The 26-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer/actress and Glee star released her own track, Sorry, on Los Angeles radio station Power 106 FM on Friday.
Rivera, best known for portraying Santana Lopez on Fox’s hit musical dramedy, got a little help from her boyfriend, G.O.O.D. Music label rapper Big Sean on recording the single and debuting it on air.
“Heard that #nayapower trended?! You guys are the best. This was a good day for all of us and I can’t thank you enough for your support,” Rivera tweeted on Friday.
The single, which Rivera says has “been a long time coming,” was finally dropped after Rivera shared a snippet of it last week on Twitter.
After her big break on Glee, Rivera signed a solo album record deal with Columbia Records back in May 2011.
Prior to releasing “Sorry” with Big Sean, Rivera recorded a feature on Croatian cello duo 2Cellos‘ sophomore album second single, a cover of Muse‘s “Supermassive Black Hole” and also appeared in the song’s music video.
She performed two Whitney Houston songs during her American Idol run… And, now Jessica Sanchez is honoring the late Grammy-winning singer’s memory with another cover.
The 17-year-old half-Mexican American singer performed Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” as part of Billboard’s weeklong tribute. Houston, who passed away a year ago this week, not only found legions of fans with her incomparable voice, she was also the galvanizing inspiration for generations of singers like Sanchez.
“Everything that Whitney did, she really made her mark,” says Sanchez, who performed “I Will Always Love You” to acclaim from the judges during her run on Idol last year. “The Bodyguard, I love that movie and the reason I sang, ‘I Will Always Love You’ today is that is one of my favorite songs from her. It was just such an amazing record and it really touched everybody. I don’t think anybody could ever sing it like her.”
Sanchez, who will make her acting debut on Glee later this year, may talk about about how Houston’s music has impacted her personally, but her sweet-voiced cover of the 1992 instaclassic and her emotional finish say more than words can.
Houston’s “I Will Love You” was the centerpiece of soundtrack for her 1992 film The Bodyguard. Houston took the bittersweet Dolly Parton-penned ballad all the way to No. 1 on the Hot 100 for 14 weeks.
“Her technique and her voice is completely different from anybody else, and that’s why she is Whitney Houston. That’s why she’s a legend,” says Sanchez, “and that’s why she was my biggest inspiration.”
The 20-year-old part-Mexican American singer and The X Factor judge performed live at last night’s VH1 Divas concert, getting the crowd on their feet with her show-stopping performance of her current single “Give Your Heart a Break.”
Held at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium, this year’s all-star event featured performances by Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Jordin Sparks, Melanie Fiona and Miley Cyrus. Adam Lambert served as the show’s host, while Havana Brown served as house DJ.
The event paid tribute to music legends Whitney Houston and Donna Summer with performances featuring current and classic dance hits.
The 42-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress – who received worldwide attention this year for Q’Viva! The Chosen talent search, as well as her role as a judge on American Idol – ranks as the top Latina on the 2012 Yahoo! Searches list.
La Lopez comes in tenth place on the just-released list, which spotlights the most-searched keywords and key terms of the year.
In addition to her television projects, Lopez has made headlines for her first world tour, which she plans to bring to movie theaters as a 3D concert film.
Other celebrities on the list include Kim Kardashian, Whitney Houston, Lindsay Lohan and Kate Middleton.
Here’s a look at the list of 2012 Yahoo! Overall Searches:
Pitbull, Kelly Clarkson, Melanie Fiona and Metric will join previously announced performers Demi Lovato, Ciara, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Rowland and Jordin Sparks as they all pay tribute to the most iconic divas of dance music, including the late Whitney Houston and Donna Summer.
The celebration, hosted by American Idol diva Adam Lambert, will be broadcast live from Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium on Sunday, December 16 at 9:00 pm ET.
Meanwhile, Havana Brown, whose “We Run the Night” featuring Pitbull reached No. 26 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 earlier this year, will serve as the event’s house deejay.
In keeping with tradition, tickets for VH1 Divas are available for purchase with proceeds to benefit the Save the Music Foundation. The VH1-backed charity is dedicated to keeping music education alive in American public schools and has provided nearly $50 million in new musical instruments to date.
Carlos Gardel’s name will forever be etched into the annals of music history…
The late Argentine singer/songwriter’s Spanish-language single “El día que me quieras” has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song – a tango with music by Gardel and lyrics by Alfredo Le Pera – was originally featured in the 1935 film of the same name. It became a heavily recorded tango standard, even by artists outside of the realm of tango.
Most recently, Mexican singer Luis Miguel recorded a cover of the song for his Grammy-winning album Segundo Romance, in 1994. This single peaked at number-one on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks chart in 1994.
In all, Grammy officials selected 27 recordings from legendary musicians to be added to the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles including works from Paul McCartney, Whitney Houston, Bob Dylan, Elton John, Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel.
