Selena Gomez’s “Revelación” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart

Selena Gomez is No. 1 with a bullet…

The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with her first Spanish-language album Revelación on the March 27-dated survey.

Selena Gomez

Her album arrives with 23,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 18, according to MRC Data — marking the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since 2017.

“I never go into anything expecting a No. 1 so I do not take it for granted,” Gomez tells Billboard. “It’s always a bit nerve racking before releasing any music because as artists we put so much of ourselves out there. For this EP specifically, I was the most nervous I have been in a long time because my heritage means so much to me and I have been talking about doing this for over 10 years. I wanted it to be perfect. I am thrilled to see the response from my fans and also from people who might not have listened to my other music.”

The Top Latin Albums chart ranks the most popular Latin albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

The seven-track Revelación was released March 12 via Interscope/IGA. Of its starting sum of 23,000 equivalent album units, album sales comprise 14,000 and the bulk of the remainder are SEA units (equaling 12.21 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs). Gomez’s debut Latin project boasts the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman in nearly four years, since Shakira’s El Dorado started with 29,000 units in its first week (chart dated June 17, 2017).

“Without a doubt the most challenging aspect was having to do all of the sessions over Zoom,” Gomez adds. “We started recording the EP right before COVID-19 shut everything down. In the beginning there were times I ended up canceling sessions because I found it so uninspiring not to be in the same room with everyone. I eventually was able to get past it and am extremely happy with how the music came together. [Producer] Tainy was very patient with me while I worked through my frustrations.”

Revelación is the first album by a female act at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums since Shakira’s El Dorado spent its fifth and final nonconsecutive week atop the list dated Aug. 5, 2017.

Gomez also notches the highest debut by a female solo act since Jenni Rivera’s Paloma Negra Desde Monterrey likewise debuted atop the list in November 2016. In between Rivera and Gomez, a collaborative set by two women launched at No. 1: Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzman’s Versus in July 2017.

As Gomez’s “Baila Conmigo,” with Rauw Alejandro, concurrently takes over the top spot on the new Latin Airplay chart, she becomes the first female act in over a decade to rule both charts simultaneously. The last woman to achieve the feat was Shakira when Sale el Sol and “Loca,” featuring El Cata, ruled both Top Latin Albums and Latin Airplay, respectively in November 2010.

Elsewhere, Gomez places a total of four tracks on Hot Latin Songs, all from Revelación — one of which debuts in the top 20: “Baila Conmigo” with Rauw Alejandro lifts 8-5, “Selfish Love,” with DJ Snake, is at No. 18, “Dámelo To’,” featuring Myke Towers, starts at No. 20, and “De Una Vez,” re-enters at No. 50.

“Releasing ‘De Una Vez’ as the first song was the perfect way to introduce the new music,” Gomez says. “It’s a song I really related to and I think it’s beautiful with a message of hope and healing. I think all of the collaborators bring different elements to the table. With Snake it was great because we have a history together so on a mere comfort level that was nice to have. On ‘Dámelo Tó’ Myke brings this smooth rap and it makes you crave for it to be summer because it has the kind of vibe. When we were recording ‘Baila Conmigo’ I  knew we needed a male voice on it and Rauw has the ideal sexy, soulful voice that really complements the song perfectly.”

Revelación concurrently bows at No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums and at No. 22 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

Eva Longoria to Direct & Executive Produce HBO Max’s “The Gordita Chronicles” Pilot

Eva Longoria has lined up her next directorial project…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress/producer will direct and executive produce The Gordita Chronicles pilot at HBO Max.

Eva Longoria

The single-camera family comedy hails from Josh Berman’s Osprey ProductionsZoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television, where Berman’s Osprey Prods is under a deal.

Written by Claudia Forestier, The Gordita Chronicles centers on a willful, chubby, 12-year-old Dominican who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American Dream.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures.

Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Longoria will be making her film directorial debut with Searchlight’s Flamin’ Hot, an inspiring biopic about the janitor turned executive who created the flaming hot Cheetos snack. She’ll also direct the workplace comedy 24/7 and star alongside Kerry Washington for Universal and direct the action comedy Spa Day for Sony.

The former Desperate Housewives star made her television directing debut on Devious Maids in 2014. Her television producing/directing credits also include ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Versus, and episodes of Black-ish, The Mick and Telenovela.

Longoria made her pilot directing debut with the CW’s Glorious.

 

Natti Natasha Scores Largest Sales Week on the Latin Charts by a Solo Woman in More Than a Year

Natti Natasha’s debut album opens big…

The 32-yar-old Dominican singer and songwriter’sdebut album ilumiNATTI has launched at No. 3 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart dated March 2, scoring the largest week for a Latin album by a solo woman in more than a year and a half.

Natti Natasha

The 17-song set was released February 15 via Pina Records/Sony Music Latinand opens with 7,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending February 21, according to Nielsen Music

Of that sum, a little over 3,000 were in album sales, while most of the remaining units were generated by streaming activity (equaling 3.9 million on-demand audio streams for the album’s songs during the week).

ilumiNATTIis Natti’s first studio effort and first entry on the tally.

The last album by a woman to post a larger week, in terms of units, was Shakira’s El Dorado, which tallied a little more than 7,000 units at No. 1 on the July 15, 2017-dated list (the set’s fifth week on the chart). One week later, a pair of women teamed up for a larger frame, when Gloria Treviand Alejandra Guzman’s Versus bowed at No. 1 with 8,000 units.

ilumiNATTI’s sales start of 3,000, lands the album a No. 1 bow on the Latin Album Saleschart.

Beyond its Top Latin Albums top 10 start, ilumiNATTIalso bows at No. 3 on the Latin Rhythm Albumschart.

Two songs from the album are generating chart action: “Me Gusta” ascends 30-26 with the Digital Greatest Gainerhonors on the Hot Latin Songschart, which blends airplay, digital sales and streaming data, while “La Mejor Versión de Mi” debuts at No. 41 on the current tracking week.

Gloria Trevi to be Inducted into the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame

Gloria Trevi is heading into the annals of Latin music history…

The Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame has revealed which five songwriters will be inducted at the prestigious hall this year, with the 50-year-old Mexican singer/songwriter making the grade.

Gloria Trevi

Trevi joins a roster that includes previous inductees, including last year’s Erika Ender, Carlos Vives and Ana Gabriel, to name a few.

Besides having a rebellious and over-the-top personality onstage, Trevi is also known as a songwriter and philanthropist. In her nearly three-decade music career, she’s penned more than 400 songs and released 13 albums, four of which reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart: Gloria in 2011, El Amor in 2015, Immortal in 2016 and Versus in 2017.

Joining Trevi is Chucho Valdés.

As a pianist, composer and arranger, the 76-year-old Cuban artist become one of the most influential figures in modern Afro-Cuban jazz. He’s a winner of six Grammys and three Latin Grammys. On November 27, 2010, Chucho peaked at No. 8 on the Latin Pop Albumschart thanks to his collaboration with Buika on her album El Ultimo Trago.

Ecuadorian singer and songwriter Carlos Rubira Infante has also made the list. He’s known for bringing to the forefront the country’s national music style, pasillo and pasacalle music. At 96 years old, he was awarded the National Prize in ArtPremio Eugenio Espejo” in 2008 from the president of Ecuador and has penned more than 400 songs.

Another honoree, Fernando Osorio.

Born in Colombia but raised in Venezuela, this singer-songwriter is the man behind some of the most unforgettable Latin songs. His first international success was with “Solo con un Beso,” a song he wrote for Ricardo Montaner in 1988, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot Latin Songs chart. Osorio nabbed the Latin Grammy for best tropical song in 2004 for composing Celia Cruz‘s “Rie y Llora” before her death.

And last but not least… KC Porter will be honored.

Bon Jovi, Janet Jackson and Laura Pausini all have one thing in common: KC Porter. The American record producer, songwriter, musician and singer is known for crossing over many artists into the Spanish-speaking market. He’s a nine-time Grammy winner for his production work on Carlos Santana‘s Supernatural and has written and produced some of Ricky Martin’s biggest hits, including “María.”

For the past six years, the Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame, founded by Desmond Child and Rudy Pérez, has honored the world’s greatest Latin music creators and their memorable songs.

The 2018 honorees will be officially inducted at the sixth annual La Musa Awards ceremony and gala, taking place October 18 at the James L. Knight Center in Miami.