Xavi Earns First No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “La Diabla”

It’s a devilish first for Xavi

The 19-year-old Mexican American Regional Mexican singer-songwriter and breakout star, who recently announced his first tour of the U.S., has earned his first No. 1 on Billboard’Latin Airplay chart dated February 10 with his sophomore hit “La Diabla.”

XaviThe track races 17-1 on The chart, giving the Mexican-American singer-songwriter his first champ on a radio ranking.

The romantic corrido, released via Interscope, tops the overall Latin Airplay list with 9.6 million audience impressions, up 89%, earned in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 1, according to Luminate.

Notably, it’s the first No. 1 by a regional Mexican artist on Interscope. The label was last on top with another song in the genre, Karol G’s “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” for two nonconsecutive weeks last October and November.

“’La Diabla’ has topped so many charts that it’s been hard to keep up, but this one is particularly special,” Manny Prado, VP of Marketing and A&R, Interscope Geffen A&M tells Billboard. “The fact that radio has embraced Xavi’s innovative sound is a significant statement and validates that he is successfully pushing the boundaries of Mexican music.”

Xavi’s radio success follows the song’s domination on both Hot Latin Songs and Latin Streaming Songs.

On the multi-metric tally, “La Diabla” spends a fifth nonconsecutive week at the summit, powered largely by 15.4 million streams during the same period. That’s enough to hold its No. 1 spot for a fourth week on Latin Streaming Songs and its No. 9 ranking on the overall Streaming Songs for a second week.

Back on Latin Airplay, “La Diabla” ejects another regional Mexican track from the lead: Fuerza Regida and Marshmello’s “Harley Quinn” falls to No. 3 after one week in charge with 8.2 million, down 9%.

Beyond its Latin Airplay domination, “La Diabla” surges 8-1 on Regional Mexican Airplay for its first week atop the 40-deep song tally; also, a first champ there for the Phoenix-born artist. Sales too, contribute to the song’s rise across Billboard charts: “La Diabla” sold 1,000 downloads for a No. 2 on Latin Digital Sales for a third week (topped the list for one week on the Jan. 20-dated survey).

Elsewhere, “La Diabla” remains steady at No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200 chart for a fourth week after its No. 3 peak in January. Plus, it remains at No. 3 for a third week on Global Excl. U.S. following its No. 2 high also in January.

Thanks to its gain in all metrics (streaming, sales, and radio), Xavi holds strong at its at No. 33 peak on the Billboard Artist 100 for a second week, which measures artist activity across key metrics of music consumption- album and track sales, radio airplay and streaming – to provide a weekly multi-dimensional ranking of artist popularity.

First-Time Winner Karol G Makes Grammy History with Best Música Urbana Victory

Karol G is celebrating a historic Grammy win.

The 66th annual Grammy Awards took place at Crypto.com Arena in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, with the 32-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter claiming her first-ever gramophone.

Karol GKarol G claimed the award for Best Música Urbana for her history-making Mañana Será Bonito, the first set by a female-artist in Spanish to top the Billboard 200, which was also crowned in November as Album of the Year at the Latin Grammys. Karol G’s win is a first for a female in the category since its launch in 2020. 

“This is my first time at the Grammys and this is my first time holding my own Grammy,” the Colombian star said after receiving her trophy from presenters Maluma and Christina Aguilera. “This is such a beautiful thing. My album has given me the best memories in my whole life. My fans that came and enjoyed my album, they get motivation and inspiration with me and heal with me. Thank you so much, I promise you to give you my best always. I hope that this is the first [Grammy] of so many.”

But Karol G isn’t the only first-time Grammy winner.

Peso Pluma picked up his first gramophone.

The 24-year-old Mexican singer received the award for Best Música Mexicana Album (including Tejano) for Génesis. 

Gaby Moreno, who gave a sublime performance accompanied by El David Aguilar during the Grammys Premiere event held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles and streamed on live.Grammy.com, won the award for Best Latin Pop Album for her folk-style work X Mí (Vol. 1).

“I’m having an out-of-body experience,” she said, excited as she accepted her trophy. “This was an acoustic album I made last year with songs that are very dear to me from previous albums.”

The Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album category featured a tie between two Grammy darlings: Colombian rocker Juanes for his raw and introspective Vida Cotidiana, and Natalia Lafourcade for her heartfelt and formidable De Todas Las Flores.

