Gerardo Ortiz Earns 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay Chart with “Ahí No Era”

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 13 for Gerardo Ortiz…

The 34-year-old Mexican American Regional Mexican singer-songwriter has notched his 13th No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart as “Ahí No Era” advances 4-1 on the list dated February 17.

After a week in the top 10, Ortiz’s single crowns the list following a robust 40% gain in audience impressions, to 7.5 million, earned in the U.S. in the tracking week ending Feb. 8, according to Luminate.

As “Ahí No Va” advances, it unseats Xavi’s “La Diabla” from the lead after one week in charge. The latter dips 1-2 with 6.7 million, that’s a 29% decline from the week prior.

With 13 No. 1s to his account, Ortiz still has the second-most among soloists, behind Christian Nodal’s 15 No. 1s. Among all acts, Calibre 50 has the most, with 24.

Here’s the list of the acts with the most No. 1s since the Regional Mexican Airplay chart launched in 1994:

24, Calibre 50
19, Banda MS de Sergio Lizarraga
18, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga
18, Intocable
17, La Arrolladora Banda el Limon de Rene Camacho
16, Conjunto Primavera
16, Los Tigres del Norte
15, Christian Nodal
13, Gerardo Ortiz
12, La Adictiva Banda San Jose de Mesillas

As “Ahí No Era” lands at the summit, Ortiz becomes just the sixth soloist to rule Regional Mexican Airplay in the past year.

He joins Christian Nodal (“Un Cumbión Dolido” in June 2023), Alejandro Fernández (“No Es Que Me Quiera Ir” and “Difícil Tu Caso,” last August and November respectively), Carin León (“Indispensable,” last August-September), El Fantasma (“La Vida Cara,” last September), Eden Muñoz (“Como En Los Viejos Tiempos,” January 27-dated list), and Xavi (“La Diabla,” chart dated February 10).

Elsewhere, “Ahí No Era” pushes 14-4 on the overall Latin Airplay ranking, for Ortiz’ 17th top 10. The song becomes his highest peak since “Regresa Hermosa” reached an equal No. 4 high in 2016.

Yandel & Myke Towers’ “Borracho y Loco” Rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart

Posted on February 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Yandel is back on top…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican singer and songwriter and the half-member of the reggaeton duo Wisin & Yandel and Myke Towers have notched another No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as “Borracho y Loco” crowns the list dated February 17.

It’s the first collaboration by two Latin rhythm acts to top the chart in 2024.

Yandel and Towers’ track advances from the runner-up slot with 10.3 million audience impressions earned in the U.S. in the week ending February 8 (up 18%), according to Luminate.

It sends last week’s No. 1, Xavi’s “La Diabla” down to No. 7 after one week in charge. The latter declined 26% to 7.1 million in audience.

“The truth is that it makes me very happy that with so many years making music my songs still reach the first places and top lists in the United States and other parts of the world,” Yandel told Billboard.

As “Borracho y Loco” lands at the summit, it becomes the pair’s second No. 1 team-up. The Puerto Ricans last ruled the overall Latin Airplay ranking through a Nio Garcia, Casper Mágico, Ozuna, Wisin and Flow La Movie collab, when “Travesuras” topped the tally for one-week in 2021.

With “Borracho y Loco” Yandel scores his 16th champ on Latin Airplay. Further, he ties with Nicky Jam for the seventh-most No. 1s among male urban artists since the tally launched in 1994.

Here’s a review of the winners:

36, J Balvin
33, Ozuna
28, Daddy Yankee
24, Bad Bunny
24, Maluma
22, Wisin
16, Nicky Jam
16, Yandel

“I am beyond grateful for my fans, my producers and the artists I have had the joy of collaborating with,” Yandel adds. “Now another No. 1 arrives through ‘Borracho y Loco.’ Myke Towers, thanks brother! Here we go, another No. 1 for the books!”

