Jennifer Lopez to Perform at Charity Gala for Ukraine Children & Families

Posted on July 30, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is helping to raise funds for the children of the Ukraine…

The 53-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is set to perform on the Italian island of Capri at a Ukraine-focused charity gala for UNICEF.

Expected guests at the exclusive event, which is called LuisaViaRoma for UNICEF, include Leonardo DiCaprio; Jamie Foxx; Elon Musk’s mother, the supermodel Maye Musk; Naomi Campbell, Jared Leto, and Vanessa Hudgens.

The intimate Capri charity event will take place in the island’s Certosa di San Giacomo, a 14th-century monastery with a large grassy cloister area and a stunning view of the Mediterranean.

Lopez will be the main musical act at the exclusive gala, where the hit-making DJ Diplo and singer/actress Sofia Carson, as well as Switzerland’s DJ Cruz, are among other artists that are expected to take the stage, Italy’s La Repubblica reported.

Past editions of the charity concert have been complemented with performances by the likes of John Legend, Katy Perry and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, as well as Rita Ora, Ricky Martin and Ellie Goulding, according to Variety sister publication Women’s Wear Daily, which broke the news in May that Lopez would headline the Capri gala.

After kicking off with musical entertainment, the event will be followed by a lavish dinner and charity auction.

The guest list also includes Dutch supermodel and actor Lara Stone; U.S. producer and director Tonya Lewis Lee; Saudi producer and philanthropist Mohammed Al Turki; and, from Italy, singer and songwriter Sangiovanni and actor Matilde Gioli, according to La Repubblica.

During the charity gala, UNICEF representatives based in Ukraine will join the soirée remotely. A documentary will also screen, detailing the work being done by UNICEF at the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps in Jordan that welcome Syrian children and their families.

It’s Lopez’s first stage performance since marrying actor Ben Affleck earlier this month.

Bruno Mars Earns Eighth No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100 with Silk Sonic Single “Leave the Door Open”

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Bruno Mars is Leave-ing his mark yet again…

“Leave the Door Open” by Silk Sonic, the duo of the 35-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer and Anderson .Paak, rises from No. 3 to No. 1 for its first week at the summit of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.

It’s Mars’ eighth Hot 100 No. 1, while Anderson. Paak earns his first.

The Hot 100 blends all-genre U.S. streaming (official audio and official video), radio airplay and sales data.

“Leave the Door Open” drew 21.5 million U.S. streams (up 13%) and sold 28,600 copies, downloads and CDs combined (up 138%), in the week ending April 8, according to MRC Data. It also attracted 59.1 million radio airplay audience impressions (up 9%) in the week ending April 11.

Combining digital and physical sales, the song was the most-sold of the tracking week, aided by two CD versions that shipped to purchasers in that span (one for $2.50 and a live version for the standard $1.29 single price), as it wins the Hot 100’s top Sales Gainer award.

Bruno Mars’ Hot 100 No. 1s:
“Nothin’ on You” (B.o.B feat. Mars), two weeks, beginning May 1, 2010
“Just the Way You Are,” four weeks, Oct. 2, 2010
“Grenade,” four weeks, Jan. 8, 2011
“Locked Out of Heaven,” six weeks, Dec. 22, 2012
“When I Was Your Man,” one week, April 20, 2013
“Uptown Funk!” (Mark Ronson feat. Mars), 14 weeks, Jan. 17, 2015
“That’s What I Like,” one week, May 13, 2017
“Leave the Door Open” (Silk Sonic [Mars & Anderson. Paak]), one week to-date, April 17, 2021

With eight Hot 100 No. 1s dating to his first, as featured on B.o.B‘s “Nothin’ on You” on the chart dated May 1, 2010, Mars ties Drake, Katy Perry and Rihanna for the most in that span. Mars becomes one of 18 artists in the Hot 100’s entire history with at least eight leaders.

Meanwhile, “Leave the Door Open” reaches No. 1 in its fifth week on the Hot 100, completing Mars’ quickest coronation. He wrapped a prior-best eight-week ascent to the summit with “Uptown Funk!” in 2015.

Silk Sonic pushes “Leave the Door Open” from No. 2 to No. 1 for its first week atop the multi-metric Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it’s Mars’ fourth leader, after “That’s What I Like” (10 weeks, 2017), “Finesse” (one week, 2018) and “Please Me” (one week, 2019), the latter two with Cardi B.

