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Latin Music's Next Era: How New Festivals & Big Billings Have Helped Bring Reggaeton, New Corridos & More To The Masses
(L-R) Farruko, Kali Uchis, Daddy Yankee, Julieta Venegas, J Balvin

Source Photos (L-R): Rich Polk/Getty Images for The Latin Recording Academy; Medios y Media/Getty Images; Gladys Vega/Getty Images for Discover Puerto Rico; Mariano Regidor/Redferns; Rich Fury/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Latin Music's Next Era: How New Festivals & Big Billings Have Helped Bring Reggaeton, New Corridos & More To The Masses

From Viva! LA to Baja Beach Fest and Vibra Urbana, Latin music festivals are experiencing an incredible boom. Dovetailing with the broad genre's increasing popularity, fests bridge "different subcultures and subgenres of music" in one place

GRAMMYs/May 27, 2022 - 01:01 pm

As Latin music continues to make extraordinary inroads in the American mainstream — from breaking historic records on the global pop charts to setting new ones in streaming — the festival circuit has also seen a tremendous increase of Latin artists.

More Latin acts than ever performed at top-tier events like Coachella in 2022, a year that also debuted half a dozen exclusively Latin music festivals in the U.S. New events include reggaeton-heavy fests like Chicago's Sueños and Más Flow, and the classic-line-up Bésame Mucho in Los Angeles — all revealing an unprecedented moment for Latin music. 

"It's a new era. There's never been this big of a crossover," says Aaron Ampudia, co-creator of Sueños and Mexico’s Baja Beach Fest (BBF). "There's never been a Latin artist like what Bad Bunny is right now, crushing all the records in [the] history of streaming, beating Drake and American artists. That's never happened for Latinos." 

Entrepreneurs Ampudia and Chris Den Uijl founded Baja Beach Fest in 2018 in Rosarito’s storied beach venue Papas and Beer, just 20 miles south of San Diego. During that time, there were no sole reggaeton and Latin trap festivals in the region — the closest being 2018’s Latinx indie-heavy Tropicalia in Long Beach. The pair tapped an open market, attracting prospective attendees from both sides of the border all the way up to Los Angeles. 

With now-icons Bad Bunny and "Pepas" singer Farruko as headliners, BBF was billed as the "West Coast’s largest Latin trap and reggaeton music festival." By betting on established and upcoming música urbana stars, BBF managed to become a competitive player on the global festival market, doubling in attendance from 15,000 to 30,000 in its first two years and expanding to two weekends, à la Coachella.

"We birthed Baja Beach Fest because we wanted to create an inclusive event for Latinos, specifically young Mexican Americans on the West Coast, and that turned into this movement. It was almost the perfect storm," Den Uijl says. "As the brand has grown, we are now bringing it to the United States. Since Chicago has a massive Latin culture population, we wanted Latinos to have something to celebrate." And their gambit has paid off. 

On Memorial weekend, Sueños kicks off in partnership with C3 Presents, the production empire behind Lollapalooza. The festival's expanded genre roster now includes new corridos from Natanael Cano and Fuerza Regida, as well as reggaeton staples Ozuna, J Balvin and Sech. "Having Banda MS come out with Becky G last year [at BBF] was really big," says Den Uijl. "Aaron really pushed it [with the regional stuff] like, ‘Hey, this is something that our culture celebrates.’ It was the moment of the whole entire festival [last year]."

Promoted as "Chicago’s Official Reggaeton Fest," Más Flow debuts in July, focusing its attention on legacy acts, with headliners Don Omar, Zion & Lennox, Tego Calderón and Ivy Queen, among others. 

Other música urbana fests in the U.S. that are making a huge splash include Vibra Urbana, which has positioned itself as "The Biggest Reggaeton Festival in the U.S." The festival grew from a backyard reverie in Orlando to an indoor Miami venue in 2020, and will be held in Orlando this June.

