After an almost year-long break from touring in the United States, Grupo Firme has announced the tour dates to its La Última Peda stint — which loosely translates to the last drunken tour — set to kick off May 10 in San Antonio. Produced by Live Nation, the 32-date trek will take the Mexican band across the U.S., making stops in key markets such as Miami, Las Vegas and Nashville before wrapping up Nov. 2 at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

According to a press release, Grupo Firme will “bring their chart-topping hits and unforgettable party atmosphere.” On previous tours, the band has incorporated outfit changes (from vaquero to urbano fits), folkloric dancing, downed tequila shots onstage and provided beer-soaked scenes.

Since having a breakthrough year in 2020, Grupo Firme — led by frontman Eduin Caz — has become a touring juggernaut in the Latin scene. In 2021, Firme performed seven back-to-back shows at Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena — the first Latin act to perform the most shows in a single calendar year there (the only other artist that has done more is Adele with eight in one calendar year). And, in 2022, Firme became the first banda ensemble to perform at Coachella and the first to embark on a U.S. stadium tour.

On the Billboard charts, Grupo Firme has five top 10 hits on the Hot Latin Songs chart (including “Ya Supérame” and “Cada Quien” with Maluma), and nine top 10 songs on the Latin Airplay chart.

Tickets to Grupo Firme’s La Última Peda Tour will go on sale Friday, March 22. See the dates below.

In February, Nicki Nicole was scheduled to perform in Miami for the first time as part of the Vibra Urbana Festival. But as torrential rain pummeled the 86-acre open-air festival grounds, one artist’s performance was canceled, and others had their sets cut short. Nicki waited anxiously in the wings for nearly three hours, until it came down to her to open the festival when the rain abated for a few minutes. 

Wearing a black cutout bodysuit, blue and white motocross pants and her new, light chocolate hair (which she first rocked at the 2024 Grammy Awards) draping over a black headband, the 23-year-old Argentine artist, joined by eight background dancers, performed a 35-minute set that included hits such as “Colocao,” “DISPARA***” and “Una Foto (Remix)” — the collaboration with Mesita, Emilia and Tiago PZK that hit No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart in January and spent six consecutive weeks at the top. 

Then it started to rain again — but the response from the soaking-wet crowd was still overwhelming. 

“It was very surprising,” an ebullient Nicki says after, still wearing her damp clothes. “With this day, the rain, to see all these people there, and they know all my songs, they’re having a blast — it’s just like I imagined it could be.” Despite the rain, it’s a moment of sunshine for Nicki, who is coming off a roller-coaster week during which she publicly hinted on social media that she and boyfriend Peso Pluma called it quits just five days before her Miami debut. 

But Peso is not the topic of conversation as we chat backstage outside Nicki’s trailer, where former Argentine soccer star Maxi Rodriguez has also come to support her show. Her Miami premiere is a big deal for Nicki, and her mother, sister and two brothers are also in town from Argentina for the concert. She says they’re planning to go to Disney World the next day to celebrate.

While this may be Nicki’s first time in Miami, the rapper-singer has been making inroads in the market since April 2019, when she released her debut single, “Wapo Traketero.” That August, she made history on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 by becoming the first Argentine female rapper to debut on the chart as a solo act. (Cazzu charted first, in July, but as a collaborator on J. Mena’s “Quien Empezó.”) The following year, she made history again, becoming the first Argentine woman to earn a No. 1 with her collaboration on Trueno’s “Mamichula,” which also features Taiu, Bizarrap and Tatool. 

Performing a fusion of rap and R&B — but expanding her versatility to other genres like reggaetón and cumbia — Nicki Nicole takes a feminine but edgy approach that paved the way for a new generation of Argentine urban acts — such as Emilia and Maria Becerra — who now also dominate the country’s charts and are playing arenas. 

Nicki is tied with Emilia for the second-most No. 1s (both with four), trailing only Becerra, with six. “Entre Nosotros (Remix),” a collaboration with Tiago PZK, Lit Killah and Becerra, topped the chart for 16 weeks, the second-most behind Karol G and Nicki Minaj’s “Tusa,” which ruled for 25. 

While Nicki’s dominance in Argentina is established — she played the last of nine sold-out shows at Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena on March 10 — her goal now is to go global. She’ll play Madrid’s WiZink Center for the first time on March 21, after headlining Billboard’s inaugural Encuentro de Música en Español on March 19, and will wrap her ALMA tour at the Estéreo Picnic Festival in Bogota, Colombia, on March 24. 

