Mariah Carey Brings Christmas to Metaverse with Roblox-Hosted “Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland”

It’s game on for Mariah Carey

The 52-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer, the Queen of Christmas, will be spreading some holiday cheer this month on Roblox via the platform’s Livetopia.Mariah CareyThe “Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland” experience on the gaming platform will feature virtual performances from the five-time Grammy winner, a holiday-themed treasure hunt created with her 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan (whom she shares with ex-husband Nick Cannon), item drops and more.

Carey will perform both old and new hits, including her chart-topping holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” as the grand finale.

The first of four consecutive nights of the virtual show starts at 7 p.m. ET on Wednesday (December 21), with additional showings from the 22nd to the 24th, starting at the same time.

“Christmas is my absolute favorite time of the year! This year, I wanted to do something different to ring in the holiday season,” Carey said in a statement. “My kids and I live for Roblox, and we couldn’t be more excited to be creating this festive metaverse experience for everyone!”

Also this holiday season, the Elusive Chanteuse is set to perform four Merry Christmas to All concerts — two in New York City and two in Toronto. The December 13 and 20 Madison Square Garden shows will be filmed for a two-hour special called Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All, which will air December 20 on CBS and Paramount+.

Carolina Gaitán & Her “Encanto” Cast Mates Rank No. 1 on YouTube’s Top 10 Songs of the Year List

Carolina Gaitán is celebrating a charming success…

YouTube has revealed its top 10 songs of the year, with the 38-year-old Colombian actress and singer’s single with her Encanto cast mates, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” topping the list.

Carolina GaitànThe song, by Gaitán, Mauro CastilloAdassaRhenzy FelizDiane GuerreroStephanie Beatriz and the Encanto cast (all singing as the characters that they voice in the movie), topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for five weeks back in February.

Jessica Darrow, Gaitan’s cast mate, comes in at No. 3 with another hit Encanto track.

The 27-year-old Cuban American actress/singer’s “Surface Pressure,” which she performed as her character (Luisa Madrigal) in the animated film, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 3 on the charts in the UK.

It was a big year for Latin music on YouTube, as both Bad Bunny and Karol G had two songs each on YouTube’s top 10 list.

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar’s “Tití Me Preguntó” came in at No. 4 while his Chencho Corleone collaboration “Me Porto Bonito” was No. 6.

The 31-year-old Colombian singer’s Becky G duet “Mamiii” came in at No. 7 while her sultry “Provenza” hit No. 9.

The songs that appear on the annual YouTube include streams from the official music video, lyric videos and user-generated content that uses the full official song, and cover the period from January 1, 2022 to November 15, 2022. Its lists are restricted to two songs for each artist or album.

YouTube’s rankings don’t end there. The streaming giant also shares its lists for top trending videos, top shorts, top creators, breakout creators, ads, and more.

See the full list of YouTube’s top songs in the United States below and click here for more:

  1. Encanto Cast – “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”
  2. Kodak Black – “Super Gremlin”
  3. Jessica Darrow – “Surface Pressure”
  4. Bad Bunny – “Tití Me Preguntó”
  5. Future – “Wait for U” feat. Drake, Tems
  6. Bad Bunny, Chencho Corleone – “Me Porto Bonito”
  7. Karol G, Becky G – “Mamiii”
  8. Imagine Dragons x JID – “Enemy”
  9. Karol G – “Provenza”
  10. Lil Baby – “In a Minute”

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” Video Hits 8 Billion Views on YouTube

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee continue extending their reign…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer and 45-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton star’s music video for global sensation “Despacito” has logged 8 billion views on YouTube.

Luis Fonsi & Daddy YankeeIn the process Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s video extends its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube — by a long shot.

The closest competitor to the nearly five-minute clip for the 2017 smash hit is Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” which has raked in 5.8 billion views.

“Who would of thought that a melody over my guitar that morning in my house would be listened to in so many places, by so many people,” Fonsi wrote on social media celebrating the song’s new milestone. “It’s been almost six years and I still can’t believe it. The words THANK YOU don’t cover it. 8 billion views, sounds so nice.”

