Mariah Carey Announces “The Celebration of Mimi” Exclusive Engagement at Las Vegas’ Dolby Live in Park MGM

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is (Las Vegas) stripping things down…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning superstar will be returning to Sin City for a third time to debut of The Celebration of Mimi, April 12 through April 27 at Dolby Live in Park MGM.

The “exclusive engagement” (April 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27) toasts the 19th anniversary of The Emancipation of Mimi, which was released on April 12, 2005.

A statement shared with Billboard states that “the Las Vegas shows will feature fan favorites from that album as well as other hits from her unparalleled illustrious career.”

The Emancipation of Mimi, with hits such as “We Belong Together” and “Shake It Off,” was one of the top-selling albums of its year and is known within her catalog as the “comeback album.”

Making another comeback — this time on the Las Vegas Strip — The Celebration of Mimi engagement, backed by Live Nation and MGM Resorts, follows Carey’s first two residencies at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, #1 to Infinity (2015-2017) and The Butterfly Returns (2018-2020). Infinity was a chronological performance of her 18 No. 1 hits, starting with 1990’s “Vision of Love” and ending with 2008’s “Touch My Body.” While that show focused on Carey the entertainer, “Butterfly” capitalized on Carey the singer with a powerful 23-song set list of big hits, surprises and her own personal favorites. Since 2020, Carey has mostly performed and toured with her holiday music.

Carey got her break in 1990 with the smash hit “Vision of Love” and since sold more than 200 million albums with 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles. Just days ago the five-octave-range singer accepted the Global Impact Award during the Recording Academy Honors presented by the Black Music Collective.

Tickets will go on sale to the public Saturday, February 10 for April 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 24, 26 and 27.

Limited to only eight dates, it seems as if Carey is taking a page from Kelly Clarkson’s Las Vegas strategy book. Last year, Clarkson announced a 10-date run of Chemistry. All shows sold out. Since then, she has picked select weekends to return including New Years and Super Bowl. With this being the third chapter in her Las Vegas legacy, the chances of more dates coming down the line seem probable.

Carey’s announcement follows last week’s news that Mexican group Los Bukis will perform the Strip’s first-ever full Latin and Spanish-language residency, launching May 3 at Dolby Live at Park MGM. The theater is also home to Bruno Mars, Maroon 5 and Lady Gaga.

Xavi Launching First Trek in the U.S., the 2024 Poco A Poco Tour, in March

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Little by little, Xavi is embracing the touring life…

The 19-year-old Mexican American Regional Mexican singer-songwriter and breakout star will hit the road with the 2024 Poco A Poco Tour, his first trek in the U.S.

Xavi is set to kick off the 24-date stint on March 28, starting with two stops in Mexico.

On April 2, he begins his American stint in Los Angeles at the Roxy Theatre, making stops in Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and Las Vegas and wrapping up in San Antonio on May 12.

The “La Diabla” singer is also slated to perform at Sueños Music Festival in Chicago on May 25.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of Xavi’s rapid rise in the music industry due to his signature tumbados románticos.

Xavi signed with Interscope Records in 2021, and in 2023, he released a summer EP titled My Mom’s Playlist — a tribute to his mother that features covers of Latin pop and rock en Español classics she loved — reflects his deep-rooted family values.

At the end of December, Xavi debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with not one, but two entries: “La Diabla” and “La Víctima,” which have since peaked at No. 22 and No. 55, respectively.

His global appeal is further evidenced by his presence on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, with “La Diabla” reaching the top five on both.

He’s also spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s Latin Songwriters due to songs like “La Diabla” and previously released singles including “La Víctima,” “Poco a Poco” with Dareyes De La Sierra and “Modo DND” with Tony Aguirre.

Earlier this year, Xavi signed with WME for global representation in all areas.

Pre-sale tickets go live Wednesday (Feb. 7) via Seated.com. Public on-sale for tickets will be available on Friday, February 9 through Xavi’s official website.

Here are the 24 dates for his first tour:

March 28, Auditorio BlackBerry, Mexico City, Mexico
March 30, Teatro Diana, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
April 2, The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
April 5, Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
April 6, Roseland Theater, Portland OR
April 7, Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
April 11, Arcata Theatre Lounge, Arcata, CA
April 12, Ruth Finley Theater, Santa Rosa, CA
April 13, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
April 14, Freemont Theatre, San Luis Obispo, CA
April 18, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside CA
April 19, The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA
April 21, The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
April 26, Fox Theater, Bakersfield, CA
April 27, House of Blues Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
April 28, The Union Event Center, Salt Lake City, UT
May 1, The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ
May 2, The Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
May 3, La Hacienda Event Center, Midland, TX
May 5, The Plaza Theatre, El Paso, TX
May 9, Tower Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK
May 10, House of Blues Dallas, Dallas, TX
May 11, House of Blues Houston, Houston, TX
May 12, The Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX

Los Lobos to Be Inducted Into California Hall of Fame

Posted on January 30, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Los Lobos will forever be The Golden State all-stars…

The Mexican-American Grammy-winning rock band from East Los Angeles will be among the honorees inducted into the California Hall of Fame next week, joining the likes of The Go-Gos, and Ava Duvernay.

