Enrique Iglesias Teaming Up with Miranda Lambert for New Single “Space in My Heart”

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is making a little space for country-tinged music…

The 48-year-old Spanish superstar is joining voices with country music star Miranda Lambert for the upcoming single “Space in My Heart.”

On Monday, February 12, Lambert posted a snippet of the upcoming single, which will be released in full on February 22.

On Instagram, Lambert noted, “Texas meets Spain! Can’t wait for y’all to hear this one.”

The snippet offers up a sultry come-on, with the two singing, “You don’t love me yet, but I know you will/ If you ever go I will never change/ There’s a space in my heart and it’s just your shape.”

Iglesias — known for his Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Bailamos” and “Be With You,” as well as songs like “Hero” and the Whitney Houston collaboration “Could I Have This Kiss Forever?” — was named one of Billboard‘s Top-Grossing Latin Artists of All Time.

He’s notched eight chart-topping albums on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart, including Vivir (15 weeks at the chart pinnacle) and Sex and Love (16 weeks).

In collaborating with Iglesias, Lambert continues a lengthy linage of country-Latin collaborations.

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In the 1980s, Enrique’s father, Latin music icon Julio Iglesias, earned country hits on collaborations with Willie Nelson, including the CMA Award-winning “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” as well as “Spanish Eyes.” Country trio Midland teamed with Jay De La Cueva for a Spanish-language version of its hit “Drinkin’ Problem.” Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood performed with Latin artist David Bisbal for the bilingual song “Tears of Gold,” while Kane Brown teamed with Becky G for a Spanish remix of “Lost in the Middle of Nowhere.” In celebrating the 25th anniversary of his 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus collaborated with Caballo Dorado on a bilingual version of the song.

Mariah Carey Among Inaugural BRIT Billion Award Honorees

Posted on May 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a BRIT-ish invasion for Mariah Carey.

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer is among the first recipients of the new BRIT Billion Award, denoting 1 billion career UK streams.

Carey is among a list of honorees that includes Lewis Capaldi, Whitney Houston, Coldplay and Sam Smith.

The BRIT Billion award, which, like the existing BRIT Certified program and its platinum, silver and gold tiers, is verified using Official Charts data.

Other artists in the inaugural class of recipients are ABBA, AJ Tracey, Anne-Marie, Ellie Goulding, George Ezra, Headie One, RAYE and Rita Ora. More artists who have surpassed the threshold will be announced in due course.

“I’m really honored to be one of the recipients of the BRIT Billion Award,” Carey said in a statement. “I’m so grateful to my fans for their endless and enduring support. I love you UK lambily and cannot wait to come back to your side of the pond and create more magical moments together.”

This is the first time in its five-decade history that the BPI’s certifications program has recognized an artist’s combined success across multiple projects. The One Billion career total will include tracks an artist has appeared on either as the principal performer or as a featured artist, as credited by the Official Charts.

The introduction of BRIT Billion reflects the extent to which streaming has transformed the music landscape for artists and fans alike over the past decade. More than 85% of the UK’s recorded music consumption now takes place through streaming.

Sophie Jones, BPI chief strategy officer and interim chief executive, said in a statement: “For a recording artist, there can be few greater sources of pride than having a Platinum or Gold disc on their wall, but in an era when success in measured in the hundreds of millions and indeed billions of streams, it was clear that we needed a new and additional way to recognize and celebrate outstanding achievement in recorded music, and I feel certain that having a BRIT Billion Award will become equally prized.”

The BRIT Billion award represents the first significant upgrade to the certifications program since April 2018, when it was rebranded from the BPI Awards to the BRIT Certified Awards.

Mariah Carey Teams Up with David Morales to Release Extended Edit of No. 1 Single “Honey”

Posted on September 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is sweetening up one of her hits…

The 53-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer has released an extended edit of “Honey” as part of the 25th anniversary celebration of her 1997 classic, Butterfly.

