Tag Archives: Karol G

Bruno Mars Headlines Fortnite Festival Season 9 & Releases New Single “Bonde do Brunão”

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It’s a Fortnite to remember for Bruno Mars fans…

The 39-year-old part-Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is a Fortnite Festival Icon, after the game has announced that he is its Season 9 headliner.

Bruno MarsFollowing in the footsteps of past Festival Icons like The Weeknd, Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish, Mars transforms into a playable avatar performing some of his biggest hits — including Billboard Hot 100-topping Lady Gaga collaboration “Die With a Smile” and ROSÉ duet “APT.” — on an all-new main stage, as previewed in a trailer that dropped this week. 

The partnership comes about three years after Mars first entered the Fortnite universe alongside Anderson .Paak as part of a Silk Sonic collaboration with the game — something Mars enjoyed so much, he tells Billboard in an exclusive interview ahead of the Festival Season 9 launch that there was no hesitation when it came to teaming up a second time.

“When they hit me up again, I said, ‘Done!’” he recalls.

“Last time we did this, there was no Fortnite Festival, so this time we get to lean even more into the music,” Mars adds. “I’m excited that we put a bunch of songs in the game that people can play to.”

Bruno Mars, Fortnite FestivalFortnite first introduced its Festival counterpart in late 2023, taking inspiration from similar music-focused games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. It has since welcomed numerous A-list artists to serve as the face of the game over the course of nine seasons, including Gaga, Karol G, Metallica and Snoop Dogg.

Each season sees its Icon made into a digital persona that fans can also use in gameplay, complete with special outfits, accessories, instruments and emotes. In Mars’ case, fans will have access to his retro cowboy getup worn in the “Die With a Smile” music video, “APT.” kit drums and more goodies.

“It’s very fun seeing myself as an avatar,” Mars tells Billboard of the treatment. “They really nailed my body proportions — tall, chiseled,” he continues. “It’s uncanny.”

Mars’ solo partnership with the game is particularly special, however, as it coincides with the official release of his song “Bonde do Brunão” on streaming services.

The track started as an idea he shared with followers on social media that ended up going viral, leaving countless fans looking for a place to listen to it in full. Now, they have multiple; in addition to appearing on DSPs, “Bonde do Brunão” is also available in-game as part of Fortnite Festival S9.

“That song was a fun idea we put up on Instagram while I was in Brazil, but then it had a life of its own,” Mars explains to Billboard. “We had this idea of making it a part of the game, and Fortnite was into it. They went all out with it and got the song, the dance and the outfit.”

Fortnite Festival Season 9 featuring Bruno Mars is available to play now.

Karol G Releases Track List for Forthcoming Album “Tropicoqueta,” Featuring Latin Music All-Stars

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Karol G has lined up some Latin music A-listers for her next album…

The 34-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning superstar has revealed the full track list for her fifth studio album, Tropicoqueta, which comes out this Friday, June 20.

Karol G“Intense chapters, unexpected twists, endearing characters. This is the official Track Listing for this new story of my life!” Karol G captioned her post revealing her new tunes. “Each song has its own story. Each collaboration has its own reason.”

The 20-set album kicks off with “La Reina Presenta” and wraps with the title track.

The previously released “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” and “Latina Foreva” are part of the set.

The former, a sweet merengue single that Karol G dropped last summer, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs, Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay charts.

The tracklist reveals she reeled in key collaborators for Tropicoqueta, including Panamanian reggae plena artist Eddy Lover on “Dile Luna”; Mexican crooner Marco Antonio Solís on “Coleccionando Heridas”; Colombian pop star Greeicy on “Amiga Mía”; French-Spanish reggae star Manu Chao on “Viajando Por El Mundo”; and for a second collaborative effort, Mariah Angeliq on “FKN Movie.”

Notably, track No. 13 is empty, but if fans search for “Karol G” on Google, they will be led to a clue that hints it could be another collaboration with Feid, following their 2021 “FRIKI.” (Spoiler alert: The screen reads “canción 13 feat. ????” accompanied by a green heart.)

Tropicoqueta is set to be a nostalgic and personal project on which La Bichota recently said she’s “going back to the roots, to the songs I grew up listening to, to the sounds that made me fall in love with music.”

Karol G Teams Up with Five Telenovela Legends in Promotional Clip for Her New Album “Tropicoqueta”

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Karol G is living her telenovela fantasy in preparation for her upcoming album. 

The 34-year-old Colombian singer teamed up with five telenovela icons for a new promotional clip for her forthcoming album, Tropicoqueta. 