The Recording Academy selects musical recordings for the hall of fame from songs and albums in all genres that are at least 25 years old. In addition, the academy chooses songs that show either “qualitative or historical significance.”
Following her impressive performance on The X Factor, Jennel Garcia shouldn’t lose one minute of sleep…
During Wednesday night’s episode of Fox’s reality singing competition, which saw the Top 12 sing songs by the divas like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, the 18-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer kicked off the show with a rousing rendition of Tina Turner’s “Proud Mary.”
In her mentoring session, Garcia’s mentor, Demi Lovato, encouraged the “rock star next door” to perform “for the audience,” saying she wanted America to see Garcia could be one of the divas in the future.
“[You] started this thing out with a bang,” proclaimed judge L.A. Reid. “You just returned to the competition; that smoked!”
Britney Spears agreed.
“Tina would be proud,” declared Britney Spears after the show-stopping performance that saw Garcia, dressed in a white fringed top and leggings, working the entire stage. “You nailed it!”
Even Simon Cowell, who had been critical of Lovato’s mentoring of Garcia last week, acknowledged the singer’s return to form.
“You are back in the game; that’s what we wanted,” said Cowell. “You look better, you sound better, you were having more fun. Like a different person. I’m glad you listened to me.”
And Lovato beamed with pride at her protégé’s job well-done.
“I’m so unbelievely proud of you,” said Lovato. “What a way to kick off the night. You do look amazing and I think together we really nailed it.”
The other Latinas in the competition, Ally Brooke (Hernandez) and Camila Cabello – members of FifthHarmony, received rave review as well.
Dressed in all-angelic-white, the all-girl group performed a beautiful rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Hero,” one that had Cowell, their mentor and group-maker, grinning throughout the performance.
“There’s something really lovable about all of you,” said Reid. “You picked a really tough song, and I think you struggled in the beginning honestly. But somewhere in there it turned into a really great performance.”
Lovato agreed.
“I was really worried that I was going to be bored, but you guys, your voices just killed it,” raved Lovato.
Cowell, who created the group from singers who hadn’t advanced as soloists after the show’s audition period, urged people to cast their votes.
“Maybe this isn’t a one horse race. Maybe there’s a chance that five girls with brilliant voices could actually win this show,” said Cowell. “And I want America to pick up the phone to vote for you!”
The 20-year-old part-Mexican American actress has signed on to perform at this year’s VH1 Divas concert.
Lovato, currently serving as a judge on Fox’s The X Factor, will take the stage at the concert event that celebrates current and classic divas in the music world. Similar to previous productions, this year’s show will benefit VH1‘s Save the Music Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping keep music education alive in public schools.
Other confirmed performers include Miley Cyrus, Jordin Sparks, Ciara and Kelly Rowland, while this year’s host will be former American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert.
“I’m so thrilled to be hosting VH1 Divas this year,” said Lambert in a statement. “I have a feeling it’s going to be the most fabulous concert of the year! And LIVE!! Get ready for some amazing performances, killer fashion and fierce divas!”
Besides the grand performances on the show, the night will include tributes to Whitney Houston and Donna Summers for their contributions to the music industry.
Show organizers are expected to announce more big name performers as the event’s airing date nears.
VH1 Divas will air live on Sunday, December 16 at 9/8c.
During Wednesday night’s first boot camp episode — which took place in Miami — Garcia wowed onlookers with her oh-so-sexy rendition of Gavin DeGraw’s “Sweeter.”
“Crazy sex appeal,” declared X Factor judge Demi Lovato.
But the reaction wasn’t so positive for another Latina who wowed the judges with her initial audition…
San Antonio’s Jessica Espinoza, whohad previously performed Pink’s “Nobody Knows” to rave reviews from the judges, was cut from the competition after a less than stellar cover of “When You Believe” by Whitney Houston.
“Not as good as I remember,” said Lovato, who had earlier proclaimed that Espinoza was one of the only contestants whose first and last names she remembered. “I’m pretty disappointed.”
The X Factor’s Boot Camp continues this Thursday, October 4 at 8:00 pm on Fox.
Following her emotionally charged performances of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Capitol Hill and at Game One of the NBA Finals, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer is reportedly thisclose to signing on for a multi-episode arc on Fox’s hit musical dramedy Glee.
Details on Sanchez’s character are being kept under tight wraps, but according to TVLine the pint-sized singer would join the Ryan Murphy-Brad Falchuk series midway through its upcoming fourth season. And, she’d join high-profile additions Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson, who have both signed on for multiple episodes.
Glee will move from its longtime home on Tuesdays to Thursday nights starting in September when it will be paired with Fox’s reality juggernaut Idol.
Sanchez—who successfully tackled music by divas Whitney Houston, Beyonce and Jennifer Holliday to land in the American Idol finale— will most likely join the series after the completion of Idol‘s summer concert tour.