Fonsi continued thanking those who made it all possible, including Daddy Yankee, Justin Bieber who jumped on the remix, his co-writer Erika Ender, producers Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo and video director Carlos Pérez, to name a few, and his island of Puerto Rico, where they filmed the video, featuring former Miss Universe Zuleyka Rivera.

“Despacito,” released via Universal Music Latino in January 2017, is the gift that keeps on giving. Four months after the music video made its debut on YouTube, it hit the 1 billion mark back when it got a boost from a bilingual remix that featured Bieber.

Five years ago in May, the remix with Bieber reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and made global history. Furthermore, “Despacito” topped the Hot Latin Songs chart for a record 56 (non-consecutive) weeks, spending the most weeks at No. 1 for any title since the chart’s inception in 1986.

Banda MS’s Corrido “141” to Become First Regional Song Featured in “Call of Duty” Video Game Series

Banda MS is making history while getting in the game…

The Mexican banda’s new corrido “141” will become the first Regional Mexican song to appear in a Call of Duty video game series.

Banda-MSThe track is set to be integrated into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, with “several” versions of the song heard throughout different parts of the game.

“141” is inspired by the members of the Task Force 141 and soldier Alejandro Vargas from the Mexican Special Forces, and ties in with the narrative of the newest installment of the first-person shooter game.

While Call of Duty has collaborated with Latin musicians in the past, most recently Ozuna, it’s the first time the video game franchise — developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision — taps a Regional Mexican act to collaborate on a new song for one of its series.

“It’s a huge step for the game and the community,” says Rodrigo Pérez, Call of Duty‘s senior franchise manager, Latin America. “We wanted to tell the story of Task Force 141 in a unique way, and we believe the song goes to the very essence of the characters and the story we are telling with Modern Warfare II.”

For the chart-topping supergroup, not only does “141” mark the first corrido they’ve released in 10 years, but it becomes an opportunity to showcase their traditional banda music on a global level, while also bringing in a new source of revenue.

“The franchise’s team in Latin America is mainly composed of Mexicans who love and respect our culture so, along with their team, we made sure that the song made sense for the game,” says Oswaldo Silvas, one of Banda MS’ vocalists. “We’re really proud to be part of the game’s DNA, and we would be honored to keep doing more of these collaborations because all eyes are on video games and for us, it’s a great opportunity to capture a new audience.”

The opportunity is for both sides with Call of Duty also strategically tapping and catering to the Hispanic market across Latin America. “Mexico and the Hispanic market have had a very strong passion towards the Call of Duty franchise for a long time, and with Modern Warfare II we had an amazing opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural legacy,” adds Pérez.

For a Mexican music song to be featured on Call of Duty, it only reinforces the genre’s newfound popularity across the U.S. and beyond. Once a niche genre, regional Mexican has gained an international following in recent years thanks to artists such as Banda MS, who have stayed true to their traditional Sinaloan banda roots but has also embraced the fusion of regional with genres from around the world.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II will become available for purchase on October 28 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X | S, PC and Xbox One.

Spotify to Release Oscar Isaac & Julianne Moore’s Original Podcast Drama “Case 63” This Month

Oscar Isaac will be making his Case later this month….

Spotify will release its scripted original podcast drama Case 63, starring the 43-year-old Cuban-Guatemalan actor and Julianne Moore, on October 25.

Oscar IsaacAll 10 episodes of Case 63 will be released exclusively on Spotify.

In the show, Dr. Eliza Knight (Moore), a New York psychiatrist, begins treating a patient registered only as Case 63 (Isaac) — who claims to be a time traveler from the year 2062. What Dr. Knight first believes to be a routine therapeutic case rapidly unfolds into a story that threatens the boundaries of reality.

The series is an adaptation of Caso 63, Spotify’s most-listened-to scripted original podcast in Latin America, produced in Santiago, Chile — the first non-English podcast the company has adapted into multiple languages for multiple markets.