Karol GInspired by ‘90s Latin soap operas, Karol G released a nearly two-minute Spanish-language video starring herself alongside actresses Anahí, Itatí Cantoral, Gaby Spanic, Ninel Conde and Azela Robinson.

In true telenovela fashion, Karol and Anahí are in love with the same man — who is revealed via photo to be a long-haired Ricky Martin from the ‘90s — and later confront each other in a heated fight.

Cantoral rushes in with her iconic Soraya Montenegro phrase from Maria la del Barrio, and screams, “What are you doing? Don’t mess with my daughter, maldita lisiada!” To which Conde then breaks up the argument by responding to Cantoral, “Mamacita, you’re still doing this? It’s been so many years, please get over it!”

Toward the end of the skit, Spanic and Robinson drive up in a red van listening to an upcoming track from the album. “The woman is iconic/ she has dreams/ she has goals,” the lyrics go.

In an Instagram post with photos from the shoot, Karol revealed that she first called Anahí for the project, and then everything else fell in place. “How crazy!!! Nothing like having the opportunity to make a dream come true!!!” she captioned the post. “You touched our lives with each of your roles. What energy on set, what laughter, the most fun shoot ever!!!! What an incredible time we had!! Thank you, queens, for saying yes! It’s an honor to be in the same room with you!”

Tropicoqueta, Karol G’s fifth studio album, will drop Friday, June 20.

t’s set to be a nostalgic and personal project on which La Bichota says she’s “going back to the roots, to the songs I grew up listening to, to the sounds that made me fall in love with music.”

Xavi Makes ASCAP Latin History with Songwriter of the Year Award

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Xavi is making ASCAP Latin history…

At 20 years old, the Mexican-American singer-songwriter has become the youngest artist to receive the ASCAP Latin Music Award for songwriter of the year.

XaviThe American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) on Tuesday celebrated El Premio ASCAP 2025, its top ASCAP Latin songwriters awards for the most performed Latin music songs of the past year.

Xavi, known for his signature romantic tumbados and his unparalleled voice, has captivated a new generation of listeners with hits like “La Diabla” and “La Víctima.”

The former topped Billboard‘s Hot Latin Songs chart for 14 weeks, while the latter reached No. 2.

By the end of 2024, Xavi also became the first solo artist to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart with his first four songs in a single year, when “Flores” climbed from No. 3 to lead the ranking dated December 21.

Meanwhile, Colombian singer Feid won songwriter/artist of the year for the second consecutive year, while the hit “QLONA” by Karol G and Peso Pluma was named Latin song of the year.

Feid, whose Billboard Hot 100 hits include “Perro Negro” with Bad Bunny, “Revolu” with Rauw Alejandro, and “+57” with Karol G and other Colombian collaborators, boasts close to a dozen No. 1 hits on the Latin Airplay chart, including “Doblexxo” with J Balvin, “Si Sabe Ferxxo” with Blessd, and “Háblame Claro” with Yandel among his most recent.

“QLONA,” co-written by songwriter Dani Raw and published by Kobalt Music Publishing, won the ASCAP Award for Latin song of the year.

Featured on Karol G’s album Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), the track led Hot Latin Songs for five weeks and reached No. 28 on the all-genre Hot 100.

Among other winners, Universal Music Publishing Group was named publisher of the year for the third consecutive year, thanks to hits like “(Entre Paréntesis)” by Shakira and Grupo Frontera, “Adivino” by Bad Bunny and Myke Towers, “Alch Si” by Carín León and Grupo Frontera, “Gata Only” by Cris MJ and FloyyMenor, and “Igual Que Un Ángel” by Kali Uchis, to name a few.

Additionally, Daddy Yankee broke his own record by earning his 52nd Premio ASCAP as “Bonita” was recognized as one of the most-played songs of the past year.

El Premio ASCAP 2025 honored the songwriters and publishers of the most-performed songs of 2024 in Latin music. Winning songs were determined based on data for terrestrial and satellite radio, and for programmed and on-demand audio streams, all provided by Luminate Data LLC in accordance with ASCAP’s publicly available rules.

Check out a full list of winners on ASCAP’s website.

Netflix to Release Karol G Documentary “Tomorrow Was Beautiful” in May

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Karol G is embracing the beauty of her past…

Netflix will premiere Tomorrow Was Beautiful, its documentary about the 34-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning music superstar, on May 8.

Karol GNetflix capped off the announcement by releasing a first trailer for the project.

Hailing from director Cristina Costantini and R.J. Cutler’s This Machine (a part of Sony Pictures Television), the doc tells the story of an artist who was told her dream was too big, that she was the wrong gender and from the wrong place, to ever be a global star, disproving each assertion.

