Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato’s “Échame La Culpa” Among 19 Latin Videos to Reach 1 Billion Views on YouTube

Échale la culpa a Luis Fonsi

Luis Fonsi & Demi Lovato

YouTube has released the official list of the new Latin videos that have reached the billion views, with the 40-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s collaboration with Demi Lovato making the grade.

In 2018, nineteen Latin videos have joined the elite club, including Fonsi’s clip for his single with the 26-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress, “Échame La Culpa.”

It all started when “Bailando” by Enrique Iglesias featuring Gente de Zona and Descemer Bueno reached the coveted figure in 2015.

Then, in 2016, four new videos joined the list: Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” Romeo Santos with “Propuesta Indecente,” “Ay Vamos” by J Balvin and Jennifer Lopez with “On The Floor” featuring Pitbull.

In 2017, everything changed. After the overwhelming success of Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s “Despacito” clip — currently the most-viewed video  with 5.7 billion views — 17 more videos (including “Despacito”) earned access to the famous list. Among those videos are “El Amante” by Nicky Jam, J Balvin‘s “Mi Gente” with Willy William, Daddy Yankee’s “Shaky, Shaky,” Maluma‘s “Felices Los 4,” and his collaboration with Shakira, “Chantaje,” among others.

And now in 2018, 19 other videos have joined the prestigious club, including “El Farsante” by Ozuna with Romeo Santos; Becky G and Bad Bunny’s “Mayores;” and Manuel Turizo with “Una Lady Como Tu.”

Interestingly, two of the billion-view members are official audio clips: Camilla Cabello’s “Havana” and Danny Ocean’s “Me Rehúso.”

Here’s the complete list:

Luis Fonsi, Demi Lovato – “Échame La Culpa,” 1,669,863,461 views
Natti Natasha, Ozuna – “Criminal,” 1,643,680,995 views
Casper, Nio García, Darell, Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny, Ozuna – “Te Bote Remix,” 1,409,583,342 views
Camila Cabello – “Havana” (Official Audio) featuring Young Thug, 1,408,373,008 views
Becky G, Bad Bunny – “Mayores,” 1,394,630,929 views
Nicky Jam, J Balvin – “X (Equis),” 1,378,002,840 views
Maluma – “Corazón” featuring Nego do Borel, 1,269,801,392 views
Danny Ocean –  “Me Rehúso” (Official Audio), 1,230,850,189 views
Piso 21 – “Déjala Que Vuelva” featuring Manuel Turizo, 1,219,424,146 views
Daddy Yankee – “Dura,” 1,170,766,172 views
Manuel Turizo – “Una Lady Como Tú,” 1,169,161,359 views
Ozuna, Romeo Santos – “El Farsante (Remix),” 1,092,873,729 views
Enrique Iglesias – “Subeme La Radio” featuring Descemer Bueno, Zion & Lennox, 1,085,524,380 views
MC Fioti – “Bum Bum Tam Tam,” 1,085,457,581 views
Becky G, Natti Natasha – “Sin Pijama,” 1,076,318,062 views
Wisin – “Escápate Conmigo” featuring Ozuna, 1,066,699,954 views
Prince Royce – “Darte un Beso,” 1,030,461,056 views
Don Omar – “Danza Kuduro” featuring Lucenzo, 1,023,426,878 views
Shakira – “La La La” featuring Carlinhos Brown,1,015,400,871 views

Shakira to Appear on Apple Music’s “Carpool Karaoke: The Series”

Shakira is hitting the carpool lane in Spain…

The 40-year-old Colombian superstar serves as Trevor Noah’s tour guide in her adopted hometown of Barcelona in a new episode of Apple Music‘s Carpool Karaoke: The Series premiering Tuesday (September 12).

Shakira

Remarking on Barcelona’s beauty, Noah sports a red and yellow scarf, boasting the colors of the Catalan flag.

The car cruises to Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia cathedral, the city’s biggest tourist attraction, where Shakira immediately causes selfie madness, while Noah makes jokes about the fact that no one seems to recognize him in the least.

A teaser for the episode promises a joyful, and well-timed, homage to Barcelona and its street life.