The trek — which began in August in Buenos Aires and stopped in Costa Rica, Guatemala and Bolivia, among other countries — is in support of her ultra-personal album, ALMA, that thrives on emotions, spirituality, reason and an awakening to self-love. It was nominated for best rap/hip-hop album at the 2023 Latin Grammys, and the track “DISPARA***,” with Milo J, was up for best rap/hip-hop song. 

In the middle of it all, Nicki also publicly addressed her relationship with Peso Pluma after a video of him appearing to hold hands with another woman in Las Vegas over Super Bowl weekend surfaced on social media. “Respect is a necessary part of love,” she posted Feb. 13 on Instagram, where Nicki has over 21 million followers. “What is loved, is respected. What is respected, is cared for. When you are not cared for and there is no respect, I don’t stay there. I leave. It is with great sorrow that I found out the same way you did, thank you for the love you are sending me.” 

The flurry of fan comments, mostly in support of her, highlighted her other side: the singer as social media personality who must focus on her art amid intense public scrutiny. For someone as young as Nicki, she has managed to do so with surprising grace. 

“The truth is that I felt that everything was so public that I couldn’t have done it any other way. People already knew it and it was uncontrollable,” Nicki says, explaining why she posted a reaction. “What has healed me the most these days are the people, my fans. I received many messages from women congratulating me on the message I sent,” she says, sounding laid-back and self-assured. 

While someone else might have canceled a performance or, in this case, an interview, Nicki did not. 

“It’s unprofessional of me to stop every time something personal happens,” she says. “I’m not the center of the world, and there are many people who work for me and with me. I can’t stop everything. My team doesn’t deserve it. My fans don’t deserve it.”

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Nicole Denise Cucco hails from Rosario, Argentina, the birthplace of soccer star Lionel Messi. Her interest in music sparked from a childhood admiration for Amy Winehouse, who she looked up to for her soulful, R&B-tinged vocals, as well as her character, resilience and how she treated fans. 

“Not only did I empathize with how difficult it is to be an artist but also the internal battles of each person,” Nicki says. “I realized that even though she could be in shambles, she went out to perform, she did interviews, she was with her fans. From her I learned that every person I meet I will always treat them as they deserve and will always give my fans the attention they need.” 

The youngest of four children (she has two brothers and one sister), Nicki was always the performer at home. “When I was little, I would put on shows in my kitchen and force everyone to look at me singing with the broomstick,” she told Billboard in 2022 during an episode of Growing Up. 

Nicki’s mother expected her youngest daughter to finish school and go to college, but she had other plans. 

“I explained to her, ‘Mom, look, I really want to make music. I know what I’m proposing is crazy because I’m one in a million who wants to make music, but I really feel that I can make it work, and if I have your support, I can do it,’ ” she recalls. Her mother agreed, and Nicki switched to night school to record music during the day. 

She had fallen in love with the more melodic style of Spanish rapper Delaossa, whose music “encouraged me to make bars and freestyles,” and as a teenager, she practiced her freestyling skills at the many impromptu contests held in her hometown. 

However, she found the male-dominated scene challenging. 

“I would go in, but it was hard,” she remembers. She found that men would edit or change their raps when she was around. “When a man freestyled against a woman, a lot of things were lost — like being able to play with words, being able to say incredible things — and it fell into the basics. I lost a little interest because I felt my rhymes [couldn’t evolve]. So, I decided to freestyle with my friends, to evolve with people who I can rap about the culture, about what happens to me, about the fact that I am a woman — and it helped me a lot to start doing it alone, too.” 

In April 2019, Nicki launched her YouTube channel with her debut single, “Wapo Traketero” — a slow R&B track fronted by her tender vocals. It was the song’s melodic approach that ultimately helped her stand out in a crowd of emerging Argentine rap and trap artists at the time. 

“I always think about my mentality then and now. At that moment I didn’t know if a song was doing well or bad. For me, it just meant that people liked it and shared it,” she says. “I didn’t know about No. 1s, I didn’t know about charts, I didn’t know about trends. My mentality in music was different. When I started, I didn’t think I had to make hits. I just loved releasing the songs.”

“Wapo Traketero” caught the attention of Duki, who was then leading the Argentine trap scene and who boasted about her to his label, Dale Play Records, founded by Federico Lauria in 2018. 

