Enrique Iglesias Releases “Final, Vol. 2,” The Last Musical Set of His Career

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a final bow for Enrique Iglesias.

The 48-year-old Spanish singer and songwriter has released his new studio album Final, Vol. 2 via Sony Music Latin—almost three years after dropping Final, Vol. 1.

Iglesias is assuring everyone the album will be the last musical set of his career.

Comprised of 10 tracks, Final, Vol. 2 finds Iglesias navigating from his signature electronic dance and Latin pop fusions to other genres including bachata (“Así Es La Vida” featuring Maria Becerra), dembow (“La Botella” featuring El Alfa), country (“Space in my Heart” featuring Miranda Lambert), and cumbia (“Llórame Un Río featuring Belinda). His collaboration with Lambert is also available in Spanish with only Iglesias performing it called “Espacio En Tu Corazón.”

In addition to “Space in my Heart,” two other songs on the set are in English: “Love and Pain” and “Be Together”—further stamping the Spanish crooner’s global connection to his fans.

His sensual bachata with Becerra reached No. 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart for eight weeks, starting the December 9, 2023-dated chart, and it reached a No. 12 high on Latin Airplay chart (December 16).

Final, Vol. 2 follows Final, Vol. 1 (2021), his first album in seven years after Sex & Love and that includes hits such as the Nicky Jam-assisted “El Perdón,” “Duele el Corazón” with Wisin, “Súbeme la Radio” with Descemer Bueno and Zion y Lennox, and the Bad Bunny-assisted “El Baño.”

Final (Vol. 1) debuted and peaked at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums and at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums (charts dated Oct. 10, 2021).

Nicky Jam Partners with NBA & Mitchell & Ness to Launch Limited Edition Miami Heat Apparel Collection

Posted on November 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nicky Jam is bringing the fashion heat…

The NBA and Mitchell & Ness has launched a limited-edition apparel collection in collaboration with the 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American urban singer-songwriter featuring the Miami Heat.

Nicky Jam “provided design input” on the merchandise — including a Heat hoodie, Hardwood Classics jersey, t-shirt, shorts and a hat, according to the press release.

“I’m thrilled to collaborate with the NBA and Mitchell & Ness on this new collection, bringing Miami flavor to life with the Heat’s vibrant colors complemented by locally relevant design elements,” the “El Perdón” singer expressed in a statement. “These pieces are a testament to the NBA’s cultural impact extending beyond the court into music and style. As my fans know, I’m always representing the Latin community, and it’s exciting to build on the league’s commitment to inclusiveness and diversity.”

Check out the collection here.

Nicky Jam to Finance Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s Next Four-Year ‘Prodigy Scholarship’

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Nicky Jam is providing a financial assist to the music world’s next prodigy…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American artist will finance the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation’s next four-year Prodigy Scholarship, which will fully fund a student’s bachelor’s degree in music at Berklee School of Music starting in the fall 2023.

“I’ve always wanted to help and I don’t have my own foundation,” Nicky Jam tells Billboard. “My publicist knows that this is something I’ve been wanting to do and when the opportunity came with the Grammys, I was very excited. I see myself in this type of project because music saved my life. Music gave me everything I needed.”

News of Nicky’s involvement comes just a month after he performed his hit song “El Perdón” with four former scholarship recipients (Xavier Cintrón, Valentina García, Nicolle Horbath and Sergio de Miguel Jorgequera) at the Latin Grammys.

“First of all just seeing those kids sing my song, that was incredible. To let them use my platform to create their own platform, that’s what it’s all about,” he adds. “There was this one kid who wouldn’t stop smiling when he was performing, so he was making me feel better because I was nervous. I was performing in a format that I don’t really sing in, it wasn’t reggaeton, but it felt so good. I felt more love onstage with these kids that I’ve felt in years with a bunch of people I’ve performed with.”

The scholarship, created eight years ago, holds a maximum value of $200,000 and the application period will be open from now until April 10, 2023.

The scholarship is traditionally awarded to “exceptionally talented music students, with financial needs, to support their educational and musical aspirations,” according to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.

“When it comes to pursuing a career in music, finances should not be a deterrent to cultivating talent,” Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, executive director of the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, said in a statement. “We are grateful for Nicky Jam’s generosity, which makes music education a reality for future generations of Latin music creators and preserves our legacy for years to come.”

