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Urban Latin Music Dominated 2018, According To Streaming Services

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Urban Latin Music Dominated 2018, According To Streaming Services

YouTube, Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music have revealed their 2018 top music lists, all of which prominently featured Urban Latin artists, showing the genre's increasing growth

GRAMMYs/Dec 7, 2018 - 03:32 am

You've heard it a thousand times: Latin urban music is reaching greater audiences in the United States and outside the Spanish-speaking world. In 2018 alone, the genre known as the "Latino Gang," GRAMMY nominee Cardi B, Latin GRAMMY winner J Balvin and Latin GRAMMY nominee Bad Bunny dominated streams and charts with "I Like It."

This year’s Latin GRAMMY Best New Artist Karol G and Latin GRAMMY nominees Ozuna and Nicky Jam also made waves with hip-hop and dembow inspired hits heard everywhere.

To further cement Latin urban’s reign, streaming services YouTube, Pandora, Apple Music and Spotify have all released data that continue to show how the internet is helping the genre carve out a place in the U.S and global music market.

On the global scale, YouTube has released its top most-viewed videos of 2018, with eight of its top 10 being Spanish-language songs. Taking first place is the remix version of Casper Magico, Nio Garcia and Darell's reggaeton breakup song "Te Bote," which also features rap verses by Nicky Jam, Bad Bunny and Ozuna with 1.45 billion views year-to-date, according to Variety.

Meanwhile, Nicky Jam's "X" featuring J Balvin, another reggaeton-infused, hip-shaking track, trails behind "Te Bote" with 1.40 billion views.

This year the list features two more Spanish-language artists than last year. In 2017, six Spanish language songs made the top list with Luis Fonsi's "Despacito" in the No.1 spot.

Music-streaming giant Spotify’s most globally streamed artist is Drake, but Colombian reggaeton artist J Balvin follows close behind at No. 4. Other artists on the global list's top 10 include Ozuna and Bad Bunny at No. 7 and No. 8, respectively. Cardi B, who has had a few collaborations with Latin urban artists like Bad Bunny, J Balvin and Ozuna, is the No. 3 most streamed female artist of the year.

Arguably, Spotify's playlist game, with a recently launched strategy to make global music bigger, makes them the leader in that lane too. Urban Latin music makes an appearance on their top most-followed playlist of the year as the Baila Reggaeton is No. 4.

While not as popular as in other lists, Cardi B, J Balvin and Bad Bunny popped up in Apple Music's top lists, too. "I like It" is No. 6 on the Global 100 list and No. 10. The song was chosen by staff as Song Of The Year. 

READ: Ozuna Is Making Reggaeton Hits That Are Getting Global Attention

Pandora, currently only in the U.S., published a list featuring the top Latin music streams and urban Latin music dominates. "I Like It" holds the No. 1 spot, followed by Nicky Jam and J Balvin's "X," and Ozuna's La Modelo featuring Cardi B at No. 3. "Te Bote."

The growth in urban Latin music presence on digital charts, thanks in large part to streaming, is estimated to continue growing, but we'll have to wait for 2019 to see how that will look like.

Rosalía, Other Latin Music Artists Seeing Boom In Europe Shows

Shakira's Road To 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran': How Overcoming A Breakup Opened A  New Chapter In Her Artistry
Shakira attends the Fendi Couture Fall/Winter 2023/2024 show in Paris.

Photo: Pietro S. D'Aprano/Getty Images for Fendi

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Shakira's Road To 'Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran': How Overcoming A Breakup Opened A New Chapter In Her Artistry

Shakira's first album in seven years is out March 22, and very much of the moment with glossy Latin pop, reggaeton, bachata and corrido. The GRAMMY winner's path to this new chapter was long, filled with professional changes and heartbreak.

GRAMMYs/Mar 22, 2024 - 01:08 pm

When Shakira’s "Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53" was released in January of 2023; its success seemed like a freak incident, explainable as a perfect but isolated storm. 

Their virulently catchy track — which happens to spill scalding tea on her breakup with retired Spanish soccer player Gerard Piqué —  set streaming records and took home a Latin GRAMMY for Song Of The Year. Today, the song's success looks more like the first crashing wave of a massive comeback for Shakira

The three-time GRAMMY winner followed her Bzrp Session with another hit single, "TQG," collaborating with Karol G. That song went to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, and the duo cleaned up at the Latin GRAMMYs. 

