Enrique Iglesias Releases “Final, Vol. 2,” The Last Musical Set of His Career

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a final bow for Enrique Iglesias.

The 48-year-old Spanish singer and songwriter has released his new studio album Final, Vol. 2 via Sony Music Latin—almost three years after dropping Final, Vol. 1.

Iglesias is assuring everyone the album will be the last musical set of his career.

Comprised of 10 tracks, Final, Vol. 2 finds Iglesias navigating from his signature electronic dance and Latin pop fusions to other genres including bachata (“Así Es La Vida” featuring Maria Becerra), dembow (“La Botella” featuring El Alfa), country (“Space in my Heart” featuring Miranda Lambert), and cumbia (“Llórame Un Río featuring Belinda). His collaboration with Lambert is also available in Spanish with only Iglesias performing it called “Espacio En Tu Corazón.”

In addition to “Space in my Heart,” two other songs on the set are in English: “Love and Pain” and “Be Together”—further stamping the Spanish crooner’s global connection to his fans.

His sensual bachata with Becerra reached No. 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart for eight weeks, starting the December 9, 2023-dated chart, and it reached a No. 12 high on Latin Airplay chart (December 16).

Final, Vol. 2 follows Final, Vol. 1 (2021), his first album in seven years after Sex & Love and that includes hits such as the Nicky Jam-assisted “El Perdón,” “Duele el Corazón” with Wisin, “Súbeme la Radio” with Descemer Bueno and Zion y Lennox, and the Bad Bunny-assisted “El Baño.”

Final (Vol. 1) debuted and peaked at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums and at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums (charts dated Oct. 10, 2021).

Marc Anthony’s “Punta Cana” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay Chart

Posted on January 31, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Marc Anthony continues his reign on the tropical charts…

The 55-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter’s impressive dominance on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay chart adds yet another chapter this week as his latest single, “Punta Cana,” debuts at No. 1 on the ranking dated February 3.

The arrival extends his record for the most No. 1s in the chart’s history.

“Punta Cana” storms in atop Tropical Airplay with 4.6 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the January 19-25 tracking week, according to Luminate.

“Punta Cana’s” arrival at the summit secures Marc Anthony his unprecedented 36th No. 1 on the list, the most among all acts; a record he’s held since 1996, one year after Tropical Airplay launched. Victor Manuelle remains in second place, with 29 No. 1s.

The bachata single, coproduced by MAnthony alongside Sergio George, was released Jan. 26 via Sony Music Latin and unseats another label mate from the lead: Enrique Iglesias and Maria Becerra’s “Así Es La Vida” drops to No. 2 with a 19% decrease in impressions, to 4.3 million.

Notably, out of the 36 champs on Marc Anthony’s Tropical Airplay account, “Punta Cana” becomes the third song to premiere at No. 1, following the six-week champ “Se Me Sigue Olvidando” (1995) and nine-week ruler “Ahora Quien” (2004). (Only 16 songs overall have debuted on at No. 1 on the chart.) Plus, “Punta Cana” is Marc Anthony’s first No. 1 in two years (since “Mala Santa” ruled for one week in March 2022) and his 27th No. 1 without any accompanying acts.

As Marc Anthony continues to beat the competition, here’s the recap of the artists with the most No. 1s on the 28-year-old chart:

36, Marc Anthony
29, Victor Manuelle
23, Prince Royce
18, Romeo Santos
14, Elvis Crespo
14, Gilberto Santa Rosa
13, Jerry Rivera
12, Juan Luis Guerra 440

Beyond its Tropical Airplay coronation, “Punta Cana” gives Marc Anthony his 59th career entry on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, as the song debuts at No. 19. With the new entry, he continues to hold the record for the most chart appearances among tropical acts, and the sixth-most among all artists. Here’s the leaderboard:

85, Daddy Yankee
68, Ozuna
64, Intocable
63, Los Tigres del Norte
60, J Balvin
59, Marc Anthony
58, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga

Maria Becerra Signs with Wasserman Music for Worldwide Representation

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Maria Becerra is expanding her world…

The 23-year-old Argentine singer-songwriter has signed with Wasserman Music for representation worldwide (except Latin America).

She’ll be represented by agents Juan Toro and Ryan Soroka.