Nicky Jam, one of the pioneers of reggaetón with more than three decades in music, says this opportunity is special because “low-key” he always dreamed of studying music. As a struggling musician in his early days, receiving a scholarship would’ve had a huge impact on him.

“The fact that I could’ve studied music, that’s already huge. I would’ve gone crazy and studied what I love. No one knew that I’ve always wanted to study music and now people tell me I don’t need it but we could always learn to be better. But I’ll be happy for those kids who do get the opportunity. Maybe the next Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny or Beethoven comes out of this. You never know!”

The foundation is accepting applications for all 2023 scholarships, and alongside Nicky Jam and his manager, Juan Diego Medina (also CEO of La Industria Inc.), is also sponsoring one of the Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000.

All scholarships are available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25.

For more details and/or to apply, visit www.latingrammyculturalfoundation.org.

In previous years, the Prodigy Scholarship has been co-sponsored by Latin stars including Enrique Iglesias, Juan Luis Guerra, Miguel Bosé, Carlos Vives, Emilio and Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Juanes and Sofia Carson.

Bad Bunny’s “Me Porto Bien,” with Chencho Corleone, Logs Milestone 20th Week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs Chart

Posted on October 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is still behaving well… And, he’s earning a place in Latin music history.

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar and Chencho Corleone’s “Me Porto Bonito” has logged a milestone 20th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart dated October 8, becoming the 12th song to spend at least 20 weeks atop the tally in its 36-year history.

The song’s 20th week at No. 1 benefits from 8 million U.S. audience impressions earned in the week ending Sept. 29 (up 18%), according to Luminate.

Meanwhile, though it dips 4% in streams to 12 million earned in the week ending September 29, it holds strong at No. 1 on the Latin Streaming Songs chart and moves 4-2 on the overall Streaming Songs chart.

On the sales front, “Me Porto Bonito” falls 14%, to 1,000 downloads sold, in the same tracking period.

As it drops 1-2 on Latin Digital Song Sales, it cedes the No. 1 spot to another one of Bad Bunny’s songs: “MIA,” featuring Drake — which last took over atop the chart for one week in October 2018.

As mentioned, “Me Porto Bonito” joins 11 other tracks that have held strong at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for at least 20 weeks or more since the chart’s inception in 1986.

Here’s the leaderboard:

Weeks At No. 1, Title, Artist
56, “Despacito” Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee, featuring Justin Bieber
41, “Bailando,” Enrique Iglesias featuring Descemer Bueno & Gente de Zona
30, “El Perdón,” Nicky Jam & Enrique Iglesias
27, “Dakiti,” Bad Bunny & Jhay Cortez
26, “Pepas,” Farruko
25, “La Tortura,” Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz
24, “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life),” Black Eyed Peas & J Balvin
22, “Ginza,” J Balvin
20, “Me Porto Bonito,” Bad Bunny & Chencho Corleone
20, “Te Quiero, Flex”
20, “Me Enamora,” Juanes
20, “A Puro Dolor,” Son By Four

Further, Bad Bunny is the third act to have two different songs spend at least 20 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs (he previously notched 27 weeks at No. 1 with “Dakiti,” with Jhay Cortez). Both Enrique Iglesias and J Balvin have also logged a pair of 20-week No. 1s. Iglesias did it with “Bailando” (41 in 2014-15, featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona) and “El Perdon” (30 in 2015, with Nicky Jam), while J Balvin ruled with “RITMO (Bad Boys for Life)” (24, 2020; with Black Eyed Peas) and “Ginza” (22, 2015).

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber, has the most weeks at No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs, with 56 weeks in 2017-18.

Elsewhere, “Me Porto Bonito” rebounds to No. 4 on Latin Airplay for a second week (7-4). The track led the all-genre tally for one week on the Aug. 20-dated ranking.

Nicky Jam to Receive Billboard Hall of Fame Award at Billboard Latin Music Awards

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Nicky Jam is standing hall…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American artist will receive the Billboard Hall of Fame award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards.

The special award will recognize the reggaetón artist, actor and entrepreneur for his prolific work that transcends musical genres and languages.