In hindsight, all of this was a mere preamble to the announcement of Shakira's Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don't Cry Anymore), due March 22. The album will be her first in seven years, but the sound is very much of the moment, leaning into a high-gloss urban Latin pop sound that delves in reggaeton, bachata and corrido. 

The album is no comeback. With a star as big as Shakira — one who performed at the Super Bowl in 2020 and had her own exhibit at the GRAMMY Museum — it's hard to make the case that she ever left the public eye. Yet the Colombian superstar has put out only a trickle of singles since 2017, when she released her GRAMMY-winning album El Dorado. Prior to the BZRP session, her last major hits were in 2016 with "La Bicicleta," a collaboration with Carlos Vives, and "Chantaje," featuring Maluma, which went to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Latin Songs. 

It’s impossible to talk about this period of retreat, or her new album, without talking about the personal upheavals Shakira has gone through in recent years. In June of 2022, Shakira and Gerard Piqué, with whom she has two sons, publicly announced the end of their 11 year relationship. Starting with 2022’s "Monotonía," featuring Ozuna, nearly every song she has released  since then deals directly with the split and the emotional turmoil she has felt because of it. 

The singer and songwriter herself is not shying away from the fact that her music has been a therapeutic outlet. "I feel like in this moment of my life, which is probably one of the most difficult, darkest hours of my life, music has brought light," she told Elle in 2022. 

Case in point: her Bizarrap session. "Someone should have taken my photo the day I worked on the 'Bizarrap Session 53,' a before and after. Because I went into the studio one way and left in a completely different way," Shakira told Mexican television channel Televisa. "He gave me this space, this opportunity to let it out and it really was a huge release, necessary for my own healing, for my own recovery process."


That feeling of catharsis continued in her work on Las Mujeres. "Making this body of work has been an alchemical process. While writing each song I was rebuilding myself. While singing them, my tears transformed into diamonds, and my vulnerability into strength," the artist said in a statement on Instagram.

Shakira is styling the album as a testament to resilience in the face of adversity, tapping into an understanding that her experiences have a broad resonance. While accepting Billboard’s 2023 Woman Of The Year award, Shakira discussed her "year of seismic change."

"I've felt more than ever — and very personally — what it is to be a woman," she said. "It's been a year where I've realized we women are stronger than we think, braver than we believed, more independent than we were taught to be." 

Indeed, with strength and bravery, Shakira proceeded to channel her individual hurt into a message of universal empowerment. Ahead of her album release, she’s even more explicit about the details of her separation and the impact the relationship had on her career. "For a long time I put my career on hold, to be next to Gerard, so he could play football. There was a lot of sacrifice for love," recently told The Sunday Times.

As she told Billboard for her 2023 cover story, settling down in Barcelona with Piqué and their two children, far from music industry centers, made it difficult for her to work. "It was complicated logistically to get a collaborator there. I had to wait for agendas to coincide or for someone to deign to come," she explained. 

Shakira has since relocated to Miami, a location that played a major role in making her new album possible.

One of the hallmarks of a true pop star is the ability to evolve with the culture without losing their identity. Over decades, and with each release, Shakira has broken a barrier or risen above an obstacle to succeed beyond expectations – whether it’s leading the first Spanish-language broadcast on MTV with her 2000 "Unplugged" concert, or learning English to write her own crossover pop debut. Each move has felt authentic.

It is not an easy task, but Shakira accomplishes this alchemy beautifully every few album cycles, starting with her debut as an alt-leaning, brunette singer/songwriter in the mid '90s. At the turn of the millennium, she made the jump to international fame with a cascade of golden curls and Laundry Service, the English-language album that capitalized on the first wave of crossover Latin pop. She closed out the decade in a whirl of high-gloss dance pop with the Pharell produced She Wolf. Along the way, there was one platinum selling album after another and the No. 1 hit "Hips Don’t Lie," among several Top 10 singles, setting the stage for her to blaze through much of the 2010s. 

Shakira is well-aware of how hard she has had to work even after crossover success. 

