Wyatt Flores to Perform at 2024 Rock the South Festival

Wyatt Flores is headed to “the biggest part in the south” next year.

Rock the South will return to Cullman, Alabama in 2024 for a three-day festival July 18-20, featuring the Mexican American country singer-songwriter.

Wyatt FloresIn addition to Flores, who has earned acclaim for his single “Please Don’t Go,” joins a roster that includes headliners Eric ChurchHARDY and Jelly Roll.

Other artists set to perform at the festival include Oliver AnthonyParker McCollumFlatland Cavalry, Warren Zeiders, Priscilla Block, Nelly, Gavin Adcock, Nate Smith and more throughout the three-day event.

As Rock the South continues to grow, organizers have increased the festival site by over 45 percent, invested in infrastructure improvements for campers, and added ways to beat the heat with the Honky Tonk Hideaway, a large-scale air-conditioned Nashville Broadway Experience outfitted with an acoustic stage, line-dancing lessons and more.

Tickets will go on sale on Friday, November 3. Pre-sale registration is now open and ends on Wednesday, November 1)at 10 a.m.

“After being named the Alabama Tourism Department’s Event of the Year, we’re excited to announce this year’s event, building on the success of our record-breaking 2023 and are prepared for 2024 to be the most incredible year yet,” said Nathan Baugh, Pepsi Rock the South partner. “Our biggest focus is always producing an incredible event with music’s biggest names. We love hearing the level of impact Rock the South has in our county and regionally.”

“Crafting the lineup for Pepsi Rock the South 2024 has been an incredible journey. We’ve listened to our fans and aimed for the stars,” said Shane Quick, partner of Pepsi Rock the South. “This year, we’ve brought together an amazing lineup of artists that truly reflects what our fans want to ensure they have an unforgettable three days. We have so many great things in store for Rock the South 2024.”

To learn more about the festival, visit rockthesouth.com.

Camila Cabello Embraces Latin Roots in Champions League Final Opening Performance

Camila Cabello has embraced her Latin roots at the Champions League final…

The 25-year-old Mexican & Cuban singer gave futbol fans something to remember at the opening of the 2022 UEFA Champions League final on Saturday, May 28.

Camila CabelloPrior to the face-off between Liverpool and Real Madrid, Cabello delivered a colorful spectacle for thousands of fans at Stade de France in Paris.

The carnival-themed celebration, which Cabello paid homage to Cabello’s Latin heritage, featured a medley of “Senorita,” “Havana,” “Bam Bam” and “Don’t Go Yet.”

In a recent interview with Billboard, Cabello discussed weaving elements of her Latin culture into her new music and into every aspect of her life.

“My music, I always feel celebrates my heritage and my Cuban-Mexican heritage, so there’s going to be songs from Familia on there,” the singer said of the performance.

The performance was a natural fit for Cabello, who grew up watching the World Cup with her family every four years. “Out of every sport, it’s the only one I really understand and the one that gets me the most hyped,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to see a soccer game in person.”

Cabello has always been openly proud of her Latin culture, and on her recent studio album, Familia, that connection is deeply celebrated through vibrant instrumentals and a number of Spanish-language songs including “Celia,” “Hasta Los Dientes” featuring Maria Becerra and verses in “Lola” featuring Yotuel.

The UEFA Champions League final opening ceremony, presented by Pepsi, aired in more 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Becky G to Serve as Judge on MTV’s New Music Competition Series “Becoming A Popstar”

Becky G is helping discover the next popstar…

MTV has teamed with TikTok and Pepsi on Becoming A Popstar, a first-of-its-kind music competition series that showcases artists originally discovered on TikTok, featuring the 25-year-old Mexican American singer/actress as a judge.

Becky GIn addition to Becky G, the show’s other judges include Joe Jonas and Sean Bankhead.

Becoming A Popstar will premiere on Thursday, March 24 on MTV.

Produced by Jesse CollinsCollins Entertainment and VelocityBecoming a Popstar features eight up-and-coming artists originally discovered on TikTok who will showcase their talents to the judges, who are TikTok creators themselves.

One winner will walk away as a popstar with their very own Pepsi commercial set to premiere on television during the upcoming MTV VMAs.

In addition, Pepsi will provide funding and resources to support the winner’s career ambitions. 

Becoming a Popstar will air across five episodes every Thursday at 10 PM ET, beginning March 24.

Each week, contestants will create original themed songs and accompanying one-minute music videos on air, that will first be available on TikTok. With episode themes like ‘The Duets’, contestants will be paired off to create an original song and visual performance.

Contestants will be critiqued by the celebrity judges, with eliminations occurring each week until two final artists are chosen to battle it out in a finale special.