The conclusion to the original story of Pedro Roiter and Dra. Aldunate in Caso 63 arrives October 18, 2022, as the series returns for its third and final season in its Spanish and Portuguese versions.

“‘Case 63’ was my very first audio experience and I was able to see firsthand how immersive and impactful podcasting is as a mode of storytelling,” says Moore in a statement to Variety. “It is a thrilling and timely story — incredibly mysterious and romantic, suspenseful and strange.”

She added that “the opportunity to work with my friends Oscar Isaac and [director] Mimi O’Donnell made the recording a joy. I hope everyone will enjoy listening to it as much as we did making it. ‘Case 63’ is exactly the kind of story that I love.”

Isaac commented, “I’m a big fan of the original Case 63 and it was great to be able to partner with Spotify and Julianne on this adaption.”

The English-language Case 63 is produced by Spotify’s Gimlet studio, Moore’s production company FortySixty and Isaac’s Mad Gene Media. The series is directed by O’Donnell and produced by Katie Pastore. Moore and Isaac serve as executive producers alongside Spotify’s O’Donnell, Dawn Ostroff, Julie McNamara and Javier Piñol. Caso 63 was created and originally written by Julio Rojas.

Caso 63 ranked No. 1 in Spotify’s top podcast charts for nearly a month in Argentina and Mexico after its November 12, 2020, premiere. Paciente 63, the Brazilian adaptation, ranked No. 1 in the country’s local trending podcasts chart for more than two weeks after its premiere in July 2021. In India, Virus 2062, released in September 2021, reached No. 1 on Spotify’s local trending chart.

Jennifer Lopez’s “On the Floor” Music Video with Pitbull Surpasses Two Billion Views on YouTube

One of Jennifer Lopez’s biggest hits is flooring it…

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican superstar’s club anthem “On the Floor” with Pitbull has surpassed two billion views on YouTube.

Jennifer LopezThe nightclub-set clip for J. Lo and Pit’s 2011 hit has averaged more than 500K views per day so far in 2022, according to the video streaming platform. 

The track scored the pair another entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as it peaked at No. 3 on the tally dated May 21, 2011.

“On the Floor” is one of the handful of collaborations between la Lopez and Pitbull.

The pair have struck gold with other songs like “Dance Again,” “Back It Up” with Prince Royce, and the official 2014 World Cup song “We Are One (Ole Ola)” with Brazilian star Claudia Leitte.

Produced by RedOne, the song thrives on a hypnotic beat, with Pitbull dropping by for a rapid-fire verse that rhymes “badonkadonk” with “Donkey Kong.”

Lopez’s sweet yet commanding vocals take centerstage during the chorus where she sings “La la la la la la la la la la la la la la. Tonight we gon’ be it on the floor.”

The track samples French-Brazilian pop group Kaoma’s 1988 song “Lambada,” a global hit that went on to top Billboard’Hot Latin Songs chart in March of 1990.  As a result of the sample, the “Lambada” reappeared on the Billboard charts more than 20 years after its global domination. It made its debut on the World Digital Songs chart at No. 3 in March of that year, a few weeks after “On the Floor” came out.

Google Honors the Late Tito Puente with Special Google Doodle

Tito Puente’s legacy lives on… with a special doodle.

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Google is commemorating the late Puerto Rican musician, songwriter, bandleader, and record producer, known as the King of Latin Music, with a charming new Doodle video, created by New York-based Puerto Rican illustrator Carlos Aponte.

Tito Puente“Tito was part of my musical experience growing up in Puerto Rico. My aunt introduced me to Tito Puente via La Lupe, a famous singer in Puerto Rico and New York,” says the illustrator. “Tito was like a Svengali for talents like Celia Cruz. He was a household name. So Tito was part of my Puerto Rican soundtrack.”

