Karol G Among Artists Appearing on Official “Barbie” Soundtrack

Karol G is getting all dolled up…

The lineup of artists featured on the official soundtrack for Greta Gerwig’s highly anticipated film Barbie has been revealed, with the 32-year-old Colombian singer and songwriter making the list.

Karol GNo word yet on the track name for Karol G’s single.

But she isn’t the only Latinx artist set to appear on the soundtrack.

Ice Spice, who recently joined voices with Taylor Swift on the “Karma Remix,” will also form part of the Barbie The Album soundtrack. Both Ice Spice and PinkPantheress are credited, perhaps signifying that their joint hit “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” has a place on Barbie’s pink-tastic playlist.

Other confirmed artists are Charli XCX, Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, FIFTY FIFTY, Dominic Fike, GAYLE, Ava Max, Khalid, The Kid LAROI and more.

Dua Lipa — the film’s resident pop star who’s portraying Mermaid Barbie in the project —previously announced her participation on the soundtrack, contributing the song “Dance The Night,” which arrived late last week.

More surprising, though, is that another of the film’s stars is also billed as a featured artist: Ryan Gosling, who’s playing Ken opposite Margot Robbie’s titular character.

The news comes in the form of a very on-brand poster shared by the soundtrack’s official Instagram, showing Robbie in character reading a pink-tinted newspaper (Barbie News, obviously) with the names of the project’s musicians printed in twisty, hot pink letters. “More Barbies & Kens to be announced…” it teases at the bottom.

The faux newspaper also directs readers to a new website called BarbieTheAlbum.com, on which limited edition vinyls and cassettes for the soundtrack are now available for preorder.

Barbie fans have quite the variety of different-colored options to choose from, including the “Candy Floss” vinyl, the “Cotton Candy” vinyl, the “Pink Bloom” vinyl and more.

According to Rolling Stone, the album was executively produced by Mark Ronson.

The soundtrack drops along with the Barbie film on July 21.

Omar Apollo to Perform at This Year’s Life is Beautiful Festival in Las Vegas

Omar Apollo is readying for a beautiful moment…

The 25-year-old Mexican American singer and songwriter will perform at this year’s Life is Beautiful festival in Downtown Las Vegas.

Omar Apollo,The star-studded lineup for its 10th anniversary installment includes headliners Kendrick LamarThe Killers, ODESZA and Flume. 

The three-day event will take place from September 22 to 24, and will also feature a number of newcomers, set to take the Life Is Beautiful stage for the first time, including Khalid, The 1975, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Apollo, Kim Petras and more.

Additionally, the festival will honor the iconic entertainment of Sin City with performances and appearances from Vegas headliners including Cirque du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Jabbawockeez, Magic Mike Live, Piff the Magic Dragon and Tape Face.

“This year’s lineup is a reflection of the 10 years we’ve spent striving to give fans incredible experiences, centered around a weekend of revelry in Las Vegas,” said Craig Asher Nyman, director of music, programming and development for Life is Beautiful. “They asked, and we listened! Our fans are the heartbeat of this festival, and it’s our intention to deliver a festival that is a true representation of their interests.”

General Admission passes start at $380. Life is Beautiful has also added an all-new GA+ ticket tiers, which gives fans express festival entry, a private GA+ lounge with food and beverage offerings and air conditioned restrooms.

Alex Alvga Wins Video of the Year at CMT Music Awards for Directing Kane Brown’s “Thank God”

Alex Alvga is thanking God for his latest award…

The Spanish award-winning music video director and photographer, Kane Brown’s go-to creative director, picked up the evening’s biggest prize at the CMT Music Awards, which were held in Austin on Sunday evening.

Alex Alvga, Kane Brown, Katelyn Brown, Thank GodBrown and wife Katelyn Brown’s official music clip for “Thank God,” directed by Alvga was named Video of the Year, beating out Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton for the honor.

The video was filmed over two days in Oahu, Hawaii.

“That was an idea that Kane and Katelyn had,” Alvga says. “They wanted tropical, beach vibes for the video. They have a beautiful family with two kids, and are so young and amazing together. When you see them and spend time with them backstage, you can see that connection. I felt like the best way to do this to show them just having fun and letting them be them.”

So how did Alvga become Brown’s go-to creative director?

While on tour in the U.K. and the U.S. with singer-songwriter Jacob Whitesides, the artist’s tour manager introduced Alvga to Brown’s manager — who was seeking a videographer/photographer for CMA Fest that year. As a trial run, Alvga was invited to capture Brown’s CMT Music Awards performance (which, at the time, was held the day before the fest). “The next day, I was offered the job full time,” says Alvga. “I moved to the States with a work visa permanently two months later, and it started from there.”