The episode airs almost a month after the August 17 terrorist attack in the city center that killed 14 people.

Watch Noah and the Shakira tour Barcelona as they sing “Wherever, Whenever,” “Waka Waka” and “Hips Don’t Lie.”

Buika to Perform at This Year’s Blue Note Jazz Festival

Buika is ready to jazz up one of New York’s most popular events.

The 42-year-old Afro-Spanish torch singer is among the artists set to bring a little Latin sabor to the Blue Note Jazz Festival in June.

Buika

Along with Buika, Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez, neo-bossa nova artist Bebel Gilberto, and Latin Grammy-nominee Natalie Cole will also perform at the event.

The month-long festival will feature an increased Latin music presence during its fifth edition due to the addition of a new Blue Note Entertainment venue in Manhattan. The Latin and World music club Subrosa, which has hosted shows since late 2014, will have its official opening April 14-20.

During the Blue Note Festival, Subrosa will host concerts by Martinez, Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodríguez, Latin soul group Fulaso, and The Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra.

Buika, who performs frequently for diverse New York audiences, will play Town Hall, as will Natalie Cole, who will sing cuts from her 2013 Natalie Cole en Español album during another show. Flamenco jazz guitarist Ottmar Liebert, with band Luna Negra, are scheduled for B.B. King’s Blues Club. Gilberto and Latin jazz staple Gato Barbieri will both perform at the Blue Note Jazz Club.

Latin music fans could also be drawn to a concert at Town Hall by Freshlyground. The African collective became known worldwide after collaborating with Shakira on “Waka Waka.” The group will give a concert at B.B. King’s during the Blue Note festival.

King’s “Vida” Named the Winner of Sony’s “Supersong” 2014 World Cup Song Contest

It looks like World (Cup) is Elijah King’s oyster…

The Puerto Rican singer, who has made several appearances on the Billboard Latin charts since 2009, has been named the winner of Sony’s “Supersong” 2014 World Cup song contest.

Elijah King

King’s bilingual English and Spanish-language song “Vida” will now be recorded by Ricky Martin.

“Vida,” which has a tropical pop feel, will be produced by Salaam Remi, known for his work with The Fugees, Amy Winehouse and Nas.

The song will be included on FIFA partner Sony’s official 2014 World Cup album, to be released on RCA Records in May. And a video for “Vida,” Martin’s second World Cup song, will be shot in Brazil in March, to be included in a TV special that will air on Sony Pictures TV channels.

King was most recently featured on “Te Gusta” a song by Venezuela’s Grupo Treo that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Tropical Songs chart in 2013. His 2011 solo single “Quitate la Ropa” peaked at No. 30 on the same chart.

The Miami-based singer/songwriter beat out four lesser-known finalists who entered the contest by uploading their songs to supersong.com, including Brazilian Rodrigo Alexey, a jingle composer who has a studio in Sao Paulo; and American-born Nicolas Salazar, who works as a musician and actor in Bogotá.

Martin’s previous World Cup song, 1998’s “La Copa de La Vida” (The Cup of Life,)” propelled him into the global spotlight, taking off after he performed it on the Grammys. It charted at No. 2 on Hot Latin Songs, and went to No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Shakira‘s 2010 World Cup hit “Waka Waka,” with South African group Freshly Ground, has sold 1.7 million downloads in the U.S.

The official 2014 World Cup song will be Pitbull‘s “We Are One featuring Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte. The artists will perform their song at the opening ceremony of the soccer tournament, which kicks off June 12 in Sao Paulo.

Pitbull to Record Official World Cup Song with J.Lo and Claudia Leitte

Pitbull is officially becoming one with Jennifer Lopez and Claudia Leitte this World Cup season.

FIFA and Sony Music have named “We Are One (Ole Ola)” by the 33-year-old Cuban American rap superstar, featuring J.Lo and Brazilian singer Leitte, as the official song for the 2014 World Cup soccer tournament, which gets underway on June 12 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Pitbull

The track will be released by Sony in the coming months and performed at the World Cup opening ceremony. A video for “We Are One (Ole Ola)” is also being planned.

“I truly believe that this great game and the power of music will help unify us,” Pitbull said during an official announcement Thursday at the Macarena Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. “Because we are best when we are one.”

FIFA General Secretary Jérôme Valcke emphasized the participation of Leitte, a well-known Brazilian pop singer and judge on The Voice Brasil.

“FIFA and Sony Music are extremely excited to share the impressive talent of Claudia Leitte with the world alongside such internationally celebrated artists as Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez,” Valcke said. “In my many visits to this country I’ve seen and heard a lot about the great Brazilian music tradition and it gives me great pleasure to see a Brazilian artist at the heart of this song. I’m sure, like me, millions of football and music fans all over the world will be eagerly awaiting the song’s release.”

Leitte said she was looking forward to dancing samba with Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez.

Pitbull’s latest single Timber” featuring Ke$ha is currently the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, where the Miami rapper holds a career total of nine top 10s and two No. 1s.

He and Lopez have recorded three previous collaborations, most recently “Live it Up,” a single from JLo’s upcoming album.  2011’s “On The Floor” spent three weeks in the top ten.

Pitbull has sold 2,827,000 albums to date in the U.S., according to SoundScan. Like JLo, he is reportedly preparing a new album for release this year.

Although further details on the song are yet to be revealed, it can be expected to include English, Spanish and Portuguese lyrics, and, particularly given Pitbull’s track record of global hits, will likely be a goal for the artists, FIFA and FIFA partner Sony.

The last FIFA World Cup song, 2010’s “Waka Waka” by Shakira with South African group Freshly Ground, has sold 1,7400,000 digital downloads to date. This week it is No. 2 on the Latin Digital Songs chart, where it spent 42 weeks at No. 1.  The video has been viewed almost 600 million times on YouTube.

“We Are One” could be the third World Cup hit by Latin stars. In addition to Shakira’s smash, Ricky Martin’s “The Cup of Life” (La Copa de la Vida) for the 1998 World cup in France took the bilingual singer to international stardom when the song went to No. 1 in seven countries. Martin’s performance of the song on the Grammy Awards kick-started the so-called Latin pop explosion, essentially paving the way into the mainstream for bilingual Latin artists.

Martin will also record a song for the 2014 FIFA World Cup album, chosen via a Sony-sponsored Supersong contest. The contest allowed aspiring songwriters in countries around the world to upload a recording of their own World Cup song. Submissions are now closed, and finalists are to be announced soon on the Supersong website.

Coca-Cola kicked off World Cup fever last September with its official 2014 song, “The World is Ours,” sung in English by former The X-Factor contestant David Correy.

Martin to Perform Fan-Penned FIFA World Cup “Super Song”

How would you like Ricky Martin to sing one of your tunes?

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican singing sensation is inviting his fans to enter an international contest created by Sony to write a 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil song that he’ll record.

Ricky Martin

While the song will not be the official 2014 FIFA World Cup anthem, it will be included as a track on a FIFA World Cup album to be released during next summer’s tournament through RCA, according to Alexandre Schiavo, president of Sony Music Entertainment Brazil, which is coordinating the “Super Song” contest.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are you have a chance to write a song for the next World Cup and I will record it,” Martin says in a video promoting the contest on international versions World Cup sponsor Sony’s “One Stadium” website.

Sony’s Super Song contest has been open to entries from around the world in December.

“It is a song that is going to get a lot of attention,” said Schiavo. “The idea as they say is to  give power to the people. Anyone with access to a computer can create some music and have the chance to co-write [the final version of] the song with Ricky and a famous producer. The winner will be invited to attend the final match of the World Cup.  There will be a lot of prizes connected with this promotion.”

Martin’s previous World Cup song, 1998’s “La Copa de La Vida (The Cup of Life,)” propelled the Puerto Rican singer into the global spotlight. In 2010, the official FIFA World Cup anthem was Shakira‘s worldwide hit “Waka Waka” with South African group Freshly Ground. It sold 1.7 million downloads in the U.S.

Earlier this year, Coca-Cola, a longtime World Cup sponsor, announced the release of the first global World Cup Anthem: “The World is Ours.” The song, sung by David Correy and featuring Brazilian percussion group Monobloco, follows Coke’s 2010 World Cup South Africa campaign hit  “Wavin’ Flag.”