Featuring the lively “Ran Kan Kan,” the animated clip takes viewers back to Puente’s childhood at 110th Street and Third Avenue in Spanish Harlem, where the budding artist bangs on pots and pans in his room bedecked with a Puerto Rican flag. It follows Puente’s various stints as a musician, showing him as a U.S. Navy ship’s bandleader (he served during World War II) up to him ruling over New York City nightlife as the undisputed King of the Timbales.

Tito Puente, Google DoodleThe Google Doodle also celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Tito Puente Monument, which was unveiled in his hometown of East Harlem, New York, on this day (Oct. 10), located on the northern end of Central Park.

In 2000, the same year the musical legend died, 110th Street was renamed Tito Puente Way.

Born Ernesto Antonio Puente Jr. on April 20, 1923, in Spanish Harlem to Puerto Rican parents, the young Nuyorican musician grew up surrounded by the rich Latin diversity the city is known for. He led his first orchestra in the late ‘40s, and by the 1950s, he became an unrivaled master of timbales and vibraphone. In 1969, he was bestowed the key to New York City.

In his lifetime, he released an immense discography that includes more than 100 full-length albums that showcased his propulsive dance rhythms and jubilant brass melodies. He penned timeless hits such as “Oye Como Va,” which was famously covered by Santana, “Mambo Gozón” (1958), “La Guarachera” (1966) with Celia Cruz, and many more. In the late ‘60s, Tito Puente joined New York’s maverick troupe Fania All-Stars, also starring Eddie Palmeri, Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz.

His journey began with “Ran Kan Kan,” his first recorded track, which is featured in the Google Doodle. In 1992, “Ran Kan Kan” entered the top 10 of Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart. In 2010, “Guantanamera” by Celia Cruz, featuring Puente, landed at No. 2 on the World Digital Song Sales chart. In 1995, Puente was given the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.

Last year, Google Doodles honored Latin culture independence days, celebrating Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Mexico. Another Doodle celebrated a Chilean holiday with a drawing of a huemul, represented on the country’s national shield.

Illustrator Aponte has also provided artwork for the Latin Recording AcademyThe New Yorker and The New York Times. He currently teaches drawing at the Fashion Institute of Technology. With his Doodle, he hopes people will take away this message: “Love what you do, train, study, and be the best you can be. If you excel, everything else will fall into place. There are no shortcuts. Those who make it easily don’t last long. Tito was a perfect example; he was the best!”

Blessd Releases Virtual Reality Version His Hit Single “Quien TV”

Blessd is taking his recent hot a step further…

The 22-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter and rapper has released a virtual reality version of his 2021 hit “Quien TV,” marking Warner Music Latina’s first full VR video in Meta Horizon Worlds.

BlessdIn the more than three-minute video, Blessd is seen entering the recording studio and begins to chat with his love interest.

“Hi love, when can we see each other?” he asks. “Any time. I live in Horizon Worlds,” a character named Laura replies. After asking how he can get to her, a Meta Quest 2 system magically appears at the studio. Blessd wears the gear and is instantly transported to the virtual world, where he begins his journey to find Laura. Toward the end of the clip, a phone call interrupts Blessd and transports him back to his reality at the recording studio.

The video was brought together by Warner Music Latina, Blessd, Meta, NSpire Create Labs and Merc Holdings Inc. A two-dimensional version of the video will be available on Blessd’s Facebook page. “Quien TV” officially premiered December 6, 2021. A remix featuring Ryan Castro was released on January 27, 2022.

The virtual reality video comes on the heels of Blessd taking part in the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Week, where he joined Colombian hitmaker Ovy on the Drums in the “Making the Hit Live!” panel.

In a span of 30 minutes, the producer and the artist worked together to create a promising reggaeton track, on which Blessd improvised, singing lyrics about heartbreak. While the track — which they broke down as they were making it — was not completed due to the limited time, attendees encouraged the duo to release the song after hearing a teaser that left everyone in the room wanting more.

Click this link to watch the video on Facebook.

Wilmer Valderrama Becomes Shareholder of IHeartMedia’s My Cultura Podcast Network

Wilmer Valderrama is taking on more responsibility…

The 42-year-old Venezuelan and Colombian American actor has expanded his role with My Cultura Podcast Network from iHeartMedia by becoming a shareholder.