“Door” concurrently rebounds 2-1 for a third week atop the Hot R&B Songs chart, which, like Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, uses the same methodology as the Hot 100.

Christina Aguilera’s Randi Rahm Archive 2007 Pre-Grammy Party Dress Among Gowns Headed to Auction

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Here’s your chance to own a little bit of Christina Aguilera fashion history…

Property from the Randi Rahm Archive, an exclusive collection of iconic couture gowns worn by Hollywood‘s elite, including the 39-year-old half-Ecuadorian American Grammy-winning singer, will be up for auction next month.

Julien’s Auctions has announced that the Rahm signature styles that have graced the covers of magazines and waltzed down red carpets will be available for bidding December 2-3, both live from Beverly Hills and online.

The top items featured in the auction include Aguilera’s black satin crepe gown from the 2007 Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Awards party (estimated $2,000 to $4,000), Beyoncé‘s nude fringe embellished dress she wore to first lady Michelle Obama‘s 50th birthday bash in 2014 (estimated $3,000 to $5,000), and Mariah Carey‘s orchid and gray twisted halter silk dress from her 2005 “We Belong Together” music video.

Three more items from Beyoncé’s wardrobe, Carrie Underwood‘s one-shoulder purple satin silk gown from her 2010 CMA Awards performance (estimated $2,000 to $4,000), Katy Perry‘s tie-dye aqua-blue cocktail dress from her 2012 “Katy Perry: Part of Me” Tokyo meet-and-greet (estimated $2,000 to $4,000) and more are also included in Rahm’s collection.

The collection will be available to both bidders and collectors, who must register either in-person at the exhibition or online before the sale here.

The public exhibition at Julien’s Auction is free to the public and open until November 27 (closed on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26) at 257 N. Canon Dr. in Beverly Hills, Calif.

The auction will take place from Wednesday, December 2, to Thursday, December 3. Interested parties can place their bids in person, online and on their iPhone app, over the phone with an auction house representative, or in advance via absentee bid. Absentee bid forms are available by calling Julien’s Auctions, checking their website and seeing the back of each catalog.

Bad Bunny Wins First-Ever American Music Award Prizes of His Career

Posted on November 23, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny is celebrating a big night…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton superstar took home two trophies at this year’s American Music Awards, the most of any Latinx artist.

Bad Bunny, who picked up the first-ever AMAs of his career, beat himself in the Favorite Album – Latin category. His second studio album YHLQMDLG, which became the highest-charting all-Spanish album ever on the Billboard 200 at number two when it debuted in February, won against his own Las que no iban a salir, the surprise follow-up album he released two months later. He also beat out Anuel AA’s Emmanuel for the coveted trophy.

Bad Bunny, who had to cancel his scheduled performance on the show due to testing positive for COVID-19, also won in the Favorite Male Artist – Latin category.

Becky G picked up her first AMAs trophy…

The 23-year-old Mexican American bilingual singer/rapper took home the award for Favorite Female Artist- Latin.

Becky G gave a heartwarming acceptance speech that celebrated her Mexican and immigrant heritage. She told fans she “proudly waves both flags Mexican and American.” She went on to dedicate the award to immigrant parents, students, and her abuelitos.

Karol G took home her first-ever American Music Awards prize – in the Favorite Song – Latin category – for her chart-topping “Tusa” single, featuring Nicki Minaj; while Cardi B won in the Favorite Song – Rap/Hip-Hop category for her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP,” featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

Hosted by Taraji P. Henson, this in-person ceremony aired on ABC and was wildly socially distanced with cardboard cutouts of Beyonce, Jay Z, Dolly Parton and others in the orchestra section of the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, select masked fans who were tested for COVID and socially distanced were in the balcony of the theater to provide live energy to performers that included Jennifer Lopez, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Shawn Mendes, Megan Thee Stallion, Dua Lipa, Katy Perry, Darius Rucker, BTS as well as the unexpected duet of The Weeknd and Kenny G.

