David Archuleta is bravely opening up about his sexuality in an emotional message to fans.

On Saturday (June 12), the season seven American Idol runner-up shared a lengthy note on Instagram about his struggles with his sexual identity and religious beliefs, and encouraged people to be more “understanding and compassionate” for those facing similar experiences.

“I like to keep to myself but also thought this was important to share because I know so many other people from religious upbringings feel the same way,” Archuleta began his heartfelt message. “I’ve been open to myself and my close family for some years now that I am not sure about my own sexuality.”

The 30-year-old singer, who is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, revealed that he came out as gay to his family in 2014, but that he also “had similar feelings for both genders so maybe a spectrum of bisexual.” He also learned that he doesn’t “have too much sexual desires and urges as most people,” which works for him since he’s saving himself for marriage.

“I just invite you to please consider making room to be more understanding and compassionate to those who are LGBTQIA+, and those who are a part of that community and trying to find that balance with their faith which also is a huge part of their identity like myself,” the Utah native wrote.

He added, “I think we can do better as people of faith and Christians, including Latter-day Saints, to listen more to the wrestle between being LGBTQIA+ and a person of faith… I don’t think it should come down to feeling you have to accept one or the other. For me to find peace the reality has been to accept both are real things I experience and make who I am… You can be part of the LGBTQIA+ community and still believe in God and His gospel plan.”

Archuleta, who placed second in the 2007 season of Idol at 16, scored a massive Billboard hit with his single “Crush,” which peaked at No. 2 in the Billboard Hot 100. His latest album, Therapy Sessions, was released 2020. The singer has been open about his Mormon beliefs over the years, and he spent time as a missionary in Chile following his run on Idol.

“I’ve tried for almost 20 years to try and change myself until I realized God made me how I am for a purpose. And instead of hating what I have considered wrong I need to see why God loved me for who I am and that it’s not just sexuality. So many other traits of who I am come from how I’ve been created,” he wrote.

See Archuleta’s full Instagram post here.

From career milestones and new music releases to major announcements and more, Billboard editors highlight the latest news buzz in Latin music every week. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Getting the Latin Community Vaccinated

Alejandro Fernández, Maná’s Fher Olvera and Dr. Anthony Fauci have joined forces to help get the Latin community vaccinated against the novel coronavirus. Their efforts are part of the National Month of Action, which aims to get 70% of U.S. adults at least one shot of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4. “We have joined the global fight against COVID-19,” Olvera says in the video. “Get vaccinated. We already did,” they both share. According to the CDC, as of today, 42.6% of the total U.S. population is fully vaccinated while 51.9% of the population has received at least one dose.

Dimelo Flow Renews Contract

Latin hitmaker Dimelo Flow renewed both his producer and publishing deals with independent label RichMusic. Under the new multi-million dollar deal, RichMusic continues to solidify their relationship with the Latin Grammy and Billboard Latin Music Awards nominee as their leading music producer and DJ.

“I’m extremely grateful to be able to further my career alongside RichMusic since they have supported my career and I from early on,” Flow expressed in a statement. “This is a new chapter that I am intrigued as to where it will take me but nonetheless has me very excited.” “His creative vision as a producer and his work ethic go unmatched,” added Joshua Mendez, co-founder and COO of RichMusic Inc.

Flow, behind hits of Daddy Yankee, Natti Natasha, Sech and Ozuna, to name a few, was represented by Chris Navarro of Singh & Trauben LLP, and Rich Music Inc. was represented by Oswaldo Rossi for Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk, LLP at the renewal global signing. His signing comes on the heels of RichMusic renewing Sech’s recording and publishing deal, where they will continue to exclusively release Sech’s recordings worldwide, and publish his music under the company’s new publishing division, The Pencil Pushers.

‘In the Heights’ Premiere

In the Heights, an adaptation of the Broadway show that ran from 2008-2011, was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda in 1999 and is now in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. “It was, in many ways, an attempt to write what I saw was missing, both in terms of representation and in terms of stories about [Latinos] in popular culture,” Miranda previously told Billboard. Ahead of the film’s release, Billboard caught up with Leslie Grace, who plays Nina, and Mexican actress Melissa Barrera, who plays Vanessa, to talk all things In the Heights.

From challenging musical numbers to how their characters inspired their personal growth and the importance of true representation in the film, watch our interview here.

Mau y Ricky & Piso 21 Announce Joint Tour

Two of Latin pop’s hottest acts of the moment, Mau y Ricky and Piso 21, are teaming up for their first-ever joint tour, “Panas & Parceros.” Slang for “friend” in both Venezuela (panas) and Colombia (parceros), the two acts will take their bromance on stage, and will also participate in each other’s songs, including hits such as Mau y Ricky’s “Desconocidos” and “Papas,” and Piso 21’s “Te Vi” and “Mas de la Una.” Produced by Live Nation, the joint tour will create a never-before-seen concert experience, where longtime friends will share the stage as opposed to just co-headline.

