Selena Honored With National Medal of Arts & More Uplifting Moments in Latin Music

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.

Selena’s Legacy Endures

At the top of the week, President Joe Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Honor and National Humanities Medals during a ceremony held Monday (Oct. 21) at the East Room in the White House  followed by a reception. The National Medals of Art honorees included the late Queen of Tex-Mex, Selena Quintanilla, in addition to Steven Spielberg, Alex Katz, Jo Carole Lauder, Mark Bradford, Spike Lee, Queen Latifah, and Bruce Cohen. 

“We are excited to announce that Selena will be honored with the prestigious National Medal of Arts by President Biden and Dr. Jill Biden at the White House this evening. This remarkable achievement celebrates Selena’s enduring impact on her music and legacy,” read the official announcement on Selena’s Instagram account. Her sister and Los Dinos member, Suzette Quintanilla, accepted the medal on her behalf. 

Erika Ender’s TalenPro Gala

TalenPro 2024’s Grand Finale took place this week, celebrating eight finalists on their artistic performance and social impact through the restoration and equipping of 12 inclusive educational centers across Panama. Erika Ender, creator of TalenPro and president of Fundación Puertas Abiertas, announced at the event that more than 8,000 Panamanians were benefited throughout the TalenPro 2024 process. 

This year’s jury included Carlos Ponce, Karina Banda, Johnny Lozada, and Andy Clay, among others. Each of the winners—in categories such as best song, best dance group, and best audiovisual, to name a few—received a full university scholarship, in accordance with IFARHU regulations. Other prizes included a new car to the tutor teacher of the year. Special tributes of the evening went out to Milly Quezada, Debi Nova, and boxer Roberto Dúran. 

According to a press statement, TalenPro (TALENt with PURPOse) is a Guinness World Records holder for “being the Largest Social/Global Development Project Competition. It is an annual student competition that promotes talent and purpose among the youth of Panama.” See Ender’s heartfelt post here.

Karol G Re-Opens a School

In other uplifting news, Karol G’s foundation, “Con Cora,” reopened the Colegio Arenys de Mar school in Medellin after two years of restoration and beautification efforts. In December 2022, the school suffered severe damage due to heavy rains that caused the collapse of the retention wall next to the Iguaná stream. With the help of the community, the foundation successfully  reconstructed the school’s infrastructure that includes a new retention wall, renovated classrooms, remodeled bathrooms, and a new playground. 

“I am proud to be part of this project and to contribute to positive change in a community so close to my heart,” expressed Karol G, in a statement. The Colombian artist was in attendance at the inaugural event. “A quality education is key for children to pursue their dreams. I hope each student remains curious, because education not only opens doors but also transforms lives,” she said. 

A Heartfelt Tribute to Liam Payne

Five artists from Ecuador have joined forces to pay tribute to the late Liam Payne, just days after his unexpected passing. In a collaboration post on Instagram, Johan Vera, Mar Rendon, Ñusta Picuasi, Ren Kai, and Johnta are beautifully harmonizing to One Direction’s “Story of My Life.” “Rest in Peace, Liam Payne,” notes the caption alongside a heart emoji. Payne died on Oct. 16 at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl Cole. 

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Majo Aguilera Brings ‘Tómbola’ to Billboard Latin Music Week

With a mariachi band behind her, Majo Aguilar worked the stage at Billboard Latin Music Week and celebrated the moment with a cheers with the audience and a can of Smirnoff ICE in tow.

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Taylor Swift Brings the Eras Tour to New Orleans: The 8 Best Moments

Taylor Swift’s blockbuster Eras Tour rolled into New Orleans on Friday (Oct. 25) for the first of three sold-out shows at Caesars Superdome.

After a lengthy run of overseas dates, Swift returned to North America for three shows in Miami last week; New Orleans is the second city on this final leg of the Eras Tour. Whereas Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is a bit of a drive outside the city proper, the Caesars Superdome is very much in the thick of downtown New Orleans. Leading up to this weekend, bars, restaurants, hotels, pet shops, art galleries and more freely surrendered to the Swiftie takeover, offering themed menu items (Holy Ground Hurricane, Fearless Jambalaya) or hosting get-togethers tailored to the Taylor crowd (karaoke, trivia, drag shows and even look-alike contests offering hundreds of dollars to the winner).