Here’s the full list of winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Doja Cat

COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR
Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours”

FAVORITE SOCIAL ARTIST
BTS

FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO
Taylor Swift, “Cardigan”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Justin Bieber

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK
Taylor Swift

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK
BTS

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK
Harry Styles, “Fine Line”

FAVORITE SONG – POP/ROCK
Dua Lipa, “Don’t Start Now”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY
Kane Brown

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST- COUNTRY
Maren Morris

FAVORITE DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY
Blake Shelton, “Fully Loaded: God’s Country”

FAVORITE SONG – COUNTRY
Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber, “10,000 Hours”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Juice WRLD

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP
Nicki Minaj

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP
Roddy Ricch, “Please Forgive Me For Being Anti Social”

FAVORITE SONG – RAP/HIP-HOP
Cardi B ft. Megan Thee Stallion, “WAP”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
The Weeknd

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B
Doja Cat

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B
The Weeknd, “After Hours”

FAVORITE SONG – SOUL/R&B
The Weeknd, “Heartless”

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – LATIN
Bad Bunny

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST- LATIN
Becky G

FAVORITE ALBUM – LATIN
Bad Bunny, “YHLQMDLG”

FAVORITE SONG – LATIN
Karol G & Nicki Minaj, “Tusa”

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK
Twenty One Pilots

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY
Jonas Brothers

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL
Lauren Daigle

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM)
Lady Gaga

FAVORITE SOUNDTRACK
“Birds of Prey: The Album”

Demi Lovato to Perform at This Week’s Pepsi Unmute Your Voice Concerts on Triller

Posted on October 8, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Demi Lovato is trillin’ for votes…

The 28-year-old half-Meican American singer will perform at the Pepsi Unmute Your Voice concert on Triller on Thursday, October 8 and Friday, October 9.

Lovato, who recently released the emotional ballad “Still Have Me,” joins a lineup that includes Chance the Rapper, Chloe x Halle, Saint Jhn, Brett Young and Ava Max.

The shows, slated to kick off at 8:00 pm ET both days, are a collaboration with Rock the Vote.

“I’m joining @triller & @pepsi for their #PepsiUnmuteYourVoice concert This election is SO important me to so get registered to vote with @RockTheVote and join me on 10/9 at 8pm EST on #Triller!!” Lovato tweeted. The concerts are the latest get out the vote effort in the run-up to the Nov. 3 election.

With less than 30 days to go before the election, artists from Taylor Swift to Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Frank Ocean, Billie Eilish, Katy Perry and Vanessa Hudgens are putting a full-court press on voter registration, joining existing campaigns and making personal pleas to exercise your constitutional right to pick the next President.

Selena Gomez Urges Facebook to Stop the Spread of “Hate, Misinformation, Racism and Bigotry”

Posted on September 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is going straight to the source in the fight against online misinformation and hate speech…

The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress shared on Instagram Stories a direct message to Facebook leaders Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg, calling them out for their lack of accountability.

Gomez, who has 193 million followers on Instagram (owned by Facebook) and tops 77 million on Facebook itself, asked Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder and CEO, and Sandberg, its chief operating officer, to start talking about misinformation and hate speech.

Gomez didn’t specify what information she classified as belonging to those categories, but called on Zuckerberg and Sandberg to shut down individuals and groups promoting it.

“Facebook and Instagram are being used to spread hate, misinformation, racism, and bigotry,” she wrote, days after a significant push by stars like Rosario Dawson, Kim Kardashian, Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Ruffalo, Dwyane Wade and Katy Perry promoted #StopHateforProfit by blacking out their social media activities.

“I am calling you both to HELP STOP THIS. Please shut down groups and users focused on spreading hate speech violence and misinformation. Our future depends on it.”

Gomez also pointed to the national election in her message. She’s a co-chair of “When We All Vote,” a claimed nonpartisan organization that encourages voter participation. Michelle Obama, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Shonda Rhimes are among its leaders.

“We cannot afford to have misinformation about voting,” Gomez said in her message. “There has to be fact-checking and accountability. Hope to hear back from you ASAP.”

Facebook has not yet publicly responded to Gomez.

Daddy Yankee Releases “Don Don,” a Spanish Reimagining of Sisqo’s “Thong Song” Featuring Anuel AA & Kendo Kaponi

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Daddy Yankee is putting a Spanish spin on another ‘90s classic…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican rapper/singer has joined voices with Anuel AA and Kendo Kaponi to release “Don Don,” their Spanish reggaeton take on Sisqo’s 1999 hit song “Thong Song.”