"[We started Vibra Urbana] out of love for the music and seeing an empty gap where we felt like we could provide for our city," says festival co-founder David Adan, a Miami-born Cuban American. "Miami is full of Latinos, full of the love for Latin music. Everywhere that you go out, you'll see clubs playing Spanish [language] music. Everyone's talking in Spanish. We needed to make something happen."

The Vibra Urbana team found their niche — and built a significant audience — by gathering some of the hottest new talent of el género. Jhay Cortez, J Quiles, Rauw Alejandro and Myke Towers, who were still in the early stages of their U.S. breakthrough, all performed at the festival’s inaugural year. Such support has contributed to artists' superstar trajectory: Rauw Alejandro graced the cover of Rolling Stone earlier this year, while Jhay Cortez's steady growth continues to uptick by a stream of viral hits.

"We try to put forth the best fan experience, and we put together the artists that we know and who connect with the fans," says Cuban-Lebanese music organizer Kirk Taboada, and partner at Vibra Urbana. The partners' most ambitious festival took place over two days this spring in Las Vegas, where two decades of reggaeton brilliance were on display — from emerging (Dalex, Cauty) to superstar (Anuel AA, Sech) and legendary acts (Don Omar). 

"Hopefully in the next five years, we’ll expand it across the globe, to make an impact globally," Taboada adds. "But right now we want to make a huge impact here locally and on the West Coast."

More Latin Talent, More Latin Music Consumption

The 2020 Super Bowl halftime show with Jennifer Lopez and Shakira was a turning point for Latin music, opening more doors for the genre and Latin acts in the live music television space. Since, the presence of Spanish-language acts has increased tremendously on late night television alone, with Kali Uchis, Karol G, the Marías, Nicky Nicole, Natanael Cano, Carlos Vives, Rauw Alejandro, Thalia and Anitta, among others, appearing on the small screen.

The Latin music market has experienced double-digit growth over the past six years. According to the
RIAA’s 2021 year-end report, U.S. Latin music revenue generated an all-time high of $886 million, growing by 36 percent year-over-year. Music Business Worldwide predicts that the recorded music market for Latin artists in the U.S. will generate more than $1 billion in 2022. 

Read more: 5 Women Essential To Reggaeton: Ivy Queen, Natti Natasha, Karol G, Ms Nina & Mariah Angeliq

The exponential rise of Latin music consumption parallels Latin music festivals’ ascent, with música urbana taking the lead in both. This success opened up more pathways for diverse Latin genres to be (re)introduced to U.S. audiences, as well as the impressive growth of events like Viva! L.A. Music Festival, a compellingly varied fest rooted in Latin indie, inclusiveness and a DIY approach.

"I started with a little music festival in Pomona because I wanted to bring people to the city I grew up in," recalls 31-year-old founder René Contreras, who created the festival as Viva! Pomona a decade ago. 

For the first annual Viva! L.A. Music Festival, which will take place at the Dodger Stadium this June, the Chicano entrepreneur partnered with Goldenvoice, the creators of Coachella and Stagecoach. Viva!’s 2022 iteration boasts one of the most eclectic line-ups of the Latin music festival circuit, appealing to a multi-generational audience: J Balvin, Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Carla Morrison, Omar Apollo, Kali Uchis, Willie Colón, Los Fabulosos Cadillacs and Devendra Banhart are among this year's performers. 

"[It’s about] bridging different subcultures and subgenres of music, and bringing it all together in one place," says Contreras of the line-up diversity. "You could go to see Eslabon Armado and then you can go and watch Chicano Batman. We have the indie Latinx bands that are really big in L.A., and legends like Daddy Yankee, Ivy Queen, and Paquita la del Barrio, as well as corridos and corridos tumbados. I feel like people listen to all styles of music now. Music is such a big part of our culture and it's really exciting." 

