Bad Bunny Releases Debut Album “X100pre”

It’s a special Christmas for Bad Bunnyfans…

The 24-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singerreleased his highly anticipated, full-length debut, X100pre, on Christmas Eve. 

Bad Bunny told Billboardhe was planning to finally release his 15-track first full album on Christmas Eve, “Real, real, real, real, I finished the album three days ago,” the artist born Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio said in a phone interview. “At that point I said I wanted to release it in Christmas. I didn’t want the year to end without releasing the album. I wanted to close 2018 with it.”   

Bad Bunny said he’d been working on the project for six months, and recently finished it by wrapping the song “Como antes,’ the first track they recorded for the album. Though he’s established a rep as the king of the collaboration — appearing on such smashes as “Te Boté” with Ozuna and Nicky Jam and Cardi B‘s “I Like It” — X100preonly has three cameos: Diplo on “200 MPH,” Drake on the recent single “Mia” and Dominican singer El Alfaon “La Romana.”

The album opens with the urgent trap ballad “Ni Bien Ni Mal,” on which the singer promises a departed lover that “whatever happens, I’m not going to call you,” before sliding into the Diplo-assisted “200 MPH,” which trips along on a skittery beat and lyrics about gunning a jetski and partying in the tropics. On the melancholy“¿Quien Tu Eres?,” he croons “Who are you?/ Tell me partner, who are you?/ To get close to me, who are you?,” before basically daring someone to step to him, listing off his accomplishments and warning them to ask around about him in a fierce English-language outro.

The album also includes “Caro,” about how high-dollar Bad Bunny’s flow is, the fiery “La Romana” with the fleet-tongued El Alfa, the new wavey, guitar-spiked “Tenemos Que Hablar” and the broken-hearted “Solo de Mi,” which bounces from a midtempo lost love lament to a cranked up reggaeton jam in the second half, fueled by what sounds like a child’s keyboard. 

Ricky Martin to Perform at This Year’s iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina: Celebrating Our Heroes Concert

Ricky Martin is honoring our unsung heroes… and, being honored in return…

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has joined the lineup for the 2017 iHeartRadio Fiesta Latina: Celebrating Our Heroes, hosted by Enrique Santos and Telemundo’s Jessica Carillo, taking place on Saturday, November 4.

Ricky Martin

Martin joins a roster that includes Luis Fonsi and Diplo, NachoGente De ZonaDon OmarCNCOReikJesse y JoyCamila Cabello and Pepe Aguilar.

Telemundo will air this year’s event live from the American Airlines Arena, as a four-hour television special, which will include special tributes to first responders and communities impacted by the natural disasters in Texas, Florida, Mexico, Puerto Rico and other Caribbean nations like Barbuda and Dominica.

The event will also provide information on how attendees and viewers can support the local communities directly impacted by those events.

The iHeartRadio family will also present Ricky Martin with the second annual iHeartRadio Premio Corazon Latino award, which honors an individual for “their selfless work in enhancing the lives, heritage and future of the Latin community.” Martin is being feted for his efforts in providing relief and support to his native Puerto Rico, following hurricanes Irma and Maria, through the Ricky Martin Foundation.

Fans can watch the festivities live at 8:00 pm.EST across iHeartRadio’s Spanish-Pop,Tropical, regional Mexican and Spanish Adult Hit radio stations, or livestream it on iHeartRadio’s Official YouTube channel.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit here.

 

Cabello Working with Major Lazer on New Music

Camila Cabello is apparently Lazer-focused on her solo career…

Major Lazer are dishing some major details about their studio time with the 20-year-old Cuban singer and former Fifth Harmony member.

Major Lazer & Camila Cabello

In an exclusive interview with Billboard Dance on Tuesday, the dance supergroup divulged more about their forthcoming collaborations Cabello.

The trio’s founder Diplo has teased their studio time together multiple times on Snapchat, the latest being back in January alongside Benny Blanco and Cashmere Cat.

And it seems the year-long stream of social media snippets resulted in a lot of unreleased material between them.

“We made like 20 songs with Camila Cabello,” Diplo says. “We love her.”

Diplo confirmed that there is a particular track in mind, set for release in the near future, but that “until we have the video and the song is on iTunes, you never know.” He adds, “But of course we have stuff with her. She’s done stuff with a lot of our friends, like Cashmere Cat, Benny Blanco, Frank Dukes — a lot of great producers we work with.”

There’s a good reason Camila has developed a close working relationship with the powerhouse trio: In the midst of her skyrocketing fame, she feels grounded when she’s with them. “Sometimes we just take for granted because we’re old, we’re not even famous,” Diplo says. “When you’re young and you’re that amazing and famous like that, it’s hard to live and be normal. When we’re with her, she enjoys that time because we take her places where she can enjoy herself. We love her, her voice is amazing. We’ve done many demos.”