“Thank you, my God. Thank you, music,” said the Mexican singer-songwriter in a mix of English and Spanish. “Music is my boss and she has taught me that … we have to take care of our inner garden. This album has healed me so much.” She ended with, “Mom, Dad, Mexico, let’s go!” Meanwhile, Juanes did not attend the ceremony.

In a somewhat surprising triumph, for the second consecutive year Rubén Blades won a Grammy for an album that was not nominated for a Latin Grammy: Siembra: 45th Anniversary (Live at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, May 14, 2022), with Roberto Delgado and Orquesta.

The prominent Panamanian musician, who last year won Best Latin Pop Album for Pasieros with Boca Livre, triumphed this time in the best Tropical Latin Album category, which included Carlos Vives, Omara Portuondo and Grupo Niche — who all won at the Latin Grammys in November.

In a somewhat surprising triumph, for the second consecutive year Rubén Blades won a Grammy for an album that was not nominated for a Latin Grammy: Siembra: 45th Anniversary (Live at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico, May 14, 2022), with Roberto Delgado and Orquesta. The prominent Panamanian musician, who last year won best Latin pop album for Pasieros with Boca Livre, triumphed this time in the best tropical Latin album category, which included Carlos Vives, Omara Portuondo and Grupo Niche — who all won at the Latin Grammys in November.

The Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album went to Miguel Zenón and Luis Perdomo for El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2. The Colombian duo 123 Andrés, composed of Andrés Salguero and Cristina Sanabria, who are married, won the award for Best Children’s Music Album for We Grow Together Preschool Songs. And Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel won the award for Best Orchestral Performance as conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for “Adès: Dante.”

Here are all the winners at the 2024 Primetime and Premiere Grammy Awards:

Album of the Year
Midnights, Taylor Swift
Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, producers; Jack Antonoff, Zem Audu, Serban Ghenea, David Hart, Mikey Freedom Hart, Sean Hutchinson, Ken Lewis, Michael Riddleberger, Laura Sisk & Evan Smith, engineers/mixers; Jack Antonoff & Taylor Swift, songwriters; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer

Best New Artist
Victoria Monét

Song of the Year
What Was I Made For? [From The Motion Picture “Barbie”]
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best Pop Vocal Album
Midnights, Taylor Swift

Best R&B Song
Snooze
Kenny B. Edmonds, Blair Ferguson, Khris Riddick-Tynes, Solána Rowe & Leon Thomas, songwriters (SZA)

Best Country Album
Bell Bottom Country
Lainey Wilson

Best Música Urbana Album
Mañana Será Bonito
Karol G

Best Pop Solo Performance
Flowers
Miley Cyrus

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical
Jack Antonoff
Being Funny In A Foreign Language (The 1975) (A)
Did You Know That There’s A Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd (Lana Del Rey) (A)
Midnights (Taylor Swift) (A)

Producer of the Year, Classical
Elaine Martone
Ascenso (Santiago Cañón-Valencia) (A)
Berg: Three Pieces From Lyric Suite; Strauss: Suite From Der Rosenkavalier (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Between Breaths (Third Coast Percussion) (A)
Difficult Grace (Seth Parker Woods) (A)
Man Up / Man Down (Constellation Men’s Ensemble) (A)
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)
Rachmaninoff & Gershwin: Transcriptions By Earl Wild (John Wilson) (A)
Sirventés – Music From The Iranian Female Composers Association (Brian Thornton, Katherine Bormann, Alicia Koelz, Eleisha Nelson, Amahl Arulanadam & Nathan Petipas) (A)
Walker: Antifonys; Lilacs; Sinfonias Nos. 4 & 5 (Franz Welser-Möst & The Cleveland Orchestra) (A)

Best Engineered Album, Classical
Contemporary American Composers
David Frost & Charlie Post, engineers; Silas Brown, mastering engineer (Riccardo Muti & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best Bluegrass Album
City Of Gold, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
As We Speak, Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

Best Jazz Instrumental Album
The Winds Of Change, Billy Childs

Best Jazz Performance
Tight, Samara Joy

Best Progressive R&B Album
SOS, SZA

Best R&B Performance
ICU, Coco Jones

Best Contemporary Classical Composition
Montgomery: Rounds, Jessie Montgomery, composer (Awadagin Pratt, A Far Cry & Roomful Of Teeth)

