meta-scriptRun The World: How Ángela Aguilar's Unique Spin On Ranchera Music Helped Her Become One Of The Youngest GRAMMY Nominees Ever | GRAMMY.com
Run The World: How Ángela Aguilar's Unique Spin On Ranchera Music Helped Her Become One Of The Youngest GRAMMY Nominees Ever
Ángela Aguilar

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Run The World: How Ángela Aguilar's Unique Spin On Ranchera Music Helped Her Become One Of The Youngest GRAMMY Nominees Ever

Born into a family of Mexican entertainment royalty, Ángela Aguilar embraced her love of ranchera music from a very young age — and it earned her recognition at the GRAMMY Awards and Latin GRAMMY Awards before she'd even graduated high school.

GRAMMYs/Oct 14, 2022 - 06:41 pm

At just 19 years old, Ángela Aguilar has established herself as one of the dominant new forces of Mexican ranchera music. The young star is bringing the musical style she grew up singing to a global audience and performing on some of the world's biggest stages.

Aguilar is part of one of Mexico's most prominent entertainment families, known as La Dinastía Aguilar, or The Aguilar Dynasty. Her grandfather was the late Antonio Aguilar (a GRAMMY-nominated mariachi singer and Mexican Cinema Golden Era actor), while her grandmother is singer and actor Flor Silvestre. Meanwhile, Aguilar's father is GRAMMY-winning mariachi singer/songwriter Pepe Aguilar — she was even born during one of his tour stops in Los Angeles in 2003. 

Even with her famous relatives, Ángela has shaped her own career with her dynamic voice and contemporary takes on an age-old genre. In this episode of Run the World — and as part of GRAMMY.com's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month — dive into the accomplishments Aguilar has achieved over the course of her virtuosic career to date.

Aguilar's career in ranchera music began at just 3 years old, when she stepped on stage in front of a crowd of 80,000 during her grandfather's final tour. By age 9, she had released her first album, a collaborative project with her brother Leonardo called Nueva Tradición. From there, she quickly began ramping up her musical career, and was frequently the youngest artist in the spaces in which she moved and performed. 

In 2016, at age 13, she was the youngest person to participate in the BBC 100 Women festival in Mexico City. Backed by an all-male mariachi band, Aguilar spoke to the predominance of male performers in her format, and expressed the need to create more space for women in ranchera music. 

"It's an industry of men and I hope that will change," she said at the event. "Nobody has discriminated against me as a woman, but I know that it does happen and I want it to change." 

Since then, Aguilar has released two more full-length albums, continuing to grow her reach and critical acclaim. Her 2018 project, Primero Soy Mexicana, received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Regional Mexican Music Albumin 2019, when she was just 15 years old — putting her amongst some of the youngest nominees of all time.

Aguilar has also earned three Latin GRAMMY nominations, including a nod for Best Ranchero/Mariachi Album for her 2021 release, Mexicana Enamorada, this year. 

No matter where she goes from here, Aguilar has stressed that she will never stray from her Mexican roots and the genre she loves most. "That's where I came from, it's in my veins, that's why I sing the songs that I do," she told GRAMMY.com in 2019. "I'm honoring my ancestors and the traditions that my grandfather and my grandmother have led me to follow. So before anything, before being American, I'm Mexican, and I'm proud of it."

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Run The World: Why Beyoncé Is One Of The Most Influential Women In Music History
Beyoncé at the 2023 GRAMMYs.

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Run The World: Why Beyoncé Is One Of The Most Influential Women In Music History

Relive a few of the moments that made Beyoncé the global icon she is today, from her debut with Destiny's Child in 1997 to becoming the most awarded musician in GRAMMY history in 2023.

GRAMMYs/Mar 27, 2024 - 08:15 pm

Since her debut with Destiny's Child in 1997, Beyoncé has become one of the most decorated, record-breaking artists of all time.

In 2023, Queen Bey became the artist with the most GRAMMYs in history with 32 wins, after her seventh album, RENAISSANCE, won Best Dance/Electronic Music Album. That same LP also helped Beyoncé become the first female musician to have their first seven studio albums debut at No. 1 in the United States.

Earlier this year, she became the first Black woman to top Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart with "TEXAS HOLD 'EM," the lead single from her forthcoming album, COWBOY CARTER.

Beyond her chart achievements, Beyoncé has dedicated much of her work to uplifting women and exploring the Black experience, from Destiny's Child's "Independent Women, Part 1" to 2011's "Run the World (Girls)" and her 2016 album, Lemonade.

To add to her extensive resume, Beyoncé is also an active philanthropist and businesswoman. Through her BeyGOOD charity, she has championed countless causes, including education for young girls. Earlier this year, Beyoncé launched her hair care brand, Cécred, alongside an annual student scholarship and salon grant.

Among the many ways Bey has uplifted women around the world, her message to 2020 graduates perfectly summed up her influence: "Make those power moves, be excellent."

Press play on the video above to learn more about Beyoncé's colossal career. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Run the World, as well as for more news on Beyoncé's highly anticipated COWBOY CARTER.

Enter The World Of Beyoncé

Run The World: How Shakira Became One Of The Most Influential Female Artists Of The 21st Century
Shakira at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.

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Run The World: How Shakira Became One Of The Most Influential Female Artists Of The 21st Century

In celebration of Women's History Month — and Shakira's new album, 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran' — take a journey through the Colombian superstar's monumental career, from making global smashes to empowering women worldwide.