The deal caps off a significant 2023 for Becerra who in May signed a label deal with Warner Music Latina, in a joint venture with 300 Entertainment, followed by an exclusive administration deal with Warner Chappell Music in August.

In May, Becerra received the visionary award at the inaugural Billboard Latin Women in Music gala.

Becerra — known for fusing pop, cumbia villera, bachata and reggaeton — broke in 2019 with her EP 222.

Two years later, she released her debut album, Animal, featuring collaborations with artists such as Cazzu, Becky G and Tiago PZK. The set earned Becerra a Latin Grammy nomination for best urban music album.

Overall, Becerra has scored three entries on the Hot Latin Songs chart, including her J Balvin collaboration “Qué Más Pues?” She’s also claimed three top 10 spots on Latin Airplay, including two No. 1 hits: “Te Espero,” featuring Prince Royce and “Así Es La Vida” with Enrique Iglesias.

Notably, she holds the record for the most entries by a woman on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 with 43.

Most recently, Becerra sold out her upcoming March 23 show at the River Plate Stadium in her native Argentina in less than 90 minutes, making history in doing so.

Before her show at the fabled venue, which has a capacity of nearly 65,000, Becerra will perform at Viña del Mar in Chile on March 1.

Enrique Iglesias & Influence Media Partners Agree to Major Partnership Deal

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias has a new influence…

The 48-year-Spanish superstar and Influence Media Partners have agreed to a major partnership deal.

Influence and Iglesias have partnered on the rights management of his pre-2021 recorded music rights, according to a press release, including his independent masters and his Universal recorded music royalties, along with name, image and likeness (NIL) rights to expand future licensing opportunities for the singer.

This marks the first NIL deal for Influence Media, which last year partnered with Black Rock and Warner Music Group for funding and infrastructure.

“My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me,” Iglesias said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects.”

“Enrique is a global icon and having him as a part of our Influence Media family is a game-changing moment for us,” added Lylette Pizarro, Influence Media founder/co-managing partner. “For a quarter of a century, he has captivated fans globally with chart-topping and record-breaking hits. From ‘Experiencia Religiosa’ to ‘Hero’ and ‘Bailando’ to ‘I Like It’ and ‘Be With You,’ there are few artists who come close to accomplishing what Enrique has achieved commercially. He has played a pivotal role in introducing bilingual music to the masses. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with one of the most recognizable figures in modern music.”

“It has been an honor to be part of Enrique’s team for more than two decades,” said John Branca, partner/head of music at Ziffren Brittenham, who represented Iglesias in the deal. “As the most successful Latin artist of all time he is also one of the most accomplished and beloved artists of his generation. Enrique was highly selective in choosing a partner with whom he will enhance his already monumental legacy.”

With a career that spans over three decades, Iglesias is one of the first Spanish-language acts to successfully cross over into the English-language market. He has placed five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “I Like It,” “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” and “Hero.” He’s also placed three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 (Escape, Euphoria and Sex And Love) and 27 No. 1 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Currently on the U.S. Trilogy Tour with Pitbull and Ricky Martin, Iglesias most recently scored his eighth No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart with his bachata collab “Así Es La Vida” with Maria Becerra. He is set to drop his new album, Final Vol. 2, next year.

Influence Media previously acquired the commercially-released master recording catalog of Blake Shelton for his 2001-2019 output, Future’s song publishing catalog and Puerto Rican songwriter-producer Tainy’s song publishing catalog from 2005-2021, among other investments.

Juan Luis Guerra Releases Eclectic New EP “Radio Güira”

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Luis Guerra is back with new music…

The 66-year-old Dominican musician, singer, composer and record producer and his band, Juan Luis Guerra y 4.40, light up the party this week with Radio Güira.

The EP features six songs presented, as its title indicates, in radio station style.

“You are listening to Radio Güira, 4.40 FM,” Guerra narrates over a techno-beat at the beginning of “Mambo 23,” the first single and opener.

“This EP has a different concept. Our purpose was to do something innovative,” Guerra explained in a press release. “We imagine a radio station playing 4.40 music in different parts of the world. We include calls, recipes, and IDs and the genres of mambo, bachata and merengue. This was our dream for many months, and today we make it known!”

