Karol G Named Billboard’s 2024 Woman of the Year

Posted on February 8, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is a woman on top…

After a year of career-defining moments, including a history-making album, a momentous stadium tour, headlining Lollapalooza and her first Grammy win, the 32-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter has been named Billboard‘s 2024 Woman of the Year.

Karol G will be honored with the award at the Billboard Women in Music Awards on Wednesday, March 6, at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, and streaming March 7.

Karol G will also grace the stage for a special performance.

Hosted by award-winning actor and producer Tracee Ellis Ross, the annual event will recognize music’s rising stars and A-List artists, creators and executives for their contributions to the industry and community.

“With her immense talent, Karol G has created a movement for women across the globe due to her empowering lyrics and inspiring confidence,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s editorial director. “The release of her groundbreaking album Mañana Será Bonito has proven her a force to be reckoned with in both the English and Spanish charts. We are so excited to honor her as Woman of the Year.”

Over the past few years, Karol G has become a leading force in Latin music. Two years after releasing her breakthrough album KG0516 in 2021, Karol G became the first female artist to top the Billboard 200 with a Spanish-language album thanks to Mañana Será Bonito.

The follow-up album, Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), then debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. On Sunday, she won her first Grammy, taking home best música urbana album for Mañana Será Bonito.

Last summer, Karol launched her own Bichota Records and inked a distribution deal with Interscope. Additionally, The Con Cora Foundation was established to continue the artist’s social work and mission to support women who lead households, at-risk youth, children facing chronic or disabling diseases, those dealing with teenage pregnancy, women deprived of liberty and post-penalty, as well as low-income women.

Past recipients of Woman of the Year include SZA, Olivia Rodrigo, Cardi B, Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Madonna, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift.

Karol G joins the previously announced lineup of powerhouse women set for the 2024 Billboard Women in Music Awards: Kylie Minogue will receive the Icon Award; Maren Morris will receive the Visionary Award; Ice Spice will receive the Hitmaker Award; Charli XCX will receive the Powerhouse Award; Young Miko will receive the Impact Award; Victoria Monét will receive the Rising Star award; NewJeans will receive the Group of the Year Award; TEMS will receive the Breakthrough Award; and Luísa Sonza will receive one of Billboard’s new Global Force Awards.

Tickets to attend the Billboard Women in Music Awards are available to the public. Prices range from $89 – $279. Fans can watch the show on Thurs, March 7 at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET on billboardwomeninmusic.com; more details about the stream will be announced soon.

Maria Becerra Signs with Wasserman Music for Worldwide Representation

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Maria Becerra is expanding her world…

The 23-year-old Argentine singer-songwriter has signed with Wasserman Music for representation worldwide (except Latin America).

She’ll be represented by agents Juan Toro and Ryan Soroka.

The deal caps off a significant 2023 for Becerra who in May signed a label deal with Warner Music Latina, in a joint venture with 300 Entertainment, followed by an exclusive administration deal with Warner Chappell Music in August.

In May, Becerra received the visionary award at the inaugural Billboard Latin Women in Music gala.

Becerra — known for fusing pop, cumbia villera, bachata and reggaeton — broke in 2019 with her EP 222.

Two years later, she released her debut album, Animal, featuring collaborations with artists such as Cazzu, Becky G and Tiago PZK. The set earned Becerra a Latin Grammy nomination for best urban music album.

Overall, Becerra has scored three entries on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including her J Balvin collaboration “Qué Más Pues?” She’s also claimed three top 10 spots on Latin Airplay, including two No. 1 hits: “Te Espero,” featuring Prince Royce and “Así Es La Vida” with Enrique Iglesias.

Notably, she holds the record for the most entries by a woman on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 with 43.

Most recently, Becerra sold out her upcoming March 23 show at the River Plate Stadium in her native Argentina in less than 90 minutes, making history in doing so.

Before her show at the fabled venue, which has a capacity of nearly 65,000, Becerra will perform at Viña del Mar in Chile on March 1.

Shakira Announces First-Ever Manuel Turizo-Collaboration “Copa Vacía,” Coming Out June 29

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is dealing with an empty glass…

The 46-year-old Colombian superstar has joined voices with Manuel Turizo for the single “Copa Vacía,” which will be released on June 29.