He is also set to perform at the awards show, which will take place on Thursday, September 29, at the Watsco Canter in Miami and will broadcast live on Telemundo beginning at 7:00 pm ET.

Nicky now joins past Billboard Hall of Fame recipients including Alejandro Fernández, Banda El Recodo, Carlos Vives, Daddy Yankee, El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico, Franco de Vita, Joan Sebastian, José José, Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solís, Mongo Santamaria, Rocío Dúrcal and Vicente Fernández.

Born Nick Rivera Caminero, the half Puerto Rican, half Dominican star is considered one of the pioneers of reggaetón with more than three decades of music.

The 13-time Billboard Latin Music Award winner is known for his Hot Latin Songs No. 1 hits such as his Enrique Iglesias-assisted “El Perdón,” which topped the chart for 30 weeks in 2015, and “Hasta El Amanecer,” which ruled for 18 weeks.

Currently, he’s making the rounds with his singles “Sin Novia” and “Ojos Rojos,” which topped both the Latin Airplay and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts in April.

Jhayco Earns First No. 1 as a Soloist on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special first for Jhayco…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer and rapper rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with “Sensual Bebe” on the August 13-dated ranking.

The song marks his fifth champ on the all-Latin genre list, and his first as a soloist, unaccompanied by another act.

“Hitting No. 1 with a solo song was an overdue milestone for my career,” Jhayco tells Billboard. “We’ve been working towards that for quite some time and there are more to come. I don’t doubt it.”

“Sensual Bebe” climbs from No. 7 to lead Latin Airplay after a 29% surge in audience impressions, to 9.3 million, earned in the U.S. in the July 1-7 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The track simultaneously takes the Greatest Gainer honors of the week on two charts, as it advances 5-1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay.

“Sensual” gives JhayCo — who formerly performed as Jhay Cortez — his fifth leader on both lists, and first unaccompanied by any other collaborator. Jhayco’s first Latin Airplay No. 1 arrived through “Dakiti,” a co-billed collaboration with Bad Bunny, which spent two weeks at No. 1 (December 2020-January 2021). It also earned him three Billboard Latin Music Awards in 2021. The song concurrently won him the fourth-longest command in the history of the all-metric Hot Latin Songs, ruling for 27 weeks, behind only Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito,” featuring Justin Bieber (56 weeks); Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailando” (41 weeks); and Nicky Jam and Iglesias’ “El Perdón” (30 weeks).

Back on Latin Airplay, Jhayco leads for the first time as a soloist, unassisted by any other act.

Here’s a recap of his wins:

Peak Date, Title, Artist (if other than Jhayco):
Dec. 26, 2020, “Dakiti,” with Bad Bunny
June 12, 2021, “Fiel,” Los Legendarios, Wisin & Jhay Cortez
Feb. 5, 2022, “Ley Seca,” with Anuel AA
Jan. 8, 2022, “Emojis De Corazones,” with Wisin & Ozuna featuring Los Legendarios
August 13, 2022, “Sensual Bebe”

While a now-established radio champ, “Sensual” debuted at No. 44 on the Latin Airplay chart dated March 26 and snatches the No. 1 spot in its 21st week (following three weeks in the top 10); it’s the longest climb to No. 1 in 2022 thus far. Let’s take a look at the tracks with the most weeks to No. 1:

Weeks to No. 1, Song Title, Artist, Date Reached No. 1
21 weeks, “Sensual Bebe,” Jhayco, August 13
19, “Buenos Días,” Wisin & Camilo, July 23
19, “Ley Seca,” Jhay Cortez & Anuel AA, Feb. 5
18, “Remix,” Daddy Yankee, August 6

“Sensual’s” Latin Airplay domination arrives days after he performed in Las Vegas on August 3 as part of his Timelezz world tour — which kicked off May 7 in the same city — in support of his sophomore effort Timelezz, the No. 2-peaking set on Top Latin Albums (September 18, 2021).

“Sensual Bebe” is the first single from Jhayco’s next studio album.

Enrique Iglesias Reclaims Record for Most No. 1s on Billboard Latin Airplay Chart with “Me Pasé,” Featuring Farruko

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is back in the lead…

The 46-year-old Spanish singer, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist and actor has recaptured his record for the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, ascends 4-1 on the October 2-dated survey.

