Daddy Yankee Serves as World Baseball Classic Ambassador, Releases WBC Anthem “Chispa”

Daddy Yankee is getting in the game…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar is serving as the ambassador for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC).

Daddy YankeeAs part of his ambassadorial duties, Daddy Yankee throws his superstar status behind an anthem for the current tournament, “Chispa,” which he co-produced with Play-N-Skilz.

According to a statement from organizers, “Chispa” will be featured across WBC and MLB social platforms, and with the Classic’s coverage, in-park activations and more.

Also, Daddy Yankee is expected to attend several games played at loanDeport park in Miami throughout the tournament, which he launched by throwing out the first pitch last Sunday (March 12) before the Venezuela vs. Puerto Rico game.

Much has happened in the year since Yankee announced his retirement from music.

Born Raymond Ayala, Daddy Yankee ends his touring career on a high, with his La Ultima Vuelta trek raking-in $197.8 million and 1.9 million tickets sold over 83 shows in 2022, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

That’s by some distance the biggest tour of his career, and behind only Bad Bunny among Latin artists.

Yankee’s collaboration with Luis Fonsi, “Despacito,” last year extend its reign as the most-viewed music video on YouTube, by hitting the magical 8 billion streams milestone. And his final album, 2022’s Legendaddy, gave Yankee a career-high No. 8 peak on the Billboard 200, his second top 10 appearance on the all-genres chart.

Daddy Yankee’s beloved Puerto Rico is one of 20 nations competing in the Classic, which reaches its climax March 21 in Miami. Sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), it’s the sport’s premier international competition — essentially, the world cup for baseball.

Karol G Reveals Doodle-Inspired Cover Art & Track List for New Album “Mañana Será Bonito”

Karol G is getting colorful

The 31-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter has unveiled the colorful doodle-inspired cover and tracklist for her forthcoming album Mañana Será Bonito, which will be released on February 24.

Karol GThe 17-song album, which kicks off with “Mientras Me Curo del Cora,” features collaborations with QuevedoCarla MorrisonSean PaulSechBad GyalJustin Quiles and Angel Dior.

It also includes previously released singles “Provenza,” “Cairowith Ovy on the Drums, “Gatubela” featuring Maldy, and the Romeo Santos-assisted “X Si Volvemos.”

“This is the face of my album,” Karol wrote on social media. “I present it with all my love and pride. To be honest, I can’t believe I was able to contain myself and not share the release date sooner but I can finally share it with you. I am happy and counting down the days.”

Mañana Será Bonito will be her fourth studio album. It will follow her 2021 Grammy-nominated KG0516, which scored Karol her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums. The set earned the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since Shakira‘s 2017 El Dorado.

Karol G nabbed the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end Top Latin Artists – Female chart for a fourth consecutive year. She was also No. 2 on the overall Top Latin Artists chart – the only female act in the top 10. Furthermore, Karol G’s $trip Love Tour became the highest grossing U.S. tour by Latin female act in history. It grossed $69.9 million and sold 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America (through the end of October), according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore.

Karol G Reveals Name of Upcoming New Album: “Mañana Será Bonito”

Karol G is preparing for a prettier day

The 31-year-old Colombian singer/songwriter has revealed the name of her upcoming new album, which she plans to release “soon.”

Karol G“Finally, finally,” she wrote on social media. “Today I announce a project that I’ve dedicated so much love and time to. I just know that for me and for everyone else, Mañana Será Bonito.”

In the short clip, Karol G appears sitting in a car in Medellín when a little note drops on the windshield that reads: “If you’re sad, call me.” When she dials, a kid answers and suggests she write a letter to Santa Claus, perform at a show, or even record her own version of the hit song “La Jeepeta.”

“But señorita, the important thing is that mañana será bonito,” he reassures her at the end of the call.

“Coming soon,” the end of the announcement video teases.

Mañana Será Bonito is the name of her highly anticipated fourth studio album. It will follow her 2021 Grammy-nominated KG0516, which scored Karol her first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums.

The set earned the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since Shakira‘s 2017 El Dorado.