“We made a movie,” the Colombian artists teased on social media of their first song together, sharing a poster that looks straight out of a movie with Shakira taking the role of a mermaid and Turizo as the prince.

The first time Shakira hinted at a new song was June 9, when she posted a photo of herself as a mermaid with the cryptic caption, “You want thingamabobs? I got twenty…,” a lyric from The Little Mermaid‘s “Part of Your World.”

But she didn’t offer anymore details, leaving fans wondering what she was up to.

Now, they know to expect a new song with “La Bachata” singer and a music video that promises to be a cinematic experience.

“Copa Vacía” will follow Shakira’s sweet song “Acróstico,” which is a love letter to her children.

The “Acróstico” music video, which dropped in May, features her two sons — Milan and Sasha — who sing and play the piano alongside her.

“This year Milan has written songs that have made me tear up and Sasha has dedicated hours playing the piano and discovering his voice,” Shakira wrote in Spanish on social media when the video dropped. “Both have spent some time with me in the studio and upon hearing this song, they’ve asked to be part of it. They’ve felt it and interpreted it in their own way and for themselves, with the same passion and emotion of a person who carries music within them.”

In May, Shakira was also honored at the inaugural Billboard Latin Women in Music gala as Woman of the Year, where she gave an emotional speech in which she acknowledged the hard times she’s been through, and thanked her mother, her friends and women in general.

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Karol G to Receive Rule Breaker Award at Billboard’s Women in Music Awards

Posted on January 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is officially a rule breaker…

Billboard has announced its 2022 Women in Music honorees, with the 30-year-old Colombian singer among those being feted.

Karol G, who won the Latin Grammy for Best New Artist in 2018, will receive the Rule Breaker Award.

Her song “Tusa” with Nicki Minaj became an international success and was certified 28× Latin Platinum by the RIAA, staying on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart for 25 weeks.

The annual Women in Music event recognizes music’s top female artists, producers and executives for their contributions to music industry and their communities.

This year’s event, hosted by Ciara, will take place on March 2 at the YouTube Theater at L.A.’s Hollywood Park and for the first time ever, tickets to attend the Women in Music Awards will be available to the public. Tickets will go on sale in February.

Bonnie Raitt will receive the Icon Award, and Gabby Barrett will receive the Rising Star Award.

Phoebe Bridgers is 2022’s Trailblazer Award recipient, and Doja Cat will be honored with the Powerhouse Award. Saweetie will receive the Game Changer Award and Summer Walker gets this year’s Chartbreaker Award.

Karol G and the rest of the honorees will perform at the annual ceremony.

Additionally, Reservoir Media’s Founder and CEO Golnar Khosrowshahi will receive the Executive of the Year Award.

“We are once again thrilled to recognize a diverse group of incredibly powerful women driving the music business and shaping pop culture,” said Billboard’s editorial director, Hannah Karp. “From legendary acts to those just beginning to make a name for themselves, these are all women pushing the envelope and inspiring fans around the world with their musicality, determination, attitude and style. We are thrilled to bring these influencers together for a night of incredible performances and inspiring conversation about the future of music.”

“Billboard’s Women in Music is an annual opportunity for us to celebrate undeniably influential women from across the industry,” said Julian Holguin, president of Billboard. “From Doja Cat to Karol G, Saweetie and Bonnie Raitt, we couldn’t be more thrilled to honor this diverse group of women pushing limits and breaking down boundaries with a show stopping live event, and for the first time, invite fans to join in on the celebration in-person.”

Jennifer Lopez Launching Her Own Skincare Line, JLo Beauty, Next Month

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is expanding her empire…

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is getting reading to launch her upcoming skincare line JLo Beauty.

“I think I’ve been thinking about it for about 20 years. Everywhere I went, I felt like everybody was always asking me about my skin. And as I got more mature, the questions came more often,” says Lopez. “It was actually very nice, but I realized that it was almost like an obligation. Like I had to put out a skincare line for everybody who was asking.” Simply click here you will get the best dermatologist in Melbourne. Here you will get the answer of the what causes eczema?