In 2019, she told Billboard, "This whole new world had opened up to me, and with it came so many great opportunities, but I continued to pursue impossible goals such as making a song like 'Hips Don’t Lie,' for example—that had a Colombian cumbia and a mention of Barranquilla in the middle of it—play on American radio. I remember I said to [then Sony Music Chairman] Donny Ienner, ‘You have to trust me on this one. This is going to happen, this song is going to blow up.’" 

With El Dorado, she caught the second wave of Latin pop crossover, the one tipped off by Luis Fonsi’s now-infamous 2017 earworm "Despacito." El Dorado, is one of Shakira’s more Latin leaning albums in the long history of her bicultural and bilingual music career. The songs are sung largely in Spanish and her choice of features on the album are almost entirely Latin pop and reggaeton artists: Maluma, Nicky Jam, Prince Royce and Carlos Vives. The album's May 2017 release coincided with a rising global interest in reggaeton.

Shakira wasn’t following a trend; she was just in touch with the moment as usual. She released "Chantaje" months before "Despacito," and "Bicicleta," her song with Carlos Vives, which combines elements of reggaeton and vallenato, came out in 2016. 

With the continued mainstream global success of Latin artists, Shakira may no longer see a need to release an English-language album for every album in her mother tongue. Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran breaks with tradition in that it is her second Spanish-language album in a row. It's also loaded with features from the world of Latin music, including Ozuna, Rauw Alejandro, Manuel Turizo, and Karol G. The moment could not be better for an album that explores forward looking pop reggaeton, assisted by some of the brightest young stars in the genre.

If the past is any indicator, this era is going to be another step up for the artist. Beyond the album release, Shakira is teasing another tour. As she told Billboard, "I think this will be the tour of my life. I’m very excited. Just think, I had my foot on the brakes. Now I’m pressing on the accelerator­ — hard."

Every Year Is The Year Of Shakira: 10 Songs That Prove She's Always Been A Superstar

Mañana Y Siempre: How Karol G Has Made The World Mas Bonito
Karol G

Photo: Patricia J. Garcinuno / WireImage / Getty Images

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Mañana Y Siempre: How Karol G Has Made The World Mas Bonito

'Mañana Será Bonito' may have been the vehicle for Karol G's massive year, but the 2024 GRAMMY nominee for Best Música Urbana Album has been making strides in reggaeton, urbano and the music industry at large for a long time.

GRAMMYs/Feb 1, 2024 - 04:16 pm

For Karol G, 2023 was a watershed year. Her fourth album, Mañana Será Bonito, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 200 and took home the golden gramophone for Album Of The Year at the Latin GRAMMYs. Her many milestones also included a Rolling Stone cover, and signing with Interscope. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, Mañana Será Bonito is nominated for Best Música Urbana Album. 

The Colombian singer and songwriter was suddenly everywhere in 2023, but this moment is the culmination of a long, steady rise. Karol G has been on the scene for some time, and changing it for the better just by being who she is: an extremely talented woman making waves in a genre still dominated by men.  

Karol G has been a pivotal figure in the world of urbano since 2017, when she collaborated with Bad Bunny on the Latin trap single "Ahora Me Llama." It was a transformative moment for both artists, whose careers took off precipitously after its release. The track led Ms. G’s aptly titled debut album, Unstoppable, which went multi-platinum and peaked at No. 2 on both the U.S. Top Latin Albums and U.S. Latin Rhythm Albums charts. At the 2018 Latin GRAMMYs, Karol was awarded Best New Artist

2024 GRAMMYs: Explore More & Meet The Nominees

Although she came out of the gate in an unstoppable fashion, Karol G's chart-topping debut was the result of years of touring and recording. The artist born Carolina Giraldo Navarro was no overnight success.

She started singing as a teenager growing up in Medellín and, after signing to Colombia's Flamingo Records, chose the name Karol G and began releasing music. Early on, she flew to Miami for a meeting with Universal Records, but they chose not to sign her on the basis that a woman would not be successful making reggaeton — a severe miscalculation, that belies female pioneers and a blossoming roster of contemporary acts

Thankfully, she ignored them. A year after "Ahora Me Llama" and Unstoppable, Karol G won her first Latin GRAMMY. 