Los Lobos rose to international stardom in 1987, when their version of Ritchie Valens‘ “La Bamba” peaked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100, and also topped the charts in the United Kingdom, and several other countries. They are also known for performing the theme song for Handy Manny.

Songs by Los Lobos have been recorded by Elvis Costello, Waylon Jennings, Frankie Yankovic and Robert Plant.

In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

In 2018, they were inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.

Governor Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom will headline a ceremony at the California Museum on February 6.

Other inductees include master chef Helene An, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, computer scientist Vinton Cerf, federal judge and civil rights leader Thelton E. Henderson, basketball player and sports broadcaster Cheryl Miller, former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and artistic director and choreographer Brenda Way.

The inductees will be the 17th class of individuals to receive the honors, which were started by then-California First Lady Maria Shriver.

Christina Aguilera Signs with United Talent Agency for Global Representation

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Christina Aguilera has new representation…

The 43-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer and pop icon has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for worldwide representation.

The “Genie in a Bottle” and “What a Girl Wants” singer, a multiple Grammy-winning singer-songwriter renowned for her powerhouse vocals, has to date sold more than 75 million records worldwide. She’s also garnered ﬁve No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making her the third female artist, and fourth overall, to top the list over three consecutive decades.

The winner of seven Grammys, including two Latin Grammys, Aguilera’s most recent recognition at these award shows came in the form of the 2022 Latin Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album on behalf of her second Spanish-language album, Aguilera. After being recognized with the inaugural Music Icon Award at the People’s Choice Awards in 2021, she nabbed the Spirit of Hope Award at the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards, going on to receive the Advocate for Change Award at the GLAAD Media Awards the following year.

In addition to her work as a songwriter and recording artist, Aguilera is well known for her efforts as a producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Since 2009, she’s served as a global spokesperson for Yum! Brands’ World Hunger Relief eﬀort, also helping to raise over $150 million for the World Food Program and other hunger relief agencies, while raising awareness around domestic violence, LGBTQ+ equality and other essential cultural conversations.

Also the co-founder of Playground, a sexual wellness lifestyle brand launched in 2022, Aguilera can currently be found headlining a new show at Volatire at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

She continues to be represented by Roc Nation and imPRint.

Mariah Carey Makes Billboard Hot 100 History with “All I Want for Christmas Is You”

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey has made history yet again on the Billboard Hot 100…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning songstress has become the first artist to score three No. 1 singles of at least 14 weeks each on the Billboard Hot 100 as her holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You” tops the chart for a second consecutive week.

It now logs a 14th total week at No. 1 dating back to its first coronation in December 2019.

Notably, the modern Yuletide standard is Carey’s third Hot 100 leader of at least 14 weeks – as she becomes the first artist in the chart’s history with three such No. 1s.

She previously reigned for 16 weeks with “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, in 1995-96 and for 14 weeks with “We Belong Together” in 2005.

“All I Want for Christmas Is You” has ruled the Hot 100 over five holiday seasons. It was originally released on Carey’s album Merry Christmas in November 1994 and, as streaming has growna nd holiday music has become more prominent on streaming services’ playlists, it hit the top 10 for the first time in December 2017 and has now led during the holidays in 2019 (for three weeks), 2020 (two), 2021 (three), 2022 (four) and 2023 (two to date).

The track, released via Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, drew 48.4 million streams (up 15%) and 31.7 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 21%) and sold 7,000 downloads (down 7%) in the U.S. December 15-21, according to Luminate.

The single holds at No. 2 on the Streaming Songs chart, following 18 weeks at No. 1; dips 3-4 on Digital Song Sales, following four frames at No. 1; and rises 22-17 on Radio Songs, where it hit a No. 11 high last season.

Carey is the first artist with three songs that have dominated the Hot 100 for 14 or more weeks each. She one-ups Boyz II Men, who have notched three leaders of 13 or more frames apiece, with Carey and the group having teamed for the 16-week No. 1 smash “One Sweet Day.”

Here’s a recap of Carey’s three such Hot 100 No. 1s:

16 weeks, “One Sweet Day,” with Boyz II Men, 1995-96
14 weeks (to-date), “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” 2019-23
14 weeks, “We Belong Together,” 2005

Carey also adds her record-extending 93rd week at No. 1 on the Hot 100, dating to the chart’s August 4, 1958, inception.

