label was Mexican indie Fonovisa, where he launched his career as a Latin crooner. He then signed to Universal/Interscope and became a crossover star with equal success in both English and Spanish.

All told, Iglesias has sold over 10 million albums in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen, making him one of the biggest acts in the market, in any language. Worldwide, he’s sold over 100 million albums.

His top-selling album is Escape, which has sold over 3.5 million copies in the U.S. alone.

To get a sense of Iglesias’ clout, one also has to look at his streaming numbers. “Bailando,” for example, was recorded in four versions. Two of those videos — in English and Spanish — have over 1 billion views on Vevo.

Neither Sony nor Iglesias’ management had comment.

Cabrera’s “House on Fire” Reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs Chart

Ryan Cabrera has a big reason to a dance

The 32-year-old half-Colombian American singer’s latest track, “House on Fire,” has reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart.

Ryan Cabrera

The track, which was released to iTunes on October 22nd, is Cabrera’s first-ever Billboard chart-topper. He previously reached a career high of No. 4 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart with his debut single “On The Way Down” back in 2004.

“House on Fire” hails from Cabrera’s EP “Wake Up Beautiful,” which was released on March 3, 2015.

The album was released by Cabrera’s label Dynamite Music, which was founded by Mitchell Davis and Marco Liuzzo in partnership with Caroline Records and Universal Music Group.

Iglesias Releases Music Video for “I’m a Freak,” Featuring Pitbull

Enrique Iglesias isn’t afraid to get freak-y…

The 38-year-old Spanish singer has released the official music video for his latest single “I’m a Freak,” featuring Pitbull.

Enrique Iglesias I'm a Freak

Iglesias’ new eye-popping clip shows plenty of skin and booze, as well as a bar-raising level of twerking, all set to a relentless disco-pop beat and starring a few dozen of the Latin superstar’s scantily clad friends.

The 3:53-long clip features Iglesias getting freaky with partygoers and spending much of his time hunched over a woman on all fours.

“Yeah baby there you go, stealing my heart just like a criminal,” he sings. “No turning back cuz time is critical. Ya move your body like a miracle.”

Pitbull shares his verse-spitting screen time with a person in a bear suit and some friends doing beer pong, among other things.

“Baby you pop it and lock it, drop it I’ll watch it f’sho. Baby, you roll it and rock it move it now use it let’s go,” he raps. “You know I’ll lick it and do the things that make you explo-” yeah, we’ll just stop right there.

The “Freak” beat comes courtesy of The Cataracs (Robin Thicke, Selena Gomez).

“I’m a Freak” is the latest track off Iglesias’ upcoming “Sex+Love” album, due March 18 on Universal Music Group.

VEVO & NUVOtv Parter with Lopez on the Series “The Collective, Powered by VEVO”

Jennifer Lopez is bringing her people’s favorite pop culture trends to the Internet…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge is executive-producing the unscripted series The Collective, Powered by VEVO.

Jennifer Lopez

The program, which will feature DJs and celebrities talking about their favorite pop culture trends, will be a partnership between VEVO and NUVOtv, an English-language cable channel targeting Latinos,

Its the first foray into weekly television production for VEVO, the online platform known for its library of music video.

 

The Collective, Powered by Vevo, a weekly two-hour series, will be launched on March 6.

 

After premiering on NUVOtv, each episode of The Collective, Powered by VEVO will then stream exclusively on VEVO’s website and its slate of mobile, tablet and TV apps.

“When it comes to music videos, VEVO has become the world’s gold standard, making them the perfect partner for NUVOtv as we expand our original entertainment offerings in the music space,” said NUVOtv executive vp programming Bill Hilary.

Vevo, a joint venture of Sony Music, Universal Music Group, Google and Abu Dhabi Media, has a library of 75,000 HD music videos. It also produces original content and video of live concert performances.

“Creating original programming that is distributed through digital and traditional broadcast channels is an important focus for Vevo this year,” said Vevo senior vp content and programming Doug McVehil.

Iglesias Notches His 24th No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs Chart

Enrique Iglesias is definitely not el perdedor when it comes to No. 1 songs on the Billboard charts…

The 38-year-old Spanish singer’s latest single “El Perdedor,” featuring Marco Antonio Solis, has reached the summit on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart.

Enrique Iglesias

Iglesias’ latest chart-topper extends his lead of No. 1s on the chart to a total of 24. Luis Miguel is a distant second with 16 No. 1s.

Iglesias’ new track is his second consecutive No. 1 on the chart, having reached the top with “Loco,” featuring Romeo Santos, in October.

Both songs will appear on his upcoming album Sex+Love, which is due out on March 18. Universal Music Group unveiled the title and album art on Thursday.

Iglesias last achieved successive No. 1s in 2010 when “Cuando Me Enamoro” featuring Juan Luis Guerra, was the last in a string of four straight chart-toppers for the superstar singer. That song followed “Donde Estan Corazon” and “Lloro Por Ti” (both from 2008) and “Gracias A Ti” by Wisin & Yandel (2009), on which he was featured.

The recently released music video for “El Perdedor” has greatly aided the track’s ascent as it received 1.3 million domestic clicks, with 84% of those plays occurring on VEVO on YouTube.

“Perdedor” claims both streaming and digital gainer honors, moving 6,000 digital downloads, a 104% surge, according to Nielsen SoundScan.