Most recently, the “Provenza” singer nabbed the No. 1 spot on Billboard‘s 2022 year-end Top Latin Artists – Female chart for a fourth consecutive year. She was also No. 2 on the overall Top Latin Artists chart – the only female act in the top 10.

 

Furthermore, Karol G’s $trip Love Tour became the highest grossing U.S. tour by Latin female act in history. It grossed $69.9 million and sold 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America (through the end of October), according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore.

Anahi & Her RBD Group Mates Sign with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Anahi and her RBD group mates are getting creative

The Mexican pop group, featuring the 39-year-old Mexican actress and singer, has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for worldwide representation in all areas.

RBDSpecifically, the L.A.-based agency will represent the band — now comprised of Anahí, Christian ChavezDulce MaríaChristopher von Uckermann and Maite Perroni — in areas such as acting, brand consulting, touring, podcasting and fashion/beauty.

News of the signing follows RBD’s highly-anticipated announcement of a reunion that includes a 26-date global Soy Rebelde Tour with stops in Mexico, the U.S. and Brazil.

The stint will mark the group’s first time taking the stage together since disbanding in December 2008 after their last show in Madrid.

The Live Nation-produced trek will kick off in El Paso, Texas, at the Sun Bowl Stadium on August 25 and will make stops in key U.S. cities like Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

When RBD last toured, in total it grossed $72.5 million and sold over 1.5 million tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

“It’s a new era that makes us really excited and it’s a new opportunity to share the stage once again and feel a unique energy,” Perroni previously told Billboard. “There’re cycles in life and each one of us had to focus on our careers as actors and musicians and that meant we had to give those projects time, energy and a lot of dedication. It also allowed each one of us to grow professionally and personally. Now, the time [for the reunion] is perfect because we’re now more conscious, more mature, we’ll enjoy it from a different perspective now as adults.”

According to CAA, the group will also release new music in the spring.

On the Billboard charts, RBD has a total of seven entries on the Billboard 200 chart including RebeldeCelestial and Nuestro Amor, and eight entries on Top Latin Albums with six hitting the top 10. On Hot Latin Songs, the band has 10 total entries and out of those, five hit top 10.

RBD is managed by Guillermo Rosas, who’s also executive producing the Soy Rebelde Tour.

Daddy Yankee’s “La Ultima Vuelta World Tour” Becomes Biggest-Ever Tour of His Career

Daddy Yankee has ended his touring career with a bang…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton superstar has played the final shows of his farewell tour, ending at Miami’s FTX Arena on Thursday, December 22.

Daddy YankeeAccording to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, La Ultima Vuelta World Tour wrapped with $197.8 million and 1.9 million tickets sold over 83 shows in 2022. That makes it the biggest tour of his career, by a long shot.

The tour kicked off at Denver’s Ball Arena on July 25, and played 33 shows until finishing its first leg at Madison Square Garden. The U.S. and Canada run earned $61.6 million and sold 376,000 tickets before venturing to Latin America.

There, Daddy Yankee hit 22 Spanish-speaking markets and earned $112.7 million and sold 1.383 million tickets.

He then closed the tour with 12 additional American shows, adding $23.4 million and 143,000 tickets to the final count.

With something of a home-field (or language) advantage, Latin American shows averaged $3 million and 36,000 tickets in mostly stadiums, compared to $1.9 million and 12,000 tickets in mostly domestic arenas.

Daddy Yankee’s geographical divide is in contrast with that of the year’s other major Latin tour from Bad Bunny. With more significant crossover success in recent years, Bad Bunny paced a similar 40,000-plus attendance in both territories but earned nearly three times more per show in the U.S. and Canada because of more elastic ticket scaling.

Bad Bunny and Daddy Yankee played a major role in lifting promoter Cardenas Marketing Network to No. 3 on the year-end Top Promoters ranking. After the final show in Miami, Henry Cardenas reflected to Billboard via email on the impact of Daddy Yankee’s final tour and touring career that started on day one.