Most Weeks at No. 1 on Hot 100:

93, Mariah Carey
60, Rihanna
59, The Beatles
56, Drake
50, Boyz II Men
47, Usher
43, Beyoncé
37, Michael Jackson
34, Adele
34, Elton John
34, Bruno Mars
34, Taylor Swift

“All I Want for Christmas is You” became Carey’s 19th Hot 100 No. 1, the most among soloists and one away from The Beatles’ overall record 20. It also made Carey the first artist to have ranked at No. 1 on the chart in four distinct decades, dating to her first week on top in August 1990 with her debut hit, “Vision of Love.”

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data, the lattermost metric reflecting purchases of physical singles and digital tracks from full-service digital music retailers; digital singles sales from direct-to-consumer (D2C) sites are excluded from chart calculations.

Mariah Carey Makes Special Visit to the White House

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey is in the (White) House…

The 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning superstar made a special visit to see the president and vice president of the United States.

As shared on Instagram this Wednesday (December 20), the vocalist recently swung by the White House in Washington, D.C., to meet with President Joe Biden and his second in command, Vice President Kamala Harris.

Carey’s 12-year-old twins Moroccan and Monroe, whom she shares with ex Nick Cannon, also got to visit the Oval Office and chat with the leaders of the nation.

While there, Carey posed for photos with both Biden and Harris, as well as with her kids in front of the White House’s impressive Christmas decorations.

“Last week I had the pleasure of meeting President Biden & Vice President Harris at the White House to ring in the holiday season!” the singer captioned the pictures, which the White House also shared on its official account. “While there, we got to see all the festive decor and spread some cheer! 🎄❄️☃️”

And what does an international superstar wear to greet the POTUS and VP? A sequined tweed suit jacket and dress, complete with pink trimming and matching heels.

Later, Carey and the president jointly posted a video of their first meeting, both of them professing “I’m a fan” to the other while shaking hands.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by President Joe Biden (@potus)

The hitmaker is fresh off the finale of her Merry Christmas One and All! Tour, which wrapped with a special show at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande joined Carey onstage to perform “Oh Santa!,” marking the trio’s first time performing the remix live since releasing it in 2020.

Carey also just claimed her 13th week atop the Billboard Hot 100 with her evergreen holiday smash “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

The track also scored a record-breaking 16th week atop the Billboard Global 200 earlier this week.

Ice Spice Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for International Representation

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ice Spice has new global representation…

The 23-year-old half-Dominican American Grammy-nominated rapper has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for international representation in all areas.

A representative for the rapper confirms that veteran hip-hop agent Cara Lewis and C Lewis Group continue to represent her in North America and Canada.

The news of the WME signing was originally reported by Variety.

The Bronx rapper has continued to blow up since her 2022 breakout single, “Munch (Feelin’ U).” At the top of the year, she released her debut EP, Like..?, via 10K Projects and Capitol Records. The EP received a deluxe version in July and eventually peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. The project spawned numerous hits, including “Princess Diana” — which received a remix with Nicki Minaj that reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Ice’s second top 10 hit following “Boy’s a liar Pt. 2” with PinkPantheress — and “Deli,” which reached No. 41 on the Hot 100 and became her highest-charting solo hit on the chart.

Ice Spice has a total of four Hot 100 top 10 hits to her name, also including the “Karma” remix with Taylor Swift (which the two performed live for the first time at the East Rutherford, N.J. stop of Swift’s Eras Tour) and “Barbie World” with Minaj and Aqua.

The drill MC recently snagged four nominations ahead of the 2024 Grammy Awards: best new artist, best pop duo/group performance for “Karma,” and best rap song and best song written for visual media for “Barbie World.”

The rapper is currently touring with Doja Cat on the Scarlet Tour, which wraps next Wednesday, Dec. 13 at Chicago’s United Center.

Billboard crowned Ice as R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Year in August.

Demi Lovato’s Clean-Bandit Collaboration “Solo” Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato has a billion reasons to celebrate…

The 31-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer and Clean Bandit’s five-year-old duet “Solo” has become the newest member of YouTube’s Billion Views Club.

The electronic dance track’s music video has been watched more than one billion times on the video platform since it was uploaded in May 2018.

The wide-lens project finds Lovato, whose vocals are featured on the song, singing to the camera in between shots of Clean Bandit’s Jack and Luke Patterson cooking up a mysterious drug in a basement lab underneath a laundromat.

At the end, a patron played by Clean Bandit’s Grace Chatto tests out the drug on her boyfriend — who promptly turns into a rainbow-colored dog.

“Since you been gone/ I’ve been dancing on my own,” Lovato sings. “There’s boys up in my zone/ But they can’t turn me on.”