After each episode airs on MTV, fans at home will be able to vote for their favorite artist videos of the week by searching #MTVPopstar on TikTok. Voting opens immediately following the episode and stays open until 48 hours before the next episode premieres. The winning artist each week will score a cash prize from Pepsi on top of the eventual grand prize. Winners of the previous week will be announced during a live pre-show on @MTV on TikTok that will include exclusive content and opportunities for fans to connect and engage with judges and talent.

Becky G is a multi-platinum singer, songwriter, actress, and activist, noted for her contributions to the Latin music world and impact on the Hispanic community.

Jonas and Becky G will also serve as executive producers on the series.

Demi Lovato to Perform at This Week’s Pepsi Unmute Your Voice Concerts on Triller

Demi Lovato is trillin’ for votes…

The 28-year-old half-Meican American singer will perform at the Pepsi Unmute Your Voice concert on Triller on Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9.

Demi Lovato

Lovato, who recently released the emotional ballad “Still Have Me,” joins a lineup that includes Chance the Rapper, Chloe x Halle, Saint Jhn, Brett Young and Ava Max.

The shows, slated to kick off at 8:00 pm ET both days, are a collaboration with Rock the Vote.

“I’m joining @triller & @pepsi for their #PepsiUnmuteYourVoice concert This election is SO important me to so get registered to vote with @RockTheVote and join me on 10/9 at 8pm EST on #Triller!!” Lovato tweeted. The concerts are the latest get out the vote effort in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election.

With less than 30 days to go before the election, artists from Taylor Swift to Justin BieberAriana GrandeFrank OceanBillie EilishKaty Perry and Vanessa Hudgens are putting a full-court press on voter registration, joining existing campaigns and making personal pleas to exercise your constitutional right to pick the next President.

Jennifer Lopez & Shakira Ready to Rock Their Super Bowl Halftime Show while Representing Latinos Everywhere

The countdown is on for Jennifer Lopez Shakira’s highly anticipated Super Bowl performance…

For the first time ever, two Latinas will be taking over the halftime show performance that promises to be powerful, electric, and most of all meaningful for the Latinx community.

Jennifer Lopez & Shakira

“I think it’s very important for us to convey a message unity,” Shakira said during the Super Bowl Halftime Show press conference in Miami on Thursday, January 30, sponspred by the NFL and Pepsi. “To show what a relevant force the Latin community is in this country, how much we have to offer, our idiosyncrasies, our culture that is so unique and so diverse.”

Lopez and Shakira are stoked about their performances but admit they’re feeling the pressure of this big moment in their careers.

“I never imagined singing at the Super Bowl one day,” says Jennifer Lopez, whose family has always been a fan of the New York Jets. But for Shakira, the story is different. Since she grew in Colombia, American football wasn’t really part of her life.

This year’s Super Bowl halftime show promises to have more songs, dancers and time than ever, according to the duo.

So, what will the halftime show offer? A lot of energy and incredible moments.

“When I saw her show, I was like, ‘Wow,’ and she felt the same way,” adds Lopez, who didn’t confirm if her children will be involved in the show, but did say the duo plans to pay homage to the late Kobe Bryantand his family.

“It’s nerve-racking.  This moment is an example of how anything is possible no matter the size of your dreams,” Shakira said. “The Latin culture is unique and diverse and we are truly honored. “

For both women, it’s important they highlight their cultures on stage come Sunday evening to inspire the upcoming generation.

“Shakira being from Baranquilla, me being from the Bronx, the two of us could have never imagined we’d be playing the Super Bowl one day,” JLo said during the conference. “And I think it’s such a wonderful opportunity to pay homage to that and also to remind us all of what an important force we are,” Shakira added. “I wasn’t born or raised in the U.S. , but here I am—a Latina participating in this very, very American event, but also a global event. One hundred million people will be watching. I feel truly honored to be representing so many people out there.”

You can catch their Super Bowl halftime performance on Sunday, February 2.

CNCO to Headline This Year’s Billboard En Vivo Concert Series

CNCO are headed to the Big Apple…

The Latin American boy band, formed on the first season of Univision’s La Banda, will headline Billboard En Vivo.

CNCO

Billboard and Pepsi will co-produce the latest edition of Billboard En Vivo, now in its fourth year, as the program celebrates emerging LatinX music by giving passionate fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see chart-topping artists at private concerts in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. 

In addition to CNCO, additional local supporting artists will be announced for each of the three tour stops.

CNCO is currently in the studio finishing their upcoming new album set for release in September. 