With six songs written and produced by the Dominican maestro, it is impossible not to move and smile to the rhythm of mambo, bachata (“DJ Bachata”), merengue (“La Noviecita” and “Como Me Enamora”), pambiche blues (“Te Invito a un Blues”) and even pop reggaeton (“Cositas de Amor”), all with elegant touches of genres such as jazz and rock, and the sweet, poetic lyrics for which the artist is known.

Paramount+ to Premiere Nick Barili’s New Docuseries “De La Calle” in November

Posted on October 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nick Barili is hittin’ the calle next month…

Paramount+ will premiere the 44-year-old Argentinian-American award-winning journalist, executive producer, director and writer’s new docuseries De La Calle in the U.S. and Canada on Tuesday, November 7.

Across 8 episodes, Barili explores Latino urban music from the U.S. to Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Spain and beyond.

The series takes a journey into the Latine diaspora to map the evolution of Urbano music and cultures that ignited the musical revolution of Rap, Reggaeton, Bachata, Latin trap, Cumbia and other sounds that influence music and culture worldwide.

Interviewees include Fat Joe, NORE, Residente, Mala Rodriguez, Nicky Jam, Nicki Nicole, Villano Antillano, Sech, Goyo, Nathy Peluso, Santa Fe Klan, Jessie Reyes, Feid, Aleman and Gente De Zona, among others.

“As a first-generation immigrant who learned how to speak English through Hip Hop at Malcolm X Elementary, I grew up straddling two worlds, speaking English at school and Spanish at home,” Barili, the project’s co-creator, executive producer and host, shared in a statement.

He continued, “I was influenced by El General and Calle 13 as much as E-40 and Outkast. De La Calle was created to explore how the seeds from the street that inspired Hip Hop are also present throughout Latin America and Spain. Going to the neighborhoods where El Movimiento was created, talking to the pioneers who were actually there and sharing the origin stories of superstars of today and tomorrow. I’m thrilled to have MTV Studios and Paramount+ as partners to bring De La Calle to the world.”

Enrique Iglesias Teams Up with Maria Becerra for New Bachata-Fied Single “Así Es La Vida”

Posted on September 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

That’s life for Enrique Iglesias!

The 48-year-old Spanish superstar has joined voices with Maria Becerra to release the new single “Así Es La Vida.”

In less than three minutes, glesias and the 23-year-old Argentine singer and former YouTuber take us on an emotional journey in this sensual bachata about a tumultuous relationship that cannot go on.

“That’s life, divine treasure/ Like a game of poker where you bet everything/ That’s how our love was, with its ups and downs,” Iglesias sings with resignation, while Becerra replies: “That’s life, in the end what do we have left?/ You chose the road and I chose the path/ We still love each other in different ways.”

The first single from Iglesias’ upcoming album Final (Vol. 2) — a follow up to his Final (Vol. 1) from 2021 — the song was produced by Carlos Paucar.

It’s not the first bachata from the pop superstar, whose love affair with the Dominican genre includes hits like “Loco” and “El Perdedor.”

“Bachata is a rhythm that captured my heart from the moment I heard it,” Iglesias says in a press release. “I am delighted to return to this powerful genre, accompanied by the great talent of Maria, who is one of a kind.”

Alejandro Fernández Earns 10th No. 1 on on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir”

Posted on August 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a perfect 10 for Alejandro Fernández.

The 52-year-old Mexican singer has collected his 10th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” rises 13-1 to lead the August 5-dated survey.

The song follows the two-week champ “Caballero,” his first career No. 1 this decade (Feb. 2020).

“No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” conquers Latin Airplay after it gained 9.1 million in audience impressions, a 50% rise from the week prior, earned in the U.S. during the July 21-27 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The song’s main supporters include Univision stations, KSCA Los Angeles and WOJO Chicago, as monitored by Mediabase, which provides Luminate data for Billboard charts.)

The ranchera singer, released May 19 and written by Eden Muñoz, ejects Prince Royce’s “Me EnRD” from the lead after its one term at No. 1, as the bachata dips 1-5 with 17% drop in audience impressions, to 8.4 million.

Further, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” earns Universal Music Latino/UMLE its second No. 1 in 2023, after the label dominated the chart with Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” for two weeks between May and July.