Best Classical Compendium
Passion For Bach And Coltrane
Alex Brown, Harlem Quartet, Imani Winds, Edward Perez, Neal Smith & A.B. Spellman; Silas Brown & Mark Dover, producers

Best Classical Solo Vocal Album
Walking In The Dark, Julia Bullock, soloist; Christian Reif, conductor (Philharmonia Orchestra)

Best Classical Instrumental Solo
The American Project, Yuja Wang; Teddy Abrams, conductor (Louisville Orchestra)

Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance
Rough Magic, Roomful Of Teeth

Best Choral Performance
Saariaho: Reconnaissance, Nils Schweckendiek, conductor (Uusinta Ensemble; Helsinki Chamber Choir)

Best Opera Recording
Blanchard: Champion< Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor; Ryan Speedo Green, Latonia Moore & Eric Owens; David Frost, producer (The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; The Metropolitan Opera Chorus)

Best Orchestral Performance
Adès: Dante, Gustavo Dudamel, conductor (Los Angeles Philharmonic)

Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals
In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning, Erin Bentlage, Jacob Collier, Sara Gazarek, Johnaye Kendrick & Amanda Taylor, arrangers (säje Featuring Jacob Collier)

Best Regional Roots Music Album (TIE)
New Beginnings, Buckwheat Zydeco Jr. & The Legendary Ils Sont Partis Band

Live: Orpheum Theater Nola, Lost Bayou Ramblers & Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Best Folk Album
Joni Mitchell At Newport [Live], Joni Mitchell

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
I Remember Everything, Zach Bryan Featuring Kacey Musgraves

Best Jazz Vocal Album
How Love Begins, Nicole Zuraitis

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Folsom Prison Blues, John Carter Cash, Tommy Emmanuel, Markus Illko, Janet Robin & Roberto Luis Rodriguez, arrangers (The String Revolution Featuring Tommy Emmanuel)

Best Instrumental Composition
Helena’s Theme, John Williams, composer (John Williams)

Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording
The Light We Carry: Overcoming In Uncertain Times, Michelle Obama

Best Children’s Music Album
We Grow Together Preschool Songs, 123 Andrés

Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album
So She Howls, Carla Patullo Featuring Tonality And The Scorchio Quartet

Best Reggae Album
Colors Of Royal, Julian Marley & Antaeus

Best Latin Rock or Alternative Album (TIE)
Vida Cotidiana, Juanes

De Todas Las Flores, Natalia Lafourcade

Best Latin Pop Album
X Mí (Vol. 1), Gaby Moreno

Best Alternative Jazz Album
The Omnichord Real Book, Meshell Ndegeocello

Best Latin Jazz Album
El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2, Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Basie Swings The Blues, The Count Basie Orchestra Directed By Scotty Barnhart

Best Historical Album
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon, Deanie Parker, Cheryl Pawelski, Michele Smith & Mason Williams, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer; Michael Graves, restoration engineer (Various Artists)

Best Album Notes
Written In Their Soul: The Stax Songwriter Demos
Robert Gordon & Deanie Parker, album notes writers (Various Artists)

Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package
For The Birds: The Birdsong Project
Jeri Heiden & John Heiden, art directors (Various Artists)

Best Recording Package
Stumpwork, Rottingdean Bazaar & Annie Collinge, art directors (Dry Cleaning)

Best Comedy Album
What’s In A Name?, Dave Chappelle

Best Alternative Music Album
The Record, boygenius

Best Alternative Music Performance
This Is Why, Paramore

Best Rock Album
This Is Why, Paramore

Best Rock Song
Not Strong Enough, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers & Lucy Dacus, songwriters (boygenius)

Best Metal Performance
72 Seasons, Metallica

Best Rock Performance
Not Strong Enough, Boygenius

Best Musical Theater Album
Some Like It Hot
Christian Borle, J. Harrison Ghee, Adrianna Hicks & NaTasha Yvette Williams, principal vocalists; Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Bryan Carter, Scott M. Riesett, Charlie Rosen & Marc Shaiman, producers; Scott Wittman, lyricist; Marc Shaiman, composer & lyricist (Original Broadway Cast)

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Bewitched, Laufey

Best Global Music Album
This Moment, Shakti

Best African Music Performance
Water, Tyla

Best Global Music Performance
Pashto, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer & Zakir Hussain Featuring Rakesh Chaurasia