Dzeko & Torres Set to Play Insomniac’s Countdown for New Year’s Eve 2016 Event

Luis Torres will be sleepless in San Bernadino…

The Latino musician’s production and DJ duo Dzeko & Torres is set to play at Insomniac’s third-annual Countdown for New Year’s Eve 2016 event.

Dzeko & Torres

Luis Torres and his musical partner Julian Dzeko join a 40-plus roster that includes 4B, Zomboy, The Chainsmokers, Diplo, Steve Aoki, Morgan Page, A-Trak and Baauer.

There are actually so many heavy headliners, the festival is expanding to two nights.

The final Insomniac festival of the year will take place on Friday, December 30, and Saturday, December 31, at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets are on sale now.

Dzeko & Torres, who hail from Toronto, Canada, have toured throughout North America and Europe, performing at festivals like The BPM Festival, Ultra Music Festival, Winter Music Conference, Coachella and Tomorrowland.

Torres handles the turntables, DAW, production and keyboards.

Daddy Yankee Releases First English Track “This Is Not a Love Song”

Daddy Yankee is switching tongues…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican reggaeton singer-songwriter and actor has released the uptempo song “This Is Not a Love Songen ingles.

Daddy Yankee

Daddy Yankee’s new track was produced by the Cataracs, who’ve worked with everyone from Enrique Iglesias to Beyonce. It also features newcomer Duncan.

There are currently no plans for an English-language album, according to a spokesperson for the entertainer, one of the most revered rappers in Latin music.

But Daddy Yankee is releasing the 10th-anniversary edition of Barrio Fino on October 7.

Yankee, who has been working with producers like Diplo and Jim Jonsin, was searching for the right English-language song. When the Cataracs song surfaced, it struck a chord.

“Over these past 10 years I focused on bringing my music to the forefront of the Latin music world, but when I got this track from The Cataracs, I knew I had to run with it,” Yankee said in a statement. “Most people have only ever heard me in Spanish so it shocks everyone to hear me rap all in English. The hook helps bring it to life. Duncan’s voice is one of a kind and he just adds that magic touch to the record.”

A decade ago, Barrio Fino was heard around the world. In the U.S., sales have totaled 1.08 million to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The album debuted at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums on July 31, 2004. It spent 24 weeks at No. 1 and holds more weeks at No. 1 than any other urban album in the chart’s history. Only four other albums have had more weeks at No. 1. The ranking:

  1. Gloria Estefan, Mi Tierra (58 weeks at No. 1)
    2. Selena, Dreaming of You (44 weeks)
    3. Luis Miguel, Segundo Romance (29 weeks)
    4. Ricky Martin, Vuelve (26 weeks)
    5. Daddy Yankee, Barrio Fino (24 weeks)

The album peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 on April 16, 2005.

“Ten years ago ‘Gasolina’ introduced me and my music to the mainstream market and helped pave the path for many artists that came after me with a vision and a dream,” Yankee added.

“This Is Not a Love Song” went on sale Tuesday (Sept. 9) through iTunes and other digital platforms.

Lopez Releases Oh-So-Revealing Artwork for Her Latest Single “Booty”

“If you’ve got it, flaunt it!” It’s an expression Jennifer Lopez is taking to heart.

The 45-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress and American Idol judge flaunts her oh-so-famous derriere while donning a daring monochrome bathing suit in the just released the bootylicious cover art for her brand new single “Booty.”

Jennifer Lopez Booty Artwork

Lopez released the revealing image, which was taken by photographers Steven Gomillion and Dennis Leupold, via her Instagram account on Wednesday morning.

She wrote alongside the picture: ‘#bootyfromtheblock #bootyandthebeat #naturalbooty #bootybootybootybootybootyeverywhere #jlobooty #LOL’.

Written by Chris Brown, Sam Hook, and Asia Bryant, the track features Lopez’s favorite collaborator Pitbull, who has rapped verses on her hit singles “On the Floor,” “Dance Again” and “Live It Up.”

Despite the risqué nature of the track, Lopez claims she penned the track for her young kids.

“There’s a song called Big Booty on the album. It’s a Diplo track. At first I said, “Never in my life will I do a song called Big Booty,” she explained during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in April. “But then I was in the car with my twins and as soon as they heard Big Booty they went crazy. They loved this song and because of that I recorded it.”

Even though Lopez hasn’t released the official music video for “Booty” yet, J.Lo is set to perform the track live on Fashion Rocks on September 9, airing on CBS.

Lopez Reveals Her Next Studio Album’s Title and Its Revealing Artwork

To quote the lyrics to her latest single, Jennifer Lopez’s new album art will have men “all loving that JLo, true.

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress and American Idol judge has shared her eighth studio album’s title and its revealing artwork to her 27.4 million Twitter followers.

Lopez’s new album will be called A.K.A., and the artwork is sizzling.