Beyond Brown, Alvga has worked with various artists across genres including Khalid, Swae Lee, Becky G, White Lies, Foals, The Weeknd, Years and Years, among others.

Here’s a look at this year’s CMT Music Awards winner:

2023 CMT MUSIC AWARD WINNERS

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Kane Brown & Katelyn Brown – “Thank God”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lainey Wilson – “Heart Like A Truck”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”

GROUP/DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Zac Brown Band – “Out In The Middle”

BREAKTHROUGH FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Megan Moroney – “Tennessee Orange”

BREAKTHROUGH MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son Of A Sinner”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson – “wait in the truck”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Cody Johnson – “‘Til You Can’t” (from 2022 CMT Music Awards)

CMT DIGITAL-FIRST PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Jelly Roll – “Son of A Sinner” (from CMT All Access)

Bad Bunny to Perform on the MTV Video Music Awards from Yankee Stadium

Bad Bunny will be pulling double duty this weekend… 

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar will perform on the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards live from his tour stop at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, August 28.

Bad BunnyThe tour stop is part of Bad Bunny: World’s Hottest Tour.

The 2022 VMAs are set to air from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

This will mark Bad Bunny’s second VMAs appearance. His first, three years ago, was a joint performance with J Balvin of “Que Pretendes.”

The VMAs have a long history of remote performances, dating back to the very first show in 1984 when David Bowie performed his hit “Blue Jean” live from London.

There have even been performances from stadiums before, such as Guns N’ Roses performing their hit cover of Wings’ “Live and Let Die” live from Wembley Stadium in London on the 1991 VMAs and Michael Jackson performing “Black or White” from his “Dangerous World Tour” stop at Wembley on the 1992 VMAs.

Bad Bunny is nominated for four VMAs this year, including artist of the year and album of the year. He would be the first non-English-language artist to win in either of those marquee categories.

His other nominations this year are for best Latin (“Tití Me Preguntó”) and song of the summer (“Me Porto Bonito,” his collaboration with Chencho Corleone).

Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti has topped the Billboard 200 for eight non-consecutive weeks. This year’s other nominees for album of the year are Adele’s 30, Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, Drake’s Certified Lover Boy and Harry Styles’ Harry’s House.

Last week, Bad Bunny received 23 nominations for the 2022 Billboard Latin Music Awards. That put him with a tie with Ozuna for the most nods in the show’s history. Ozuna hit that mark three years ago.

Other artists set to perform on the show are Lizzo, BLACKPINK,  Måneskin, Anitta, J Balvin, Marshmello x Khalid, Panic! At The Disco and Kane Brown.

Anitta to Make Main Stage Performance Debut at This Year’s MTV Video Music Awards

Anitta is ready for a special first…

MTV has revealed the first batch of performers for this year’s MTV Video Music Awards, with the 29-year-old Brazilian singer/ songwriter among those set to take the stage.

AnittaIt will be Anitta’s VMAs main stage debut, And she will perform her latest hit single, “Envolver,” for the first-time on television.

“Envolver” recently earned the Brazilian superstar a Guinness Book of World Records certification as the first solo Latin artist to hit No. 1 at Spotify.

Anitta also is up for her first VMA in the Best Latin category, making her the first Brazilian artist to be nominated for a Moon Person.

But Anitta isn’t the only Latinx artist set to perform.

J Balvin will take the stage

The 37-year-old Colombian superstar will return to the show for the television/world premiere of “Nivel de Perreo” with Ryan Castro, back for the first time since his epic on-stage collaboration with Bad Bunny for “Que Pretendes” in 2019.

The 13-time nominee with five wins also is looking to take his sixth Moon Person for Best Latin (“In Da Getto” with Skrillex), which would crown him as the most awarded Latin artist in VMAs history.

Other performers include Marshmello x Khalid and Panic! at the Disco.

The MTV VMAs will take place on August 28, live from the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

Kendrick Lamar, Jack Harlow & Lil Nas X are coming into the show tied for the nominations lead with seven apiece. Next up are Doja Cat and Harry Styles with six each and Billie Eilish, Drake, Dua Lipa, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and The Weeknd with five.

The 2022 VMAs will air at 8:00 pm ET/PT on Sunday, August 28, across MTV’s global linear and digital platforms in more than 170 countries. For the third straight year, the VMAs will simulcast on the CW, in addition to BET, BET Her, CMT, Comedy Central, Logo, MTV2, Nickelodeon, Paramount Network, Pop, TVLand and VH1.

Here are MTV’s mini-bios of the performers set so far:

Anitta
The charismatic global pop sensation is slated to make her VMAs main stage debut with a first-time TV performance of her newest hit single, “Envolver,” which recently earned the Brazilian superstar Guinness Book of World Records certification as the first solo Latin artist to hit No. 1 at Spotify. Anitta also is up for her first VMA in the Best Latin category, making her the first Brazilian artist to be nominated for a Moon Person.

