Enrique Iglesias Releases “Final, Vol. 2,” The Last Musical Set of His Career

Posted on March 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a final bow for Enrique Iglesias.

The 48-year-old Spanish singer and songwriter has released his new studio album Final, Vol. 2 via Sony Music Latin—almost three years after dropping Final, Vol. 1.

Iglesias is assuring everyone the album will be the last musical set of his career.

Comprised of 10 tracks, Final, Vol. 2 finds Iglesias navigating from his signature electronic dance and Latin pop fusions to other genres including bachata (“Así Es La Vida” featuring Maria Becerra), dembow (“La Botella” featuring El Alfa), country (“Space in my Heart” featuring Miranda Lambert), and cumbia (“Llórame Un Río featuring Belinda). His collaboration with Lambert is also available in Spanish with only Iglesias performing it called “Espacio En Tu Corazón.”

In addition to “Space in my Heart,” two other songs on the set are in English: “Love and Pain” and “Be Together”—further stamping the Spanish crooner’s global connection to his fans.

His sensual bachata with Becerra reached No. 1 on the Billboard Tropical Airplay chart for eight weeks, starting the December 9, 2023-dated chart, and it reached a No. 12 high on Latin Airplay chart (December 16).

Final, Vol. 2 follows Final, Vol. 1 (2021), his first album in seven years after Sex & Love and that includes hits such as the Nicky Jam-assisted “El Perdón,” “Duele el Corazón” with Wisin, “Súbeme la Radio” with Descemer Bueno and Zion y Lennox, and the Bad Bunny-assisted “El Baño.”

Final (Vol. 1) debuted and peaked at No. 12 on Top Latin Albums and at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums (charts dated Oct. 10, 2021).

Enrique Iglesias Teaming Up with Miranda Lambert for New Single “Space in My Heart”

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is making a little space for country-tinged music…

The 48-year-old Spanish superstar is joining voices with country music star Miranda Lambert for the upcoming single “Space in My Heart.”

On Monday, February 12, Lambert posted a snippet of the upcoming single, which will be released in full on February 22.

On Instagram, Lambert noted, “Texas meets Spain! Can’t wait for y’all to hear this one.”

The snippet offers up a sultry come-on, with the two singing, “You don’t love me yet, but I know you will/ If you ever go I will never change/ There’s a space in my heart and it’s just your shape.”

Iglesias — known for his Billboard Hot 100 hits including “Bailamos” and “Be With You,” as well as songs like “Hero” and the Whitney Houston collaboration “Could I Have This Kiss Forever?” — was named one of Billboard‘s Top-Grossing Latin Artists of All Time.

He’s notched eight chart-topping albums on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart, including Vivir (15 weeks at the chart pinnacle) and Sex and Love (16 weeks).

In collaborating with Iglesias, Lambert continues a lengthy linage of country-Latin collaborations.

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In the 1980s, Enrique’s father, Latin music icon Julio Iglesias, earned country hits on collaborations with Willie Nelson, including the CMA Award-winning “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” as well as “Spanish Eyes.” Country trio Midland teamed with Jay De La Cueva for a Spanish-language version of its hit “Drinkin’ Problem.” Oklahoma native Carrie Underwood performed with Latin artist David Bisbal for the bilingual song “Tears of Gold,” while Kane Brown teamed with Becky G for a Spanish remix of “Lost in the Middle of Nowhere.” In celebrating the 25th anniversary of his 1992 hit “Achy Breaky Heart,” Billy Ray Cyrus collaborated with Caballo Dorado on a bilingual version of the song.

Enrique Iglesias & Influence Media Partners Agree to Major Partnership Deal

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias has a new influence…

The 48-year-Spanish superstar and Influence Media Partners have agreed to a major partnership deal.

Influence and Iglesias have partnered on the rights management of his pre-2021 recorded music rights, according to a press release, including his independent masters and his Universal recorded music royalties, along with name, image and likeness (NIL) rights to expand future licensing opportunities for the singer.

This marks the first NIL deal for Influence Media, which last year partnered with Black Rock and Warner Music Group for funding and infrastructure.