“It was an unforgettable tour for me and for the entire CMN team. Having produced the farewell tour of the icon and influencer of an entire generation is one of the greatest accomplishments that our company has achieved. In 2005 we were the producers of his first tour, Barrio Fino, and today we say goodbye to him in La Ultima Vuelta. I thank Raymond and Mireddys for giving us the opportunity to be part of this dream that is now a reality and for allowing us to be direct witnesses of their great legacy.”

The La Ultima Vuelta World Tour was 2022’s second-biggest tour in Latin America, besting Bad Bunny’s $80 million-plus total, but falling short of Coldplay’s $127.9 million from two separate legs of Music of the Spheres Tour.

Still, Daddy Yankee’s nearly $2 million average in the states on a robust 45-date routing made for a gargantuan global total. Excluding Latin American dates, La Ultima Vuelta World Tour represents a leap of more than 100% from his previous nightly best. All shows considered, he’s up by 162%.

Regardless of geography or genre, Daddy Yankee finished at No. 13 on the year-end Top Tours chart, ranking artists on their concert business between November 1, 2021-October 31, 2022.

On Billboard’s monthly Top Tours chart, he’s climbed from No. 22 in July to No. 9 to No. 5 and, for October and November, to No. 3 (December’s ranking will publish next month).

Further, in the calendar year of 2022, Daddy Yankee has the sixth-highest grossing tour worldwide, behind Bad Bunny, Elton John, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles.

And even beyond his year-end achievements, La Ultima Vuelta World Tour finishes as the second-highest grossing Latin tour in Boxscore history, sandwiched between Bad Bunny’s World’s Hottest Tour ($314.1 million) and El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo ($116.8 million).

Bad Bunny Teases New Single He’ll Release “to Close the Year”

Bad Bunny is ending the year with a banger

Just five days before Christmas, the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has unveiled a preview clip of a never-before-heard track on TikTok.

Bad Bunny“OK, now yes, check this out,” he said in the 50-second clip. “Let me play this for you. This is to close the year.”

Bunny’s sultry vocals are heard over a simple beat that soon transitions into a hard-hitting reggaeton track.

“He loves you and gives you everything/ But you’re the devil and you’re crazy for me/ You like the bad boys and are playing fire with me […] although you’re a sin, I’m going to hell following that big a–/ I’m on my way/ Today I’m picking you up after midnight,” he chants in the saucy snippet.

He teased fans some more in the caption. “Let me know if you want another preview,” he wrote, which has fans speculating in the comments that this could either mark the return of “Trap Bunny,” or that he might drop a whole new album before 2022 comes to an end.

As fans patiently wait for El Conejo Malo’s next big move, there’s no denying that Bad Bunny was the year’s biggest music star.

Bad Bunny ruled Billboard’s year-end Top Artists chart for the first time, while his Un Verano Sin Ti made history as the first all-Spanish album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 year-end albums chart (and has spent 13 weeks at the top so far), and the album also became the first-ever all-Spanish release to earn a Grammy nomination for album of the year.

He also closed out the year with his record-breaking $435 million in tour grosses that combine more than 80 concerts from two separate tours (El Último Tour del Mundo and The World’s Hottest Tour). That amount became the highest gross for an artist in a calendar year since Billboard Boxscore launched in the late 1980s.

@badbunny

me dicen si quieren otro preview…

♬ original sound – Bad Bunny

The unreleased track he teased on TikTok will follow his Arcangel-assisted “La Jumpa,” which debuted at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs chart dated December 10, 2022.

Bad Bunny Breaks Billboard Boxscore Record for Highest Gross for Artist in Calendar Year

Bad Bunny is closing out the year with a bang…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar closed out his World’s Hottest Tour over the weekend in Mexico City, closing out a historic year on the Billboard Boxscore charts.

Bad BunnyUltimately, his 81 concerts in 2022 – culled from two separate tours –  combine for the highest gross for an artist in a calendar year ever, since Billboard Boxscore launched in the late 1980s.

Some may have thought there were no Boxscore records left to break for Bad Bunny.

His arena tour in the spring, titled El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo, grossed $116.8 million, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore.

This made it the highest grossing Latin tour of all time. On a city-by-city basis, he broke local revenue records in 13 North American markets.