Wilmer ValderramaIn addition, Valderrama will help to curate the network’s slate of Latinx-focused podcasts and has committed to five new shows that will be executive produced by and/or star him.

According to the company, monthly podcast downloads across My Cultura have more than doubled since the beginning of the year, with 9 in 10 of the network’s total downloads coming from listeners aged 18-49.

“Representation shapes not just how others see us, but also how we see ourselves. It is imperative that every facet of our media includes narratives that uplift Latino and Hispanic voices,” Valderrama tells Deadline in an exclusive statement. “At WV Entertainment it is our mission to not just choose purposeful projects that accurately represent the stories of the Latinx community but to also make sure these stories are accessible to everyone. We are so grateful to our partners at iHeartMedia for seeing the value in this and prioritizing the need to highlight the joy, the power, and the heart of our community in ways that are still all too rare.”

Valderrama’s relationship with My Cultura began in the Summer of 2021 with the launch of his podcast, Essential Voices with Wilmer Valderrama.

The weekly interview series, executive produced by Valderrama and Leo Klemm via his production banner WV Entertainment and Clamor, features conversations with people in the front line of food service, transportation, child-care, and other systems where workers’ voices are often overlooked.

“We are excited to have Wilmer on board in an even larger, expanded capacity as a shareholder in iHeart’s My Cultura Podcast Network,” said Conal Byrne, CEO of iHeartMedia’s Digital Audio Group. “His energy, experience, and creativity will set this network up for even further success in year two and beyond.”

“We’re incredibly proud of the rapid growth our network has seen in its first year,” said Gisselle Bances, SVP, Head of Production and Development for iHeartMedia’s My Cultura. “We are the first majority Latinx-owned podcast network, and we are grateful to our partners and our diverse roster of hosts, including Wilmer, who continue to further My Cultura’s mission to tell our own stories. It’s stories by us for everyone to enjoy.”

Other popular podcasts from My Cultura include Connections with Eva LongoriaPrincess of South Beach starring Rachel Zegler and Sheryl RubioWrestling with Freddie from Freddie Prinze, Jr., Sisters of the Underground executive produced by Eva Longoria and Dania RamirezChiquis and Chill, and Lone Lobos with Xolo Maridueña and Jacob Bertrand. Listeners can hear all My Cultura shows on iHeartRadio and anywhere podcasts are found.

Mariah Angeliq to Serve as Celebrity Mentor on Billboard & Samsung’s Social-Media-Driving Competition “NXT”

Mariah Angeliq in on the hunt to find music’s next big star…

Billboard is partnering with Samsung for another season of NXT, the social media-driving competition to find the next great unsigned talent, and they’re calling on the 23-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban-American singer to help.

Mariah AngeliqThe search launches the week of September 19 with Mariah Angeliq as one of the season’s three celebrity mentors.

The reggaeton star — dubbed “La Princesa de Miami” — will begin sharing how singers can join the competition exclusively on her social channels, with the other two mentors yet to be revealed.

After submitting their audition videos, the top 12 NXT hopefuls will be selected by Billboard and armed with Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip4, Buds2 Pro and Watch5 to compete in a series of three challenges that will test their singing, dancing and creativity.

Once the dozen are whittled down based on their weekly scores, the final three will be mentored by the “El Makinon” singer and the other celebrity guests for a grand finale performance in L.A. in front of a live audience and panel of A-list judges.

The winner of NXT 2.0 will get their very own special digital Billboard cover as well as a record label meeting facilitated by Billboard, studio time to record their first single, funding for an accompanying music video, tickets to attend the 2023 Billboard Music Awards and more.

“The next Billboard No. 1 artist is out there right now dreaming of their future as a star,” Billboard president Mike Van said in a statement. “It is an honor to partner with Samsung on this momentous search for those talents who are waiting to be discovered and play a role in launching their careers.”