“Duki posted about Nicki on social media, writing, ‘We have a new boss in town,’ ” Lauria told Billboard in 2020 of how he discovered her. “When I listened to her music, I went crazy and wanted to sign her immediately.” Lauria, who launched Dale Play with Duki, added Nicki and producer Bizarrap to his roster. (He also manages all of them.) “All these artists come from the same place — the streets — but they’re all doing something different,” he added. 

Nicki struck a chord. At 4 feet 9 inches, she defied the stereotype of the female Latin rapper and of what women in the local music scene could do. 

Almost immediately after her signing, Nicki scored her first Billboard chart entry in 2020 with “Mamichula” in collaboration with Trueno and Bizarrap. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, leading for four weeks, and became her first entry on the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts. That same year, she scored her first Latin Grammy nomination, for best new artist. 

Overall, Nicki has placed 33 entries on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100, tying with Karol G for the second-most among women behind Maria Becerra’s 46. Out of those 33, nine hit the top 10 and four reached No. 1. 

On the U.S. charts, “Pa’ Mis Muchachas,” with Christina Aguilera and Becky G and featuring Nathy Peluso, earned Nicki her first top 10 when it debuted at No. 3 on Latin Digital Song Sales in 2021. “Ella No Es Tuya,” with Rochy RD and Myke Towers, became her first Hot Latin Songs entry, and her second album, Parte de Mí, was her debut on Latin Pop Albums that same year. 

“All you need to do is see her live in concert to fully understand the impact Nicki has on people,” Lauria tells Billboard. “The artistic flight she has and her musical talent make her unique — how she goes through people, her sensitivity, her lyricism. This was all enhanced with her latest album, ALMA, where she was able to open up from a more sensitive place. And it clearly shows with the success that her tour is having.” 

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Back inside her trailer at the Vibra Urbana Festival, a cool and collected Nicki is snacking on chips and a banana — as Ivy Queen performs onstage in the background. The Puerto Rican diva’s set followed Nicki’s at the festival, which is fitting, as she has been a major inspiration. 

“When I started music, one of the first women who offered me advice was Ivy,” Nicki recalls. “I loved what she said because it is unforgettable — like, ‘Mami, I want you to know that everything you do and the place you have, you earned it by yourself. And here you have a place as a woman. We fought so that you have this place.’ ”

The first woman artist to support an up-and-coming Nicki Nicole, however, was Cazzu. The artist born Julieta Emilia Cazzuchelli (and partner of Christian Nodal) became a household name in Argentina in 2018 after gaining momentum from “Loca (Remix)” with Khea, Bad Bunny and Duki. Nicki’s first time onstage was at a Cazzu concert and her first female collaboration was “Cómo Dímelo,” in 2019, with Cazzu. 

“When a new woman appears, the patriarchal construction of the public makes them first compare us and then make enemies of us,” Cazzu says. “She was going to shine with or without me, but I was the only woman there. I let her know that she could count on me inside and outside of music because I had to go through endless sexist and misogynistic experiences. That hurt my spirits, and I didn’t want her to go through that. That’s what the movement is about. That one of us cleared the weeds from the path so that others could walk better and waste less time fighting and put it into music.” 

That first expression of female support later appeared in other powerful collaborations with female artists from different countries and styles, including “Pa’ Mis Muchachas” with Christina Aguilera, Becky G and Nathy Peluso; “intoxicao” with Emilia; “Formentera” with Aitana; “8 AM” with Young Miko; and “Enamórate” with Bad Gyal. 

“I love the woman who does not envy, who does not compete, who wants the best for everyone,” Nicki says. “One of the messages that really stuck with me is that of Young Miko. She was over the moon. She was having a big, explosive moment, and yet she flew to record the music video for ‘8 AM’ and sent me a message that said, ‘If we succeed, we all succeed together.’ What I like most is working with women, because in the studio we flow a lot, we share similar feelings and life situations that we understand among ourselves, and that’s great when it comes to working together.” 

Beyond being a loyal girl’s girl, Nicki’s bold attitude and stage presence have organically earned her the respect of the music industry and fans globally. 

In addition to her eight Latin Grammy nominations, she won female new artist at the 2021 Premio Lo Nuestro, performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in April 2021 and made her debut at Coachella in 2022. Most recently, on March 5 during Paris Fashion Week, she appeared as a Lacoste brand ambassador. 