With 32 No. 1s on the almost 27-year list, Iglesias pushes ahead of J Balvin for the most leaders. The latter notched his 31st leader as he locked up the No. 1 spot with “In Da Getto,” with Skrillex, on the September 11-dated tally.

“Me Pasé” takes over atop Latin Airplay thanks to a 26% boost in audience impressions, to 11.3 million, in the U.S. in the week ending September 26, according to MRC Data.

Notably, Iglesias has held the record for the most No. 1s on the Latin Airplay chart almost continuously since 1996, when he achieved his fifth No. 1, then passing Selena (who had a leading four No. 1s at that point).

The Latin Airplay chart began only two years earlier, in 1994. Since then, Iglesias has held the most No. 1s on the list except for a brief time earlier this year, when J Balvin tied with him for the most, when the former notched his 31st No. 1 on the September 11 chart with “In Da Getto.”

With “Me Pasé” at the summit, Farruko reaches his highest Latin Airplay ranking in 2021 as he’s scored two No. 3 high tracks (“Perfecta,” with Luis Fonsi, January 2; and “Pepas,” September 25).

Besides conquering Latin Airplay, Iglesias and Farruko also rule Latin Pop Airplay as “Me Pasé” lifts 2-1. Iglesias improves his career total to 25 No. 1s, extending his lead far ahead of second-place Shakira, with 19. Farruko captures his sixth leader.

Meanwhile, Final (Vol. 1), Iglesias’ 11th studio album, debuts at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums. It’s his first studio effort since 2014’s No. 1 Sex and Love, and it earns him a 12th top 10. In between, Iglesias secured a No. 2 high with a Greatest Hits (2019) set, which has remained steady in the tally’s top 10 during all but one week of its 103-week run.

The 11-track Final (Vol. 1) includes five tracks that were originally released between 2015 and 2018 but were not previously released on an Iglesias album. Among them are a pair of No. 1s on Hot Latin Songs: “El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, and “Duele El Corazón,” with Wisin.

“I took a pause in between albums because I was touring and because I wanted to enjoy the success of my previous album,” Iglesias tells Billboard. “I have never stopped writing and going to the studio though. The plan was to release the album at the beginning of last year, but once COVID hit, it delayed everything, obviously.”

Final, released September 17 via Sony Music Latin, starts with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 23rd. Out of the 11-track set’s opening sum, 3,000 derive from streaming activity, which equates to 5 million U.S. streams of the set’s tracks. The remaining 1,000-unit sum stems from album sales and track equivalent album units.

“The biggest challenge was not being able to have everyone in the same studio and trying to follow all the precautions,” Iglesias continues. “We were trying to finish all the production aspects of the songs, which we managed to do being careful. Everyone involved wanted to see this bulk of work out and we managed to finish the process during COVID to have it ready so we could put it out now.”

On the overall Top Latin Albums chart, Final arrives at No. 12, also the Spaniard’s first appearance with a studio set since 2014. “When I work on an album, I start with 50 songs!” Iglesias adds. “Then it becomes 30, 20…so on. So, through the process, I relate to every single one in a way. I always say that if I’m going to put any music out, it must be something that I like and be willing to sing every single night, for years if needed. It’s hard to handpick just one, but I really enjoy ‘Chasing the Sun.’ It talks about staying young and staying positive. It’s a song that always puts me in a good mood.”

As Final arrives, one track launches on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: “Pendejo” at No. 33. The set, however, was preceded by five songs, one of which ruled the tally for 30 weeks in 2015. Here’s the recap:

Title, Artist (if other than Iglesias), Peak Date, Peak Position
“El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, March 21, 2015, No. 1 (30 weeks atop)
“Duele El Corazón,” with Wisin, May 14, 2016, No. 1 (14-week lead)
“Súbeme La Radio,” featuring Zion & Lennox and Descemer Bueno, April 22, 2017, No. 2
“El Baño,” featuring Bad Bunny, Jan. 27, 2018, No. 8
“Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, Oct. 2, No. 15

Enrique Iglesias Releases Latest Album “Final (Vol. 1)”

Posted on September 18, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the final countdown for Enrique Iglesias…

The 46-year-old Spanish singer, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist and actor has released his latest album Final (Vol. 1).