"I think it's important to research and try to understand a genre of music from its roots to the top," he adds holding a book called Remixing Reggaetón: The Cultural Politics of Race in Puerto Rico (2015) by Petra R. Rivera-Rideau via Zoom. "You could just book someone and call it a day. But I want to understand the music and its background. Also, going to shows and hanging out after with the artist or manager has helped me understand what it's like to live the creativeness that they're making."

"What Was Once Alternative Is Now Mainstream"

No stranger to alternative Latin music and culture is Nacional Records CEO Tomas Cookman, who also runs the Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) in New York City. Cookman has been championing Latin music in the U.S. since the ‘90s (including briefly through his own festival, Supersónico), and has made a business of betting on indie and niche Latin styles. 

In ‘90s, music festivals that held conferences were limited: South by Southwest, CMJ, and New Music Seminar. Hence the birth of LAMC, the first live music/conference space to spotlight a Latin underground that didn’t get shine via radioplay or TV airtime, but resonated loudly in the streets. It also coincided with the first internet boom which, decades later, enables marketing of non-mainstream music and events. 

"If a song was a big hit record in London or New York, it probably took six or nine months to hit Mexico City, Bogota, or Buenos Aires [back then]. Nowadays, something comes out, and it's immediate everywhere," says Cookman. "Nowadays, [artists] record in their backyard if they want to. There's still money being spent on recording. But it's so much easier to have a quality of music that resonates on a global level."

The LAMC’s 20th anniversary coincided with the Latin GRAMMYs own, and in 2019 both organizations joined forces at SummerStage to present ChocQuibTown, Guaynaa, Macaco and Vicente García. "Luis Dousdebes from the Latin GRAMMYs came up with that quote," Cookman notes, referring to LAMC's new slogan "What was once alternative is now mainstream." 

But the award for ultimate from-alternative-to-mainstream transition goes to Bad Bunny, Rosalía and C. Tangana, who were all featured in LAMC’s 2018 three-CD compilation — when those artists were still independent. "Now it’s a playlist," Cookman says, chuckling.

Although LAMC takes place in New York, Nacional Records’ headquarters is located in Southern California — the area with the U.S.' most concentrated Latin population — where Coachella also takes place and the Bésame Mucho festival.   

From the founders of Tropicalia fest, Bésame Mucho arrives in December, with a roster that capitalizes on grupera, banda and rock en español’s glory days, as well as Spanish-language vintage pop. The lineup features legendary performers like Caifanes, El Tri, Los Tigres del Norte, Los Angeles Azules, Sin Bandera and La Oreja de Van Gogh. 

"I feel like [nostalgic Latin acts] has been something that's been missing from the [current] festival space. Not just in Southern California, but throughout the U.S.," says Adrian Hernández, founder and creative director of Need Pastel, who designed art for Bésame — as well as the cover for Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti. "I feel like L.A. is the best place for that kind of representation [...] It's almost like a family event, somewhere I could go to with my abuelos."

Siguiendo La Luna: Latin Music’s Next Stop

With the global embrace of Spanish-language and Latin songs, it’s safe to say that American dwellers are truly experiencing a more accepting and diverse moment in history — a new cultural epoch. 

"There are lots of similarities to where Latin music is going, where urban music has been for the last 20 years, where it found its important and well-earned space in the market," Cookman says. "I think when people hear Rosalía, J Balvin, or Bad Bunny, they go, "Oh yeah, that could be Drake."

Just the fact that Coachella’s roster doubled in Latin acts since 2020 is a testament to the popularity of today’s Ibero American artists, where Brazil’s Anitta, Colombia’s Karol G, and Mexico’s Grupo Firme and Banda MS were among this year’s performers. "Hopefully, more and more Latino professionals within those companies will have a bigger say in what is important," Cookman adds. 

"The growth is unstoppable," Adam chimes in. "I think everyone is noticing now. For reference, Bunny creates songs in a different language [Spanish], and now you have [Hispanophone artists] singing this language, and they have no idea what he’s saying. It’s as simple as that. It's bringing acknowledgement that this genre is here to stay, and ready to keep growing."