The doc traces Karol’s rise from humble beginnings in Medellín to international stardom, as she proves the critics wrong with an electrifying, record-breaking stadium tour.

The film’s producers are Cutler, Elise Pearlstein, Trevor Smith, Cristina Costantini, Kristofer Ríos, Alex Simmons, and Mariem Pérez. Mark Blatty, Margaret Yen, John Janick, and Nir Seroussi served as executive producers.

Known for her synthesis of reggaeton, Latin trap, and pop, Karol G broke out with her 2017 debut album Unstoppable and her 2019 hit “Tusa” featuring Nicki Minaj.

The artist followed these successes up with Mañana Será Bonito, which made history in 2023 as the first all-Spanish-language album by a female artist to debut at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

The winner of two Grammys, she also made history with her Mañana Será Bonito World Tour, the highest-grossing Latin tour by a female artist to date.

Myke Towers Earns 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with Darell-Collab “Otra Noche”

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It’s Lucky No. 13 for Myke Towers.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer has secured his 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Otra Noche,” featuring Darell, surges 13-1 for its first week atop on the chart dated February 22.

Myke Towers, Darell, Otra Noche,It’s the biggest jump of 2025 so far, out of the four songs that have ruled the tally. 

“Otra Noche” rallies to the top after a 36% surge in audience impressions, to 7.8 million, earned in the U.S. in the Feb. 7-13 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The recent airplay boost for “Otra Noche” may be due in part to Towers’ upcoming participation at SBS’ Calibash festival on March 7, with SBS’ WSKQ (New York) among the biggest supporters of the song, with the most plays for the tracking week, while Univision’s WXNY (New York), KAMA (Houston) and KDXX (Dallas), and SBS’ WMEG (Puerto Rico) round up the top five stations by spin count.

As “Otra Noche” takes the lead, it ejects Bad Bunny’s “El Clúb” from No. 1 after two weeks in charge. The latter drops 4-1 with a 17% dip in impressions.

“Otra Noche” gives Towers his 13th No. 1 on Latin Airplay. He previously reigned with “La Capi” in May 2024. Darell, meanwhile, returns to the summit after five years; “Otro Trago,” with Sech, Nicky Jam, Ozuna and Anuel AA, ruled for one week in 2019.

As “Otra Noche” surges 13-1, it becomes the largest jump out of the four songs that have ruled Latin Airplay, and the only one to jump more than one slot to the top.

Shakira’s “Soltera,” Bad Bunny’s “El Clúb” and Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” all rose 2-1. The last song to have a larger jump to No. 1 came on the July 20, 2024, chart, when “Perdonarte Para Qué?” by Los Angeles Azules y Emilia climbed 15-1.

“Otra Noche” was the fourth single from Towers’ fifth studio album, La Pantera Negra, released August 2024 on Warner Latina. The album debuted at Nos. 7 and 2 on Top Latin Albums and Latin Rhythm Albums, respectively, last September.

Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” Breaks Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Tropical Airplay Chart

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Karol G continues making Latin music history…

Only two weeks after entering the record books with an unmatched 26 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart with “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” the 33-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning singer/songwriter has set yet another new record with the smash hit.

Karol GKarol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 30th week at No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart dated February 8, marking the most weeks atop the 30-year-old chart for any song. 

“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” released June 21, 2024 via Bichota/Interscope/ICLG, reaches the record despite a 7% decline in audience impressions; that’s 8.8 million earned in the U.S. during the tracking week of January 24-30, according to Luminate.

With 30 weeks at No. 1, Karol ends a historic run for Prince Royce, who previously commanded the chart for 29 weeks when “Carita De Inocente” capped its reign on the October 17, 2020-dated ranking.

As “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” resets the longest-leading run on Tropical Airplay, here’s a look at the songs with the most weeks atop, since the chart launched in October 1994.

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Peak Date
30, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” Karol G, July 20, 2024
29, “Carita de Inocente,” Prince Royce, March 28, 2020
22, “De Vuelta Pa’ La Vuelta,” Daddy Yankee & Marc Anthony, Jan. 2, 2021
18, “Inmortal,” Aventura, April 20, 2019
18, “Danza Kuduro,” Don Omar & Lucenzo, Nov. 13, 2010
15, “Bailando Bachata,” Chayanne, August 5, 2023
15, “La Mejor Versión de Mi,” Natti Natasha & Romeo Santos, Oct. 26, 2019
15, “Centavito,” Romeo Santos, Oct. 13, 2018
15, “Dile Al Amor,” Aventura, Jan. 2, 2010
15, “Perdidos,” Monchy & Alexandra, Nov. 6, 2004

Elsewhere, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” cedes the throne to Bad Bunny’s “El Clúb” on the overall Latin Airplay chart, after a record-extending 27 weeks at No. 1.