For Towers, the rapper and singer-songwriter lands his 10th No. 1 with his 31st chart appearance. He last topped the chart with the viral TikTok hit “Lala,” which spent two weeks at No. 1 in September 2023.

“Borracho y Loco” takes over Latin Airplay in its 18th week, marking the second-longest climb to the top for both artists. Previously, Yandel placed three songs at the summit each one in its 20th week, including two featured roles: through Maluma’s “El Perdedor,” and in IAmChino’s “Ay Dios Miío,” which also featured Pitbull and Chacal, and with “Nunca Me Olvides,” all in 2016.

Tower’s, meanwhile, secured two songs at No. 1 in 22 weeks each: “Bandido” with Juhn, and “Bésame,” with Luis Fonsi, in June and Nov. 2021, respectively.

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

Posted on February 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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’s Latin Airplay chart dated February 10 with his sophomore hit “La Diabla.”

The 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.

Xavi Launching First Trek in the U.S., the 2024 Poco A Poco Tour, in March

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Little by little, Xavi is embracing the touring life…

The 19-year-old Mexican American Regional Mexican singer-songwriter and breakout star will hit the road with the 2024 Poco A Poco Tour, his first trek in the U.S.

Xavi is set to kick off the 24-date stint on March 28, starting with two stops in Mexico.

On April 2, he begins his American stint in Los Angeles at the Roxy Theatre, making stops in Seattle, Portland, Phoenix and Las Vegas and wrapping up in San Antonio on May 12.

The “La Diabla” singer is also slated to perform at Sueños Music Festival in Chicago on May 25.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of Xavi’s rapid rise in the music industry due to his signature tumbados románticos.

Xavi signed with Interscope Records in 2021, and in 2023, he released a summer EP titled My Mom’s Playlist — a tribute to his mother that features covers of Latin pop and rock en Español classics she loved — reflects his deep-rooted family values.

At the end of December, Xavi debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 with not one, but two entries: “La Diabla” and “La Víctima,” which have since peaked at No. 22 and No. 55, respectively.

His global appeal is further evidenced by his presence on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts, with “La Diabla” reaching the top five on both.

He’s also spent eight weeks atop Billboard’s Latin Songwriters due to songs like “La Diabla” and previously released singles including “La Víctima,” “Poco a Poco” with Dareyes De La Sierra and “Modo DND” with Tony Aguirre.

Earlier this year, Xavi signed with WME for global representation in all areas.

Pre-sale tickets go live Wednesday (Feb. 7) via Seated.com. Public on-sale for tickets will be available on Friday, February 9 through Xavi’s official website.

Here are the 24 dates for his first tour:

March 28, Auditorio BlackBerry, Mexico City, Mexico
March 30, Teatro Diana, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
April 2, The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
April 5, Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
April 6, Roseland Theater, Portland OR
April 7, Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
April 11, Arcata Theatre Lounge, Arcata, CA
April 12, Ruth Finley Theater, Santa Rosa, CA
April 13, The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
April 14, Freemont Theatre, San Luis Obispo, CA
April 18, Riverside Municipal Auditorium, Riverside CA
April 19, The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA
April 21, The Observatory North Park, San Diego, CA
April 26, Fox Theater, Bakersfield, CA
April 27, House of Blues Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
April 28, The Union Event Center, Salt Lake City, UT
May 1, The Van Buren, Phoenix, AZ
May 2, The Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
May 3, La Hacienda Event Center, Midland, TX
May 5, The Plaza Theatre, El Paso, TX
May 9, Tower Theatre, Oklahoma City, OK
May 10, House of Blues Dallas, Dallas, TX
May 11, House of Blues Houston, Houston, TX
May 12, The Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX

Xavi Tops Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Xavi’s star is on the rise…

The 19-year-old Mexican-American singer-songwriter, who was born Joshua Xavier Guiterrez, is surging on Billboard charts, notably climbing to No. 1 on the January 13-dated Emerging Artists survey.