“My songs hold immense significance for both my fans and me,” Iglesias said in a statement. “I’m excited to be working with the Influence Media team. I feel confident we will build an enduring partnership for my music and future projects.”

“Enrique is a global icon and having him as a part of our Influence Media family is a game-changing moment for us,” added Lylette Pizarro, Influence Media founder/co-managing partner. “For a quarter of a century, he has captivated fans globally with chart-topping and record-breaking hits. From ‘Experiencia Religiosa’ to ‘Hero’ and ‘Bailando’ to ‘I Like It’ and ‘Be With You,’ there are few artists who come close to accomplishing what Enrique has achieved commercially. He has played a pivotal role in introducing bilingual music to the masses. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with one of the most recognizable figures in modern music.”

“It has been an honor to be part of Enrique’s team for more than two decades,” said John Branca, partner/head of music at Ziffren Brittenham, who represented Iglesias in the deal. “As the most successful Latin artist of all time he is also one of the most accomplished and beloved artists of his generation. Enrique was highly selective in choosing a partner with whom he will enhance his already monumental legacy.”

With a career that spans over three decades, Iglesias is one of the first Spanish-language acts to successfully cross over into the English-language market. He has placed five top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “I Like It,” “Tonight (I’m Lovin’ You)” and “Hero.” He’s also placed three top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 (Escape, Euphoria and Sex And Love) and 27 No. 1 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart.

Currently on the U.S. Trilogy Tour with Pitbull and Ricky Martin, Iglesias most recently scored his eighth No. 1 on the Tropical Airplay chart with his bachata collab “Así Es La Vida” with Maria Becerra. He is set to drop his new album, Final Vol. 2, next year.

Influence Media previously acquired the commercially-released master recording catalog of Blake Shelton for his 2001-2019 output, Future’s song publishing catalog and Puerto Rican songwriter-producer Tainy’s song publishing catalog from 2005-2021, among other investments.

Enrique Iglesias Reclaims Record for Most No. 1s on Billboard Latin Airplay Chart with “Me Pasé,” Featuring Farruko

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is back in the lead…

The 46-year-old Spanish singer, songwriter, record producer, philanthropist and actor has recaptured his record for the most No. 1s on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, ascends 4-1 on the October 2-dated survey.

With 32 No. 1s on the almost 27-year list, Iglesias pushes ahead of J Balvin for the most leaders. The latter notched his 31st leader as he locked up the No. 1 spot with “In Da Getto,” with Skrillex, on the September 11-dated tally.

“Me Pasé” takes over atop Latin Airplay thanks to a 26% boost in audience impressions, to 11.3 million, in the U.S. in the week ending September 26, according to MRC Data.

Notably, Iglesias has held the record for the most No. 1s on the Latin Airplay chart almost continuously since 1996, when he achieved his fifth No. 1, then passing Selena (who had a leading four No. 1s at that point).

The Latin Airplay chart began only two years earlier, in 1994. Since then, Iglesias has held the most No. 1s on the list except for a brief time earlier this year, when J Balvin tied with him for the most, when the former notched his 31st No. 1 on the September 11 chart with “In Da Getto.”

With “Me Pasé” at the summit, Farruko reaches his highest Latin Airplay ranking in 2021 as he’s scored two No. 3 high tracks (“Perfecta,” with Luis Fonsi, January 2; and “Pepas,” September 25).

Besides conquering Latin Airplay, Iglesias and Farruko also rule Latin Pop Airplay as “Me Pasé” lifts 2-1. Iglesias improves his career total to 25 No. 1s, extending his lead far ahead of second-place Shakira, with 19. Farruko captures his sixth leader.

Meanwhile, Final (Vol. 1), Iglesias’ 11th studio album, debuts at No. 2 on Latin Pop Albums. It’s his first studio effort since 2014’s No. 1 Sex and Love, and it earns him a 12th top 10. In between, Iglesias secured a No. 2 high with a Greatest Hits (2019) set, which has remained steady in the tally’s top 10 during all but one week of its 103-week run.

The 11-track Final (Vol. 1) includes five tracks that were originally released between 2015 and 2018 but were not previously released on an Iglesias album. Among them are a pair of No. 1s on Hot Latin Songs: “El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, and “Duele El Corazón,” with Wisin.