The A.K.A. cover art will most definitely set tongues wagging with its image of la Lopez in a red vinyl skirt and barely there vest.

J.Lo. A.K.A Artwork

The “I Luh Ya Papi” singer’s tweet also carries the simple message: “coming soon.” The album is expected to be released on June 17.

Lopez recently previewed six songs at an intimate brunch in Malibu.

“If you listen to my albums, they were always about love. I’ve always sung about love. It was always love in a certain way, a fairy-tale type of way. I was hoping, praying and wishing for that,” JLo told guests.

One of those songs is the second single, “First Love,” which the pop star discusses in a podcast with Billboard.

She started recording A.K.A. in February 2013, after finishing her first world tour and divorcing singer-songwriter, Marc Anthony.

The likes of Max Martin and Diplo lend their production skills to the set, while Robin Thicke, Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa are among the big-name collaborators

 

Mars Unveils “Unorthodox Jukebox” Cover Art

It may not feature him front-and-center, but the cover art for Bruno Mars’s sophomore album is still b-a-n-a-n-a-s…

The 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer has unveiled the new cover art for Unorthodox Jukebox, as well as the 10-track listing for the album.

Bruno Mars

The album cover features a gorilla up against a retro jukebox, seemingly in awe of the machine in front of hime.

The album art has been getting a mixed reaction from fans that are trying to figure out what the artwork’s all about. The track list does include a song entitled “Gorilla,” which has led to speculation that it could relate to the cover.

Bruno Mars' Unorthodox Jukebox

Meanwhile, the album’s first track “Locked Out of Heaven,” which Mars performed while pulling double duty as host and musical guest on Saturday Night Live, currently stands at No 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in its third week on the charts.

Mars’ collaborators on his second studio album include producers Mark Ronson, Diplo, Supa Dups, and The Smeezingtons, Mars’ three-man songwriting and production team.

“This is me going into the studio and recording and writing whatever I want. This album represents my freedom,” said Mars during an interview with Billboard.

Here’s a look at the track listing for Mars’ new album:

1. “Young Girls”
2. “Locked Out of Heaven”
3. “Gorilla”
4. “Treasure”
5. “Moonshine”
6. “When I Was Your Man”
7. “Natalie”
8. “Show Me”
9. “Money Make Her Smile”
10. “If I Knew”

Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox album will be released on December 11.

Mars Discusses Sophomore Album in Billboard Cover Story

Bruno Mars will be locked out of Heaven next week… And, he’ll live to sing about it.

In this week’s Billboard magazine cover story, the 26-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer-songwriter discusses his highly anticipated sophomore album, which will be titled Unorthodox Jukebox, as well as the album’s energetic first single, “Locked Out of Heaven,” which debuts digitally and on the radio on October 1.

Bruno Mars Billboard Cover

“This is me going into the studio and recording and writing whatever I want,” Mars says confidently. “This album represents my freedom.”

The follow-up to Mars’ Grammy-winning Doo-Wops & Hooligans is an eclectic set that includes production from Mark Ronson (Amy Winehouse), Jeff Bhasker (Beyonce), Emile Haynie (Eminem), Diplo (M.I.A., Usher) and Supa Dups (John Legend, Doo-Woops & Hooligans) as well as the Smeezingtons, Mars’ songwriting and production team. The talented trio executive-produced and co-wrote Unorthodox Jukebox, an album Mars says doesn’t “pick a lane.”

“I’ve had big record label presidents look me in the face and say, ‘Your music sucks, you don’t know who you are, your music is all over the place, and we don’t know how to market this stuff. Pick a lane and come back to us,'” he says. “That was disgusting to me, because I’m not trying to be a circus act.”

Mars says he refused to let himself get boxed in to a specific genre during the recoding process.

“I listen to a lot of music,” says Mars, who recently showed his comedic chops in a hilarious FunnyorDie.com video, “and I want to have the freedom and luxury to walk into a studio and say, ‘Today I want to do a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'”

Mars’ debut album, released in October 2010, debuted and peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and spawned four Hot 100 hits: the Grammy-winning “Just the Way You Are” (No. 1), “Grenade” (No. 1), “The Lazy Song” (No. 4) and “Marry You” (No. 85). The album has sold 1.7 million in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

His other top 10s include “It Will Rain” (No. 4) from the Twilight: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 soundtrack, and he was a featured artist on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ On You” (No. 1), Travie McCoy‘s “Billionaire” (No. 4), Bad Meets Evil‘s “Lighters” (No. 4) and Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa‘s “Young, Wild & Free” (No. 7).

Unorthodox Jukebox is set for a December 11 release on Atlantic Records, according to Billboard.

Here’s a look at the albums track list (in no particular order):

“Locked Out of Heaven”
“Young Girls”
“Gorilla”
“When I Was Your Man”
“Natalie”
“Treasure”
“Moonshine”
“Money Makes Her Smile”
“Show Me”
“If I Knew”