The star’s determination makes her a role model, but Karol G's career has also been defined by an inspiring integrity around her principles and artistic vision. By now, it is a well-known anecdote that she turned down the song "Sin Pijama" because it references marijuana use. Karol does not smoke, so the lyrics would not have been authentic to her as a person, or as an artist. 

This authenticity has doubtless been key to Karol G's success. Rather than try to fit an established mold, she brings a uniquely sunny swagger and sporty style to reggaeton. She projects a powerful and feminine energy, and her music often expresses a healthy sense of sexual independence and self-empowerment. This is an intentional part of her message, especially to her female fans.

"They teach us it’s wrong to celebrate ourselves for something we have," she told Rolling Stone of her musical messaging. "And it’s not. We have to be the first ones to give ourselves credit."

Like early collaborator Bad Bunny, Karol G is able to reach a global audience without having to change the language she sings in, her genre of choice, or her messages. Case in point: One of her 2023 accomplishments was becoming the first Latina to headline a global stadium tour, and the highest-grossing Latin touring artist of the year.

She also became the first Latina to headline Lollapalooza and, in between record-breaking tour dates, saw her song "WATATI" featured on Barbie The Album. (The soundtrack is nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack For Visual Media at the 66th GRAMMY Awards.)

In November, she closed out her big year with a sweep of the Latin GRAMMYs: Mañana Será Bonito received the award for Best Música Urbana Album and Album Of The Year; her Shakira collab "TQG" took home the golden gramophone for Best Urban Fusion/Performance. When she accepted her award for Best Música Urbana Album, Karol exclaimed, "How cool is it for a woman to win this?" 

Karol G’s wins made up a large part of an awards ceremony where women won big:  Shakira won Song Of The Year for her collaboration with Bizzarap, while Natalia Lafourcade won Record Of The Year and Joaquina took home Best New Artist. This was the first year that women won in all the general categories — something that suggests progress for the Latin music industry. The last time a woman won the Latin GRAMMY for Best Música Urbana Album was in 2013, when Spanish rapper Mala Rodríguez took home the award for Bruja. 

Watching the Latin GRAMMYs this year, it was easy to forget that women still have a long way to go to achieve parity with their male counterparts in the music industry. If you lost sight of that, the year-end Latin charts would bring you back to reality: Of the top 50 tracks on the Hot Latin Songs chart, 11 primarily featured women, but six of those tracks belonged to Karol G. Karol’s presence matters and she knows it. 

Karol G brings a powerful feminine energy to reggaeton and Latin trap, but also an unapologetic feminism. While this is explicit in her music, it's also clear in the creative partnerships she makes. She’s had many high profile collaborations with male artists, but just as many with a diverse roster of female artists from reggaeton OG Ivy Queen ("Leyendas") to Latin fusion pop singer Kali Uchis ("Me Tengo Que Ir," "Labios Mordidos"). In an arena so dominated by male artists, each collaboration with another woman is meaningful, but her collaborations with rising artists, such as Young Miko — who appears on the song "Dispo" from Karol’s Bichota Season — truly make a difference. 

Artists like Karol G increase the range of possibilities for artists in their wake, and for anyone in the music industry who flouts narrow expectations. Karol G knows that her victories have larger implications, and this eye toward the future has helped her reach unprecedented heights. "I understand how hard it is [for women to break through] because of how hard it was for me,"she recently told Billboard.

It wasn't easy for Karol G to get where she is today, but she has been opening doors for others — women, artists in reggaeton, artists in urbano and others —  every step of the way. From here on, the title of her album is ringing more and more prescient, and that’s mas bonito.  

2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Edgar Barrera, The Songwriter Behind 2023's Top Latin Hits, Shares How He Remains Grounded Amidst Success
Edgar Barrera

Photo: Courtesy Edgar Barrera

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Edgar Barrera, The Songwriter Behind 2023's Top Latin Hits, Shares How He Remains Grounded Amidst Success

Edgar Barrera is known for building musical bridges, blending unexpected genres and enabling fruitful collaborations. At the 2024 GRAMMYs, the prolific songwriter and producer is the only Latino nominated for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical.