GRAMMYs/Mar 20, 2024 - 07:07 pm

Over the course of nearly four decades, Shakira — born Shakira Isabel Mebarak in Barranquilla, Colombia — has become the best-selling Latin female artist of all-time, and in turn one of the most influential female artists of her time.

In honor of Women's History Month, revisit a few of the massive moments in her career that paved the way for the international market of other Latin artists.

She famously invited Latin flow to the Western music industry with her global breakthrough album, 2001's Laundry Service. Five years later, she broke the record for the most-played pop song in a week with "Hips Don't Lie."

Since the beginning, Shakira has used her powerful performances to uplift other women. Her lyrics often emphasize themes of self-reliance, independence, and female strength, most notably in her 2009 hit, "She Wolf."

More than three decades into her career, Shakira is still empowering women with more history-making feats. In 2020, she co-headlined the Super Bowl LIV halftime show alongside Jennifer Lopez, celebrating Latin culture in front of more than 100 million viewers; it's now the most-watched halftime show on YouTube, with more than 308 million views as of press time.

Now, at 47, Shakira continues to use her voice to encourage women to shape their own path, as a mother of two balancing her colossal career. Her forthcoming twelfth studio album — Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran, which translates to "Women No Longer Cry" — is a testament to that.

In celebration of Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran's March 22 arrival and Women's History Month, press play on the video above to learn more about Shakira's achievements. Check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Run The World.

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016
Kendrick Lamar

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GRAMMY Rewind: Kendrick Lamar Honors Hip-Hop's Greats While Accepting Best Rap Album GRAMMY For 'To Pimp a Butterfly' In 2016

Upon winning the GRAMMY for Best Rap Album for 'To Pimp a Butterfly,' Kendrick Lamar thanked those that helped him get to the stage, and the artists that blazed the trail for him.

GRAMMYs/Oct 13, 2023 - 06:01 pm

Updated Friday Oct. 13, 2023 to include info about Kendrick Lamar's most recent GRAMMY wins, as of the 2023 GRAMMYs.

A GRAMMY veteran these days, Kendrick Lamar has won 17 GRAMMYs and has received 47 GRAMMY nominations overall. A sizable chunk of his trophies came from the 58th annual GRAMMY Awards in 2016, when he walked away with five — including his first-ever win in the Best Rap Album category.

This installment of GRAMMY Rewind turns back the clock to 2016, revisiting Lamar's acceptance speech upon winning Best Rap Album for To Pimp A Butterfly. Though Lamar was alone on stage, he made it clear that he wouldn't be at the top of his game without the help of a broad support system. 

"First off, all glory to God, that's for sure," he said, kicking off a speech that went on to thank his parents, who he described as his "those who gave me the responsibility of knowing, of accepting the good with the bad."

Looking for more GRAMMYs news? The 2024 GRAMMY nominations are here!

He also extended his love and gratitude to his fiancée, Whitney Alford, and shouted out his Top Dawg Entertainment labelmates. Lamar specifically praised Top Dawg's CEO, Anthony Tiffith, for finding and developing raw talent that might not otherwise get the chance to pursue their musical dreams.

"We'd never forget that: Taking these kids out of the projects, out of Compton, and putting them right here on this stage, to be the best that they can be," Lamar — a Compton native himself — continued, leading into an impassioned conclusion spotlighting some of the cornerstone rap albums that came before To Pimp a Butterfly.

"Hip-hop. Ice Cube. This is for hip-hop," he said. "This is for Snoop Dogg, Doggystyle. This is for Illmatic, this is for Nas. We will live forever. Believe that."

To Pimp a Butterfly singles "Alright" and "These Walls" earned Lamar three more GRAMMYs that night, the former winning Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song and the latter taking Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (the song features Bilal, Anna Wise and Thundercat). He also won Best Music Video for the remix of Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood." 

Lamar has since won Best Rap Album two more times, taking home the golden gramophone in 2018 for his blockbuster LP DAMN., and in 2023 for his bold fifth album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Watch Lamar's full acceptance speech above, and check back at GRAMMY.com every Friday for more GRAMMY Rewind episodes. 

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Global Spin: Rodrigo Y Gabriela Enchant Red Rocks Amphitheatre With A Racing Rendition Of "Diablo Rojo"
Rodrigo y Gabriela

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Global Spin: Rodrigo Y Gabriela Enchant Red Rocks Amphitheatre With A Racing Rendition Of "Diablo Rojo"

Feel the magic of Mexican acoustic guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela's transcendent talents and Colorado's famed venue with this spirited performance of their 2006 classic, "Diablo Rojo."

GRAMMYs/Oct 12, 2023 - 08:46 pm

Rodrigo y Gabriela have been captivating audiences with their masterful acoustic guitar stylings for over 20 years. In 2006, the Mexican duo broke through with their self-titled album, which spawned some of their most beloved hits to date — including the majestic "Diablo Rojo."

In this episode of Global Spin, Rodrigo y Gabriela bring the mystifying song to life in an equally magical setting: Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. 

Sitting side by side clad in all white, the GRAMMY-winning duo jam out to "Diabo Rojo" as smoke dances around them and fans cheer. Their energy is as infectious as their mesmerizingly fast guitar playing, making for a short-and-sweet spectacle.

Rodrigo y Gabriela's Red Rocks show was one of the many stops on their summer U.S. tour, which wrapped in September. Next up, the pair are headed to Europe and the UK, starting in Dublin on Oct. 16 and wrapping in Portugal on Nov. 14.

Press Play on the video above to watch Rodrigo y Gabriela's Red Rocks performance of  "Diablo Rojo," and keep checking GRAMMY.com for more episodes of Global Spin.

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