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Listen To GRAMMY.com's Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Playlist: Featuring Shakira, Peso Pluma, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Feid, & More
(Top row) J Balvin, Romeo Santos, Christian Nodal, Kali Uchis, Anitta (Bottom row) Grupo Firme, Yahritza y Su Esencia

Photos: (Top row) Jaime Nogales Medios y Media/Getty Images; Latin GRAMMYs/Getty; Erika Goldring/Getty Images; Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for Coachella; Mike Coppola/Getty Images (Bottom row) David Livingston/Getty Images; JOSE ALAVEZ

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Listen To GRAMMY.com's Hispanic Heritage Month 2023 Playlist: Featuring Shakira, Peso Pluma, Karol G, Bad Bunny, Feid, & More

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, listen to 50 songs by groundbreaking artists from the U.S., Latin America, and Spain.

GRAMMYs/Sep 22, 2023 - 01:50 pm

Latin music continues to make incredible strides, as language barriers between the world and music in Spanish and Portuguese become a thing of the past. 

After going through a difficult chapter in her life, Shakira found healing and empowerment through her anthems, including her surprise collaboration with Argentine producer Bizarrap. Karol G made history in March when her album Mañana Será Bonito debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. She became the first woman to top the chart with an all-Spanish LP.

Regional Mexican music became a global force this year thanks to the success of acts like Peso Pluma, Eslabon Armado, Grupo Frontera, Fuerza Regida, and Yahritza y Su Esencia. Many of them argue that Mexican music is no longer regional. Also, Feid, Myke Towers, and Young Miko have become breakthrough stars with their music being streamed on the same level as heavy-hitters in English. 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, GRAMMY.com is celebrating Latin music through the biggest and most impactful songs of 2023.  Below, take a listen to 50 songs by Latin artists from the U.S., Latin America, and Spain —- including "BZRP Music Sessions, Vol. 53" and "Ella Baila Sola" — on Amazon, Apple Music, Pandora and the Spotify playlist below.

Latin GRAMMYs 2023: Song Of The Year Nominees — Read Them Here
Art for the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs

Graphic Courtesy of the Latin Recording Academy

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Latin GRAMMYs 2023: Song Of The Year Nominees — Read Them Here

Here are the nominees for Song Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, which will air Thursday, Nov. 16 from Sevilla, Spain.

GRAMMYs/Sep 19, 2023 - 01:25 pm

The Latin Recording Academy has announced the complete list of nominees for the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, and the race for Song Of The Year is on.

The prestigious Category features this year’s most-nominated artist, Mexican American songwriter and producer Edgar Barrera, who earned an impressive 13 nods. It also includes three Colombian singers who have collaborated with Barrera Karol G, Camilo, Shakira — the latter of whom set a record as the first artist to have three entries in Latin GRAMMYs' Song Of The Year Category.

The 2023 Latin GRAMMYs show will also make history, as the Thursday, Nov. 16, ceremony will be the first-ever international telecast in the history of the organization and awards, broadcasting from the Conference and Exhibition Centre (FIBES) in Sevilla, Spain.

Read on to learn more about the 10 bops nominated for Song Of The Year, and the artists and songwriters that penned them. (All lyrics noted below are translated from Spanish.)

Read More: 2023 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Complete Nominations List

"Acróstico" — Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, L.E.X.U.Z, Luis Fernando Ochoa & Shakira, songwriters (Shakira)

"Acróstico," the third lead single from Shakira's upcoming 12th studio album, is a heartfelt love letter to her young sons Milan and Sasha, in the wake of her split from their father Gerard Piqué. The tear-jerking ballad features her sons' vocals.