Karol G Breaks Record for Most Weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido”

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Karol G is officially in a league of her own…

The 33-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning singer/songwriter’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 26th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s overall Latin Airplay chart dated January 25, breaking the record for the most weeks among all songs since the list launched in 1994.

Karol GThe merengue track surpasses the 25-week domination by Shakira’s “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz, a record the song held since November 2005, when it outdid the 20-week mark by Son By Four’s “A Puro Dolor.”

“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” released June 21, 2024, also remains as the top performer on the Tropical Airplay chart, where it has led the list for 28 weeks (of its total 31 weeks on the chart).

Karol G might also set a new record on the tropical ranking, as she is one week away from tying Prince Royce‘s record of 29 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 with “Carita de Inocente” in 2020. (It stepped aside for one week during its run atop the list, when Kyen?Es? sneaked-out one week atop the chart with “El Carnaval de Celia: A Tribute (La Vida Es Un Carnaval/ La Negra Tiene…)” in September 2020.

“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido,” commands both Latin Airplay and Tropical Airplay despite a 13% decline in audience impressions, to 10 million, earned during the Jan. 10-16 tracking week in the U.S., according to Luminate.

The global hit gave Karol G her 18th No. 1 on the overall Latin radio ranking when it landed at the summit last July, the second-most among women, just behind Shakira who continues at the helm with 24 champs.

While “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” spent its last week on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart on the January 11-dated list (due to the colossal take over by Bad Bunny’s new album), it also left a mark in 2024, tying with Xavi’s “La Diabla” and FloyyMenor and Cris MJ’s “Gata Only” for the most weeks at No. 1, all with 14 weeks at the summit.

Further, in addition to “Qlona,” with Peso Pluma (No. 5), Karol’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” became only the second song by a female artist to close in the top 10 on the year-end Hot Latin Songs chart in 2024, at No. 8.

Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” Ties Iconic Shakira Track for Most Weeks At No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

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Karol G has earned a place in the Latin music history books…

The 33-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning superstar’s latest single “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 25th week atop Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart dated January 18.

Karol GIn the process Karol G’s track ties Shakira’s “La Tortura,” featuring Alejandro Sanz, for the all-time record for the most weeks at No. 1 since the chart launched in 1994.

“Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” ties the record through continued strong performance on Latin Airplay, with 25 weeks at the summit among its 29-week run.

Despite not gaining audience, the song holds solidly atop with 11.8 million total impressions, per Luminate.

Beyond its new mark, “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” adds a 27th week at No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart, extending its second-most weeks atop, only two weeks short from the record held by Prince Royce’s “Carita de Inocente,” which continues to lead with 29 weeks in charge.

Bratz! Launching Historic Karol G Doll Based on Her 2023 Latin Grammys Look

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Karol G is getting all dolled up!

The 33-year-old Colombian Grammy-winning singer-songwriter is officially a Bratz! doll, the lifestyle and fashion doll brand has announced.Karol GFollowing Karol G‘s 2024 Latin Grammy win for best urban music album, the brand celebrated for its bold self-expression transformed her 2023 Latin Grammy look into a Bratz-inspired version.

The Bratz x Karol G Collector Doll marks Bratz’s first collaboration with a musical artist.

The doll will be available for preorder globally starting December 3, 2024. It will be sold online and in stores in the U.S. (priced at $50 USD), as well as in Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile and Spain.

“I can’t believe I’m celebrating another significant milestone in my career with my very first doll — and I’m incredibly proud that it’s with Bratz, a brand I’ve always been a superfan of since childhood!” said Karol G in a statement. “It’s surreal to think that just over a year ago, I was celebrating my first Latin Grammy win, and now I have the chance to share a doll inspired by that pivotal moment in my career. Bratz are “Bichotas” in their own right — they’re independent, bold and powerful trendsetters who have been part of our lives since the early 2000s. This collaboration is a true labor of love and a celebration for fans across Latin America and beyond.”

Karol G x Bratz! DollThe Bratz x Karol G doll’s fashion is inspired by the stunning rose gold dress that the artist wore at the 2023 Latin Grammys, celebrating her remarkable life and achievements. The doll includes a second outfit based on Karol’s real-life merchandise, featuring a “Bichota” season tee, along with fun accessories like mini awards and a hyperrealistic replica of a Karol G LP.

The doll’s custom packaging showcases illustrations of Karol G in the iconic Bratz style, complete with an iridescent barbed wire display.