After her sold-out show in Madrid, she’ll play Barcelona and, later, Mexico. Once she’s done with touring, Nicki promises to spend more time in the recording studio rather than on the road. 

“Right now, I feel like there are a lot of things that are happening to me personally and I want to put them into music,” she says without elaborating. “There’s a lot of inspiration,” she adds with a smile. 

By now, inside her trailer, she has progressed from snacks to a shot of whiskey, and Nicki raises her glass. “For my first concert in Miami and for my first Billboard cover. ¡Salud!’” 

Gloria Trevi took the stage at New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Friday (March 15), captivating a sold-out audience with a two-hour electrifying performance. As part of her Mi Soundtrack Tour across the U.S., a highlight was the debut of the “Zorra” remix with Spanish duo Nebulossa, whom Trevi introduced as surprise guests.

“We are inviting a group from Spain. I want to feel that applause… for Nebulossa!” Trevi announced. Dressed in a stunning dark cloak with shimmering black feathers and a metallic bodysuit, the Mexican icon exuded a captivating presence. Nebulossa’s María Bas and Mark Dasousa complemented her style, with Bas in a sparkling deep purple outfit and Dasousa in a striking black and white striped suit, à la Beetlejuice, clutching a red keytar.

“Estoy en un buen momento, reconstruida por dentro/ Y esa zorra que tanto temías se fue empoderando,” Bas and Trevi chanted in unison against the high-energy electro-pop backdrop of “Zorra” (“I’m in a good moment, rebuilt from the inside/ And that zorra you feared so much got empowered”).

This collaboration stemmed from a meeting in Miami, where Trevi and Nebulossa discovered a shared connection with the song’s empowering message, quickly leading to the recording of the remix. The original song by the Spanish duo, released in December 2023, boasts more than 10 million streams on Spotify.

Nebulossa, poised to represent Spain in Eurovision 2024, expressed their amazement at the opportunity to collaborate with Trevi. “Who would have thought that a few months ago someone would tell us that we’d be recording a duet with Gloria Trevi,” they said in a statement. Fans can look forward to the “Zorra” remix release with Trevi on streaming platforms in April.

The Mexican superstar’s NYC show also highlighted her illustrious 30-year career, filled with nostalgia and celebration. From the opening number “Medusa,” to a string of ’90s hits (“Hoy Me Iré de Casa,” “Zapatos Viejos,” “El Recuento de los Daños,” “Con Los Ojos Cerrados”) and more recent releases (“Inocente,” “Ellas Soy Yo”), the concert was a journey through the artist’s musical legacy.

About a dozen costume changes, a troupe of male dancers with washboard abs, and elaborate set designs kept the energy high throughout the night. The set ranged from the intense “Dr. Psiquiatra” with its psych ward theme and giant fake syringes, to a devilish scene where she wore a sparkly red cloak on “Virgen de las Vírgenes,” and a whimsical note with “Cinco Minutos” in a glimmering pink pilot outfit, culminating in the powerful finale “Todos Me Miran.”

Trevi’s tour, which began in Hidalgo, Texas, on Jan. 26, will continue to grace stages across the U.S., including upcoming performances in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, and a notable stop at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot on April 26. The New York show, her eighth tour stop, not only showcased Trevi’s enduring talent and charisma but also highlighted her ability to innovate and connect with audiences across multiple generations.

Click here to check out her full tour dates.

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Los Tigres del Norte Make History — Again!

This week, Los Tigres del Norte broke its own stadium attendance record at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, drawing 75,595 fans during the rodeo’s Go Tejano Day. As part of their Siempre Contigo tour, the renowned norteño band, known as The Voice of the People, performed at the sold-out NRG Stadium just days after also closing out the Besame Mucho Festival with more than 70,000 fans in attendance. At the former, Los Tigres broke its own 2019 record by topping it with nine more attendees this year.

“Thank you to our beloved fans […] without you, this wouldn’t have been possible,” the Regional Mexican group wrote on Instagram. 

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Karol G’s Tour Also Makes History

Karol G is currently on the Latin American leg of her Mañana Será Bonito Tour, where she also broke records in Costa Rica this week. Billboard recently reported that the “Bichota” singer sold nearly 105,000 tickets between her two sold-out shows in San José (March 9-10), becoming the  highest ticket sales ever for a concert in the Central American country; the record was previously held by Coldplay in 2022.  