He then launched World’s Hottest Tour, a stadium run that made him the first artist to ever mount separate $100-million-tours in the same year. That trek broke local records in 12 of its 15 domestic markets, ultimately earning $232.5 million in the U.S.

Its 11 shows in September grossed $123.7 million, breaking the record for the highest one-month gross since Billboard launched its monthly rankings in 2019.

Bad Bunny topped the year-end Top Tours chart with a $373.5 million take, though he was still in the middle of a Latin American leg when the year-end tracking period ended. (Year-End Boxscore charts are based on shows that played between Nov. 1, 2021 – Oct. 31, 2022.)

In doing so, he became the first Latin artist, and first artist to primarily perform in any language other than English, to crown the annual ranking.

Finally, Bad Bunny closed out World’s Hottest Tour with two shows at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on December 9-10, adding $10.3 million and 116,000 tickets to its total. The Latin American run spanned 21 shows in 15 cities, earning $81.7 million from 910,000 tickets sold. Mexico was the highlight – not only for its two CDMX concerts, but for the $17.1 million out of Monterrey’s Estadio BBVA.

Altogether, the tour grossed $314.1 million and sold 1.9 million tickets, re-setting the record for the biggest Latin tour ever.

Added to his arena tour, plus three hometown shows in San Juan in July that were not a proper part of either of his two tours, Bad Bunny grossed $434.9 million in 2022, narrowly eclipsing Ed Sheeran’s $434.4 million in 2018, for the highest calendar-year gross in Billboard Boxscore history.

Bad Bunny’s gigantic year on the road is just one piece of his 2022 puzzle. He was also named Billboard’s Top Artist of the year, bolstered by the success of Un Verano Sin Ti. Released in May, his seasonal smash spent 13 weeks atop the Billboard 200 and landed seven of its tracks on the year-end Billboard Hot 100 ranking.

That album, plus his two 2020 releases, brought Bad Bunny from arena-contender to stadium-conqueror. His previous touring cycle, 2019’s X100 PRE Tour, earned $45.8 million between two legs, averaging $1.1 million per night. World’s Hottest Tour went stratospheric, pacing $3.7 million per show in Latin America and $11.1 million in the U.S.

Dating back to a Rosemont Theater show in October 2017 — his first show reported to Billboard Boxscore as a headliner — Bad Bunny has grossed $508.7 million and sold 3.3 million tickets. That’s one more broken record — enough to make him the highest grossing Latin artist in Boxscore history.

Karol G Releases New Single “Cairo”

Karol G is ready to rock like an Egyptian

The 31-year-old Colombian superstar has released her new track “Cairo,” an infectious track produced by her go-to producer Ovy On the Drums.

Karol GPenned by the team behind “Provenza” — Karol, Ovy and Keityn — “Cairo” is a head-bobbing earworm that thrives on a fusion of dance beats and Afrobeat. In the song, Karol sings about allowing herself to love again, even after swearing she wouldn’t.

“I’m not in love yet, but soon I will be,” she confesses.

“Cairo” follows Karol G’s “Gatubela,” which dropped in August. With the track, in collaboration with Maldy, the Colombian artist banked her 16th top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs with a No. 4 debut on the September 10-dated ranking.

Billboard recently revealed that Karol G‘s $Trip Love tour had grossed $69.9 million and sold 410,000 tickets across 33 shows in North America (through the end of October), according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore. With those figures, she has now earned the highest U.S.-grossing tour by a female Latin act.

With $Trip Love, the “Provenza” singer surpasses Jennifer Lopez‘s $50 million grossing It’s My Party World Tour in 2019. Meanwhile, Shakira grossed $28.2 million in 2018 with her El Dorado World Tour. This year, Rosalía’s Motomami world tour has grossed $28.1 million through the end of October.

Karol G is currently working on her forthcoming album, which will follow her chart-topping, Grammy-nominated 2021 set, KG0516. She’s also slated to headline the 16th annual Calibash, taking place Jan. 21-22 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. She joins a previously billed group of headliners that includes Ozuna, Myke Towers and Farruko.