“I took a pause in between albums because I was touring and because I wanted to enjoy the success of my previous album,” Iglesias tells Billboard. “I have never stopped writing and going to the studio though. The plan was to release the album at the beginning of last year, but once COVID hit, it delayed everything, obviously.”

Final, released September 17 via Sony Music Latin, starts with 4,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Sept. 23rd. Out of the 11-track set’s opening sum, 3,000 derive from streaming activity, which equates to 5 million U.S. streams of the set’s tracks. The remaining 1,000-unit sum stems from album sales and track equivalent album units.

“The biggest challenge was not being able to have everyone in the same studio and trying to follow all the precautions,” Iglesias continues. “We were trying to finish all the production aspects of the songs, which we managed to do being careful. Everyone involved wanted to see this bulk of work out and we managed to finish the process during COVID to have it ready so we could put it out now.”

On the overall Top Latin Albums chart, Final arrives at No. 12, also the Spaniard’s first appearance with a studio set since 2014. “When I work on an album, I start with 50 songs!” Iglesias adds. “Then it becomes 30, 20…so on. So, through the process, I relate to every single one in a way. I always say that if I’m going to put any music out, it must be something that I like and be willing to sing every single night, for years if needed. It’s hard to handpick just one, but I really enjoy ‘Chasing the Sun.’ It talks about staying young and staying positive. It’s a song that always puts me in a good mood.”

As Final arrives, one track launches on the all-metric Hot Latin Songs chart: “Pendejo” at No. 33. The set, however, was preceded by five songs, one of which ruled the tally for 30 weeks in 2015. Here’s the recap:

Title, Artist (if other than Iglesias), Peak Date, Peak Position
“El Perdón,” with Nicky Jam, March 21, 2015, No. 1 (30 weeks atop)
“Duele El Corazón,” with Wisin, May 14, 2016, No. 1 (14-week lead)
“Súbeme La Radio,” featuring Zion & Lennox and Descemer Bueno, April 22, 2017, No. 2
“El Baño,” featuring Bad Bunny, Jan. 27, 2018, No. 8
“Me Pasé,” featuring Farruko, Oct. 2, No. 15

Enrique Iglesias to Release “Final” Album This Month

Posted on September 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the Final countdown for Enrique Iglesias…

During a live Q&A on Friday, September 3, the 46-year-old Spanish singer/songwriter announced that his forthcoming album, titled Final, could be his last.

Iglesias revealed the news to Ricky Martin and Sebastián Yatra, and their millions of followers on Instagram, during a live chat to promote their upcoming tour set to kick off later this month.

Final is set for release on September 17.

“It might be my final album,” the “Bailando” singer told them. “It’s not something that I have been thinking about for the past few months. It’s something that I have been thinking about for the past few years. There’s going to be Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, but they’re final. I’m in that moment in my life, that chapter in my life, where I think it’s the right time to put it out and I’ve been thinking about this since 2015.”

Although it might be his last album, Iglesias reassured fans that it doesn’t mean he’ll stop making music. “I’m never going to stop writing songs because I love writing songs, but I’m going to do it in a different way — meaning they don’t necessarily have to be packaged as an album — so this project to me is important.”

Final Vol. 1 will be Iglesias’ 11th studio album and will follow 2014’s Sex and Love, which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Latin Albums chart (dated April 4, 2014).

Iglesias Leaving Universal for Sony Music

Posted on July 26, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias is switching teams…

The 40-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter has left his longtime home at Universal Music Group and signed with Sony Music, according to Billboard.

His albums will most likely be released by Sony Music Latin in Spanish and RCA Records in English.

Iglesias had a long and positive relationship with Universal, which released his albums in English and Spanish for more than a decade.

But Sony offered major international support and, according to inside sources, one of the biggest contracts offered to any artist in recent years in terms of advances and royalties.

Sex and Love, which was released in 2014 and includes the hit “Bailando,” was Iglesias’ last album under his Universal contract.