Additionally, as the trek moves to Europe, the Colombian superstar also achieved a groundbreaking feat by becoming the first artist to sell out four shows at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, where she will perform from July 20 to 23. Click here to see an updating list of all her MSB tour records. 

From Billboard Latin Music Week to “Existo” 

On Friday (March 15), Pedro Capó and Carin León dropped their first collaborative effort “Existo,” a song they created in real time, in front of a live audience and in 30 minutes at the 2023 Billboard Latin Music Week in October. The captivating track starts off with country-tinged guitar riffs and transitions into a mid-tempo cumbia, and resembles the resilience and empowerment of human beings in the midst of adversity. The lyrics are based on the real experiences of both singers: “How can I not be successful if I exist?” they passionately chant.

The idea of the song was first created during the Making the Hit, Live! panel at Latin Music Week. In the Instagram Live video below, Capó and León talk to Billboard about finally bringing it to life. 

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Goyo’s Daughter Shines on Stage

Goyo and her young daughter, Saba, had a shining moment this week when the pre-teen shared her talent on stage with CeeLo Green. “Last night was simply magical,” the Colombian artist, who shares her daughter with former Chocquibtown singer Tostao, expressed on Instagram. The sweet moment was captured on video, in which Saba is seen singing Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” as CeeLo and her mom hype her up on stage. “My daughter Saba demonstrated that the best pathway to empower is with example. CeeLo Green asked who knew the song and without doubting a second, made her dreams come true. The younger, the more wild,” she wrote.  

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This week, Billboard‘s New Music Latin roundup and playlist — curated by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors — feature fresh new releases from artists such as Ivan Cornejo, Andrés Cepeda, Reik, Joss Favela and more.

Mexican American teen Ivan Cornejo delivers a new sad sierreño song that his fans could soon turn into a new anthem. “Baby Please” finds the 19-year-old pleading for a second chance. “This song was inspired by the desperate desire we feel during our lowest moments in a break up,” he said in a statement. “We hate the attachment, but love the thought of a rekindled love.”

Meanwhile, Reik presents their latest titled “Abril,” which begins as a soft ballad, harmoniously led by strings and vocals, and then evolves with electronic elements into a contemporary pop-style piece. In the realm of pop, Colombian singer-songwriter Andrés Cepeda released “Prométeme” — his first under Warner Music México — in which he sings about the thrill of beginning of a relationship: “Promise me that you’ll still stay when I fail/ When as time passes, I give myself away and the truth comes out/ When our lips touch and lose their electricity/ Promise me that you’ll still stay until the end.”

Other new releases include Joss Favela and Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho’s “Somos,” Ovy on the Drums and Myke Towers’ Cassette 1 — a joint EP — and Yeison Jimenez & Luis Ángel “El Flaco’s” “Hasta El Último Momento.”

Last week, Thalia and Ángela Aguilar’s “Troca” won the poll with more than 86 percent of the votes. They were followed by Grupo Frontera and Christian Nodal’s “Ya Pedo Quien Sabe” with more than four percent of the votes. Which your favorite new Latin music release of this week? Vote below!

New Music Latin is a compilation of the best new Latin songs and albums recommended by Billboard Latin and Billboard Español editors. Check out this week’s picks below.

Ovy on the Drums & Myke Towers, Cassette 1 (King OVY/Warner Music Latina)

Ovy on the Drums’ latest musical project, Cassette 1 — which he first told me about confidentially back in Oct. 2023 — has finally seen the light. A joint EP with Myke Towers, the six-track set showcases the magic that the Colombian hitmaker and Puerto Rican artist, alongside select collaborators, can make in the studio. It kicks off with “Desataaa,” in collab with Spanish newcomer SAIKO, an edgy distorted reggaetón jam that’s laced with Ovy’s signature instrumentation — drums, piano, and violins (think Karol G’s “Provenza,” “Tusa”).

In “Bellaqueria,” the duo reeled in Argentine artist La Joaqui for a rather sensual dancehall number powered by smooth, electric guitars and crashing ocean waves. “Come give more of those kisses that you give me/ Let me surprise you/ You’re hot, I can see it/ And you didn’t want anything/ The night is perfect to get steamy,” they chant. Another notable track on Cassette is the rhythmic, Calypso-infused “Pobre Diable.” Meanwhile, “Godiva” (with Blessd and Ryan Castro), “Amor Narcotico” and “Tu Cuerpo Me Llama,” are hard-hitting futuristic reggaetón bangers with sensual lyrics. 