And she’s telling Vogue about her line’s secret ingredient. Speaking of secret ingredient, maybe its the perfect time to know about polyphenol dark spot diminisher ingredients, a safe and effective ingredient to reduce dark spots.

“My mom used to say that olive oil was the cure-all for everything,” the 2020 Billboard Women in Music Icon Award recipient explained, referring to her JLo Beauty Olive Complex, a blend of squalane, fermented olive oil, extra-virgin olive oil, and olive leaf extract.

Lopez’s eight-piece skincare collection launches on January 1, and includes a cream cleanser, multitasking serum, “wonder cream,” sunscreen, eye cream, masks, complexion booster and a dietary supplement.

“Everyone fought me hardest on the supplements,” Lopez explained of her once-daily capsules. “But skin care doesn’t work without boosting what’s going on inside.”

Cardi B Named Billboard’s “Woman of the Year”

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Cardi B is WAP-ping up the year with a bang…

The 28-year-old half-Dominican American rap superstar has been named the 2020 Woman of the Year by Billboard.

Cardi B, who continues to thrive with her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP,” a brand-new already-sold-out Reebok collection and her political activism, will be presented the award during Billboard‘s Women in Music event on December 10.

The 15th annual event will go virtual this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and will stream live here starting at 8:00 pm ET. The ceremony will be hosted by Teyana Taylor.

Jennifer Lopez will be honored with this year’s prestigious Icon Award for her impact on the music industry and the greater artistic community, joining previous recipients Alanis Morissette, Cyndi Lauper, Mary J. Blige, Shania Twain and Aretha Franklin.

Following the success of her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa will receive the Powerhouse Award, given to an act whose music dominated streaming, sales and radio this year.

Dolly Parton is 2020’s Hitmaker Award recipient. The honor recognizes a songwriter whose compositions have significantly impacted culture.

Chloe x Halle will receive the Rising Star Award, and Jessie Reyez will be honored with the American Express Impact Award.

Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas, the trailblazing minds behind #TheShowMustBePaused movement following the murder of George Floyd, will be honored with the 2020 Executive of the Year Award.

Leila Cobo to Release New Book Offering Inside Look into the Latin Music Industry

Posted on December 23, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Leila Cobo is doing some decoding…

The Colombian journalist/writer, a vice president at Billboard, will release a new book next year with Penguin Random House titled Decoding Latino: The Real Story of Latin Music.

The book will offer an insider’s view into the Latin music industry, tracking the stories behind 15 of the biggest hits of the past 50 years featuring some of the biggest names in music, including Emilioand Gloria Estefan, Enrique Iglesias, J Balvinand Luis Fonsi, among others.

“Bringing to life these stories and these songs is an honor and a pleasure,” said Cobo, who is also a classically trained pianist. “We’ve had so much fun reliving the making of these landmark songs.”

Decoding Latino will also explore areas such as the birth of Salsa, which was bred on the streets of Spanish Harlem, as well as Puerto Rican reggaetonand the bilingual chart-toppers making history.

It will be published in English and Spanish, and will also be available as an audio book.

Cobo, who has previously written four books in addition to co-writing the 2017 memoir Una Vida with recording artist Ednita Nazario, is Billboard‘s chief Latin music expert, writer and editor who has secured some of the magazine’s most iconic cover stories highlighting names like pop star Jennifer Lopez, urban king Ozuna and the recent cover story featuring Spain’s flamenco-inspired hip-hip artist Rosalía, who this month was celebrated at Billboard’s 14th annual Women in Music event for her contributions to female empowerment.

Previously, Cobo published two novels with Grand Central Publishing/Hatchette Book Group, which were translated to German, Italian and have won multiple awards. The Second Time We Met, Cobo’s 2012 novel, won the Latino Book Award for best popular fiction and was chosen as one of the top summer reads by MSN and Latina.

Cobo’s biography on the late Jenni Rivera (Penguin Random House) stayed on the U.S. top 10 list of most-sold books in Spanish for more than 25 consecutive weeks. The book on the Diva of Banda music was named a top-read by several publications, including People en Español.