The track's Spanish title translates to acrostic, which is a poem where the first letter of each line spells out a word — and in Shakira's song, the opening lyrics spell out Milan. "This year Milan has written songs that have made me tear up, and Sasha has dedicated hours playing the piano and discovering his voice. Both have spent some time with me in the studio, and upon hearing this song, they've asked to be part of it," she wrote in Spanish in an Instagram post about the song.

Shakira co-wrote the song with a powerhouse team of Colombian gold:Keityn and L.e.x.u.z, of La Crème collective, and longtime collaborator Luis Fernando Ochoa, who first linked with Shakira back in 1995 on Pies Descalzos. (Keityn, born Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, also worked on two of Shakira's other big 2023 hits and Song Of The Year contenders: the record-breaking "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" with Bizarrap and "TQG" with Karol G.)

"Amigos" – Pablo Alborán & María Becerra, songwriters (Pablo Alborán Featuring María Becerra)

Spanish singer/songwriter Pablo Alborán linked up with Argentian reggaetónera María Becerra on "Amigos," a platonic love song to the friend that always has your back — and makes life a party. They wrote the sweet, vibey song together for his late-2022 album, La cuarto hoja.

"Amigos" opens with a chilled guitar instrumental, building up to an anthemic shout-it-with-your-bestie chorus: "I can see life in color/ the whole neighborhood looks at us/ We drink the hours as if it were liquor."

"De Todas Las Flores" – Natalia Lafourcade, songwriter (Natalia Lafourcade)

On "De Todas Las Flores," the title track of Natalia Lafourcade's first album of all original music in seven years, she beautifully paints the picture of a lost love. "Of all the flowers we plant/ There are only a few left/ Every morning they wonder/ When you will arrive to sing to them," she sings over sparse, tenderly melancholic instrumentation.

The backing vocals offer ethereal ooohs and ahhhs, like the fading memories shared with the lover no longer there. The Latin GRAMMY- and GRAMMY-winning Mexican singer/songwriter has always been a compelling storyteller, and it's a joy to hear her rich voice share new sonic poems on the project she's called an "extremely personal musical diary."

"Ella Baila Sola" – Pedro Julian Tovar Oceguera, songwriter (Eslabon Armado, Peso Pluma)

"Ella Baila Sola" (or, she dances alone) was written by 20-year-old Pedro Tovar, lead singer of Mexican regional band Eslabon Armado. It's about two friends noticing a pretty girl at a party, and one of them winning her affection.

The song features rapidly rising Mexican singer/rapper Peso Pluma, who is bringing Mexican corridos worldwide, fused with reggaetón and Latin trap. The dynamo pairing has helped "Ella Baila Sola" have a massive, record-breaking run; after it went viral on TikTok, it became the first regional Mexican song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 (reaching No. 4) and the first performed on late-night TV. It was also the most-streamed song globally on Spotify this summer, and second-most streamed song in the U.S.

"NASA" – Édgar Barrera, Camilo & Alejandro Sanz, songwriters (Camilo & Alejandro Sanz)

On "NASA," Latin GRAMMY-winning Colombian singer/songwriter Camilo teams up with Latin GRAMMY- and GRAMMY-winning Spanish star Alejandro Sanz to ask his lover for forgiveness for what he admits is unwarranted jealousy.

"I know/ That NASA has cameras rotating in space/ They spend day and night looking up and down/ And I'm about to call and ask for a job/ To see if I relax." It's a tender, vulnerable love song with playful lyrics exchanged back-and-forth by the two Spanish-language crooners, who also co-wrote the song together.

"Ojos Marrones" – Luis Jiménez, Lasso & Agustín Zubillaga, songwriters (Lasso)

"It's the first time/ I invited someone/ Since you left/ And I'm fine," Lasso opens on "Ojos Marrones," before revealing he's only kinda sorta fine. "Nothing is the same / Nothing is the same/ Nothing/ without your brown eyes," Lasso repeats empathetically in the chorus.