Billboard can confirm that Cassette 1 is the first part of multiple collaborative EPs that Ovy on the Drums has in the works. — JESSICA ROIZ  

Ivan Cornejo, “Baby Please” (Interscope Records)

Known for his signature moody lyrics and sad sierreño tunes, Ivan Cornejo strikes a chord here with “Baby Please.” The Mexican American artist, who penned the song in his hometown of Riverside, Calif., also plays guitar and the violin on the new heartbreak song — which will likely soon turn into an anthem, much like all of his other ultra-melancholic songs. The emotional piece finds the 19-year-old pleading for a second chance: “This song was inspired by the desperate desire we feel during our lowest moments in a break up,” Cornejo said in a statement. “We hate the attachment but love the thought of a rekindled love. I wanted this song to feel like I’m vulnerable but at the same time willing to fight for her.” — GRISELDA FLORES

Reik, “Abril” (Sony Music México)

Just in time for spring, Mexican pop trio Reik presents “Abril.” The captivating song begins as a soft ballad, harmoniously led by strings and vocals, and then evolves with electronic elements into a contemporary pop-style piece. The lyrics of the song narrate the longing for a lost love that resurfaces with the arrival of the month of April, as expressed by the band’s vocalist, Jesús Navarro, in the chorus: “And, the truth is, I can’t stop thinking about you/ Nothing comes close to the first kiss I gave you/ And if I had just one wish to make/ May April come back, April come back.” The music video takes place in an urban environment that gradually transforms into a spring setting, with a trail of flowers left by the protagonist. — LUISA CALLE

Yeison Jimenez & Luis Ángel “El Flaco,” “Hasta El Último Momento” (Yj Company – Black Lion Digital)

When Mexican banda fuses with Colombia’s música popular, like it does in “Hasta El Último Momento,” the result is a powerful and uplifting anthem that celebrates the power of gratitude and invites listeners to live life to the fullest. The special collaboration begins with vibrant trumpets and rhythmic percussion, and brings together both genres’ energetic rhythms and soulful melodies. This song will be included in Yeison Jiménez’s next studio album, 17-32. The lyrics convey a powerful message about cherishing life’s experiences over material wealth. And it reminds us that moments of joy, love and connection are more valuable than any monetary possession. — INGRID FAJARDO

Joss Favela & Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho, “Somos” (Sony Music Latin)

Marked by its compelling requinto riffs and resonant tuba, “Somos” delves into the profound bond that renders two souls inseparable, a sentiment vividly captured in the lyrics: “Tú y yo somos mucho más que separados.” Written by Joss Favela, the sierreño love ballad — a style popularized by the late, great Ariel Camacho — captures the essence of being more together than apart, making the single a testament to love’s unifying power. It’s a heartfelt narrative of indivisible love, rooted in Favela’s desire to pivot from his usual themes of heartache to a celebration of love. “My idea was to do a love song,” Favela says in a statement. “Because generally if you have noticed, I sing a lot about heartbreak — because sometimes that’s how I get ideas of pain, and when I had a love song I wanted to invite them.” — ISABELA RAYGOZA

Andrés Cepeda, “Prométeme” (Warner Music México)

With his first release under Warner Music, which he joined in October, Andrés Cepeda presents a romantic pop-rock ballad. Led by pleasant electric guitar riffs, “Prométeme” begins softly, speaking about the thrill of beginning of a relationship, before soaring with a vigorous chorus: “Promise me that you’ll still stay when I fail/ When as time passes, I give myself away and the truth comes out/ When our lips touch and lose their electricity/ Promise me that you’ll still stay until the end.”

The single — “a song that proposes the future of a long-term relationship, with all the difficulties and obstacles that this represents,” Cepeda explains in a press release — was recorded between Bogotá and Los Angeles. It also comes with a music video filmed in the Bogotá neighborhood of Chapinero, where the singer and his band appear blindfolded playing in a room full of flowers —the freshness of new, blind love at its best. — SIGAL RATNER-ARIAS

Listen to more editors’ Latin recommendations in the playlist below:

Eight months following an abrupt halt due to “excessive crowds” at Central Park’s SummerStage, Juanes made a grand return to New York City, delivering an unforgettable performance at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday (March 15).

“I can finally see your faces since the last time I was here [in New York] at SummerStage,” Juanes said during his show, reflecting on the history-making moment when, for the first time in 30 years, SummerStage had to stop an ongoing concert because of a non-weather-related problem. “My heart is full thanks to you; I am very happy to be here.”