As mentioned, with “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” capturing the crown on Latin Airplay, Fernández scores his 10th ruler, the second-most among regional Mexican acts, trailing Marco Antonio Solis who continues to lead with 11 champs on his Latin Airplay account.

Plus, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” becomes his first win since “Cabaellero” in 2020. In between he’s placed five top 10s, for a total of 23 top 10s since “A Pesar de Todo” reached No. 10 high in December 1994.

Here’s a full recap of Fernández’s 10 leaders dating back to his first in 1997:

Peak, Title, Artist, Weeks at No. 1
Oct. 18, 1997, “Si Tú Supieras,” six
Dec. 27, 1997, “En El Jardín,” featuring Gloria Estefan, six
March 14, 1998, “No Se Olvidar,” eight
July 18, 1998, “Yo Nací Para Amarte,” five
Aug. 21, 1999, “Loco,” one
Dec. 1, 201, “Tantita Pena,” six
Oct. 23, 2004, “Me Dedique A Perderte,” two
Feb. 06, 2010, “Se Me Va La Voz,” one
Jan. 04, 2020, “Caballero,” two
Aug. 05, 2023, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir,” one

Notably, “Que Me Quiera Ir” marks a new milestone achievement for singer-songwriter Eden Muñoz, who captures his first No. 1 on Latin Airplay as a songwriter. Previously he scored a No. 2 high as a songwriter through Banda Carnaval’s “Esa Vez Soy Yo” (Jan. 2020).

Elsewhere, “No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” advances 7-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay as the week’s Greatest Gainer. Fernández wins his sixth champ, the fifth-most among regional Mexican soloists.

Darell Releases New Album “Everybody Go to the Discotek”

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Darell is hoping to get you dancing…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and songwriter has released his new album Everybody Go to the Discotek, which is named after his signature phrase.

The album features 18 tracks crafted for a good time at the club while showcasing Darell’s musical versatility.

At the core of each track is his distinct, deep, raspy vocals, but while some songs are hard-hitting perreos (“Deshidratado,” “Ponte Bonita,” and “Me Dice Daddy,” to name a few), Darell is as experimental as ever.

“Lollipop” is a sensual merengue-bachata fusion, “Rulay” is a tribute to Dominican dembow “Funka” is a saucy Brazilian funk number and focus single “Wait Deh Man,” a reggae-infused collaboration with Nicky Jam, Wisin and Luar La L.

Other collaborators on Everybody Go to the Discotek include Ozuna, Myke Towers, Sech, Jory Boy, Maffio, Omar Courtz and Omar Montes.

Prince Royce Earns 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Me EnRD”

Posted on July 25, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a sweet sixteen for Prince Royce.

The 34-year-old Dominican American bachata star has logged his 16th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart thanks to “Me EnRD,” which ascends 4-1 on the July 29-dated ranking.

With the new champ, Royce matches Carlos Vives for the second-most No. 1s by a tropical act, both with 16.

“Wow, happy with another No. 1 on Latin Airplay filled with colleagues from all different type of genres,” Royce tells Billboard. “Means so much, especially a song about DR where bachata was born.”

According to Luminate, “Me EnRD” crowns the all-Latin genre tally with 10.22 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. during the July 14-20 tracking week; that’s a 21% gain from the week prior.

Plus, it ousts Karol G and Shakira’s “TQG” from its two-week lead with a 7% dip in impressions, to 8.6 million. It falls to No. 3.

As “Me EnRD” ascends to the summit, Royce becomes the only artist to top Latin Airplay, unaccompanied by any other act — among the 15 rulers — in 2023. The last artist to pull off the feat was Maluma when “Junio” reigned for one week in October 2022.

As mentioned, with “Me EnRD” advancing from No. 4, Royce banks his 16th ruler and enters a tie with Vives for the second-most No. 1s among tropical acts, trailing only Romeo Santos who continues at the helm with 21.

Here’s the scoreboard of rulers by tropical acts on Latin Airplay since the chart launched in 1994:

21, Romeo Santos
16, Carlos Vives
16, Prince Royce
14, Marc Anthony
11, Gloria Estefan
6, Juan Luis Guerra y 440

“Me EnRD” was released on April 20 and lands at the penthouse on Latin Airplay in its 13th week. It concurrently takes the lead on Tropical Airplay, where Royce collects his 23rd champ.

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