Best Spoken Word Poetry Album
The Light Inside, J. Ivy

Best Rap Album
MICHAEL, Killer Mike

Best Rap Song
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS
Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson, songwriters (Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane)

Best Melodic Rap Performance
All My Life, Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole

Best Rap Performance
SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS, Killer Mike Featuring André 3000, Future And Eryn Allen Kane

Best R&B Album
JAGUAR II, Victoria Monét

Best Traditional R&B Performance
Good Morning, PJ Morton Featuring Susan Carol

Best Gospel Performance/Song
All Things, Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, songwriter

Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical
Theron Thomas

  • All My Life (Lil Durk Featuring J. Cole) (S)
  • Been Thinking (Tyla) (S)
  • Cheatback (Chlöe & Future) (T)
  • How We Roll (Ciara & Chris Brown) (S)
  • Make Up Your Mind (Cordae) (S)
  • Pretty Girls Walk (Big Boss Vette) (S)
  • Seven (Jung Kook & Latto) (S)
  • Told Ya (Chlöe & Missy Elliot) (T)
  • You And I (Sekou) (T)

Best Roots Gospel Album
Echoes Of The South, Blind Boys Of Alabama

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album
Church Clothes 4, Lecrae

Best Gospel Album
All Things New: Live In Orlando, Tye Tribbett

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song
Your Power
Lecrae & Tasha Cobbs Leonard; Alexandria Dollar, Jordan Dollar, Antonio Gardener, Micheal Girgenti, Lasanna “Ace” Harris, David Hein, Deandre Hunter, Dylan Hyde, Christian Louisana, Patrick Darius Mix Jr., Lecrae Moore, Justin Pelham, Jeffrey Lawrence Shannon, Allen Swoope, songwriters

Best Contemporary Blues Album
Blood Harmony, Larkin Poe

Best Traditional Blues Album
All My Love For You, Bobby Rush

Best Americana Album
Weathervanes, Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit

Best American Roots Song
Cast Iron Skillet, Jason Isbell, songwriter (Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit)

Best Americana Performance
Dear Insecurity, Brandy Clark Featuring Brandi Carlile

Best American Roots Performance
Eve Was Black, Allison Russell

Best Country Song
White Horse, Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson, songwriters (Chris Stapleton)

Best Country Solo Performance
White Horse, Chris Stapleton

Best Immersive Audio Album
The Diary Of Alicia Keys, George Massenburg & Eric Schilling, immersive mix engineers; Michael Romanowski, immersive mastering engineer; Alicia Keys & Ann Mincieli, immersive producers (Alicia Keys)

Best Remixed Recording
Wagging Tongue (Wet Leg Remix). Wet Leg, remixers (Depeche Mode)

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
JAGUAR II, John Kercy, Kyle Mann, Victoria Monét, Patrizio “Teezio” Pigliapoco, Neal H Pogue & Todd Robinson, engineers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer (Victoria Monét)

Best Music Film
Moonage Daydream, (David Bowie)
Brett Morgen, video director; Brett Morgen, video producer

Best Music Video
I’m Only Sleeping, (The Beatles)
Em Cooper, video director; Jonathan Clyde, Sophie Hilton, Sue Loughlin & Laura Thomas, video producers

Best Song Written For Visual Media
What Was I Made For? [From “Barbie The Album”]
Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)

Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other Interactive Media
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
Stephen Barton & Gordy Haab, composers

Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)
Oppenheimer
Ludwig Göransson, composer

Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media
Barbie The Album
Brandon Davis, Mark Ronson & Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; George Drakoulias, music supervisor
(Various Artists)

Best Tropical Latin Album
Siembra: 45º Aniversario (En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022), Rubén Blades Con Roberto Delgado & Orquesta

Best Música Mexicana Album (Including Tejano)
GÉNESIS, Peso Pluma

Best Dance/Electronic Music Album
Actual Life 3 (January 1 – September 9 2022), Fred again..

Best Pop Dance Recording
Padam Padam
Kylie Minogue
Lostboy, producer; Guy Massey, mixer

Best Dance/Electronic Recording
Rumble
Skrillex, Fred again.. & Flowdan
BEAM, Elley Duhé, Fred again.. & Skrillex, producers; Skrillex, mixer

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Ghost In The Machine, SZA Featuring Phoebe Bridgers

Xavi Becomes First Artist of Mexican Descent to Reach No. 1 with Solo Single on Global Spotify Chart

Xavi has made Spotify history…

The 19-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter, who recently earned his first No. 1 on any Billboard chart, has become the first artist of Mexican descent to reach No. 1 with a solo song on the global Spotify chart.