Earlier this year, as a free agent, he recorded the single “El Perdon” with Nicky Jam, who is signed to Sony. The track was released by Sony Music U.S. Latin in Spanish, and rose to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart (supplanting long-running “Bailando”). An English version was released in July as is being worked jointly with RCA.

There is no word of a new album yet.

Iglesias’ first record label was Mexican indie Fonovisa, where he launched his career as a Latin crooner. He then signed to Universal/Interscope and became a crossover star with equal success in both English and Spanish.

All told, Iglesias has sold over 10 million albums in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen, making him one of the biggest acts in the market, in any language. Worldwide, he’s sold over 100 million albums.

His top-selling album is Escape, which has sold over 3.5 million copies in the U.S. alone.

To get a sense of Iglesias’ clout, one also has to look at his streaming numbers. “Bailando,” for example, was recorded in four versions. Two of those videos — in English and Spanish — have over 1 billion views on Vevo.

Neither Sony nor Iglesias’ management had comment.

Iglesias to Perform at This Year’s MTV European Music Awards

Posted on October 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Great Scot! Enrique Iglesias is heading to Scotland…

The 38-year-old Spanish singing sensation has joined the lineup of performers at the MTV European Music Awards in Glasgow next month, according to show organizers.

Following his awards show performance, Iglesias will embark on the European leg of his Sex and Love world tour.

At this year’s EMAs, Iglesias is nominated in the Best World Stage category. After being named Best Spanish Act, he also has the opportunity to be voted into the Best Worldwide Act award category.

Iglesias joins the high profile list of performers that includes Ariana Grande, Ed Sheeran, Calvin Harris and Nicki Minaj, who will host this year’s show .

British rock legend Ozzy Osbourne will be honored with the Global Icon Award.

Additionally, MTV has unveiled a new, socially focused award category for the MTV EMAs: Best Song with a Message. The honor is designed to recognize songs that are having “an empowering impact on young people, tackling important issues they care about and inspiring them to have a social conscience.”

The nominees in the category are “We Exist” from Arcade Fire, which addresses gender identity; Alicia Keys‘ “We Are Here,” a call for an end to violence around the world; “Take Me to Church” from Hozier, which tackles homophobia; Beyonce‘s “Pretty Hurts,” which examines obsession with appearance; and “All About That Bass” from Meghan Trainor, which talks about self-acceptance and inner beauty.

Iglesias to Participate in the Billboard Latin Music Conference

Posted on March 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Iglesias will now take your questions…

The 38-year-old Spanish singer-songwriter will make an appearance at the Billboard Superstar Q&A during the upcoming Billboard Latin Music Conference in Miami.

Iglesias will be interviewed by Billboard‘s Executive Director of Latin Content and Programming Leila Cobo, during an intimate conversation highlighting the singer/songwriter’s career.

“Enrique has spent 19 years on our charts and has placed 24 tracks at No. 1 on our Hot Latin Songs chart, more than any other artist,” says Cobo. “His chart history is unique and he is the perfect artist to celebrate our anniversary with.”

The conference, being held April 21-24 at Miami’s JW Marriott Marquis, will also include the participation of music stars Gloria Trevi, Kat Dahlia, recent Grammy-winner La Marisoul, Laura Pausini and Leslie Grace.

Iglesias, who has sold more than 100 albums worldwide, is a multiple Billboard Latin Music and Billboard Music Awards winner in a career dating back to 1995. Iglesias, whose biggest hits include “Bailamos,” “Hero,” “I Like It” and “Tonight (I’m Loving You),” is the first male performer to have the most No. 1s on Billboard‘s Dance Club Songs chart. He also has seven No. 1s on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart and multiple No. 1s across the Billboard charts.

Additionally, Iglesias has the Billboard record for the most No. 1 singles on the Hot Latin Songs chart with 24, which includes the recent hits “El Perdedor” featuring Marco Antonio Solis and “Loco” featuring Romeo Santos; both songs are featured on his tenth album SEX and LOVE, which was released this week. The new project includes 16 tracks including “I’m a Freak” featuring Pitbull, “Noche y Dia” featuring Yandel and Juan Magan and “Beautiful” featuring Kyle Minogue.

For more information about the 2014 Billboard Latin Music Conference, please visit BillboardLatinConference.com.

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