Wilkins’ Masterpiece 

After spending five years working on his new album, Puerto Rican artist Wilkins has finally released Obra Maestra (Masterpiece), which becomes the 49th studio album of his career. The 12-track set includes songs penned by Wilkins that perfectly capture his rockmántico (romantic rock) essence that has characterized his music. “It’s a conceptual album that describes experiences men go through while in love,” the 68-year-old artist said about Obra Maestra. Stream the album below:

Rapper Polo G has been arrested on charges including battery on a police officer, resisting arrest with violence and criminal mischief.

Jail records show the rapper, whose name is Taurus Bartlett, was booked into jail early Saturday (June 12) on five charges and released on bond hours later.

The Miami Police Department released arrest affidavits in which officers stated Bartlett, 22, and others were pulled over early Saturday, and the rapper ended up in a struggle on the ground with officers. One of the documents says an officer who was trying to handcuff Bartlett was struck multiple times.

The documents say Bartlett was aggressive as he resisted arrest in downtown Miami. One of the officers said he had ordered him and all the passengers in the car he was traveling in to get out of the vehicle to pat them down for firearms, saying he suspected they carried weapons because they heard a passenger claim the vehicle was bulletproof.

The police department said it was reviewing the incident that would include examining all camera footage, saying the arrest was captured on several body-worn cameras. Police spokesman Michael Vega said it also was investigating several threats received against personnel and facilities in response to the rapper’s arrest.

The Chicago-based artist had just released his newest album Hall of Fame on Friday. His single “Rapstar” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April. His mother and manager said on Instagram that Polo G and his younger brother were riding in a car with security after an album release party.

The mother, Stacia Mac, posted a message on Facebook saying she had bonded out Polo G and other people who were arrested in the same traffic stop. Earlier in the day on Twitter, she had said, “None of these charges would be possible if the POLICE did not make contact with my son Polo G!!! He was NOT the driver. He was a PASSENGER in a professionally licensed vehicle with security. He was moving smart and correctly. What more could he have done.”

Jail records did not list an attorney for the rapper.

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Puerto Rican superstar Rauw Alejandro shot to No. 3 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. tallies this week (up from No. 31 and No. 18, respectively) with his song “Todo de Ti,” which is only the third all Spanish-language track to reach the top three of the Global 200 since the chart’s inception in Sept. 2020.

Released May 21, “Todo de Ti” drew 102.6 million global streams, up 180% from the prior week, according to MRC Data. The song is Alejandro’s first top 10 on the Global 200.

Explore the team of musicians, producers and more behind the track with recording credits provided by Jaxsta below.

Artists:
Main Artist – Rauw Alejandro

Songwriters:
Composer Lyricist – Eric “Duars” Pérez Rovira
Composer Lyricist – José M. Collazo “Colla”
Composer Lyricist – Luis J. González “Mr. NaisGai”
Composer Lyricist – Rafael E. Pabón Navedo “Rafa Pabon”
Composer Lyricist – Raul Alejandro Ocasio Ruiz “Rauw Alejandro”
Performance Arranger – Carlos Orlando Navarro

Producers:
Executive Producer – Eric “Duars” Pérez Rovira
Producer – Luis J. González “Mr. NaisGai”
Producer – Raúl A. Ocasio “El Zorro”

Engineers:
Mastering Engineer – Sensei Sound
Mixing Engineer – José M. Collazo “Colla”
Recording Engineer – José M. Collazo “Colla”

Performers:
Guitar – Carlos Orlando Navarro

Labels:
Distributor – Sony Music Entertainment
Label – Sony Music Latin

Explore the full “Todo de Ti” credits on Jaxsta here.

Who will win for best new artist at the 2021 BET Awards on June 27? Unlike some years where there’s a clear favorite, this year’s contest seems wide open. The nominees are evenly split between male artists (Giveon, Jack Harlow and Pooh Shiesty) and female artists (Coi Leray, Flo Milli and Latto). All six nominees are in their early to mid 20s.

The three male nominees have all reached the top five on the Billboard 200. (Not so the female nominees.) Giveon and Harlow both received Grammy nominations in November.

The last two winners in the category — Lil Baby (2019) and Roddy Ricch (2020) — were both male rappers. Leray, Flo Milli or Latto would be the first female winner since SZA three years ago. Giveon would be the first non-rap winner since SZA.

Here’s a closer look at the nominees. They’re listed in alphabetical order.