“Solo” bowed at No. 58 on the Billboard Hot 100 about a month after it first debuted on the chart in July 2018. It was also that year’s most searched song on Shazam, with Nicky Jam and J Balvin’s “X” and Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss” following close behind in second and third place.

The song soared to No. 48 on the Streaming Songs chart in August 2018, showing 14 percent streaming gains that month. Shortly prior to the spike, Lovato was hospitalized due to a near-fatal overdose.

The “Cool for the Summer” singer is currently gearing up to release A Very Demi Holiday Special on Roku. The December 8 program will feature live performances from Lovato as well as guest appearances from Paris Hilton, Tiffany Haddish and Trixie Mattell.

Ally Brooke Teams Up with Dinah Jane to Release “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” Cover

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ally Brooke is hoping you get you into the holiday spirit…

The 30-year-old Mexican American singer has joined voices with her former Fifth Harmony group mate Dinah Jane to release their rendition of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

Ally Brooke’s single with Dinah Jane follows on the heels of her recently-released four-track holiday EP Under The Tree, which includes the title track, an original song.

Ally and Dinah made the collaboration announcement by way of their socials earlier in the week.

“I’m beyond thrilled to be back together with my former Fifth Harmony mate Dinah,” Ally enthuses in a statement. “There are no words to explain how it feels to be reunited with our collaboration. We hope to bring lots of happiness to our fans and the world with our reunion.”

Christmas is, of course, a time for family. And this holiday cut represents the first time any of the former 5H bandmates have collaborated since the pop group went on hiatus in 2018.

Formed on The X Factor in 2012 with the lineup of Brooke, Jane, Normani, Lauren Jauregui, and Camila Cabello, the group went on to land four top 10 titles on the Billboard 200 chart, and earned a top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Work From Home” featuring Ty Dolla $ign, peaking at No. 4 in 2016.

“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” comes years after Fifth Harmony disbanded, at the time reduced to a four-piece when Cabello left.

Jane presents the new song as a special gift to long-suffering Harmonizers.

“There’s a special type of joyous spirit that Christmas brings us all,” she comments. “This holiday season, I’m grateful for this healing union that has brought my good ole sister Ally Brooke and I together through music”.

“May this song encourage you to embrace love, forgiveness, and bring comfort to all,” concludes Dinah. “I pray that this song may connect souls to our dear Savior as His love is the reason for all seasons.”

“Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is now bundled into Brooke’s Under the Tree collection.

Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” Rules First Holiday 100 Chart of 2023 Holiday Season

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Mariah Carey’s Christmas reign has resumed…

Billboard has brought its Holiday 100 back to it charts menu, with the 54-year-old half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer ruling the holiday’s first official ranking of the top seasonal songs of all eras.

Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” – which surges from No. 17 to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 – rules the Holiday 100 for a 58th week of the chart’s 63 total weeks since the list launched in 2011.

The insta-classic has topped the seasonal survey for 43 consecutive weeks, dating to the start of the 2015-16 holiday season.

Using the same formula used for the Billboard Hot 100, the Holiday 100 blends streaming, airplay and sales data.

The only other Holiday 100 No. 1s to date: Justin Bieber’s “Mistletoe” for a week in the 2011-12 holiday season; Pentatonix’s “Little Drummer Boy” (one, 2013-14) and “Mary, Did You Know?” (two, 2014-15); and Ariana Grande’s “Santa Tell Me” (one, 2014-15).

Carey’s 1994 carol reigns with 22 million streams (up 57%), 15.6 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 105%) and 3,000 sold (up 70%) in the United States Nov. 17-23, according to Luminate.

Carey performed “All I Want for Christmas Is You” on an awards show for the first time as part of the 2023 Billboard Music Awards (November 19). She was also honored with the Billboard Chart Achievement Award for the song, presented to her by her 12-year-old twins, Monroe and Moroccan.

The song also boasts top honors on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Holiday 100 Songs chart.

“When I wrote [it], I had absolutely no idea the impact the song would eventually have worldwide,” Carey marveled of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” in 2021. “I’m so full of gratitude that so many people enjoy it with me every year.”

Rounding out the Holiday 100’s top five are more classics, released between the 1950s and ‘80s: Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” (No. 2); Bobby Helms’ “Jingle Bell Rock” (No. 3); Wham!’s “Last Christmas” (No. 4); and Burl Ives’ “A Holly Jolly Christmas” (No. 5).

Meanwhile, two songs newly released this holiday season debut on the Holiday 100, both Amazon Music Original exclusives: Chloe’s version of “Winter Wonderland” (No. 57, led by 3.5 million streams, up 130%) and Stephen Sanchez’s “Silver Bells” (No. 85; 2.2 million, up 92%).

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: Billboard Hot 100