It's a sunset-hued pop rock heater with dreamy guitar licks reminiscent of those in Chris Issak's classic "Wicked Game." The Venezuelan singer/songwriter paired up Luis Jiménez and Agustín Zubillaga to pen the impactful track about trying — and failing — to get over an ex with a new lover, which is featured on his latest album, Eva. The track went viral on TikTok after a user compared its narrative to Justin Bieber's relationships, and its success spawned a remix with Sebastian Yatra.

"Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" – Santiago Alvarado, Bizarrap, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz & Shakira, songwriters (Bizarrap Featuring Shakira)

It's an understatement to say that Shakira has had a momentous year. As she went through a very public separation — and tabloids across the globe zeroed in on her every move and social media post — she proved yet again she's a global pop superstar at the top of her game.

She started the year off with the viral "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53," a sassy, synth-pop clap back at her ex. In just 24 hours, it garnered over 15 million streams on Spotify to top the platform's Top 50 global list, and the video saw over 55 million views on YouTube, the record for a Spanish-language track.

On it, she asserts herself and reclaims her power — who needs trashy gossip rags when Shakira is here to tell it like it is? "A she-wolf like me/ isn't for guys like you," the Colombian queen declares. "I was out of your league/ That's why you're/ With someone just like you," also coming for her ex's new girlfriend (the Casio he traded in for a Rolex, as Shaki put it). The fiery diss track came out of a session with forever-sunglassed Argentinan DJ and producer Bizarrap. They co-wrote the song with Keityn and Santiago Alvarado.

"Si Tú Me Quieres" – Fonseca, Yadam González & Yoel Henríquez, songwriters (Fonseca & Juan Luis Guerra)

It was a dream of Latin GRAMMY-winning Colombian singer/songwriter Fonseca to collab with Latin GRAMMY- and GRAMMY-winning Dominican superstar Juan Luis Guerra. "Si Tú Me Quieres" is a sweet tropical pop love song, a gorgeous result of Fonseca's dream brought to life.

It was co-produced by Colombian pop/rock king Juanes, and was co-written by Fonseca with two Latin GRAMMY-winning songwriter/producers: Puerto Rican Yoel Henríquez and Cuban Yadam González. When Fonseca finished the initial demo, he imagined Luis Guerra's distinctive voice on it, who quickly agreed to join in on it. They bring their voices, styles and homelands together for a joyful fiesta, with delightful touches of Colombian vallenato and Dominican bachata.

"Tqg" – Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Karol G, Ovy On The Drums & Shakira, songwriters (Karol G Featuring Shakira)

Shakira and Keityn strike again — this time alongside Colombian reggaetónera Karol G, and her regular collaborator Ovy On The Drums.

On "TQG," Karol G and Shakira link up for the first time and come for their exes, reminding them who's on top. "You left and I went triple 'M'/ Much hotter, much tougher, much more class," Shakira sings defiantly.

"TQG" stands for te quedó grande, which roughly means too much for you to handle, and is featured on Karol's fourth album, MAÑANA SERÁ BONITO. When Karol saw the gossip fodder about Shakira, she knew she was the perfect collaborator to add fire to the reggaetón diss track,which she wrote with Keityn and Ovy during the same session of "Mamiii," her collab with Becky G.

"Un X100to" – Bad Bunny, Édgar Barrera, Marco Daniel Borrero & Andrés Jael Correa Ríos, songwriters (Grupo Frontera Featuring Bad Bunny)

With "un x100to," Grupo Frontera, a Texas-based regional Mexican band specializing in norteños, struck gold and brought regional Mexican music to the top of the charts. The song peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 — the fifth regional Mexican song ever to chart on it — with a little help from Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny.

Frontera lead singer Adelaido "Payo" Solis II and Bad Bunny sing passionately about trying to reconnect with an ex with a harrowing 1 percent battery left on their phone, on a playful romp that mixes norteño and cumbia. What makes the track even more remarkable is that Grupo Frontera didn't know Bad Bunny would be on the track until he appeared at the music video shoot — proving that sometimes the most impactful collabs can come from an unexpected pairing.