The sold-out Radio City performance was highly anticipated after the overwhelming attendance of more than 17,000 fans at the Central Park SummerStage in July, which was called off last minute due to “excessive crowds.” Fans in NYC were finally able to see Juanes’ full show Thursday, when he performed some of his greatest hits and tracks from his Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning 10th studio album, Vida Cotidiana, released in May 2023.

The Colombian rockstar, clad in black and wearing a denim vest that showed his arm tattoos, kicked off with “Gris” and followed with his classic “Mala Gente” — the only two songs he played in Central Park last year before his show was shut down — electrifying the 6,000-strong crowd at Radio City.

A particularly memorable moment was the medley of “Lo Que Me Gusta a Mí,” “Fuego” and “Hermosa Ingrata,” during which he seamlessly mixed rhythms and melodies. The acoustic version of “Para Tu Amor” stood out as he came off stage to perform it among the audience, creating an intimate and personal atmosphere.

The concert setlist wove a narrative through Juanes’ discography, touching on themes of love, social reflection and personal introspection. Among the most chanted songs were the heartfelt “Amores Prohibidos,” “Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor” and also the mega catchy “La Paga” and “La Camisa Negra,” during which he showed off his unmistakable guitar riff.

Juanes closed the night with Juan Gabriel’s “Querida,” “Me Enamora” and “La Luz,” encapsulating the essence of his artistry and the connection he shares with his fans.

The Vida Cotidiana USA and Canada Tour, produced by Live Nation, began on Feb. 13 in Portland, Ore., and will end on March 30 in Hollywood, Fla. Upcoming cities include Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto, Houston, Dallas, Boston and more.

Revisiting the entirety of El Dorado for a live 25th anniversary edition — which ended up materializing a few years later due to the coronavirus pandemic — was something special for Aterciopelados, the Colombian rock group led by vocalist Andrea Echeverri and producer Héctor Buitrago.

“Facing a repertoire from 28 years ago is difficult, you are not the same anymore,” Echeverri admits in an interview with Billboard Español. “The challenge was to retake that album that had a ’90s sound, bring it to the future, and preserve the essence of that era, but make it sound more appropriate for these times,” adds Buitrago.

Today (March 15), they release El Dorado Live, a version of the seminal ’90s Colombian rock album that made them transcend the boundaries of their country, with classics like “Florecita Rockera,” “Siervo sin Tierra” and “De Tripas Corazón.” Recorded on April 22, 2023, at the Palacio de los Deportes in Bogota, the new independent production features the 16 songs from the original LP, with the participation of Café Tacvba‘s Rubén Albarrán on “Mujer Gala” and “La Estaca,” and Carlos Vives on “Bolero Falaz.” The project includes videos for each song that have been released on Aterciopelados’ YouTube channel, with Vives’ debuting Thursday night, just hours before the album came out.

“Aterciopelados for me is one of the gods of Bogota rock with whom I grew up,” Vives said in a press release. “For me, it is an honor to sing this song with them.”

The release will be followed by the El Dorado Tour, a 12-date North American journey that begins on April 9 in Phoenix and will make stops at cities such as Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Miami, before ending on April 27 in Toronto (for the entire itinerary, click here).

Echeverri and Buitrago were young idealists and dreamers when they debuted as Aterciopelados in 1993 with the album Con El Corazón en la Mano, in which they mixed their punk rock influences with sounds of Colombian folk. But it was El Dorado, released on October 24, 1995, through Sony BMG, that put them on the international map, with an original sound and relevant lyrics on ecology, feminism and human rights.

“We are not [academic] musicians, it’s all very much by ear and sensitivity,” explains Echeverri. “I think that because of that … we have done things in different ways, and we come out with all kinds of weird things that work great.”

Three-time Latin Grammy winners, and five-time Grammy nominees, Aterciopelados has appeared on the Billboard charts with their album Gozo Poderoso (2001), which reached No. 11 on Top Latin Albums and No. 7 on Latin Pop Albums, while their song “El Álbum” (from that same set) entered the Latin Pop Airplay ranking.

In 2021 they released their latest studio album, Tropiplop, while their last single was “Liberté” with Dr. Shenka, Susana Baca, and Bunbury, released in December 2023. They are currently working on a new album that they hope to put out before the end of this year. Echeverri and Buitrago discuss returning to El Dorado below.