The nearly eight-minute edit comes from the extremely capable hands of David Morales, the legendary NYC DJ/producer/remixer who helped deliver pop divas to the clubs in the ’80s and ’90s and beyond via remixes of Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Madonna and a litany of other divas.

Morales worked extensively with Carey throughout her career via official edits of hits including “Dreamlover,” “Fantasy” and “Shake It Off,” among many others.

Coming as a bonus track on the Butterfly re-release, Morales’ “Honey – Another Taste of Honey David Morales Remix” edit throws the kitchen sink at the track, bumping up the BPM, turning the sizzle dial all the way up via layers of percussion, rhythm guitar, a string section, a choir and revamped powerhouse vocals from Carey.

The edit comes among other re-release bonuses including 4K remastered versions of “Honey” and “The Roof” music videos, a new “Honey” music video documentary, classic live performances being released via Carey’s YouTube during September, Butterfly on cassette, and Deluxe Butterfly 4LP and 2LP Editions.

“I will never forget the day I released this album to the world,” Carey wrote Friday (Sept. 16) on social media. “I had never felt more exposed and vulnerable yet free and euphoric at the same time. It was a true EMANCIPATION (no pun intended!) of my spirit, soul and innermost feelings which I poured into every lyric and every note on every song. 25 years later, it’s still one of the proudest moments of my life & career.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Encanto” Soundtrack Reaches Fifth Week at No. 1 on Billboard 200

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s an enchanting five for Lin-Manuel Miranda…

Walt Disney Records’ Encanto soundtrack, containing eight original songs written by the 42-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning star and produced by Mike Elizondo, spends its fifth nonconsecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, becoming the soundtrack with the most weeks atop the chart since Disney’s own Frozen ruled for 13 nonconsecutive weeks in 2014.

With their totals at No. 1 (so far), Frozen and Encanto boast the most, and second-most, weeks at No. 1, respectively, among soundtracks in the 21st century.

Encanto earned 110,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending February 10 (down 2%), according to MRC Data.

Of Encanto’s 110,000 equivalent album units earned, SEA units comprise 91,000 (down 3%, equaling 134.82 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs), album sales comprise 17,000 (up 5%) and TEA units comprise 2,000 (down 28%).

Encanto continues to be powered largely by streaming activity for its songs, including its five top 40-charting hits on the Billboard Hot 100: “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” (which spent its second week atop the February 12-dated chart), “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?” and the Academy Award-nominated “Dos Oruguitas.”

Notably, Encanto is one of only six soundtracks to spend at least five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the last 30 years. Before Encanto, there was Frozen (13 weeks, 2014), Titanic (16, 1998), Waiting to Exhale (five, 1996), The Lion King (10, 1994-95) and the Whitney Houston-led The Bodyguard (20, 1992-93). (Before that, the last soundtrack with at least five weeks at No. 1 was Prince’s Batman in 1989, with six weeks at No. 1.) The soundtrack — and overall album — with the most weeks at No. 1 is West Side Story, with 54 weeks atop the list in 1962-63.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by MRC Data. 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.

Matthew López’s “The Bodyguard” Remake to Feature a Latina Starlet

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Matthew López is planning to bring a Latina twist to his The Bodyguard redo.

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican playwright and screenwriter is remaking the 1992 romantic thriller, which originally starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.

But this time, the film will feature a brand-new storyline about an overnight Latina sensation.

López, the history making Tony Award-winning playwright of The Inheritance who will be writing the new film, tells Variety that he wants a Latina to front the project.

Unlike Houston, who portrayed Oscar-nominated actress and high-profile singer Rachel Marron dodging death threats and a stalker in the film, the new female lead of The Bodyguard will play an up-and-coming singer who realizes how much she needs protection after growing into her fame.

“It’s so much fun. When Warner Bros. approached me about the idea, I quickly said I would but I wanted the protagonist to be Latina. They agreed to that,” he said. “There’s been a lot of speculation about what I’d bring to the remake and some people were assuming that there’d be a gay storyline to it. Instead of focusing on an established star like the one Whitney Houston played, this is about a young Latina performer who has just become famous. It’s about how her life has changed because she is an overnight sensation. In the 21st century, that means she’s in immediate need of protection. It was important to me to use this opportunity to get Latin faces up on that screen and to get their stories told in a big way.”

Variety initially reported that Afro-Latina superstars Cardi B and Tessa Thompson were suggested for the film, to respectively go alongside Channing Tatum and Chris Hemsworth.

No official casting information has been publicly released.

New Jersey Turnpike Authority to Name Rest Stop After the Late Celia Cruz

Posted on July 28, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a little rest (stop) for Celia Cruz’s biggest fans…

The late Cuban musician, who died in 2003 in her Fort Lee, New Jersey home at the age of 77, is one of several of New Jersey’s most iconic figures getting their names on a Garden State Parkway rest stops.

The New Jersey Turnpike Authority approved naming nine Parkway service areas after luminaries, including Cruz, one of the most popular Latin artists of the 20th century.

Others getting their name on a rest stop include groundbreaking baseball player Larry Doby, rocker Jon Bon Jovi and late actor James Gandolfini.

It’s being done in conjunction with the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which has inducted more than 180 people since 2008 in fields such as science, sports and the arts.

The service areas will contain Hard Rock Cafe-style exhibits and artifacts, and an interactive Wall of Fame featuring a life-sized video monitor showcasing Hall of Fame inductees and their acceptance speeches, according to Gov. Phil Murphy’s office.

Murphy said it’s part of a larger effort to showcase local heroes in a variety of fields at locations around the state, including Battleship New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike and Newark Penn Station.

In addition to Cruz, Gandolfini, Doby and Bon Jovi, service areas will be named after broadcast journalist Connie Chung; Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston; Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison; author Judy Blume; and perhaps New Jersey’s most famous native son, Frank Sinatra.

E! Kicking Off “True Hollywood Story” Reboot with Cardi B Episode

Posted on March 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is kicking off E!’s iconic docuseries…

The entertainment network’s television docuseries True Hollywood Story will officially return on Monday, March 15, starting with an in-depth look at the 28-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-winning rapper.

The first episode will track how the “Bodak Yellow (Money Moves)” rapper built herself from the ground up, including interviews with television producer Mona Scott-Young (VH1‘s Love & Hip Hop), “Bodak Yellow” music video director Picture Perfect and fellow New York rapper Maino.

The rest of the second season’s episodes will focus on the tragic deaths of Selena and Christina Grimmie at the hands of those obsessed with them (“Death of Innocence” will air March 29); the sisterhood bond that withstands the celebrity spotlight between Beyoncé and Solange Knowles, Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears, and Miley and Noah Cyrus (“Star Sisters” will air on April 10); trail-blazing billionaires like Jay-Z (“Billionaires: Fierce, Fearless & Filthy Rich” will premiere this summer); and Hollywood’s most talked-about and mysterious cases including Whitney Houston‘s death (“Hollywood Mysteries” will premiere in the fall).

Selena’s husband Chris Perez and Grimmie’s brother Marcus will share intimate stories during the “Death of Innocence” special.

Season two of E! True Hollywood Story will debut on Monday, March 15 at 10:00 pm ET.

Zack de la Rocha & His Rage Against the Machine Band Mates Earn Third Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nomination

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Zack de la Rocha is getting another chance to head to the Hall…

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced its 2021 nominees, with the 51-year-old Mexican American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper and activist and his Rage Against the Machine band mates earning a spot on the ballot.

In the the most gender-inclusive ballot in the Rock Hall’s history, de la Rocha and his band mates are joined by Mary J. Blige, Kate Bush, Devo, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Iron Maiden, Jay-Z, Chaka Khan, Carole King, Fela Kuti, LL Cool J, New York Dolls, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner and Dionne Warwick on the 2021 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ballot.

Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk.

The bands songs express revolutionary political views.

The band was nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility in 2017, as well as in 2018, although both bids failed. Could their third nomination be the charm?

Fan votes, which you can cast at RockHall.com, contribute to the induction process, but don’t guarantee entry.

In 2020, the Rock Hall inducted Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, the Notorious B.I.G., Whitney Houston, T. Rex and the Doobie Brothers into its ranks during a virtual ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kirstin Maldonado & Her Pentatonix Mates Release Inspirational “Amazing Grace” Cover

Posted on November 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstin Maldonado is bringin’ a little grace to the holiday season…

The 28-year-old Mexican & Spanish American singer and her Pentatonix group mates have surprised the world with the release of the music video for their new cover of “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone).”

In the Jimmy Bates-directed clip, Maldonado and her Pentatonix mates infuse the enduring gospel classic with their trademark a capella harmonies while wandering through a stunning outdoor church in the misty woods.

“My chains are gone/ I’ve been set free/ My God, my savior has ransomed me/ And like a flood/ His mercy reigns/ Unending love/ Amazing grace,” Mitch Grassi belts, while his bandmates provide crashing percussion and background vocals. Maldonado then takes over lead vocals on the next pitch-perfect stanza.

The track will serve as the lead single for the band’s upcoming sixth holiday album, We Need a Little Christmas, which is slated to drop November 13 via RCA Records.

While Pentatonix has yet to reveal the studio set’s complete track list, it will follow The Best of Pentatonix Christmas, their 2019 holiday compilation which featured collaborations with Tori Kelly (“Winter Wonderland/Don’t Worry, Be Happy“), Kelly Clarkson (“Grown Up Christmas List“), Maren Morris (“When You Believe”) and Jennifer Hudson (“How Great Thou Art“), as well as a posthumous duet with the late Whitney Houston on “Do You Hear What I Hear?”

Previously, the Christmas-loving a capella group has also released 2012’s PTXmas, 2014’s That’s Christmas to Me, 2016’s A Pentatonix Christmas and 2018’s Christmas Is Here!

Their next non-holiday full-length, titled The Lucky Ones, is currently expected to hit shelves, digital retailers and streaming services on February 12, 2021.

Dave Navarro Signs Deal with Primary Wave Music Publishing

Posted on July 28, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Dave Navarro has a new deal…

Primary Wave Music Publishing has acquired a stake in the 52-year-old half-Mexican American singer-songwriter-guitarist’s publishing catalog, master revenue streams and writer’s share royalties.

The worldwide publishing deal also includes a co-publishing agreement for Navarro’s future output.

“When I partnered up with Primary Wave, the first question they asked was, ‘So, where would you like to see your music being heard?’ I had never before been asked for my artistic input from a corporate entity and I was instantly relieved to know that I had finally found a home for my catalog,” said Navarro in a statement. “This was something new and fresh. In addition to this being a team partnership, Primary Wave utilizes its resources to put my music in front of ears that would have otherwise never heard it. They protect their artists and their catalog.”

Navarro is a member of Jane’s Addictionand a former member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who he played with from 1993 to 1998.

The Primary Wave deal includes such Navarro-penned songs as “Been Caught Stealing” and “Jane Says” (with Jane’s Addiction) and “Aeroplane” (with Red Hot Chili Peppers). He has additionally released two solo records, including the 2001 album Trust No One.

“We are honored to have a legendary artist such as Dave join our growing Primary Wave family,” added Primary Wave CEO and founder Lawrence Mestel. “Dave’s accomplishments speak for themselves. His contributions to Jane’s Addiction and Red Hot Chili Peppers left an indelible impression, influencing future generations of musicians.”

Founded in 2006, Primary Wave is a full-service music company that has acquired copyrights to over 15,000 songs from legendary artists like John Lennon, Kurt Cobain, Whitney Houston, Smokey Robinson, Aerosmith and Bob Marley.

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