From Canal St. to Bourbon St. to Frenchman St., concertgoers in Eras Tour t-shirts began trickling into the city days ago, eventually reaching a fever pitch on Friday. Adding to the insanity is the fact that this is also New Orleans’ big Halloween weekend. Pop into any number of bars on Bourbon ahead of the concert and you’re just as likely to spot revelers out for the city’s annual witches’ luncheon as you are tourists rocking Taylor Swift looks and/or Kansas City Chiefs gear in honor of boyfriend Travis Kelce (who also has more than his fair share of themed cocktails in New Orleans at the moment).

But as much as this once-in-a-generation cultural event has been about the sense of community leading up to the show, it’s ultimately about the music and Swift’s performance.

With more than 50,000 fans packing into Caesars Superdome on Friday night (the venue can hold closer to 83,000, but Swift’s stage design – which makes even the nosebleed seats a worthwhile investment – cuts into that), these were the best moments from Taylor Swift’s first Eras Tour show in New Orleans.

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Olivia Rodrigo On Her Billboard Cover, Favorite Song to Perform On ‘GUTS’ World Tour & More | Billboard

Olivia Rodrigo shares how she felt to be on the cover of Billboard’s touring issue, her favorite song to perform on the ‘GUTS’ world tour, having friends like Chappell Roan and Laufey come out to support her at the premiere of her new Netflix ‘GUTS’ world tour doc and more!

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Beyoncé Makes Her Voice Heard at Kamala Harris Houston Rally: ‘It’s Time for America to Sing a New Song’

Beyoncé is standing beside Kamala Harris leading up to Election Day on Nov. 5.

The 32-time Grammy winner took the stage alongside her Destiny’s Child bandmate and childhood friend Kelly Rowland at the Democratic presidential nominee’s rally in their hometown of Houston, Texas, on Friday night (Oct. 25), where they endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket and urged their fellow Texans to do the same.

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“H-Town!” Beyoncé said to rapturous cheers when she took the mic. “We are so happy to be standing here on this stage as proud, country, Texas women supporting and celebrating the one and only Vice President Kamala Harris. A woman who’s been pushing for what this country really needs right now: unity. It’s impossible not to feel the energy in this room, the positivity, the community, the humanity. We are at the precipice of an incredible shift. The brink of history.

“I’m not here as a celebrity,” she added. “I’m not here as a politician. I’m here as a mother. A mother who cares, deeply, about the world my children and all of our children live in. A world where we have the freedom to control our bodies. A world where we’re not divided. Our past, our present, our future merge to meet us here.”

Bey spoke to “all the men and women in this room, and watching around the country,” telling them: “We need you. Your voice has power and magnitude. Your vote is one of the most valuable tools, and we need you. Your freedom is your god-given right, your human right. Everybody say Texas! Texas plays a pivotal role to change the course of our future.”

The superstar then leaned into her music roots to wrap her speech, saying, “It’s time to sing a new song. A song that began 248 years ago. The old notes of downfall, discord, despair no longer resonate. Our generations of loved ones before us are whispering a prophecy, a quest, a calling, an anthem. Our moment is right now. It’s time for America to sing a new song. Our voices sing a song of unity. They sing a song of dignity and opportunity. Are y’all ready to add your voice to the new American song? Because I am. So let’s do this. Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big, loud Texas welcome to the next president of the United States, Vice President Kamala Harris.”

In addition to Rowland and Beyoncé, Willie Nelson performed at the Houston rally and Harris ended the night with a speech.

Though Bey hadn’t previously vocalized support for Harris amid the 2024 election cycle, her presence has been strong in the VP’s campaign over the past few months. In August, the superstar was heavily rumored to appear at the Democratic National Convention, but never showed up. Her 2016 track “Freedom” has also been a mainstay in Harris’ campaign, becoming the Democratic nominee’s walkout song in July. CNN confirmed that month that Bey had given direct approval for the song’s use.

She has previously supported other Democratic political causes, including performing with Jay-Z at a Hillary Clinton musical rally in Cleveland in 2016 ahead of that year’s presidential election. In 2020, Bey supported Joe Biden’s campaign and later celebrated his victory on Instagram. Additionally, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer performed at both of Barack Obama’s inaugurations in 2009 and 2013.