“We’re proud to give a platform to exciting LatinX artists through our continued partnership with Pepsi and best-in-class branded entertainment events,” said Leila Cobo, Vice President and Latin Industry Lead at Billboard. “It is really powerful to have our two iconic brands support artists and bring our community — and their most passionate fans — together with these dynamic and engaging concerts.”

Since their formation in 2015, the Latin Grammy-nominated band has dazzled the music industry as one of Latin pop’s most influential and prolific hit-makers. Comprised of five young Latinos from different nationalities –- Christopher (Ecuador), Erick Brian (Cuba), Joel (Mexico), Richard (Dominican Republic) and Zabdiel (Puerto Rico) –- the group emerged from Univision’s musical competition La Banda.

Moreno Releases Spanish-Language Holiday Album, “Posada”

Gaby Moreno is getting into the holiday spirit… en español

The 32-year-old Guatemalan singer-songwriter and guitarist has released a Christmas album that’s being heralded as an insta-Latin holiday classic.

Gaby Moreno

Moreno’s Posada, released in the U.S. on indie label Cosmica, blends the singer’s love of gospel, soul and piano jazz with acoustic sounds from her Central American roots to revive a set of traditional holiday songs.

Moreno performs standard Spanish-language hymns with passion, delivering a beautiful rendition of “El Niño del Tambor” and bringing a little naughty to “Peces en el Rio” in a revved-up cabaret version of the children’s Christmas classic.

On an album that includes English and German-language lyrics, the singer seduces with a retro “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” set to brushed drums. Moreno and her band add some honky tonk to “Go Tell It on the Mountain.”

A video for Moreno’s spare and emotive “Primer Noel,” premiering on Billboard.com, features the artist reliving childhood holiday memories.

Unlike the album, which is notable for Moreno’s decidedly non-secular approach to holiday music, the video brings some typical Christmas commercialism to her message with a bottle of Pepsi placed prominently on her piano. Moreno recently appeared at a Pepsi holiday concert and in a commercial for the beverage’s holiday campaign in Guatemala.

Moreno has a strong bilingual following in her adopted home city of Los Angeles, and she’s most widely known to Spanish-speakers for her 2011 duet with Ricardo Arjona, “Fuiste Tu.” That track has neared 165 million views on YouTube, and it rose to #1 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts.

Moreno parlayed that connection into a well-received Latin American tour for her 2012 album Postales, released on Arjona’s label Metamorfosis, which also produced her Christmas record.

Despite being named Best New Artist at the 2013 Latin Grammys, the singer still remains underappreciated in the U.S. Latin market. Postales sold 3,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Mendez Signs with Paradigm

It’s a paradigm shift for Luis Gerardo Mendez

The 32-year-old Mexican actor, considered one of his country’s fastest-rising stars, has signed with entertainment talent agency Paradigm.

Luis Gerardo Mendez

As part of the deal, which was announced at the third edition of the Los Cabos International Film Festival, Mendez will be represented in all areas.

Mendes gained acclaim and a strong fan following after his performance as the partying son of a supposedly bankrupt millionaire in Gaz Alazraki’s Nosotros los nobles/

He most recently appeared in Sebastian del Amo’s Cantinflas, Mexico’s foreign-language Oscar entry.

Nobles became Mexico’s highest-grossing movie ever in early 2013, taking in $28 million for distributor Warner Bros., while Cantinflas, released by Pantelion Films, is the biggest foreign-language hit so far this year in the U.S. with a $6.4 million gross.

Mendez is the star, co-creator and exec producer of Netflix’s first Spanish-language original series, Los Escorpiones, which will go into production in three weeks, scheduled for a 2015 bow. The series is helmed by Alazraki.

Mendez is also attached to star in Fox International ProductionsThe Brothers Huffington-Fynne, a comedy originally developed for Sascha Baron Cohen. He’ll play four roles in the film.

Mendez is also the face of Pepsi in Mexico.

Lovato: The Top-Ranking Latweeno on Billboard.com’s 21 Under 21

Billboard.com is back with its list of this year’s hottest minors in music, with five Latweeno artists/groups making the cut… And Demi Lovato isn’t only the highest ranking Hispanic artist, she’s also the top-ranking female…

The 20-year-old part Mexican singer/actress, who ranked at No. 7 last year, moved up four spots on Billboard.com’s latest 21 Under 21 installment, which ranks the most powerful minors in music.

Here’s a look at the Latweenos making the grade this year:

No. 3: Demi Lovato
Following the personal problems that threatened to derail her career two years ago, Lovato has come back Unbroken, which happens to be name of the album she released last year. It’s an album that’s still garnering attention. The album’s first track Skyscraper” recently picked up an MTV Video Music Award, while follow up single “Give Your Heart a Break” has resulted in Lovato’s first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

But that’s not all… Lovato scored a high-profile primetime television gig by joining Fox’s The X Factor, where she’s currently judging other aspiring artists alongside Simon Cowell and Britney Spears.