The Emerging Artists chart ranks the most popular developing artists of the week, using the same formula as the all-encompassing Billboard Artist 100, which measures artist activity across multiple Billboard charts, including the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard 200.

However, the Emerging Artists chart excludes acts that have notched a top 25 entry on either the Hot 100 or Billboard 200, as well as artists that have achieved two or more top 10s on Billboard’s “Hot” song genre charts and/or consumption-based “Top” album genre rankings.

Xavi’s meteoric rise is due in large part to the success of “La Diabla” and “La Victima,” two unaccompanied solo singles. The former shoots from No. 62 to No. 34 on the Hot 100 and the latter leaps 79-55. As the leading non-English-language song on the first fully post-Christmas Hot 100 of the year, “La Diabla” drew 12.7 million on-demand U.S. streams in the week ending Jan. 4, up 15% from the previous frame, according to Luminate.

“La Diabla” adds a second week atop the Hot Latin Songs chart, while rising to No. 1 on Latin Streaming Songs.

Both of Xavi’s breakout hits are making great strides on Billboard’s global charts as well. “La Diabla” is No. 2 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. ranking and No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200, while “La Victima” climbs to Nos. 17 and 14, respectively. Both are new in each chart’s top 20.

Further, Xavi debuts on both charts with “Poco A Poco,” with Los Dareyes De La Sierra, and “Modo Dnd” with Tony Aguirre. The one-after-another onslaught is reminiscent of fellow regional Mexican star Peso Pluma’s sudden surge on the global charts last year, when he amassed seven debuts between March and April. Peso Pluma himself scores his fifth top 10 hit on each global list, as “Bellakeo” with Anitta hits No. 6 on Global Excl. U.S. and No. 7 on the Global 200.

Even with all of Xavi’s success on the U.S.-based Hot 100 and Latin charts, three of his four globally-charting hits are higher on the Global Excl. U.S. tally than the Global 200.

“La Diabla” and “La Victima” takes the Nos. 1 and 2 spots, respectively, on Billboard’s Mexico Songs ranking, while the former is also in the top 10 in Colombia and Ecuador.

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

Posted on January 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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.

Xavi, 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”

Posted on January 4, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

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.

The 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.

Cesar Azpilicueta Extends Chelsea FC Contract for Two More Years

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Cesar Azpilicueta is staying put…

The 32-year-old Spanish soccer player has decided to extend his contract with Chelsea for another two years instead of moving to FC Barcelona.

ESPN sources report that the Spain international reached an agreement to join Barcelona a few months ago but negotiations between both clubs stalled more than expected and Azpilicueta has opted to stay at Stamford Bridge.

Azpilicueta had been hoping to resolve his future before Chelsea’s Premier League opening game at Everton on Saturday.

He has already informed Barca of his decision and signed a contract extension with the London club for the next two seasons.

“I am really happy to extend my stay at Chelsea, my home,” Azpilicueta said ion Chelsea’s announcement. “It is almost 10 years since I first arrived and joined the club so I really feel the love and I am really excited for the new project we have in our hands.

“I would like to say thank you to [chairman and co-controlling owner] Mr Todd [Boehly] and [co-controlling owner] Mr Behdad [Eghbali] for giving me the opportunity to keep my journey at this amazing club and I am really looking forward to continuing our adventure. I am a really proud captain and I hope we can share many good memories together.”

Manager Thomas Tuchel wasn’t keen on letting his captain leave this summer and new owner Boehly stood by his wish, according to ESPN.

According to sources, Tuchel sees Azpilicueta as a key member in the dressing room and his presence brings stability amid upheaval at Chelsea in recent months.

“We are so happy that Cesar is staying at Chelsea for a minimum of two more years,” Boehly said. “We are thrilled with our captain showing his exemplary commitment and leadership yet again. There is still so much to do together.”