It’s been 28 years since the release of El Dorado. What was it like to re-live the entire album after so much time?

Echeverri: Well, we were going to celebrate the 25th [anniversary] because a big festival here [in Colombia] had suggested it, but then the pandemic happened. That’s why it ended up being the 28th, which is kind of an odd date. What did we feel? Many things, because facing a repertoire from 28 years ago is difficult, you are not the same anymore. At least vocally, I suffered, because I used to have a light, naive girl’s voice, and now I have a more mature woman’s voice. [Laughs.]

What songs were particularly challenging for you?

Echeverri: All of them! In fact, I changed my vocal coach, I worked on the whole thing. The idea was not to sound the same as before. The idea was more about adjusting the songs to my current sound, which is what we achieved. But there are also many very fast songs, there are many very fierce ones, like “Pilas,” like “No Futuro,” which we have never stopped singing … It was a challenging and difficult process, but in the end I think we pulled it off. The other day I was listening to it, and it does sound powerful, with a thick, strong voice, beautiful.

Hector, what was the hardest thing for you?

Buitrago: The challenge was to retake that album that had a ’90s sound, bring it to the future, and preserve the essence of that era — but make it sound more appropriate for these times. We did the work all these previous months where we rehearsed the songs, and I think we achieved a balance between everything we were thinking we wanted to do with this album. In my case, it was also stressful because I was the producer, but there were also many more details — and it’s an album that we released independently, so we had to keep an eye on the cameras, the lights, the video, the guest musicians…

Echeverri: …the set design, the costumes… and also put out the money! That’s also hard. [Laughs.]

Can you give us an example of a song that particularly changed to make it more current?

Echeverri: I think the most noticeable one is “Tripas,” because we didn’t have a keyboard back then.

Buitrago: Yeah, “De Tripas Corazón” was perhaps the rockiest one, the one we felt was the most repetitive and was going to sound more like the ’90s, so we added a keyboard there. Let’s say that was the only one we transformed that much. The rest are closer to their time.

Many things have happened in your lives and in the industry since you released El Dorado. Do you still identify with your songs in the same way?

Echeverri: I think that in the midst of the difficulty, the tension, the most beautiful thing was to meet the songs again, because they were songs that we wrote years ago. We are not [academic] musicians, everything is very much by ear and sensitivity, but when you hear the songs you say “Wow, we were good!”

I think the one that impacted Héctor and me the most was “Siervo Sin Tierra.” In fact, yesterday, when I was watching the [concert] videos, at “Siervo Sin Tierra,” many people cry. We cried during rehearsals.

Aterciopelados has created an important legacy for rock en Español and has been a great influence for other artists. How do you feel about it?

Echeverri: I think that precisely because we are not academic musicians, we have done things in different ways, and we come up with all kinds of weird things that work great … But I think the legacy perhaps also comes more from the identity side and the conceptual side because, from the beginning, Aterciopelados has been talking about feminism, environmentalism and anti-war themes, when these were not such common topics.

Many of your songs are still relevant 25 years later. Did you think back then that you were creating anthems?

Echeverri: I think we’ve always been ahead of our time. [Laughs.] But did we think it was going to last? No! I think that precisely because we went from rehearsing in a laundromat … to recording albums, we were very inexperienced, very naive. But we were also kind of punk, so we were very bold. I think nobody imagined anything. And there was not even a music scene in Colombia, you did it because it was fun, because it was good to do it.

Buitrago: But later we found out that yes, there were many bands that said that Aterciopelados had been an influence at some point at the beginning of their careers, that they saw Andrea or saw Aterciopelados and were inspired by the lyrics, by the attitude.

Today Colombia is a great exporter of music, with many artists entering the Billboard charts and touring globally. How do you see the current music scene in your country?

Buitrago: I feel that everything that happened in the ’90s, when there was no scene — there were not even stages, there were no festivals — that’s when everything began to grow, an infrastructure began to be generated that did not exist before: managers, technicians, recording studios … and I think that what began to develop at that time is what makes Colombian music be everywhere today.

What is happening currently with Colombian music is, first, the reflection of a country that has many geographies and therefore also a lot of sound richness — there are not only Caribbean sounds but there are Pacific sounds, sounds from the coasts but also from the inland. All this richness is now being shown to the world with a very powerful infrastructure.

Listen to El Dorado En Vivo by Aterciopelados here: