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.
Residente Makes History
This week, Rene “Residente” Perez received the “Grand Prix for Entertainment Lions for Music” award at Cannes Lions for his powerful music video “This Is Not America” featuring French-Cuban duo Ibeyi. Awarded to Doomsday Entertainment and Sony Music Latin, this grand prize makes Residente the first Sony Music Latin artist to receive this honor. In his four-minute single, the Puerto Rican rapper takes aim at politicians, the police, and U.S. imperialism, narrating years of injustices and violence toward the people of Latin America. Throughout the track, he drives home an important point: America is not simply the U.S. The music video also won best director, best music video, and best video effects at the Berlin MVA and best video at the AICP Awards.
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Wow… A truly powerful music video for the song This is Not America. Congratulations @DoomsdayEnt and @SonyMusicLatin for the Grand Prix win in the Entertainment Lions for Music category. #CannesLions2022 https://t.co/tCSN1vq70y pic.twitter.com/lYaQeiG3Yn
— LIONS | The Home of Creativity (@Cannes_Lions) June 21, 2022
Llane’s Debut Album
Colombian singer-songwriter Llane (real name: Juan David Castaño) has finally dropped his debut studio album, three years after announcing he was going solo. The former Piso 21 singer now presents 10 tracks that best capture his musical flow: fresh, positive and very popetón (pop and urban). In Fino (Warner Music Mexico), Llane teams up with collaborators Zion, Manuel Turizo, Danny Ocean, Boza, Khea, Alvaro Diaz, Omar Montes and Masego. “We began a new phase of an album full of feelings and emotions that is something we all live and overcome in the stages of love and life,” he said in a press statement. “As an artist I feel very proud of the wonderful songs that are part of my album.” Stream and listen to Fino below:
Bad Bunny on Bullet Train
In March, it was announced that Bad Bunny was set to join Hollywood heavyweights Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Michael Shannon and more in the upcoming Bullet Train movie. Now, Sony Pictures unleashed the official character posters, which include the Puerto Rican artist as The Wolf. In it, Bunny will play a hitman, part of an ensemble cast of assassins, all with connected, though conflicting, objectives. And all of them riding a nonstop bullet train in Japan. Bullet Train is set to hit theaters later this year on Aug. 5.
Karol G’s Winning Streak
If her debut studio album’s title is any indication, Karol G is unstoppable. This week, the Colombian star won big at the 2022 Premios Tu Music Urbana fan-voted awards, where she nabbed 11 prizes, including artist of the year, top social artist, and best tour. Though the singer was not present at the ceremony in Puerto Rico, which broadcast live for the first time on Telemundo, she surely got the memo. “I’m very happy for all of these awards,” she said via a video message. “Thank you PR and to everyone who voted for me.” She also explained she did not attend the awards because she was out of the country working on a lot of new projects.
Cultura Profetica in Retrospective
In honor of their 25th anniversary, Cultura Profetica announced they will have an anniversary concert at the renowned Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan on Aug. 13. To celebrate the news, the Latin Grammy-winning reggae group hosted an exhibition at the UPR Theater in Rio Pedras that took fans back in their career. “We showed a lot of band memorabilia and historical photos that capture our 25 artistic years. We had a real-life tbt,” the group posted on Instagram.