Iglesias has released the album seven years after Sex & Love.

Part one of his FINAL album, Iglesias has previously announced could be the first half of his last one.

The 11-track set includes previously released hits that date back to 2015, including the Nicky Jam-assisted “El Perdón,” to his latest summer anthem “Me Pasé” with Farruko.

As for the five never-before-heard tracks on the album, standouts include “Te Fuiste,” a team-up with Myke Towers produced by Ovy on the Drums, and “Pendejo,” released alongside a music video.

“Te Fuiste” starts slow with prickly guitars but quickly builds momentum powered by a reggaeton beat, just in time for Myke Towers’ entrance.

Meanwhile, “Pendejo” finds a regretful Iglesias wanting to rekindle a relationship with a girl who had broken his heart.

According to Iglesias, there will be a second part to FINAL.

“It might be my final album,” Iglesias said during an Instagram Live earlier this month. “It’s not something that I have been thinking about for the past few months. It’s something that I have been thinking about for the past few years. There’s going to be Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, but they’re final. I’m in that moment in my life, that chapter in my life, where I think it’s the right time to put it out and I’ve been thinking about this since 2015.”

Enrique Iglesias Announces Co-Headlining North American Tour with Ricky Martin

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is joining forces with a fellow Latin superstar…

The 44-year-old Spanish singer and Ricky Martin have announced their first-ever co-headlining tour in North America.

Iglesias and Martin will be joined by rising star Sebastian Yatra, who will perform as a special guest on the trek.

The tour will kick off on September 5 in Phoenix and make stops in major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami and New York. The ambitious tour will wrap up on October 30 in Atlanta.

Both superstars in their own right, the Grammy-winning artists boast chart-topping success throughout their careers, landing No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including Iglesias’ “Bailamos,” which hit No. 1 on the chart dated September 4, 1999, and “Be With You” on June 24, 2000, and Martin’s smash hit “Livin’ La Vida Loca,” which topped the chart dated May 8, 1999.

On the Hot Latin Songs chart, they both have multiple No. 1s under their belt. Martin has had a total of 11 chart-toppers, including “Vuelve” and “Pegate,” while Iglesias has 27 No. 1s, including “Bailando” and the Nicky-Jamassisted reggaetón hit “El Perdón.”

Tickets for the highly anticipated tour go on sale to the general public starting on March 12.

Here are the tour dates:

Sept. 5 — Phoenix, AZ — Gila River Arena
Sept. 6 — El Paso, TX — Don Haskins Center
Sept. 9 — Edinburg, TX — Bert Ogden Arena
Sept. 11 — San Antonio, TX — AT&T Center
Sept. 12 — Houston, TX — Toyota Center
Sept. 13 — Dallas, TX — American Airlines Center
Sept. 17 — Los Angeles, CA — STAPLES Center
Sept. 22 — San Jose, CA — SAP Center
Sept. 24 — Sacramento, CA — Golden 1 Center
Sept. 26 — Las Vegas, NV — MGM Grand Garden Arena
Oct. 1 — Chicago, IL — Allstate Arena
Oct. 6 — Boston, MA — TD Garden
Oct. 8 — Toronto, ON — Scotiabank Arena
Oct. 10 — Montreal, QC — Centre Bell
Oct. 14 — Philadelphia, PA — Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 15 — Washington, DC — Capital One Arena
Oct. 17 — Newark, NJ — Prudential Center
Oct. 18 — New York, NY — Madison Square Garden
Oct. 23 — Miami, FL — AmericanAirlines Arena
Oct. 29 — Orlando, FL — Amway Center
Oct. 30 — Atlanta, GA — State Farm Arena

Nicky Jam to Release New Album, “Intimo,” in November

Posted on October 9, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Nicky Jam is getting intimo…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American urban singer has revealed the cover of his forthcoming album Intimo, set to be released on November 1.

This week, Nicky Jam unveiled the album title, cover and release date on Instagramwith the caption “My album and I.”

This year, Nicky Jam has been touring the U.S. with his Intimo Tourwhile filming the movie Bad Boys for Lifestarring Will SmithandMartin Lawrence, which is set to premiere on January 17.

Intimowill be Jam’s second album after his “comeback” with Fénix,which contains the hit “El Perdón.”

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