J Balvin
Colombian global star J Balvin returns with a TV/world premiere of “Nivel de Perreo” with Ryan Castro, back for the first time since his epic on-stage collaboration with Bad Bunny for “Que Pretendes” in 2019. The 13-time nominee with five wins also is looking to take his sixth Moon Person for Best Latin (“In Da Getto” with Skrillex), which would crown him as the most awarded Latin artist in VMAs history.

Marshmello x Khalid
Together, Marshmello and Khalid are set to take over the MTV stage for a world premiere TV performance of new chart climbing collaboration “Numb.” Marshmello — a five-time VMAs nominee — will make his main stage debut this year. Khalid returns to the VMAs stage for the first time since his 2017 debut with Logic and Alessia Cara for “1-800-273-8255,” where he also took home Best New Artist.

Panic! at the Disco
Panic! At The Disco returns to the VMAs stage for the first time since 2018 to world premiere new single “Middle of a Breakup,” from the forthcoming album Viva Las Vengeance. The nine-time nominee, who first won in 2006 for Video of the Year, also looks to take home a win for Alternative Video, its first nomination in this category.

Jhené Aiko to Perform at CNN’s “Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom” Concert

Jhené Aiko is helping celebrate Juneteenth

The 34-year-old part-Spanish and Dominican American Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter will perform as part of CNN’s first-ever Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom programming, featuring a Hollywood Bowl concert with a lineup of artists.

Jhene AikoThe goal of the program: to inform and educate viewers on the meaning of the new federal holiday.

CNN obtained the rights to the event, from Live Nation Urban and Jesse Collins Entertainment, and the lineup includes Chaka Khan, Khalid, Yolanda Adams, Anthony Hamilton, Billy Porter, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Earth, Wind & Fire, Killer Mike, Lucky Daye, Mary Mary, Aiko, Ne-Yo, Michelle Williams, Mickey Guyton, Robert Glasper and The Roots, among others.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver taped remarks.

Johnita P. Due, senior vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer for CNN Worldwide, said in an interview this week that event  “is really one of the most meaningful things that I have been involved in” at the network.

“The thing that makes it special, of course, is that it was only a year ago that the federal government made Juneteenth a national holiday,” she said. “So how many times in history will we have that opportunity to really shape for the country, and for the world, how a holiday is celebrated, and the meaning of a holiday and the importance of a holiday.”

This is the 157th anniversary of Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. June 19, 1865 was the date that federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX and informed citizens that slavery had been abolished in the state. The anniversary was commemorated the following year with prayers and singing, and it endured as an annual tradition.

“We really feel that with this event, we are able to not only commemorate the holiday, but we’re able to educate people around the meaning behind it, and also to uplift and inspire people to continue to make a difference and continue in the pursuit if freedom for all,” Due said.

The event also will include The Re-Collective Orchestra, a 68-piece all Black symphony orchestra that will be the first time that an all-Black symphony has performed at the bowl. Adam Blackstone and Questlove will serve as the evening’s musical directors.

Earlier in the evening, Don Lemon will anchor a pre-show highlighting African American advocates and creators.

On Thursday, CNN Business hosted a streamed conversation on advancing Black leadership, with correspondent Stephanie Elam sitting down with Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Rosalind Brewer. Also appearing were Operations Hope Founder and CEO John Hope Bryant and Collab Capital co-founder Barry Givens.

Due said that CNN staff had been brainstorming ideas for coverage of Juneteenth, and went on a tour with curators at the National Museum of African American History and Culture before they connected with Live Nation Urban. She said that artists will give music and spoken word performances that share their experiences of Black America. Interstitial packages will be woven in with the live performances.

The goal also was to have a diversity of music genres, including rap, R&B, country, soul, hip hop and gospel. Viewers also will be directed to ways they can get engaged in organizations and volunteer activities.

Due said that they “want people to be uplifted and we want people to be motivated.”

“We want people to walk away with a renewed commitment to make a difference in society as it relates to racial and social justice and equity,” she said.

Mariah Carey Teams Up with McDonald’s for Special Holiday Menu, The Mariah Menu

Mariah Carey will be mealin’ and dealin’ this holiday season…

The half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning singer, the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas, is planning to spread holiday cheer with some help from McDonald’s.

Mariah CareyThe fast food giant and the “All I Want For Christmas Is You” singer revealed a collaboration not in the form of a special meal like J Balvin, Saweetie and BTS have done previously, but an entire menu with goodies for 12 days leading up to Christmas.