XaviXavi, who hails from Phoenix topped the Spotify chart on January 2 with his single “La Diabla.”

This is the fourth time that a song with a Mexican artist has reached No. 1 on Spotify’s global chart, following Eslabon Armado and Peso Pluma’s “Ella Baila Sola”; Grupo Frontera’s “Un 100xto” with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny; and Peso Pluma‘s music session with Argentine producer and DJ Bizarrap.

The music video for “La Diabla,” which was released in late November, has garnered more than 68 million views on YouTube.

The song also reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart, unseating Bad Bunny’s “Monaco.”

Xavi, whose real name is Joshua Xavier Gutierrez, first reached popularity following the release of his debut single, “La Víctima,” in August 2023.

The heartbreak song went viral on TikTok and peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs chart.

Now, he has more than 17 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Xavi has been playing the guitar since he was 10 years old, according to his Spotify profile. In 2023, he performed at the Viva Pomona festival at the Glasshouse.

After releasing music independently, Xavi was discovered on social media by Interscope Records, which also manages artists like Karol G, Kali Uchis and Selena Gomez.

Xavi Earns First No. 1 on Any Billboard Chart with “La Diabla”

Xavi has a devil of a hit on his hands…

The 19-year-old Mexican American singer-songwriter is starting off 2024 in a big way, earning his first No. 1 on a Billboard chart, as his single “La Diabla” tops the Hot Latin Songs chart dated January 6.

XaviThe song rises 4-1 to become the first champ of the year on the multi-metric ranking. 

“Super grateful with everyone and the whole team; we’ve been doing everything with love, giving it our all to keep pushing our music and culture to new heights,” Xavi tells Billboard.

“La Diabla” takes the lead on Hot Latin Songs as the week’s Greatest Gainer in streams and sales.

The song logged 11.1 million official U.S. streams in the tracking week of December 22-28, according to Luminate; that’s a 24% gain from the week prior.

Plus, the sum pushes the track 4-2 on Latin Streaming Songs. Although sales still account for a negligible amount, “La Diabla” jumps 10-4 on Latin Digital Songs Sales with a 43% increase.

With “La Diabla,” Xavi earns his second top 10 on Hot Latin Songs, which blends airplay, digital sales, and streaming activity. The new champ joins “La Víctima” which advances 7-5 with 7.4 million official streams during the same tracking week.

Further, the singer-songwriter also makes progress through two other tracks: “Poco a Poco,” with Dareyes De La Sierra, jumps 26-18 and “Modo DND,” with Tony Aguirre, lifts to its new No. 21 peak.

Thanks to “La Diabla,” released November 30 via Interscope, the record label returns to No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for its first champ of the year. Karol G and Peso Pluma’s “Qlona” was the label’s last leader, completing a fifth week at No. 1 on the October 14-dated ranking.

On a global scale, “La Diabla” takes Xavi to his highest-charting effort on Billboard Global Excl. U.S., peaking at No. 23. While the track dips 32-33 on Billboard Global 200, “La Víctima” climbs 79-64.

Elsewhere, Xavi stands strong leading the Latin Songwriters chart for a fourth consecutive week, tying with Ivan Cornejo for the fifth-most weeks in charge among regional Mexican soloists.

Both rank behind Peso Pluma’s 20 weeks at No. 1, Eslabon Armado’s Pedro Tovar with a 10-week domination, and DannyLux with six weeks atop.

Peso Pluma Tops YouTube’s List of Top 5 Most-Viewed Artists in the U.S. in 2023

Peso Pluma is this year’s streaming sensation…

YouTube has unveiled its Top 5 Most-Viewed Artists in the United States in 2023, with the 24-year-old Mexican Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter leading the pack.

Peso PlumaThe música Mexicana (Regional Mexican) phenomenon comes in at No. 1 for the first time on the coveted list due to fans connecting through his live performance at Coachella, for example.

The artist born Hassan Emilio Kabande Laija had more than 8.5 billion views throughout the year, according to a press release from the platform.