Throw in a popular summer tour with Hot Chelle Rae and hosting gigs at the Teen Choice Awards and MTV’s live New Year’s Eve Special, and 2012 is proving to be the year the former Disney Channel star is reaching new heights in her already impressive career.

Scotty McCreery

No. 4: Scotty McCreery
Scotty McCreery is holding steady on the 21 Under 21 list, coming in at No. 4 once again. That’s probably because the 18-year-old part-Puerto Rican country singer’s career has been going full steam ahead since he won American Idol in 2011. McCreery, who graduated from high school this year, saw his debut album Clear as Day reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

Even though he hasn’t placed a single in the top 10 on the country charts, McCreery has developed a very loyal fan base at a young age. Clear as Day helped him claim prizes from the American Country Awards, the Academy of Country Music Awards and the CMT Music Awards.

McCreery even toured with Brad Paisley and performed on the CW’s Hart of Dixie.

McCreery is following up his debut album, which was certified platinum, with a holiday set, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, will hit stores on October 16.

No. 6: Selena Gomez
She may have dropped three spots on the 21 Under 21 list, to No. 6, but Selena Gomez has not fallen off the radar. In the last year, she’s released another hugely popular album (When the Sun Goes Down), which spawned the hit singles “Who Says” and “Love You Like a Love Song,” which earned Gomez her first-ever MTV Video Music Award nod. And the 20-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress performed the album’s third single, Hit The Lights, on Dancing with the Stars.

And Gomez has broadened her appeal while taking a break from recording music. This spring, she launched a brand new fragrance and focused on her film career. Her voice will be heard in the animated film Hotel Transylvania, and she’s set to appear in two films that could help shatter her Disney image: Spring Breakers with James Franco and the crime drama Getaway.

And she’s currently dating the No. 1 on the 21 Under 21 list, Justin Bieber, which has resulted in countless tabloid placements. Selena Gomez and the Scene will hopefully be back soon, but in the meantime, she continues to leave her indelible imprint on pop culture.

3BallMTY

No. 17: 3BallMTY
3BallMTY may not be huge in the United States, but they could be very soon. The Mexican DJ collective, comprised of 19-year-old Erick Rincón, 19-year-old Alberto Presenda (DJ Otto) and 20-year-old Sergio Zavala (DJ Sheeqo Beat), have managed to turn their hobby into a huge business that’s reached a global audience thanks to their signature “tribal guarachero” sound. They’ve achieved success via radio airplay and synch deals with brands like Pepsi. And they recently dominated the list of finalists for the upcoming Billboard Mexican Music Awards. Despite their newfound fame, 3BallMTY has kept a cool and down-to-earth attitude about the group’s ascent in the music business. This past summer they opened up for Justin Bieber in a special concert at the famous Zócalo, the main square in the heart of historic Mexico City in front of about 200,000 music fans. “It was a bit nerve-wrecking,” says Rincón, “but once we were out on stage it was an amazing experience that we will never forget.”

Victoria Justice

No. 21: Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice has taken a tumble on the 21 Under 21 list, dropping from No. 10 to No. 21. But that has nothing to do with the 19-year-old half-Puerto Rican singer/actress’ talent. The star of had a relatively quiet recording year. She’s the breakout star of the Nickelodeon hit show, even while co-stars like Ariana Grande are seeing their stock rise. The release of the show’s latest soundtrack, Victorious 2.0, coincided with the release of Justice’s recent solo single, “Make It In America,” and in August Justice embarked on her first solo tour in support of the pop tune.

With Victorious ending it’s run on cable, Justice will be setting her sights elsewhere. She has a new film Fun Size coming out this October; and she plans to release a solo album shortly after that.

Click here to see this year’s complete list of music’s hottest minors.

Vergara’s Got the Moves Like a Latin Jagger…

There’s no denying she can act… But did you know Sofia Vergara can seriously bust a move too?

While wrapping up filming of a new Diet Pepsi commercial in Miami with noted director, McG—the man who helmed the Charlie’s Angels films—the 39-year-old Colombian bombshell brought the house down when she lead an impromptu salsa dance with the cast and crew.

Sofia Vergara Receives Second Straight SAG Award Nomination

The new clip will debut in mid-January and cements Vergara’s continued relationship with Pepsi, the company for whom the then-17-year-old student appeared in her first TV commercial.

Last year, Vergara and Diet Pepsi enjoyed the buzz that surrounded their widely popular commercial, which featured an appearance by soccer superstar David Beckham.