ESPN reported in November that Xavi told Barca to sign Azpilicueta to strengthen his defensive options.

Barca obliged and reached a verbal agreement for the defender to move to Camp Nou as a free agent. However, an appearance-related clause triggered an automatic one-year extension for the player at the end of the season.

Xavi was so interested in bringing the defender to the club that Barca were ready to pay a small fee to Chelsea to sign Azpilicueta. But the LaLiga giants prioritiszed other signings and decided to delay their pursuit of Chelsea’s captain.

Ronald Araujo Nearing Long-Term Deal with FC Barcelona

Posted on April 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ronald Araujo is thisclose to a new deal…

The 23-year-old Uruguayan professional soccer player and Barcelona defender is close to agreement on a new long-term contract with the Spanish club, according to his agent.

Araujo’s current deal is set to expire in 2023; and Manchester United and Liverpool were reportedly keen on signing the Uruguay international.

Barca’s previous offer to Araujo was worth around €5 million annually, with sources saying the money on offer from the Premier League sides was worth almost double.

But, Barca has now upped its proposal, with the player’s agent, Flavio Perchman, revealing an agreement is close after a meeting with sporting director Mateu Alemany.

“It’s close,” Perchman told reporters. “There is a desire on both sides [to finalize the renewal] and Ronald wants to stay at the club.”

Araujo has been on the same deal at Barca since 2018, when he first joined the “B team” from Boston River in his homeland in a deal worth an initial €2m.

That made him one of the lowest-paid players in the first team going into the current campaign, with his agents keen for his salary to rise along with his status at the club.

Under coach Xavi Hernandez he has emerged as a key player this season, making 34 appearances in all competitions and scoring four goals, including in the recent 4-0 Clasico win over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

With Barca having to adhere to LaLiga‘s strict financial rules due to their financial problems, though, they’ve played hardball during negotiations with Araujo’s camp.

At the same time the team has been holding talks with Araujo, Barcelona has also been negotiating the signing of Andreas Christensen and even met with Antonio Rudiger‘s agent last week.

Christensen will join the club from Chelsea on a free transfer in the summer, but a move for Rudiger is less likely.

The public nature of those negotiations forced the club to up their offer to Araujo, who was willing to accept a lower deal to remain with the LaLiga side.

Araujo, Gerard Pique and Eric Garcia have been Barca’s first choice centerbacks under Xavi, with Christensen set to compete with them from the summer onwards.

Isco Declared “The Future” of Spain’s National Soccer Team

Posted on July 5, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Isco is being heralded as the future of Spanish soccer…

Spain’s national team manager Vicente del Bosque has placed the future of Spanish football in the hands of the 21-year-old midfielder, insisting the Real Madrid recruit “is the future” for La Roja.

Francisco Román Alarcón Suárez, commonly known as Isco, played for Spain’s Under-21 side as they claimed the European Championship title last month, scoring a penalty in the final win over Italy.

His bronze boot-winning performance in the tournament reaffirmed Real Madrid’s interest in Isco and his five-year contract at the Bernabeu is likely to allow him to become a regular in the national team over the coming years.

Isco has made one appearance in Del Bosque’s side, but he’s confident the young futbalista can comfortably succeed the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Xabi Alonso, alongside Real Madrid target Asier Illarramendi.

“We have a lot of hope pinned to Isco, he is the future of the national team,” Del Bosque told Radio Nacional de Espana. “Illarramendi is the complete midfielder. He has the personality to play for any team in the world.”

Del Bosque also responded to the criticism of Alvaro Arbeloa and Iker Casillas following the Confederations Cup final, claiming both players were crucial for Spain throughout the tournament.

“Alvaro played very well throughout the tournament,” he said. “It’s as if we are always looking for the weak link and we are all guilty of that. Casillas was magnificent.

“We played good football at times but the final wiped away everything we did up until then. We now have another year to try to make sure we have a good World Cup – if we qualify.”

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