The massive success that songs such as Yng Lvcas’ “La Bebe (Remix),” “Ella Baila Sola” with Eslabon Armado, the Karol G-assisted “QLONA,” “Lady Gaga” in collaboration with Gabito Ballesteros and Junior H, and “Rubicon” had in 2023 ultimately made La Doble P the No. 1 most played artist on YouTube in the U.S. this year.

He’s followed by YoungBoy Never Broke Again at No. 2, Drake at No. 3, Bad Bunny at No. 4, and Taylor Swift at No. 5.

Peso Puma, who hails from Zapopan, also scored two songs on YouTube’s Top 10 Songs of the Year list with “Ella Baila Sola” at No.3 and “La Bebe (Remix)” at No. 4.

The former also wrapped the year at No. 1 on the Billboard year-end Hot Latin Songs chart. Penned by Pedro Tovar about a man drawn by a woman’s beauty, “Ella Baila Sola” made history as the first regional Mexican song to dominate the Billboard Global 200 chart, where it led for six consecutive weeks.

Additionally, Pluma topped Billboard’s Top 5 New Latin Artists of 2023 list and was No. 2 on the Top Latin Artist of 2023 list, following Bad Bunny.

Netflix Releases Trailer for Sofia Vergara’s Drama Series “Griselda”

Sofia Vergara is bringing the drama…

Netflix has released the official trailer for Griselda, starring the 51-year-old Colombian actress and television personality. The series will premiere on January 25th.

Sofia Vergara, GriseldaIn the series about Narco queenpin, the titular Griselda Blanco, Vergara flexes her dramatic skills.

From creators Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda and Carlo Bernard, the six-episode series chronicles the life of Colombian-born Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”

Alberto Guerra (Dario Sepúlveda), Christian Tappan (Arturo Mesa), Martín Rodríguez (Rivi Ayala), Juliana Aidén Martinez (June Hawkins), Vanessa Ferlito (Carmen Gutiérrez) also star.

Sofia Vergara, GriseldaGuest stars include Fredy Yate (Chucho Castro), Paulina Dávila (Isabel), José Zúñiga (Amilcar), Camilo Jiménez Varón (Rafa Salazar), Julieth Restrepo (Marta Ochoa), Gabriel Sloyer (Raul Diaz), Diego Trujillo (German Panesso) and Alberto Amann (Alberto Bravo).

New images from the series also reveal Carolina Giraldo, who is better known as Urban Latino superstar Karol G, in the role of Griselda’s friend Carla.

Andrés Baiz directs all episodes of Griselda. Escajeda and Miro serve as co-showrunners. Narcos and Narcos: Mexico showrunner and directing team Newman and Baiz executive produce, along with Miro, Escajeda, Carlo Bernard. Vergara and Luis Balaguer with Latin World Entertainment also executive produce.

Kali Uchis & Karol G Release New Single “Labios Mordidos”

Kali Uchis has teamed up with Karol G for a lip-biting new single…

The 29-year-old Colombian-American singer and songwriter and the 32-year-old Colombian superstar have joined voice the release the catchy new single “Labios Mordidos,” marking their second collaboration this year.

Karol G & Kali UchisThe pair previously teamed up for the highly successful single “Me Tengo Que Ir” from Karol G’s Mañana Sera Bonita (Bichota Season) earlier this year.

Produced by Manuel Lara and Albert Hype, the sweltering reggaeton cut sees the two indulging in risqué flirtation.

“The girl is on fire and sticks to me like a tattoo/ I guarantee there’s no one harder than you,” Kali seductively croons in Spanish. Meanwhile, Karol responds with her hushed coo: “I guarantee there’s no one more chimba than you … The baby is aggressive with that cute face/ That tattoo on her back left me breathless.”

“I’m so excited for the Kuchis to finally have one of my favorite songs on Orquídeas with one of my favorite artists Karol,” Uchis said in a statement. “I hope this brings everyone lots of holiday cheer and you make plenty of memories going into the new year with this song!”

During Karol G’s opening performance of the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, November 19, La Bichota teased fans with a snippet of the song.

As anticipation builds for Uchis’ fourth album, Orquídeas, due January 12, “Labios Mordidos” emerges as the third single, offering a tantalizing preview of what’s to come. The song follows the vintage bolero-style song “Te Mata” and the Dominican dembow of “Muñekita” with El Alfa and JT.