Watch Beyonce’s full speech below:

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Danna Talks Finding Joy Through Her Music & Her Glam Soundtrack

Danna talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her glam soundtrack backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

Danna:

A little bit of everything. It depends on the mood. Lately, we are listening to a striptease playlist because it’s like R&B, then suddenly a little bolero, to slow reggaeton, a little bit of jazz, like a combination of all these sexy sounds to bring out that femininity. How does my music help me find beauty and joy? To put it simply, it’s in the act of it. I believe that, for me, creating music and dedicating myself to this industry is a very spiritual act. So within spirituality, there is a lot of beauty. It’s the creation of something together with someone. The beauty of friendship, of finding a very unique and magical moment when creating something, I think it’s very special. And I think the beauty and joy after finishing it and listening to it and you hear my fans singing my songs and that song that was made with so much love, gives me everything. What’s my favorite move on the dance floor these days? 

Keep watching for more!

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 Zhamira Zhambrano Talks Finding Joy Through Her Music and Current Beauty Obsessions Presented By Ulta Beauty

Zhamira Zhambrano talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her favorite beauty trends while backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

Zhamira Zhambrano:

My glam session has a pretty mixed soundtrack. Sometimes I listen to my own unreleased songs because it’s a moment where I’m alone and can concentrate on what I have to fix for certain songs. I listen to my husband’s music. I listen to Morat. I listen to songs in English. I think if you ask me right now, Karol G. I really like her style lately in her performances. Beyond her style, I really like her self-confidence that she shows in front of the cameras because that’s how you can get to know her and I think she’s a person who always looks beautiful, elegant and who’s super confident in herself. I have always said that if you feel beautiful inside, that is what you will radiate outwards. In my case, I try to work on that a lot with myself and involve it in the studio. When I am creating, I am always thinking about how the person or in this case, the woman who listens to this will feel, or even the man, too, because men can also feel beautiful and powerful. I think that as long as you carry a message of positivity, in my personal case, that’s what I try to radiate in the studio through the music with beautiful and motivational words, healthy and clean messages that reach the heart. You will feel good.  

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YG Entertainment Shares Make Big Gain on ‘APT’ Release as K-Pop Stocks Rise Across the Board

As earnings season prepares to get underway, K-pop companies were among the week’s rare winners as music stocks broke a six-week winning streak. 

YG Entertainment surged 6.1% this week as the company appears to have scored a hit with “APT” by ROSÉ, a member of the girl group BLACKPINK, featuring Bruno Mars. The track got off to a blistering start this week, topping Spotify’s global and U.S. daily streaming charts and earning 13.3 million streams in the U.S. in its first four days of release. SM Entertainment, home to NCT 127 and RIIZE, rose 4.1%, while HYBE, with a roster including Seventeen and Tomorrow X Together, improved 2.1%. JYP Entertainment, the agency behind Stray Kids and ITZY, improved 1.4%. 

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Stock prices are likely to see movement in the coming weeks as companies release their results for the quarter ended Sept. 30. The first music companies out of the gate are Reservoir Media (Oct. 30), SiriusXM (Oct. 31), Universal Music Group (Oct. 31) and Cumulus Media (Nov. 1). Other companies that have announced earnings release dates include Sony Corp. (Nov. 8), Tencent Music Entertainment (Nov. 12), Live Nation (Nov. 12) and Spotify (Nov. 12). 

The 20-company Billboard Global Music Index (BGMI) fell 0.6% to 1,974.72 in the week ended Oct. 25 after breaking 2,000 for the first time the prior week and posting gains the previous five weeks. In the week ended Oct. 18, the BGMI reached 2,001.28, more than doubling in value since the index launched in February 2022. After the recent decline, the index’s year-to-date gain stood at 29.7%, ahead of both the Nasdaq composite (up 23.4%) and S&P 500 (up 21.8%).  

Stock markets were mixed this week. In the U.S., the S&P 500 rose 0.2% to 18,518.61 while the Nasdaq composite fell 1.0% to 5,808.12 despite Tesla’s 22% gain after the electric vehicle maker beat earnings expectations and upgraded its growth outlook. In the U.K., the FTSE 100 dropped 1.6% to 8,248.84. South Korea’s KOSPI composite index dipped 0.4% to 2,583.27. China’s Shanghai Composite Index rose 1.2% to 3,299.70.  