In the reimagined song, Anuel AA sings the “Thong Song” melody during the chorus. It’s a nifty gimmick, but “Don Don” is more beguiling than its familiar hook: Daddy Yankee is a stick of dynamite on the track, his flow compact and rewarding. And make sure to keep your ears peeled for a nod to the Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance, as well as Daddy Yankee’s intensity balancing out Anuel’s suave demeanor as they both invite listeners to the dance floor in their own way.

Daddy Yankee scored a hit last year with “Con Calma,” which revived Snow’s 1993 hit single “Informer” and featured the singer himself. And then he later released a remix version of the song featuring Katy Perry. The song, which passed two billion views on YouTube, recently won the iHeartRadio Music Award for Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year.

Camila Cabello Among This Year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards Winners

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello has some extra heart…

This year’s iHeartRadio Music Awards have been announced on iHeartRadio stations and on the iHeartRadio app, with the 23-year-old Mexican & Cuban singer picking up an award.

Cabello and Shawn Mendes won the Best Collaboration award for their chart-topping single “Señorita.”

It’s the third iHeart Music Award of Cabello’s career. She previously won the Fangirls award in 2018, and Best Lyric for her single “Consequences” in 2019.

Banda Los Sebastianes earned two awards…

The Mexican band was named Best New Regional Mexican Artist and took home the Regional Mexican Song of the Year prize for their hit single “A Través Del Vaso.”

Bad Bunny’s X 100PRE was named Latin Album of the Year, Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry’s “Con Calma” earned the Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year, and the Regional Mexican Artist of the Year award went to

Christian Nodal.

Rosalia was named Best New Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist, and Ozuna earned the Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year prize.

The awards, honoring the most-played artists and songs on iHeartRadio stations and the iHeartRadio app throughout 2019, were originally set to take place on March 29 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Usher was set to host the Fox broadcast, but COVID-19 restrictions thwarted that plan. On March 16, iHeart postponed the show. On Aug. 24, it canceled the event and announced the plan to reveal the winners over the Labor Day weekend.

The show is set to return to Fox in 2021.

The Labor Day rollout, in which winners in 50 categories were announced one per hour, featured acceptance speeches from many winners.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

General categories:

Song of the Year “Truth Hurts” – Lizzo
Female Artist of the Year Billie Eilish
Male Artist of the Year Post Malone
Best Duo/Group of the Year Jonas Brothers
Best Collaboration “Señorita” – Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
Label of the Year Republic Records
Most Thumbed Up Artist of the Year Post Malone
Most Thumbed Up Song of the Year “Sunflower” by Post Malone & Swae Lee
Producer of the Year Finneas
Songwriter of the Year Louis Bell
Tour of the Year Elton John
Best Lyrics “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay & Justin Bieber
Best Cover Song Sam Smith & Normani – “Dancing With A Stranger” – 5SOS cover
Best Fan Army BTSArmy – BTS
Best Music Video “Boy With Luv” – BTS featuring Halsey
Social Star Award Asher Angel
Best Remix “Trampoline” – Shaed featuring Zayn
Favorite Tour Photographer Zack Caspary (Why Don’t We)
Favorite Music Video Choreography “Kill This Love” (Blackpink) – Kyle Hanagami & Kiel Tutin

Genre specific categories:

Pop Album of the Year Lover – Taylor Swift
Best New Pop Artist Lizzo
Alternative Rock Song of the Year “Bad Guy” – Billie Eilish
Alternative Rock Artist of the Year Billie Eilish
Alternative Rock Album of the Year When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? – Billie Eilish
Best New Rock/Alternative Rock Artist Shaed
Rock Song of the Year “Ghost” – Badflower
Rock Artist of the Year Disturbed
Rock Album of the Year Fear Inoculum – Tool
Country Song of the Year “Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs
Country Artist of the Year Luke Combs
Country Album of the Year What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Best New Country Artist Morgan Wallen
Dance Song of the Year “Close to Me” – Ellie Goulding, Diplo featuring Swae Lee
Dance Artist of the Year Marshmello
Dance Album of the Year World War Joy – The Chainsmokers
Hip-Hop Song of the Year “Suge” – DaBaby
Hip-Hop Artist of the Year Drake
Hip-Hop Album of the Year Death Race for Love – Juice WRLD
Best New Hip-Hop Artist DaBaby
R&B Song of the Year “No Guidance” – Chris Brown featuring Drake
R&B Artist of the Year H.E.R.
R&B Album of the Year Free Spirit– Khalid
Best New R&B Artist Summer Walker
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Song of the Year “Con Calma” – Daddy Yankee & Katy Perry featuring Snow
Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist of the Year Ozuna
Best New Latin Pop/Reggaeton Artist Rosalía
Regional Mexican Song of the Year “A Través Del Vaso” – Banda Los Sebastianes
Regional Mexican Artist of the Year Christian Nodal
Latin Album of the Year X 100PRE – Bad Bunny
Best New Regional Mexican Artist Banda Los Sebastianes

