Karol G tallies a second week at No. 1 spot on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” holds atop the ranking (dated Sept. 28). She is just the third woman in a solo role to rule the chart in 2024, after Tini and Nicki Nicole, whose “Pa” and “Ojos Verdes” led the April 27- and June 8-dated lists, respectively.

Valentino Merlo and The La Planta’s “Hoy” remains at No. 2 for a second week, after the song’s 11-week coronation starting the July 6-dated tally.

It’s a big week for 16-year-old Merlo, who in addition to “Hoy” places three other songs on the chart, encompassing his complete career entries. “Si Un Día Estás Sola (Big One Crossover #7),” with Big One and Emanero, surges 20-5 with the Greatest Gainer honors, for Merlo’s third top 10. Big One, meanwhile, collects his eighth top 10, and Emanero secures his second. Plus, “Princesa,” with Paulo Londra and Luck Ra, debuts at No.20.

Maria Becerra takes the “Hot Shot Debut” of the week as “Agora” arrives at No.6, for the Argentinian’s record-extending 29th top 10.

Argentinian rock legend Charly García makes his maiden chart visit thanks to two songs from his latest album La Lógica del Escorpión. While “Rómpela” manages a No. 37 launch, “Yo Ya Sé” opens at No. 80.

Three other songs debut on the 100-deep ranking, starting with Cris Mj and FloyyMenor’s second team-up, “Después De La 1,” at No. 42. “Se Dice Mi,” by Doble P, Pereira Remix and Tuti DJ, follows at No. 53, while LIT Killah and Nicki Nicole’s “Somos 3” bows at No. 66.

Pink is speaking out about a rumor that’s spread online this week linking her to Sean “Diddy” Combs following his recent arrest.

The rumor in question began with people noticing that the pop singer had wiped her account clean on X. In light of the Bad Boy Records founder readying himself for trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering, some Internet sleuths drew conclusions that Pink’s absence from the website implied she was trying to erase clues that she was somehow involved in the scandal — but the one glaring problem with that theory is that the “So What” singer deactivated her profile nearly eight months ago.

“I don’t know why I became a headline this week, but I wiped my Twitter account on February 6!!!” Pink wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, sharing a screenshot of her final tweet: “This account will self destruct in two minutes. Do it!!!!!!”

“There is no truth to the rumors spread this week, and while I’ve met people in passing, I’m not associated with any of the people mentioned,” she added.

Pink isn’t the only musician whose X habits have sparked Diddy-related rumors recently. Usher also had to speak out when people spread similar claims based on his own recent departure from the site, which he explained Sunday had merely been due to a hack. “Account got hacked and damn y’all ran with it!” he tweeted at the time, having seemingly recovered his account.

Combs is currently being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., ahead of his trial, which — if he’s found guilty on all charges of physical abuse, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery and more — could end with him being sentenced to life in prison. He’s been denied bail twice so far, with Judge Andrew L. Carter reasoning that the hip-hop titan poses a flight risk with the resources to intimidate witnesses if he wanted to.

See P!nk’s post below.

All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.

Hosting a party requires a few must-have supplies to turn the night from fun to unforgettable. Instead of investing in a speaker, karaoke machine and party lights separately, Sony has created a bluetooth speaker that does all three in one compact device.

The SRS XV-500 Karaoke Speaker is priced just under $400 and comes with luxurious features like built-in X-Balanced speakers to provide distortion-free. You’ll also get a 3-in-1 design as it can go from Bluetooth speaker, karaoke machine to light show with just a touch of a button. Its multipurpose capabilities haven’t gone unnoticed either as the XV-500 has sold out on Sony’s website, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t pick up your own.

Keep reading to discover where to buy the Sony bluetooth speaker online.

Sony SRS-XV500 X-Series Karaoke Party Speaker

Buy Now On Amazon $398

Buy Now on walmart $398

Buy Now on best buy $399.99

You can enjoy a “live concert-like experience” whenever you want once you power on this karaoke speaker, according to the official product description. You can determine what kind of ambiance you want using the touch control panel located on top of the speaker including the lights, volume and bass level.

---

Reviewers have also been praising its “incredibly long bluetooth range” that’ll let you walk around your house with your smart device without worrying about losing connection. Plus, with its 25-hour max battery life, you can keep the party going for hours without needing to recharge — but just in case it does need some juicing up, Sony’s speaker was built with quick-charge technology. It’s also designed with weather-resistant materials that’ll let you take the device on the go — including to your next picnic in the park.

Its popularity has also landed it an Amazon Choice badge with shoppers giving it a 4.6 star rating for its “strong” bass and ability to transform your space into a “home theater.”

For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard‘s roundups of the best portable recording booths, karaoke microphones and podcast equipment and microphones.

Omar Courtz’s journey is a resonant tale of a superfan turned rising star, whose deep admiration for the icons of Latin music inspired his career — from back when he was just a fervent listener right up to performing on the legendary Coliseo de Puerto Rico (a.k.a. El Choli) alongside those very idols. His debut album, Primera Musa, which dropped on September 20 via Mr. 305 Records and Rimas Entertainment, is both a nod to his inspirations and a showcase of his exploratory urbano sounds.

The Puerto Rican artist arrives at the New York Billboard office a few days after releasing his LP, sporting Tims, a beige baseball hat with pink accents, and a gigantic diamond-encrusted chain featuring a huge open heart that revealed bone ribs. It had engraved the names of his grandmothers on each side, and a Bible verse in the back: “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it are the issues of life.” He was thrilled to discuss the essence of Primera Musa, a title that symbolizes the multitude of influences that have propelled his artistic journey.

“Primera Musa can be many things,” he explains. “I leave it to the people to interpret it as they wish. It can be something you’ve lived, an experience, or it could be a woman.”

The album is a personal odyssey that weaves his past, his family’s influence, and an homage to the pivotal women in his life. Its extraordinary diversity spans trap, reggaetón, R&B, Jersey club and house — each track showcasing Omar’s skill in melding diverse styles to forge a colorful listen. From the potent “Intro” with Kendo Kaponi to the introspective finale, “Luces de Colores,” his debut is a masterclass in both musical versatility and deep connection to his fans and foundation.

The rapper/singer detailed the special allure found in debut albums, which often capture the pure essence of an artist’s sound. “What happens is that for me there is a magic in artists’ first albums,” he expresses, citing Myke Towers’ El Final del Principio (2016) and Bad Bunny’s X100Pre (2018) as examples. “There’s something special that fans always say: ‘I want to hear that artist, their first delivery, their first muse.’”

Raised in Carolina, a famously tough neighborhood of Puerto Rico that also produced figures like Almighty, Anuel AA, and Rauw Alejandro, Omar reflected on the extraordinary local talent. They emerged “in my very street, literally,” he says. “There really must be something there, something duro, a kind of magic, because superstars come out of it.”

The spirit of Omar’s music is intrinsically linked to his experiences as a fan who lived through the anticipation and thrill of music releases. He highlights the pivotal role of SoundCloud in his early career, a platform that immensely facilitated the rise of new artists, particularly in the then-emerging Latin trap genre. “SoundCloud gave us the opportunity for ease, for speed, for you to create a song today and send it out to the world,” he recounts, also reminiscing about the early days when artists like Alvarito Díaz and Myke Towers would release new music every Thursday, cultivating a fervent community of listeners eager for fresh sounds.

“One of my biggest inspirations is Myke Towers,” Omar admits with a look of reverence. “His musical consistency, his delivery, his concepts are inspiring. I think he’s a lyrical genius. He just takes a notebook and starts throwing verses as if it were a string of them.”

Omar’s journey is saturated with humble beginnings and diverse experiences: “I’ve done everything from selling clothes in my uncle’s shop to washing cars, mowing lawns, and operating a pressure washer.” Amidst these hard-knock jobs, he found his true calling, starting to publish his own tracks on streaming platforms in the mid-2010s — and during the 2020 pandemic, he began to release a string of material, putting himself on the map with his Latin trap and reggaetón tracks armed with his distinctive flow.

By 2019, a significant professional relationship was forged when he met his current manager, Orlando Dávila of OD Entertainment. They bonded over a shared taste in music and artistic vision. “Omar Courtz was an artist who caught my attention from our first conversation without even knowing him […] I could see his intentions and the vision he had for his musical career right from the start, partly because we share similar musical tastes, including a fondness for R&B,” Dávila tells Billboard Español. “Omar is deeply committed to his craft, very demanding of himself, and a perfectionist.”

Omar Courtz’s hard work and artistic integrity paid off when he landed a feature on Tainy’s 2023 hit “Pasiempre,” a track that saw him holding his own among Latin trap titans Myke Towers, Arcánge, Jhayco and Bad Bunny, also starring Venezuelan producer Arca. This song not only put him on the charts, but also symbolized his arrival in the music industry’s spotlight, peaking at No. 28 on the Hot Latin Songs chart and marking his entry on the Billboard Global 200. His collaboration with Daddy Yankee, “Beachy,” also affirmed his status, doing exceptionally well on the Latin Airplay (No. 27) and Latin Rhythm Airplay charts (No. 7).

What is particularly striking about Omar’s path is how he melds his deep-seated fan experiences into his music’s DNA, striving to incite the same fervor among his listeners. He operates with a fan’s heart, tailoring his creations to meet their expectations. “I put myself in a fan’s position,” he explains, “and I ask myself, ‘If I were a fan of my music, what artist would I want to hear these songs with?’ This is how I thought when I enjoyed other artists’ albums, wishing for certain collaborations.” This creative empathy informs his choices in the studio and guides his collaborative strategies.

This synergy between artist and fan is key in his collaborations, such as with Jhayco and Arcángel during Tainy’s concert, where Omar — once a fan in the crowd — stood alongside his musical heroes. Recalling the release of Bad Bunny’s first album, he remembers how everyone gathered, eager for the first play: “We were all in the court at midnight, waiting for a sound system to come out so the whole world could listen. This communal excitement is what he seeks to replicate with his own releases, evident when he saw Primera Musa being celebrated on social media in the same way.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Omar Courtz and his incredible achievements. His debut album topping multiple global charts is a testament to his raw talent, hard work, and the unique sound he’s introducing to the industry,” Robert Fernandez, CEO of Mr. 305 Records, tells Billboard Español. “Omar’s music is resonating with fans worldwide, and this is just the beginning of his journey to greatness.”

Name: Joshua Omar Medina Cortes

Age: 26

Recommended Song: “I wanted to bring a song that refreshes every 30 seconds rhythmically. Since there is so much music [out there], people listen to the intro, chorus and verse and that’s it — they listen to very little of the theme. I wanted to renew the rhythm often bring another new color. I got together with Karbeats, my producer, and we made “Goddess.”

Biggest Accomplishment: “I’m excited that I’m reaching other countries. Puerto Rico was already very important to me because it’s my island, but to see the support from other countries, that excites me as I was excited when they supported me in Puerto Rico as well.”

What’s Next: Omar Courtz will be a panelist at Billboard Latin Music Week alongside Saiko and KBaez, presented by Cheetos.