GRAMMYs/Jan 16, 2024 - 02:56 pm

The life of producer and songwriter Edgar Barrera was shaped by cultural dichotomy. Born in McAllen, Texas, and raised between the Lone Star state and the Mexican border town of Miguel Alemán, Barrera spent his days connecting cultures and languages, making a space for himself.

"I was born on the border. I'm always trying to adapt to Mexican or American culture, growing up in the middle of those two worlds," Barrera tells GRAMMY.com. "This is what I always end up doing in the songs and with the artists I work with, I adapt to them, I adapt to their world, I learn [from them]."

This duality and his innate code-switching ability defined his essence as a musician. In the music industry, Barrera is known among artists as a great bridge-builder between stars. He forges unexpected collaborations and blends genres in effortless ways.

For example, "Un x100to", the smasher collaboration between Grupo Frontera and Bad Bunny, became one of the biggest Latin songs of 2023. It won the Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Regional Mexican Song, climbed to the top of Spotify's global chart, and made its way to Billboard’s Hot 100’s Top 10.

The single is one of nine songs that has earned Barrera a nomination for Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical at the 2024 GRAMMYs. He is the only Latino in this group and has been nominated for all Spanish-language songs. "It means that Latinos are breaking those barriers and that Latin music is important to the industry," Barrera says of the nomination. "To be considered in that category is already a victory. I feel I am paving the way for a Latin songwriter to be in future nominations."

The nod came days before he received the inaugural Latin GRAMMY for Songwriter Of The Year. At the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, Barrera received 13 nominations and won three awards, including Producer Of The Year, and was featured in a collaborative performance with Camilo, Manuel Carrasco, and IZA.

Ahead of the 66th GRAMMY Awards, Barrera discusses how his upbringing shaped his career and creative process, as well as the importance of recognition for Latinos in the music industry. 

 This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

2023 has been an excellent year for you. What are you the most grateful for?

It has been a great year in my career. I have to be thankful for life and to God. I’m grateful to say that I make a living from this.

 This is the only thing I know how to do; I am not good at anything other than making music. It is a blessing that people connect with the songs you create. What gives me the most satisfaction is knowing that people are enjoying, connecting, and experiencing the songs [I've worked on].

What did it mean to win the inaugural Songwriter Of The Year award at the Latin GRAMMYs?

I didn't think much about whether I was going to win or not. I was feeling happier and more excited because the Latin GRAMMYs were creating a category for those behind [the songs].

I said it that day they gave me the award; sometimes, the songwriter is the one who suffers the most in the entire music pyramid of how the industry is structured. The songwriter is the last one who gets paid and often doesn't get as much credit. For me, everything starts with a song. Without a good song, the artist is unknown; without a good song, the producer is unknown.

Music starts with a good song you can sing with just a guitar. That's what I like to do. I write the song, have it on guitar and vocals, and see what genre fits the best. That's why I always switch genres; I don't like to limit myself by saying that I only make urban, pop, or Mexican music. I'm not following trends but doing what feels right for the song.

What was your reaction upon discovering that you are the only nominee for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical one competing with Spanish songs at the 2024 GRAMMYs?

I was in Madrid, and even though I knew the GRAMMY nominations were coming up, I wasn’t on top of it because it is usually tough to be nominated for those categories. I didn't expect it.

We had a Zoom with all the composers nominated in that category to get to know each other, and I kept thinking, what am I doing in this Zoom with all these people who write songs in English, country songs, rap songs, or pop songs? Here I am with my songs in Spanish.

I am happy with [the nomination] because it means that Latinos are breaking those barriers and that Latin music is important to the industry. It has become the elephant in the room that you can no longer ignore.

To be considered in that category is already a victory. I feel I am paving the way for a Latin songwriter to be in future nominations. I feel I have some responsibility; I am representing Latinos at an important moment in the industry.

Coming from Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas, a town with 20,000 residents with no songwriters or producers, the fact that I can make music and dedicate myself to it is already a victory. Everything is a blessing and feels surreal.

You have been nominated for your work in nine songs. Is there a specific song that has brought you the most satisfaction?

They have all fulfilled something specific. For example, Karol G is a Selena [Quintanilla] fan, and she wanted to make a song in cumbia ["Mi Ex Tenía Razón"], a genre I grew up with. [The song] is like that tribute to my roots. Having an artist as big as Karol G on that song is very special.