“The orchid is the national flower of Colombia, and we have more species of orchid than anywhere on earth,” Uchis said last month. “I always felt distinctly intrigued and magnetized by the flower. This album is inspired by the timeless, eerie, mystic, striking, graceful and sensual allure of the orchid. With this vast scope of fresh energy, I wish to redefine the way we look at Latinas in music.”

The album will feature more collaborations, including with Peso Pluma, Rauw Alejandro and more. Orquídeas is Uchis’ second all-Spanish release.

Uchis entered a total of six Billboard Year-End Charts, including the Top Latin Artists chart at No. 32 and Top R&B Artists at No. 11. In October, she concluded her Red Moon in Venus Tour with sold-out performances across the U.S.

Karol G’s “El Makinon” Video Joins YouTube’s Billion Views Club

Karol G is celebrating a big (machine) streaming hit…

Two years after its music video was released, the 32-year-old Colombian superstar and Mariah Angeliq’s girl-power anthem “El Makinon” has surpassed the billion-views mark on YouTube.

Karol GThe three-minute clip for “El Makinon” is Karol G’s seventh entry to the Billion Views Club as a lead, featured artist or collaborator. She also claims No. 10 on YouTube’s Global Top Artists and No. 15 on U.S. Top Artists 

Featured on Karol’s 2021 KG0516 album, the infectious head-bopping, hip-swaying reggaetón song produced by Neo is about breaking all the rules with the girls.

“El Makinon,” slang for a “big machine,” tells the story of a girl who’s been independent since she was 16 years old, and now that she’s older, she still depends solely on herself.

“El Makinon” debuted at No. 9 on Hot Latin Songs and later peaked at No. 6 on the tally.

Most recently, Karol G performed a medley (“QLONA,” “Labios Mordidos” and “Ojos Ferrari”) at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, November 19. She also won two awards: top Latin female artist and top Latin touring artist. During her acceptance speech, she thanked her loyal fanbase.

“These awards mean the connection is there between all of you and me. I think you’re more than fans — you’re part of the team and the family. I give you half of all this because nothing would’ve been possible without you,” she said. “I always say awards are special because they’re an extra validation to what we do, but like I said before, to have your unconditional love, with or without music, with or without a tour, that will always be the best present ever and that’s what I hope will never fail or go away.”

Grupo Frontera Signs Management Deal with Habibi

Grupo Frontera is under new management…

The Regional Mexican group has signed a management deal with HabibiNoah Assad’s management firm.

Grupo FronteraRaymond Acosta, director of talent management at the company — which also includes Karol G on its roster — will lead Grupo Frontera’s management team.

The deal comes seven months after Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny‘s massive cumbia/norteña track, “Un x100to,” peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was also up for song of the year at this year’s Latin Grammys.

Over the past two years, Grupo Frontera — previously managed by Victor Ruiz — went from local McAllen, Texas, band to a música mexicana global force. Composed of Adelaido “Payo” Solis III, Juan Javier Cantú, Julian Peña Jr., Alberto Acosta, Carlos Guerrero and Brian Ortega, the group broke out last year thanks to its Tejano spin on Morat‘s 2019 single, “No Se Va.” The inventive cover scored the norteño group its first entry on any Billboard chart, ultimately peaking at No. 3 on the Hot Latin Songs tally dated November 12, 2022.

According to Raymond Acosta, Habibi was approached by Mexican hitmaker Edgar Barrera — who’s penned and produced for Grupo Frontera — and Alberto (of Frontera) after seeing the impact “Un x100to” had.

“I asked Noah for an opportunity to get to know and study Mexican culture,” Acosta explains. “Because for me, identities are very important. One of my role models is Mr. Angelo Medina, he was the manager of José José and Emmanuel. He was the one who taught me [that] when you’re going to cross the pond, you have to know where you’re going.”

In August, Grupo Frontera released its debut album, El Comienzo, via Barrera’s BorderKid Records label. The set bowed and peaked at No. 3 on the Top Latin Albums chart. In the past year alone, the group has placed eight songs on the Billboard Hot 100 — including “Que Vuelvas” with Carin Leon, “Bebe Dame” with Fuerza Regida and “Frágil” with Yahritza y Su Esencia. They have a distribution deal with Believe and own their masters.

“If you want to be the number one manager, your artists have to be number one,” adds Acosta. “I’m fulfilling my dreams by fulfilling the dreams of others. I think that’s the beauty of the management part. [At Habibi,] we don’t copy-paste marketing plans. That’s why when you see all the projects, none of them look alike. And seeing everything that is behind Frontera, the personality of each one and what they are doing, motivates us a lot.”