The song dropped alongside a music video, shot in Cairo, directed by WEOWNTHECITY.

Karol G’s “$Trip Love” Becomes Highest U.S.-Grossing Tour by a Female Latin Act

Karol G is makin’ history… 

The 31-year-old Colombian singer and songwriter’s $Trip Love tour has grossed $69.9 million and sold 410,000 tickets across 32 shows in North America through the end of October, according to numbers reported to Billboard Boxscore. With those figures, Karol G has now earned the highest U.S.-grossing tour by a female Latin act.

Karol GWith $Trip Love, the “Provenza” singer surpasses Jennifer Lopez‘s $50 million grossing It’s My Party World Tour in 2019. Meanwhile, Shakira grossed $28.2 million in 2018 with her El Dorado World Tour.

This year, Rosalía’Motomami world tour has grossed $28.1 million through the end of October.

The AEG-produced $Trip Love stint, which kicked off on September 6 at Chicago’s Allstate Arena and wrapped up October 29 at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, followed Karol’s Bichota Tour in 2021 — her first-ever headlining trek in the U.S. — which grossed $13.4 million and sold 192,000 tickets across 26 shows in North America.

Compared to her last tour, this one boasted a larger production scale. There was a heart-shaped stage, jumbo screens with a heart border, and a floating turquoise Ferrari that, when she rode it to sing “El Makinon,” brought her closer to her fans. On stage, Karol was joined by eight female dancers, four male dancers, two exotic dancers and, of course, her all-girl band.

After wrapping up the tour in North America, Karol G took to social media to write: “Thank you God for the conviction you have given me. Thank you to all the people that worked with me day and night to make this dream possible and to the artists who shared the stage with me during the tour. You made the show shine even more with your presence. We enjoyed this tour like we were little kids, but worked like machines. This is for my home, Colombia.”

Karol G, who is releasing a new song on Sunday (November 13), is currently working on her forthcoming album, which will follow her chart-topping, Grammy-nominated 2021 set KG0516. The album scored Karol her first-ever No. 1 album on Billboard‘Top Latin Albums chart.

Karol G is also slated to headline the 16th annual Calibash, taking place January 21-22 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. She joins a previously billed group of headliners that includes OzunaMyke Towers and Farruko.

Bad Bunny Has September’s Highest Grossing Tour with “World’s Hottest Tour”

Bad Bunny is back on top…

For the fourth time this year, the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar tops Billboards monthly Boxscore ranking with the highest grossing tour of September.

Bad BunnyIn February, he became the first Latin act to top the list since the monthly tally began in February 2019.

In March, he scored the highest monthly total for an arena tour since the charts launched. In August, when he bulked up to stadiums, he claimed the title for the largest monthly sum for a solo act.

With his September victory, Bad Bunny is running out of records to rewrite. Over 11 shows from September 1 to 30, World’s Hottest Tour earned $123.7 million and sold over 500,000 tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. That’s the highest one-month gross since the charts premiered, bypassing The Rolling Stones’ August 2019 haul of $95 million to become the first act to earn more than $100 million in a single month.

Bad Bunny’s September run included three markets each in Texas (Houston, San Antonio and Arlington) and California (Oakland, San Diego and Inglewood), plus two shows in Las Vegas and one in Phoenix. His September 30-October 1 double-header at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium was the obvious highlight, earning $31.1 million from 99,816 tickets sold, even though half of that sum will count toward the October rankings.

Bad Bunny’s September (and one October) shows brings the North American total for World’s Hottest Tour to $232.5 million, aided by local records in four out of every five venues it played.

Further, his latest victory puts him in elite company, tying Elton John for the most months atop Top Tours. Each act has crowned four monthly editions – John three times in 2019 and once in 2020, and Bad Bunny all in 2022. Even more impressive for Bunny, he’s undefeated.

He claimed top honors in February and March, when El Ultimo Tour Del Mundo began, took much of the spring and summer off, and returned in August, when he regained the top spot (and again in September). He played a trio of shows in April and July, but if Bad Bunny was properly on tour in 2022, he’s been No. 1 on Top Tours.