In songs like "Un x100to," [a collaboration between] Bad Bunny, and a band like Grupo Frontera from my hometown, [it feels special because] we have many friends and grew up with the same cultural background. Returning to McAllen, Tamaulipas, to support a local group and having one of the biggest songs of the year with one of the biggest artists of the moment is also very special to me. It shows the newcomers that it is possible to reach those places — even coming from the same place we did. I would never have thought that the song would be No. 1 worldwide.

When did you first realize that you had a talent for songwriting?

It has always been my plan. I didn't go to school; I've never had a plan B. I've always been very stubborn in what I do. 

I discovered I could write songs and liked writing songs when I was 15. I moved to Miami and started working from the bottom, lifting cables in a studio. I had to serve coffee. I went through the entire process to enjoy what is happening now. It didn't happen overnight. 

I've never let it get to my head. I have no recognition, paintings, or awards if you go to my studio. I mean nothing; there is none of that. I don't like to think about that. I'm in my house right now, and you don't see anything on the walls; they're blank. I want to work as I have since day 1.

You have won 21 Latin GRAMMYs. Where do you keep the awards?

Those awards are at my parents' house. I send everything there. I don't have any awards at my house. My wife also tells me that our home is a place to disconnect, not to continue thinking about work. That helps me to stay rooted.

To know that the day before, I could have been with the biggest artist in the world, I could be with Shakira, Karol G or Benito, whoever I am currently working with, but when I come home, I feel that I am an ordinary person who has the blessing of working with the greatest artists of the moment. Realizing that also resets you, it keeps me grounded.

Did maintaining a lower profile help you in your career as a songwriter?

I am very quiet and shy. I express myself better by writing than by speaking. I like that people gradually discover who is behind the songs. I like that some people find that I wrote a song, and they make the connection, like the movie's endings, when you start connecting all the dots. I don't like telling people I did this or that.

When working with an artist, I am very clear that I am an instrument; I work for them. I don't have any ego. When working with artists, I listen to them and help them translate what they want to say in the songs. That is my job, and I try to be a tool for them; I don't want to be the protagonist.

You are known for your ability to make unexpected connections between artists and topliners; where did this talent come from?

It comes very naturally to me; I do it unconsciously. For example, in the collaboration between Carin León and Maluma, ["Según Quién"], I ended up being the person who connected them. In their case, I sent the song to Carin's team and introduced them about a week later. We organized a meal, and I made them get to know each other before recording the song.

In ["De Vuelta Pa' La Vuelta"] by Daddy Yankee with Marc Anthony, I was with Yankee in the studio. Yankee told me he wanted to do something different, and I showed him this salsa song. He likes it and tells me he wants to record it and do it in salsa. I connected Yankee with Marc — two legends who know each other, but I will gladly make that [musical] connection if I can.

That is part of why I created my record label, Border Kid Records, which is like a border that connects [two places], like the bridge between the United States and Mexico; I am a bridge between the artists.

You are a big fan of the Swedish producer and songwriter Max Martin. What have you learned from his career?

I am Max Martin's No. 1 fan. To me, he is the greatest of all time, and what I like about him is that he is not bragging about his achievements.

It felt like such a great discovery when I found out how he was. I told my friends you like this song because this songwriter made it, so you are not a fan of the artist; you are a fan of the songwriter.

I dreamed that one day, my songs would have a similar effect in Latin music and the way people would discover me. He has always kept a shallow profile. I'm not comparing myself to him at all, but something that he has and that I also do unconsciously is constantly collaborating with people; we are always nourishing ourselves with new songwriters and producers.

I always check Max Martin's credits and see him working with new people. And that's all about not believing that you know everything but learning and always listening to new people that has something new to say.

What advice can you give to songwriters or singers starting their careers?

Always be authentic and do not follow trends. I differentiated myself from the songwriters and producers when I started because I didn't use many bad words [in my songs]. I always wanted to avoid jumping on that bandwagon, following a trend.

It is about doing things differently and creating your own trends. I am one of those who make a bachata or a merengue; when a merengue is not even trending, you make it a trend by [picking] the right artist and song.

What is Edgar Barrera's mark in music?

