Selena Gomez’s “Revelación” Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums Chart

Selena Gomez is No. 1 with a bullet…

The 28-year-old Mexican American singer/actress has debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart with her first Spanish-language album Revelación on the March 27-dated survey.

Selena Gomez

Her album arrives with 23,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 18, according to MRC Data — marking the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman since 2017.

“I never go into anything expecting a No. 1 so I do not take it for granted,” Gomez tells Billboard. “It’s always a bit nerve racking before releasing any music because as artists we put so much of ourselves out there. For this EP specifically, I was the most nervous I have been in a long time because my heritage means so much to me and I have been talking about doing this for over 10 years. I wanted it to be perfect. I am thrilled to see the response from my fans and also from people who might not have listened to my other music.”

The Top Latin Albums chart ranks the most popular Latin albums of the week in the U.S. based on multimetric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album.

The seven-track Revelación was released March 12 via Interscope/IGA. Of its starting sum of 23,000 equivalent album units, album sales comprise 14,000 and the bulk of the remainder are SEA units (equaling 12.21 million on-demand streams of the set’s songs). Gomez’s debut Latin project boasts the biggest week for a Latin album by a woman in nearly four years, since Shakira’s El Dorado started with 29,000 units in its first week (chart dated June 17, 2017).

“Without a doubt the most challenging aspect was having to do all of the sessions over Zoom,” Gomez adds. “We started recording the EP right before COVID-19 shut everything down. In the beginning there were times I ended up canceling sessions because I found it so uninspiring not to be in the same room with everyone. I eventually was able to get past it and am extremely happy with how the music came together. [Producer] Tainy was very patient with me while I worked through my frustrations.”

Revelación is the first album by a female act at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums since Shakira’s El Dorado spent its fifth and final nonconsecutive week atop the list dated Aug. 5, 2017.

Gomez also notches the highest debut by a female solo act since Jenni Rivera’s Paloma Negra Desde Monterrey likewise debuted atop the list in November 2016. In between Rivera and Gomez, a collaborative set by two women launched at No. 1: Gloria Trevi and Alejandra Guzman’s Versus in July 2017.

As Gomez’s “Baila Conmigo,” with Rauw Alejandro, concurrently takes over the top spot on the new Latin Airplay chart, she becomes the first female act in over a decade to rule both charts simultaneously. The last woman to achieve the feat was Shakira when Sale el Sol and “Loca,” featuring El Cata, ruled both Top Latin Albums and Latin Airplay, respectively in November 2010.

Elsewhere, Gomez places a total of four tracks on Hot Latin Songs, all from Revelación — one of which debuts in the top 20: “Baila Conmigo” with Rauw Alejandro lifts 8-5, “Selfish Love,” with DJ Snake, is at No. 18, “Dámelo To’,” featuring Myke Towers, starts at No. 20, and “De Una Vez,” re-enters at No. 50.

“Releasing ‘De Una Vez’ as the first song was the perfect way to introduce the new music,” Gomez says. “It’s a song I really related to and I think it’s beautiful with a message of hope and healing. I think all of the collaborators bring different elements to the table. With Snake it was great because we have a history together so on a mere comfort level that was nice to have. On ‘Dámelo Tó’ Myke brings this smooth rap and it makes you crave for it to be summer because it has the kind of vibe. When we were recording ‘Baila Conmigo’ I  knew we needed a male voice on it and Rauw has the ideal sexy, soulful voice that really complements the song perfectly.”

Revelación concurrently bows at No. 1 on Latin Pop Albums and at No. 22 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

Khea Signs Worldwide Deal with Interscope Records

Khea is going global…

The 19-year-old Argentinian Latin trap singer, whose real name is Ivo Alfredo Thomas Serue, has signed a deal with Interscope Records worldwide.

Khea

Khea has established himself as one of the leaders of the Latin trap movement in Argentina and Latin America. His rise to fame was astronomical after his song “LOCA” exploded in Latin America. To date, the song has accumulated an astonishing 900M+ views across Spotifyand YouTube.

In 2018, Khea performed more than 100 shows in the most iconic venues in Argentina and Latin America to sold out crowds.

In 2019, he was invited to perform on the leading festivals in Latin America like  Lollapalooza Argentinaand Chile, Creamfields ChileHellow Festival Mexicoand Coca Cola Flow Fest Mexico. He has also been invited as a Special Guest during the tour stops for Daddy YankeeAnuel AA, and Nicky Jamin Argentina and Paraguay.

In 2019, he was also one of only three Latin artists performing on the major European festival circuit; Tomorrowland, Poland Open’erTinderboxWireless Germany, Les Ardentes, to name a few. 

Khea has collaborated with artists like Bad BunnyYung PinchC-TanganaRauw AlejandroDuki, and Eladio Carrion.

His versatility and lyrical creativity has put him at the forefront of Latin trap and is allowing him to pave the way for an entire generation of Urban Argentine musicians that are exporting their music globally.

Alborán & Lovato Highlight the Stellar Performances at the Latin Grammys

The Latin Grammys aren’t solely a night to recognize the exceptional work of Latin musicians; they’re also a platform for showcasing the incredible talent of Hispanic artists to the entire world. And, this year’s awards show was no exception.

Latin Grammys Performances Shakira, Pablo Alboran & Pitbull

From international superstars like Calle 13 and Shakira—who took home awards for their great work in the past year—to rising stars like Sie7e and Pablo Alborán, the 12thAnnual Latin Grammy Awards featured high-octane performances by the brightest stars  in Latin music,
including some powerhouse duets. Even English-language artists like Demi Lovato and Usher made special guest appearances  during the show.

Here’s a look at the night’s best live performances:

Calle 13
This year’s big winners with a record-shattering nine awards kicked off the show with a electrifying performance of their smash hit “Latinoamerica,” which ended up winning the Puerto Rican urban hip-hop group the on the Song of the Year award. The show-stopping performance included a full orchestral accompaniment, which elevated the song to new heights.

Shakira
She’s this year’s Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year, so it’s no surprise Shakira performed twice during the three-hour show. During the Colombian singer’s first appearance, she looked flawless in a crystal-encrusted strapless gown with peach chiffon skirt as she performed her latest single “Antes de las seis,” a powerful and heart-wrenching ballad. Looking all the rockera, Shakira returned later in the broadcast to perform “Devoción,” and then busted a move with her backup dancers while singing her big hit “Loca.”

Pablo Alborán & Demi Lovato
Spanish singer Pablo Alborán, nominated for best new artist, performed a duet with 19-year-old part-Mexican singer/actress Demi Lovato. The pair performed his heart-wrenching ballad ” Solamente Tú” to perfection.

Wisin y Yandel & Sean Kingston
In another spectacular presentation, the Puerto Rican hip-hop duo sang their hit “Estoy enamorado.” Wisin y Yandel first appeared on the TV
screens in black and white, before breaking out in technicolor—with rapper Sean Kingston joining them.

Pitbull & Marc Anthony
Talk about a show-stopping moment—complete with a ever changing cast of sexy back up dancers. Call Pitbull and Marc Anthony’s high-energy of “Rain Over Me” an ode to Las Vegas, where this year’s show took place.

Mana & Prince Royce
The legendary Mexican band rocked the show during the performance of Mana’s hit “Lluvia al corazon,”  before being joined by rising star Prince Royce to sing a tropical remix of the band’s current single “El verdadero amor perdona.

Other outstanding performances:  Los Tigres del Norte and Paulina Rubio singing “Golpes en el Corazon”and Romeo Santos performing his hit “Promise” with Usher.

So which performance do you think stole the show?