Maluma’s got the power…
The 26-year-old Colombian singer has been named to Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood list, with the artists recognized during a special virtual event on Facebook earlier this week.
The Power of Young Hollywood listcelebrates the young actors, musicians and social media creatives who’ve continued to flourish during the shutdown of the entertainment industry, exploring new creative outlets or devoting time to their loved ones.
Maluma has been heralded for his impressive music career, which hasn’t slowed down much even though he’s been in quarantine. He’s been producing his next album and recently released a new single, “Hawái.”
He collaborated with Madonna last year, collaborating with the pop music legend on three songs, including two songs for her Madame X album. The biggest of those tracks, “Medellin,” has garnered more than 47 million views on YouTube.
“[Madonna] texted me. That was crazy,” he said. “She was like ‘oh, I’m Madonna, and I’m making my album right now. I would love to have you be a part of the project.’ We did three songs, two for her album and one for my album.”
Maluma currently working with Jennifer Lopez on new music and a new movie, where he’ll make his acting debut on the big screen. They’ll star in the upcoming Universal Pictures romantic comedy “Marry Me,” in which he plays a narcissistic pop star named who lives his life on social media.
Maluma, who draws artistic inspiration from his Colombian family and feels proud sharing his culture with the world, received his first Grammy nom for the album “11:11” in the Latin Pop Album category.
But Maluma isn’t the only Latinx artist to make the list…
Michael Cimino, who stars in Hulu’s just-renewed series Love, Victor, has made the list.
The 20-year-old half-Puerto Rican actor’s role as aquestioning Latinx teen on Love, Victor has been nothing short of a breakthrough.
“It’s been great seeing all this positive recognition for the show and how it’s affected people. It’s an honor to represent the LGBTQ community,” says Cimino. “I want to be the person that represents their struggle, their story, their ethnicity, whatever it may be, and to represent them accurately by depicting them in a way that’s true to life.”
Cimino recently helped launch We the Movement L.A., which has raised money to aid Black-owned businesses in the Pico-Redondo area of Los Angeles.
Kehlani’s celebrating her appearance on the list…
Three years after releasing her star-turning debut album “SweetSexySavage,” the 25-year-old part-Mexican American R&B singer returned with her soul-baring full-length follow-up It Was Good Until It Wasn’t in May, her third consecutive No. 1 album on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart. It arrived as the crown jewel in a year of high-profile moments, including collaborations with Justin Bieber and Zedd, as well as the release of fan favorite EP While We Wait. Of course, the pandemic has been a hitch in the album rollout: “The most challenging part was having to learn how to do everything myself,” says Kehlani.
But despite the steps forward in her burgeoning career, one moment stands out as her proudest: “When my daughter started saying ‘Momma’ to my face,” she says of her 1-year-old.
Brent Rivera also has the power…
He’s only 22 years old, but the Latino social media personality has amassed 65 million followers across his channels (YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc.), as well as some strong acting credits, including Hulu’s Light as a Feather and a starring role in the 2017 movie Alexander IRL.
Two years ago, Rivera and partner Max Levine co-founded Amp Studios, a talent incubator for up-and-coming creators with millions of followers of their own. He’s developing a lineup of original characters for multi-platform storytelling and merchandising.
“Like a superhero or a princess,” he says. “I think there’s a big market for it and no one’s really done it.”
Xochitl Gomez has picked up an “up next” call out…
The 14-year-old Latina actress brought an upbeat energy to Netflix’s reboot of The Baby-Sitters Club, transforming a character that had been a blonde Californian in previous iterations into a Latinxgirl with two dads.
“It’s really important that a Latina character and her family are represented on the show,” says Gomez, who’s previously guested on Gentefied and Raven’s Home. “I grew up never seeing anyone who looked like me on TV.”
Tess Romero also earned an “Up Next” mention…
In her first regular role, the Latina actress stars as nothing less than the future leader of America: She portrays Elena, a Cuban American destined for the Oval Office, in the Disney+series Diary of a Future President. Producer-star Gina Rodriguez plays Romero’s adult counterpart. “I definitely like to stay on top of things, and it’s important to know what’s going on the world,” says Romero. As for the future: “It would be cool to do other genres, maybe a horror movie or period piece.”
Rachel Zegler’s also got (up) next…
The 19-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer has taken on the iconic role of Maria, memorably played by the late Natalie Wood on the big screen, in Steven Spielberg’s upcoming West Side Story remake.
Zegler says the role “is a dream come true, plain and simple.” And working alongside Spielberg, Zegler says, “is a master class in storytelling.” It’s her first turn before the cameras, although she’s starred in community musicals and has a YouTube channel with a healthy number of subscribers.
Other stars featured on this year’s list include Dua Lipa, Gabby Barrett, Aquaria, Blackpink, Chloe x Halle, Elle Fanning, Bebe Rexha, Jojo Siwa, Hailee Steinfeld, Megan Thee Stallion and the cast of Outer Banks.
Power of Young Hollywood special was produced by Variety, in partnership with Facebook.
Click here for the complete list.