Bad Bunny Becomes First Latino Artist Named Apple Music’s Artist of the Year

Bad Bunny is the apple of Apple’s eye…

Apple Music has named the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar its 2022 Artist of the Year.

Bad BunnyIt’s the first time since the Apple Music Awards launched in 2019 that a Latin artist has been recognized as AOTY, and the first time only one artist is named for the award.

Bad Bunny — whose Un Verano Sin Ti Album is also Apple Music’s most streamed album this year and the biggest Latin album of all time — is acknowledged for his excellence and influence on global culture in 2022. He now joins previous AOTY honorees including Billie Eilish, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the achievements of Bad Bunny, whose influence on every corner of culture could not be ignored in 2022,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s vice president of Apple Music and Beats, in a statement. “Watching Bad Bunny ascend from an Apple Music Up Next artist in 2018 to our Artist of the Year this year has been nothing short of extraordinary. We congratulate him on his record-breaking year and for continuing to bring Latin music to a massive global audience.”

In addition to becoming Apple Music’s biggest Latin artist of all time by streams worldwide, Bad Bunny’s “Moscow Mule” holds the record for the biggest Latin song of all time by first-day streams worldwide.

He broke the record for most simultaneous entries by a single Latin artist with 22 songs on the Daily Top 100; reached No. 1 on the Daily Top 100 in 34 countries worldwide, more than any other Latin artist; and holds the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 Latin albums by first-day streams, just to name a few milestones.

“When I started, I didn’t have a global fan base,” he told Apple Music in an exclusive film. “I’m grateful for everything I’ve accomplished and everything I’ve experienced. The Latin music movement has grown so much. I would never take full credit or say, ‘It’s because of me.’ No, it’s every one of us. A whole generation. Our energy and presence are always felt.”

In celebration, the “Me Porto Bonito” singer curated a “La Fórmula” playlist with tracks from Myke Towers and Rauw Alejandro, among others, and fans can tune in to Apple Music 1, where it’s Bad Bunny Day with exclusive programming, specials, and more.

Rosalía Releases Catchy New Single “Chicken Teriyaki”

Rosalía is craving a little Chicken Teriyaki

The 28-year-old Spanish Grammy-winning singer and songwriter has released her latest single, “Chicken Teriyaki,” along with a dance-heavy video to accompany the track.

Rosalia ELLE Summer 2020In the visual, a red-haired Rosalía is joined by a studio full of her closest friends, dressed in black crop top with asymmetrical cutouts, pink shorts and sky-high lucite heels.

Before kicking off the choreography, she sneaks over to a large boom box, blasts the volume on the Latin trap song and singlehandedly commences the group’s dance session, which features sensual body rolls and splits.

Speaking with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 about the song, Rosalia said that she was “just really laughing while I was writing lyrics” and “having fun with it” while working on the track during a stay at New York City’s Mercer Hotel.

Chicken Teriyaki” serves as the third single from Rosalía’s forthcoming album, Motomami, following The Weeknd assisted “La Fama,” and “Saoko.”

She told Lowe that the latter was the final song recorded for the new body of work.

“‘SAOKO’ is the last song I made for the album. I think it’s when you really put the pieces together, you understand what you’re doing, you understand the palette, you understand the direction, you are clear about what you’re doing. And you’re freer too, because you have the rest of the pieces, so it gives you confidence,” she said, adding that she wanted a track that sounded both “red tone” and “jazz.”

Motomami is set to release on March 18 via Columbia Records.

Bad Bunny Releases Surprise New Single “100 Millones,” Featuring Luar La L

Bad Bunny is giving fans 100 million reasons to dance…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican rap superstar, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has surprised fans with the release of the new single “100 Millones.”

Bad Bunny W Magazine Cover

Bad Bunny dropped the new track at the stroke of midnight, without much fanfare.

With an assist from Luar La L, it’s Bunny’s first release of new material this year, and the followup to single “La Noche De Anoche” with Rosalía, which appeared on his 2020 album El Último Tour del Mundo.

And, there’s more new music on the way.

Bad Bunny stopped by New Music Daily on Apple Music 1 to discuss the new number and his next song “Yonaguni,” which is due out next week.

Luar La L “is so hot right now on the streets in Puerto Rico is killing it,” Bad Bunny told New Music Daily host Zane Lowe. “He has that confidence. He has the energy.”

Of “Yonaguni,” expect a bit of both words. “It’s a balance is what people want,” he explained. “But that’s the idea, make a balance, give the people (what) they want, like the street fire street bang, and also like a chill, sweet rhythm to dance and enjoy for the summer.”

Bad Bunny wrote the song just three weeks ago, not long after her completed his WWE debut. “I was like three months working hard training, learning how to get the bump. How to fight, how to throw the punches,” he said of his time in the ring. “But I enjoyed it a lot. It was a dream come true. I was like a kid.”

Bad Bunny is in red-hot form. He won four categories at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards last weekend, including top Latin artist for the second year in a row, and performed “Te Deseo lo Mejor” on the night. The song is lifted from El Último Tour Del Mundo, which made history last year as the first all-Spanish-language album to hit No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

It was his second record-setting feat in the same calendar year. Earlier in 2020, his album YHLQMDLG opened at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, for what was then the highest charting all-Spanish-language title on the chart.