Coi Leray: The rapper, 24, has two nominations. She’s also up for best female hip hop artist. Leray has placed two singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “No More Parties” (featuring Lil Durk, No. 26) and “Big Purr (Prrdd)” (featuring fellow nominee Poo Shiesty, No. 69). Coi is featured on YSL’s “I Like,” a track from Slime Language 2, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in May. Leray was Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop rookie of the month for April. As Neena Rouhani noted in a Q&A that announced that designation, “Despite the infancy of her career, the multi-faceted performer has already collaborated with a plethora of fellow charting rappers, including Gunna, DDG and Yung Bleu.” In addition, Leray has released two mixtapes, Everythingcoz and EC2, and an EP, Now or Never.

Flo Milli: The rapper, 21, is the youngest of this year’s nominees. (She’s a couple of months younger than Pooh Shiesty, who is also 21.) Flo Milli’s 2020 mixtape, Ho, Why Is You Here?, reached No. 78 on the Billboard 200. The mixtape spawned five singles, “Beef FloMix,” “In the Party,” “Not Friendly,” “Like That Bitch” and “Weak.” (The latter track samples SWV’s hit of the same name, which topped the Hot 100 in 1993.) The mixtape ranked No. 37 on Billboard’s list of the 50 Best Albums of 2020: Staff Picks. Writing about the mixtape for that list, Tatiana Cirisano observed: “Ho, why is you here? similarly finds the [then] 20-year-old talking herself up, with both the catty attitude of a teenager and the posh confidence of a veteran rapper, adding up to an album that feels like a shot of pure caffeine.”

Giveon: Giveon is this year’s oldest best new artist nominee (26) and the only non-rap artist among the nominees. He has a second nod for best male R&B/pop artist. His compilation When It’s All Said and Done…Take Time reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. It consists of two previously released EPs — Take Time (which received a Grammy nod for best R&B album) and When It’s All Said and Done — plus new material. Take Time included the deeply moving and musically sophisticated ballad “Heartbreak Anniversary,” which reached No. 17 on the Hot 100. Giveon has climbed even higher as a featured artist on Justin Bieber’s “Peaches” (No. 1) and Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle” (No. 14). “Heartbreak Anniversary” ranked No. 17 on Billboard’s list of the 50 Best Songs of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks. Billboard also included Giveon’s compilation in its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks, where Gail Mitchell wrote: “Giveon is steadily winning fans on his own with a gutsy brand of R&B that embraces influences that range from Frank Sinatra to Frank Ocean.”

Jack Harlow: Harlow, 23, has three nominations, more than any of this year’s other best new artist candidates. He’s also nominated for best collaboration for the “Whats Poppin” remix (which featured DaBaby, Tory Lanez and Lil Wayne) and best male hip hop artist. Harlow has climbed higher on the Hot 100 as a lead artist than any of the other nominees. “Whats Poppin” reached No. 2. The track received a Grammy nomination for best rap performance and placed No. 26 on Billboard’s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2020: Staff Picks, where Andrew Unterberger praised the song’s “tiptoeing bounce and tight one-bar-at-a-time flow.” Harlow’s studio album Thats What They All Say reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. His earlier EP Sweet Action hit No. 20. Harlow, who received four nominations at last month’s Billboard Music Awards, is the first white rapper to land a best new artist nod at the BET Awards since Paul Wall 15 years ago.

Latto: The rapper, 22, changed her stage name from Mulatto just last month. (As Billboard’s Carl Lamarre explained here, “Coined during slavery, ‘mulatto’ was a racial slur used to describe multiracial children.”) Latto has a second nomination for best female hip hop artist. She reached No. 44 on the Billboard 200 with Queen of Da Souf. A track from the album, “Bitch From Da Souf” (featuring Saweetie and Trina) reached No. 95 on the Hot 100. The album spawned four more singles: “Muwop” (featuring Gucci Mane), “On God,” “In n Out” (featuring City Girls) and “Sex Lies” (featuring Lil Baby). Latto has also released three mixtapes (Miss Mulatto, Latto Let ‘Em Know and Mulatto) and three EPs (Time and Pressure, Big Latto and Hit the Latto).

Pooh Shiesty: The rapper, 21, has climbed higher on the Billboard 200 than any of this year’s other nominees. His mixtape Shiesty Season reached No. 3. Billboard included the mixtape on its list of the 50 Best Albums of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks, where Jason Lipshutz wrote: “Memphis rapper Pooh Shiesty’s debut mixtape Shiesty Season sneaks up on you. The singsong hooks, slow-drawled rhymes and menacing beats initially register as straightforward Southern rap — but then you keep playing it, keep absorbing every percussive creak and threat of violence, and realize just how deep the thing goes.” “Back in Blood” (featuring Lil Durk) reached No. 13 on the Hot 100. It ranked even higher (No. 6) on Billboard’s list of the 50 Best Songs of 2021 So Far: Staff Picks, where Andrew Unterberger called Shiesty “the year’s rookie breakout sensation.”