Rosalia to Receive the Rising Star Award at Billboard’s Women in Music Event

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no denying Rosalia’s status as a rising star…

With Billboard‘s 14th annual Women in Music event just weeks away, the 26-year-old Spanish singer/songwriter, a big Latin Grammy winner this year, among the artists being celebrated for their contributions to female empowerment.

Rosalía, nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy this year, will receive the Rising Star Award after changing the sound of today’s mainstream music with her fresh flamenco-influenced pop.

She joins newly announced honorees Alicia Keys, who will receive the Impact Award, and Megan Thee Stallion, this year’s Powerhouse Award honoree.

“Women in Music is a celebration of artists and executives who are changing the world through their work. We are excited to honor Alicia Keys, Rosalía and Megan thee Stallion, whose singular visions and voices are shifting our culture while inspiring fans to stay true to themselves,” said Hannah Karp, Billboard’s editorial director.

The trio will join previously announced honorees Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Alanis Morissette,Nicki Minaj, Brandi Carlile and Roc Nation chief operating officer Desiree Perezat the 2019 Women in Music event, presented by YouTube Musicand hosted by last year’s Rising Star honoree Hayley Kiyoko.

The event and red carpet pre-show will stream live from the Hollywood Palladium on December 12 at YouTube.com/Billboard starting at 9 p.m. ET.

Camila Cabello to Release Self-Titled Debut Solo Album in January 2018

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is ready for her official debut as a solo act…

The 20-year-old Mexican and Cuban singer and former Fifth Harmony member has finally revealed when her first solo album will be released.

In a note to her followers on Instagram, Cabello wrote, “to my Camilizers…. my debut album is finally finished. now i’m trying to steady my heartbeat!!!!!!!”

“Thank you for being so patient with me this year, i can’t wait for you to hear what has been the soundtrack to the past year of my life,” she added. “All of these songs have special memories behind them, and i’m not gonna lie, it feels emotional letting them go, feels like the end of a chapter… it’s in your hands January 12.”

The caption accompanies what can be assumed to be the album art, a gorgeous portrait of the singer with her first name in bold font. As Cabello mentioned in her caption, “i decided to call it by my name, because this is where this chapter in my life ended. it started with somebody else’s story, it ended with me finding my way back to myself.”

Cabello has been steady on the charts, with “Havana” jockeying for the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for the past five weeks — only to be beat out for the crown by Post Malone and 21 Savage‘s “Rockstar,” which has reigned for eight weeks in a row.

Cabello was recently honored with the Breakthrough Artist Award at this year’s Billboard Women in Music event, where she performed her hit and dedicated her speech to her mom.

Camila will be available for pre-order on December 7, with two instant downloads titled “Never Be The Same” and “Real Friends.”

Camila Cabello to Receive Breakthrough Artist Award at Billboard’s Women in Music Event

Posted on November 8, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello is earning special recognition…

The 20-year-old Cuban singer will be honored at Billboard‘s annual Women in Music dinner and awards ceremony in Los Angeles on November 30.

Cabello, who rose to acclaim as a member of Fifth Harmony before departing the all-girl group in December, will receive the ‘Breakthrough Artist‘ award.

Since launching her solo career, Cabello’s star has been on the rise. She most recently earned her first No. 1 single in the U.K. with her steamy new single “Havana.”

Meanwhile, Kehlani will be handed the ‘Rule Breaker‘ award at the event.

The 21-year-old part-Spanish singer notched her first No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart earlier this year, and she most recently appeared on Calvin Harris’ new album, Funk Wav Bounces Vol. 1.

Cabello and Kehlani will perform at the reception, which is set to take place at the Ray Dolby Ballroom.

The Women in Music event is held in conjunction with Billboard‘s Women in Music issue, honoring the industry’s most powerful artists and executives.

This year, Selena Gomez has been named Billboard‘s Woman of the Year.

“We look forward to celebrating the amazing talent and power of these female artists and executives who continue to inspire and impact others through their achievements and contributions to the music industry,” says Dana Miller, Chief Marketing Officer of The Hollywood Reporter – Billboard Media Group. “Each year, our Women in Music event brings together the most trailblazing women in music and this year will be no exception.”

Women in Music’s red carpet pre-show, as well as the event, are scheduled to live stream via Twitter on November 30 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm PT / 9:00 pm to 12:00 am ET.

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