Latin GRAMMYs 2023: Record Of The Year Nominees — Read Them Here

New Music Friday: Listen To New Songs From Travis Scott, Britney Spears, NewJeans & More
Travis Scott performs at the 2023 Wireless Festival.

Photo: Simone Joyner/Getty Images

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New Music Friday: Listen To New Songs From Travis Scott, Britney Spears, NewJeans & More

July 21 marks a big day of new music releases, including star-studded collaborations like Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and The Weeknd's "K-POP" and a new EP from NewJeans. Hear some of the biggest new songs on GRAMMY.com.

GRAMMYs/Jul 21, 2023 - 08:06 pm

Like so many New Music Fridays before it, July 21 brought a cornucopia of fresh and unique sounds from all over the map.

Want to hear Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and the Weeknd get mellow and psychedelic? Raring to hear the latest dispatch from a One Direction member? Want a taste of A$AP Rocky's long-awaited next album? Is a Britney-shaped chunk missing from your musical life? Want to hear the future of K-pop? 

To these and other questions, this slew of tunes will provide answers. In the below roundup, hurtle into the weekend with wildly divergent sounds from some of music's top acts — many with sizable GRAMMY legacies.

Travis Scott, Bad Bunny, The Weeknd — "K-POP"

A week before nine-time GRAMMY nominee Travis Scott's Utopia livestream event at the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt on July 28 — which will debut his new studio album of the same name — he dropped his sixth collaboration with four-time GRAMMY winner the Weeknd.

"K-POP," the album's lead single, is rounded out by three-time GRAMMY winner Bad Bunny, in his first collab with Scott. This triple-threat track has a stony, smoldering feel, with luxurious production from Boi-1da, among others — and it's elevated by its panoramic, transportive video.

ZAYN — "Love Like This"

The former One Direction member continues his solo legacy with "Love Like This," his first new single since 2021.

Therein, ZAYN extols the virtues of throwing caution to the wind when it comes to infatuation: "Everything is on the line, but I would rather be dead/If it's gonna mean a life that's lived without you, baby," he sings. "I think I gotta take that risk/ 'cause I cannot go back."

In the video, ZAYN putters around on a motorcycle on a gorgeous day. Previously signed to RCA, the singer recently moved to Mercury Records; could "Love Like This" be the ramp-up to a new album? If so, "Love Like This" offers a tantalizing taste of what's to come.

will.i.am, Britney Spears — "MIND YOUR BUSINESS"

After the termination of her conservatorship, GRAMMY winner Britney Spears dipped a toe back into her music career in 2022 with "Hold Me Closer," a duet with Elton John that includes elements of "Tiny Dancer," "The One" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart."

Now, she's back in earnest with "MIND YOUR BUSINESS," a sassy, pulsing, electronic duet with seven-time GRAMMY winner will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame. The track marks the pair's fourth team-up, and first since 2014's "It Should Be Easy" from Spears' Brtiney Jean.

NewJeans — "ETA"

GRAMMY.com called NewJeans one of 10 K-Pop rookie girl groups to watch in 2023, and keeping ears on them has paid off. On July 21, they released their new EP, Get Up, to critical acclaim: NME declared that "​​no one can hold a candle to K-pop's rising wonder girls."

Concurrently with the release of Get Up, they released a joyous, iPhone-shot music video to its effervescent single, "ETA," in which a group of girls find a friend's boyfriend making moves on another lady.

Chris Stapleton — "White Horse"

Chris Stapleton's last album, 2020's Starting Over, helped the country crooner make a clean sweep at the 2022 GRAMMYs. At that ceremony, he won golden gramophones for Best Country Solo Performance ("You Should Probably Leave"), Best Country Song ("Cold") and Best Country Album ("Starting Over").