“This holiday season at @McDonalds, you’re not getting the Mariah meal… you’re getting a whole menu!” the singer wrote on Twitter. “Introducing The Mariah Menu: get free daily deals w/ $1 min purchase December 13 to 24, only in the app dahhling!”

The free items include a variety of classic sandwiches like the Big Mac, cheeseburger or McChicken as well as popular breakfast items, sweet treats and McNuggets. The promotion is limited to one per day so fans everywhere can experience holiday cheer. The promo is available only at participating McDonald’s nationwide.

“Some of my favorite memories with my kids are our family trips to McDonald’s, and of course, each of us has our go-to order. Mine is the Cheeseburger, and I get it with extra pickles,” Carey said in a press release for the announcement. “Bringing together some of our favorite food from McDonald’s with my all-time favorite season is a holiday wish come true.”

“Mariah goes with the holidays like ketchup and fries, so we couldn’t think of a better partner to help us celebrate the upcoming season,” said Jennifer Healan, vice president, U.S. marketing, brand content and engagement of McDonald’s USA. “Just like McDonald’s brings people around the table with their favorite orders, Mariah’s music connects us all during this time of the year. We’re so excited to team up to bring even more holiday cheer to our fans.”

This is Carey’s most recent effort to get her fans ready for Christmas — she released a new Christmas single, “Fall In Love at Christmas” featuring Khalid and Kirk Franklin, 50 days before Christmas’ arrival last week. Fans voted in a poll published Friday (November 5) on Billboard, and chose the track as their favorite new music release of the past week.

Mariah Carey to Return to AppleTV+ with New Christmas special, “Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues”

Mariah Carey is bringing more magic to the holidays…

The half-Venezuelan American Grammy-winning songstress and Queen of Christmas is returning for an AppleTV+ Christmas special for a second year in a row.

Mariah Carey

Moreover, Carey is set to perform the new single Fall In Love At Christmas exclusively alongside Khalid and Kirk Franklin.

Mariah’s Christmas: The Magic Continues follows last year’s Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Specialwhich is still available on the SVoD platform. That special also featured Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande and was directed by Roman Coppola.

Carey will use the show to perform brand new single Fall In Love At Christmas with Khalid and Franklin for the first time.

She is executive-producing alongside Tim Case, Charleen Manca and Matthew Turke of factual and music video producer Supply & Demand, along with renowned music director Joseph Kahn, who is also directing.

Earlier this year, Carey left Jay-Z’s Roc Nation to join Melissa Ruderman at Range Media Partners for management.

J Balvin Earns 30th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Otra Noche Sin Ti”

J Balvin is back on top…

The 36-year-old Colombian singer’s latest single “Otra Noche Sin Ti,” featuring Khalid, has landed at No. 1 on BillboardLatin Airplay chart dated July 10.

J Balvin

“Otra Noche Sin Ti” rises 5-1 with 9.7 million in audience impressions, a 43% gain, earned in the week ending July 4, according to MRC Data. For Khalid, it’s his first chart appearance since 2018 when Marshmello’s “Silence,” on which he is featured, debuted and peaked at No. 50. J Balvin, meanwhile, picks up his 30th No. 1 dating back to his first, “6 AM,” featuring Farruko in 2014.

Khalid, meanwhile, earns his first No. 1 on any Latin chart.

With the song’s ascent, Balvin gets closer to beating Enrique Iglesias’ all-time record of 31 leaders since the chart’s inception in 1994.

Here are the Latin Airplay winners:

31, Enrique Iglesias
30, J Balvin
24, Daddy Yankee
24, Ozuna
20, Maluma
19, Wisin
19, Romeo Santos

Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Otra Noche Sin Ti” pushes up Hot Latin Songs with a 20-17 jump and takes the Greatest Gainer/ Airplay honors. It concurrently grants Khalid his first Latin Rhythm Airplay No. 1 as the song lifts 4-1.

J Balvin Teams Up with Khalid to Release New Single “Otra Noche Sin Ti”

It’s another night for J Balvin

The 35-year-old Colombian reggaeton singer has joined voices with Khalid to release the joint single, “Otra Noche Sin Ti,” along with a music video directed by Colin Tilley.

J Balvin x Khalid

The song, produced by Lexus and Keityn, is the third single from Balvin’s upcoming new album.

The track pairs Balvin’s Spanish lyrics with Khalid’s English verses, with Khalid crooning, “Been a while since I’ve seen your face/ When you know it gets lonely in L..A/ Thinking of you every day/ Say the word I’m on a one-way.”

The monochrome music video, set in a foggy forest, brings the singers together for the soulful song.

Ahead of the video’s premiere, Balvin and Khalid appeared on YouTube series Released to discuss their creative process and how the two originally met via Twitter.

In February, Balvin shared his single “Ma’ G.” Then, in March, Balvin released a new song called “Tu Veneno.”