Anitta Signs Recording Deal with Warner Records

Posted on June 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Anitta is ready to breakthrough in the United States…

The 27-year-old Brazilian singer, a massive star in Latin America, has signed a recording contract with Warner Records. And she’s eyeing the release of a multilingual debut, to be produced by Ryan Tedder, in the U.S. later this year.

Anitta fuses elements of reggaetón, bossa nova, R&B, hip-hop, EDM and funk carioca to create her own unique musical blend.

She’s previously collaborated with the likes of Miley Cyrus, Becky G, J Balvin, Katy Perry, David Guetta and P. Diddy.

Already a star in her native Brazil — where Anitta is the most streamed artist — and beyond, Anitta’s digital profile includes 47 million Instagram followers, nearly 5 billion YouTube views, in addition to more than 14 million YouTube subscribers, and 6.5 billion cumulative Spotif ystreams.

She has been nominated for five Latin Grammys and has won 6 MTV EMAs. She was set to perform at Coachellaand Rock In Riothis year before the COVID-19pandemic caused the cancellation of both.

“I’m so excited to join the U.S. Warner Records team,” said Anitta, who is based in Rio de Janeiro. “It’s the most important moment in my career. Now, I can show more about my art and culture to the world internationally. I can’t wait for everyone to hear all the new music I’ve been working on, which will be a fresh blend of both Spanish and English.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with the global Warner Music Latin team to bring Anitta’s incredible music to the U.S. and beyond. Anitta is truly unlike any artist we’ve ever experienced,” said Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson, co-chairmen of Warner Records. “ She’s not only an extraordinary musical talent, but is a blazing creative force, an electrifying performer and a true cultural phenomenon.”

Ricky Martin to Take Part in “Can’t Cancel Pride: A COVID-19 Relief Benefit for the LGBTQ+ Community”

Posted on June 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martin is expressing his Pride…

While Pride Month parades have been put on hold throughout the world, the 48-year-old Puerto Rican superstar is helping the LGTBQ+ community celebrate in a special way.

P&G and iHeartMedia have joined forces for “Can’t Cancel Pride: A COVID-19 Relief Benefit for the LGBTQ+ Community.”

The special will raise funds for LGTBQ+ communities most impacted by COVID-19.

It will stream on Thursday, June 25 at 9:00 pm PT on iHeartRadio’s Facebook and Instagram, PrideRadio.com and broadcast on iHeartMedia stations nationwide.

In addition to Martin, the event will feature appearances by Billy Porter, Big Freedia,Adam Lambert, Melissa Etheridge, Katy Perry, Kim Petras, Sia among others. The celebration will culminate with a one-hour special hosted by leading iHeartMedia on-air personality Elvis Duran and actress and LGBTQ+ advocate Laverne Cox.

“There’s no question COVID-19 has impacted the LGBTQ+ community in a variety of ways, and at this time in the U.S., the struggle for equality and inclusion has never been more important,” said Gayle Troberman, Chief Marketing Officer for iHeartMedia. “Now is a time we need to come together to support the organizations that help bring critical resources to LGBTQ people in need and Can’t Cancel Pride aims to do just that. Like always, Pride will continue to represent the resilience, beauty and strength of the LGBTQ+ community around the nation and the globe.”

Martin publicly came out as gay in March 2010, stating: “I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.” He added that “these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within, and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn’t even know existed.” He has since been a dynamic activist for the LGBTQ+ community.

In May, Marin released a six-track album Pausa, the first of a two-part album. The follow-up, Play, is expected to be released in September 202

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