Outside of South Korean companies, one of the biggest movers of the week was Live Nation. Ahead of the company’s Nov. 12 earnings release, numerous analysts increased their price targets on the concert promoter’s stock this week: Redburn Atlantic (to $126 from $118), Jefferies (to $132 from $113), JP Morgan (to $137 from $118) and Goldman Sachs (to $132 from $128). Given that the third quarter is historically Live Nation’s strongest period and the company has set all-time records in previous quarters, Q3 results are likely to boast more all-time highs.  

Spotify was one of the index’s few stocks to post a weekly gain — albeit with just a 0.1% increase. Morgan Stanley raised its price target on Spotify on Wednesday to $430 from $400. Analysts see much upside for Spotify. Global subscription penetration (excluding China) “remains relatively low” at 15%, Goldman analysts explained in a Tuesday (Oct. 22) investor note, and Spotify has the ability to further raise prices. Additionally, they wrote, Spotify’s growing audiobook business proved the company can generate more revenue from its subscribers than was possible when it offered just music.

Most music stocks had modest, single-digit declines this week. Warner Music Group fell 0.1% to $32.38, Universal Music Group dropped 1.9% to 23.61 euros, Tencent Music Entertainment declined 3.2% to $11.50, Reservoir Media dipped 3.4% to $8.55, iHeartMedia was down 4.3% to $1.80, and both Sphere Entertainment Co. and SiriusXM were off 4.4%. 

LiveOne was the week’s biggest loser after falling 10.6% to $0.58. The music streamer has fallen 38% since its Oct. 1 announcement that Tesla will no longer subsidize the LiveOne-powered streaming service in new vehicles. Radio broadcaster Cumulus Media dropped 9.4% to $1.16, bringing its year-to-date decline to 78.2%. 

Datawrapper, Global Music Index, October 25, 2024
Datawrapper, Share Prices, October 25, 2024
Datawrapper, Share Prices, October 25, 2024
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María Becerra Talks Finding Joy Through Music and a Beautiful Fan Interaction

María Becerra talks about how she finds beauty and joy through her music, as well as her most memorable fan interaction while backstage at Billboard Latin Music Week.

María Becerra:

Well, the few times we listen to music when we are doing glam, we like to start off with something with a little movement because usually the glam is in the morning, so we start the morning more upbeat with Argentine cumbia, Cumbia En Base, Santafesina cumbia, cuarteto or if not, Mexican cumbia, Columbian, but always a little cumbia to get us going. I feel that the simple fact of making music helps me to find beauty and joy in life. The truth is that I am lucky to be a woman who can make a living from what she loves, whose job is to express, to write her emotions as an open letter, and on top of that, to put it into music. I feel that this fact brings me joy and helps me to find beauty in life every day. This is something that has been around for a while, but the truth is that the “cat eye,” you see, the type of makeup or eyelash to make the eye look more dragged out, fascinated me from the moment I saw it and I love it. I like to do it, I like to have it done, that’s what I like the most.

Keep watching for more!

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Brad Paisley Performs National Anthem at World Series Game 1

Brad Paisley stepped into the baseball diamond on Friday night (Oct. 25), where he performed the national anthem at the first game of the World Series between the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Accompanied by a green electric guitar, he performed a slowed-down version of the U.S. anthem, as a massive American flag was stretched across the field.

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See the full performance here:

The country star is a longtime Dodgers fan, and the performance marks his fourth time singing the anthem at a World Series game. Ice Cube and Fat Joe are also set to perform at games 2 and 3 representing their respective hometowns.

Last month, Paisley dropped the single “Truck Still Works,” off his upcoming full-length LP. The new album, which will likely come out in early 2025, will be his first full-length album since 2017 and his first since moving from Sony Nashville’s Arista imprint to Universal Music Group Nashville’s EMI Records. 

“The project has some deeper things on it but, like the song itself, is really about creativity and nostalgia and you know the themes that you want to hear right now,” he told Billboard. “Sometimes, like in these times, it’s great to give people something they just want to turn up and takes them to a place where they feel good.”

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