On Nov. 10, the eight-time GRAMMY winner will release his next LP, Higher. As he revealed the news on July 21, Stapleton also unveiled a majestic rocker of a single, "White Horse." "If you want a cowboy on a white horse/ Ridin' off into the sunset," he sings thunderously, "If that's the kinda love you wanna wait for/ Hold on tight, girl, I ain't there yet."

A$AP Rocky — "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe'n)"

For his latest track, A$AP Rocky dropped a stylish, charming short film for Beats depicting a harried diaper run (a fitting narrative for the new dad, soon to be dad of two, with partner Rihanna). That only contains a minute of the song, though; it's worth luxuriating in the whole thing.

To an uneasy, lumbering beat, Rocky extols a lifestyle to die for ("My wife is erotic/ I'm smokin' exotic/My whip is exotic") as well as his unparalleled connections ("I just call designers up, I free ninety-nine it").

Backed by 13-time GRAMMY winner Pharrell, "RIOT (Rowdy Pipe'n)" is said to be the first single from A$AP Rocky's long-awaited fourth album, Don't Be Dumb; if the quality of the track is any indication, it'll be worth the long haul.

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Met Gala 2023: All The Artists & Celebrities Who Served Fierce Looks & Hot Fashion On The Red Carpet, From Rihanna To Dua Lipa To Billie Eilish To Bad Bunny To Cardi B To Doja Cat & More
Rihanna attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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Met Gala 2023: All The Artists & Celebrities Who Served Fierce Looks & Hot Fashion On The Red Carpet, From Rihanna To Dua Lipa To Billie Eilish To Bad Bunny To Cardi B To Doja Cat & More

Fashion and music have always been inextricably linked, and the strong longs were on fully on display at the 2023 Met Gala — one of the most anticipated style events of the year. See the red carpet outfits from Rihanna, Lil Nas X, Anitta & more.

GRAMMYs/May 1, 2023 - 11:46 pm

It's that time again! The 2023 Met Gala — one of the fashion bonanzas of the year — is in full force. And given that fashion has always been the yin to music's yang, GRAMMY winners and nominees were among the stars studding this glamorous, fashion-forward event.

Presented by gala co-chair Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue and global editorial director of Condé Nast, the Met Gala this year is co-chaired by Penélope Cruz, Michaela Coel, Roger Federer and three-time GRAMMY winner Dua Lipa.

GRAMMY winners and nominees as well as today’s leading artists in music are already setting the Met Gala red carpet on fire, with everyone from Dua Lipa, Phoebe Bridgers, Rita Ora, David Byrne, rising rap sensation Ice Spice, and more showing off their fierce fashion looks. Plus, Rihanna and her partner ASAP Rocky made a last-minute surprise arrival on the 2023 Met Gala red carpet, setting the fashion and music worlds ablaze.

This year's Met Gala celebrates the indelible legacy of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld; the dress code is "In honor of Karl…")

Below, check out some of the most eye-catching red carpet fashion looks from music’s biggest stars at the 2023 Met Gala.

Rihanna attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Rihanna attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Dua Lipa arrives for the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York

Dua Lipa arrives for the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 1, 2023, in New York | Photo: ANGELA WEISS / AFP

(L-R) Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish attend The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

(L-R) Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish attend The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Bad Bunny attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Bad Bunny attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Jennifer Lopez attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Cardi B attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Cardi B attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Doja Cat attends the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Doja Cat attends the 2023 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Lil Nas X attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Lil Nas X attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Matt Winkelmeyer/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Usher attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Usher attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Sean "Diddy" Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City.

Sean "Diddy" Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Phoebe Bridgers attends the 2023 Met Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Phoebe Bridgers attends the 2023 Met Gala at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Anitta attends the 2023 Met Gala the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Anitta attends the 2023 Met Gala the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Halle Bailey attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City.

Halle Bailey attends the 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Kevin Mazur/MG23/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

Janelle Monáe attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City

Janelle Monáe attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City | Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images