Fuerza Regida Claims Two Awards at Billboard Music Awards

Fuerza Regida is celebrating an impressive Billboard Music Awards victory.

The Regional Mexican music group took home the Top Duo/Group award at last night’s Billboard Music Awards, beating out the likes of Grupo Frontera, Eslabon Armado, FIFTY FIFTY and Metallica.

Fuerza RegidaFuerza Regida also claimed the award for Top Latin Duo/Group.

Other winners of the night included Karol G for Top Latin Female Artist and Top Latin Touring Artist; Peso Pluma in the Top Latin Song category for his collaboration with Eslabon Armado in “Ella Baila Sola”; Bad Bunny for Top Latin Artist, Top Latin Male Artist and Top Latin Album for Un Verano Sin Ti.

Here’s the complete winners list below.

ARTIST AWARDS

Top Artist: Taylor Swift
Top New Artist: Zach Bryan
Top Male Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Duo/Group: Fuerza Regida
Top Billboard 200 Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Hot 100 Songwriter: Taylor Swift
Top Hot 100 Produce: Joey Moi
Top Streaming Songs Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Radio Songs Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Song Sales Artist: Taylor Swift
T
op Billboard Global 200 Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Artist: Taylor Swift
Top R&B Artist: SZA
Top R&B Male Artist: The Weeknd
Top R&B Female Artist: SZA
Top R&B Touring Artist: Beyoncé
Top Rap Artist: Drake
Top Rap Male Artist: Drake
Top Rap Female Artist: Nicki Minaj
Top Rap Touring Artist: Drake
Top Country Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Country Male Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Country Female Artist: Taylor Swift
Top Country Duo/Group: Zac Brown Band
Top Country Touring Artist: Morgan Wallen
Top Rock Artist: Zach Bryan
Top Rock Duo/Group: Arctic Monkeys
Top Rock Touring Artist: Coldplay
Top Latin Artist: Bad Bunny
Top Latin Male Artist: Bad Bunny
Top Latin Female Artist: Karol G
Top Latin Duo/Group: Fuerza Regida
Top Latin Touring Artist: Karol G
Top Global K-Pop Artist: NewJeans
Top K-Pop Touring Artist: BLACKPINK
Top Afrobeats Artist: Burna Boy
Top Dance/Electronic Artist: Beyoncé
Top Christian Artist: Lauren Daigle
Top Gospel Artist: Kanye West

ALBUM AWARDS

Top Billboard 200 Album: Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
Top Soundtrack: Barbie: The Album
Top R&B Album: SZA, SOS
Top Rap Album: Drake & 21 Savage, Her Loss
Top Country Album: Morgan Wallen, One Thing at a Time
Top Rock Album: Zach Bryan, American Heartbreak
Top Latin Album: Bad Bunny, Un Verano Sin Ti
Top K-Pop Album: Stray Kids, 5-STAR
Top Dance/Electronic Album: Beyoncé, RENAISSANCE
Top Christian Album: Anne Wilson, My Jesus
Top Gospel Album: Maverick City Music x Kirk Franklin, Kingdom Book One

SONG AWARDS

Top Hot 100 Song: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Top Streaming Song: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Top Radio Song: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Top Selling Song: Taylor Swift, “Anti-Hero”
Top Collaboration: Metro Boomin, The Weeknd & 21 Savage, “Creepin’”
Top Billboard Global 200 Song: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Top Billboard Global (Excl. U.S.) Song: Miley Cyrus, “Flowers”
Top R&B Song: SZA, “Kill Bill”
Top Rap Song: Drake & 21 Savage, “Rich Flex”
Top Country Song: Morgan Wallen, “Last Night”
Top Rock Song: Zach Bryan, “Something in the Orange”
Top Latin Song: Eslabon Armado x Peso Pluma, “Ella Baila Sola”
Top Global K-Pop Song: Jungkook ft. Latto, “Seven”
Top Afrobeats Song: Rema & Selena Gomez, “Calm Down”
Top Dance/Electronic Song: David Guetta & Bebe Rexha, “I’m Good (Blue)”
Top Christian Song: Brandon Lake, “Gratitude”
Top Gospel Song: CeCe Winans, “Goodness of God”