My lyrics are simple, honest, straightforward, and up-to-date; that's my trademark. Production-wise, if you hear a real instrument or a musician playing live, guitars, or things like that, that's always my mark.

 2024 GRAMMY Nominations: See The Full Nominees List

Artists Who Are Going On Tour In 2024: The Rolling Stones, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo & More
Olivia Rodrigo performing in 2023

Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

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Artists Who Are Going On Tour In 2024: The Rolling Stones, Drake, Olivia Rodrigo & More

The year is just getting started, but 2024 is already stacked with exciting tours. Open up your calendar and start planning with this sprawling list of announced 2024 tours.

GRAMMYs/Jan 4, 2024 - 04:13 pm

Just a couple of years ago, live music still looked uncertain — would variant X, Y or Z derail the train for the umpteenth time? But in that regard, 2023 felt almost totally in the clear — and that's why it feels like the rubber band is stretched back for 2024, and it's ready to launch.

Sure, compiling every musical act who's touring in 2024 might be impossible. But GRAMMY.com's stylistic purview is far and wide: country, hardcore, soul, R&B, rap, indie rock, you name it. As such, we're giving it our best shot — and will continue to update the list as more tours are announced.

Without further ado, here's a major cross section of the 2024 touring landscape as currently announced — from Alvvays to Adam Ant, from Def Leppard to Danny Brown.

Laura Pausini: Laura Pausini World Tour
Jan. 6 - April 6
North & Latin America

Italian singer (and the Latin Recording Academy's Person Of The Year) Laura Pausini is venturing through North & Latin America in the spring.

Slowdive
Jan. 16 - May 18
U.S., Asia & Europe

The reunited shoegaze greats just released a well-loved new album, everything is alive — which is currently taking on new shades onstage. See them in 2024, on an extensive tour of Europe with Japan dates, and then a plethora of U.S. stops.

Madison Beer: The Spinnin Tour
Jan. 17 - June 13
UK, Europe, & U.S.

The pop, hip-hop, EDM, and R&B star released Silence Between Songs in 2023; she'll support it with The Spinnin Tour, which heads stateside from Europe across the spring of 2024.

Drake with J.Cole: It's All A Blur - Big As The What?
Jan. 18 - March 27
U.S.

Hip-hop kingpins Drake and J. Cole are headed on a co-headlining tour; some Drake gigs will be J.-Cole-less.

Ana Tijoux
Jan. 18 - April 13
North America, UK, & Europe

Chilean musician Ana Tijoux hasn't undergone a world tour since 2018, but she's about to change that with a run of European gigs following the release of VIDA, her first album in several years. .

Melanie Martinez
Jan. 19 - June 27
North America, Asia & Australia

Alt-popper Melanie Martinez will segue her PORTALS Tour into The Trilogy Tour, which will see her revive her alter ego "Cry Baby." See her, in this persona, in the U.S. and across the pond.

Mitski
Jan. 26 - June 6
UK, Europe, & U.S.

Fresh off the release of The Land is Inhospitable and So Are We, Mitski has announced a jaunt across North America with Tamino, Sunny War, Julia Jacklin, and Sarah Kinsley.

Gloria Trevi: Mi Soundtrack World Tour
Jan. 26 - Sept. 22
U.S.

Known as the "Supreme Diva of Mexican Pop," Gloria Trevi is embarking on a world tour to top off the year, as she has recently announced the first leg.

Tinashe: BB/ANG3L U.S. Tour
Jan. 31 - Feb. 15
U.S.

Actress, dancer and singer Tinashe will support her new album, BB/ANG3L, with a run of mostly East Coast dates.

Militarie Gun
Jan. 31 - June 1
North America

Fresh off a tour with Scowl, hardcore-adjacent, brilliantly melodic punks Militarie Gun continue their rise with a 2024 North American tour.

Mariah The Scientist: To Be Eaten Alive Tour
Feb. 1 - May 4
UK, Europe, & U.S.

R&B favorite Mariah the Scientist has been raring to return to the stage: "I miss hearing my fans scream my lyrics at the top of their lungs. I miss seeing all their faces," Mariah told Rolling Stone. "I miss all the different cities. To my fans, I miss us. I'm so ready to eat you alive." She'll be in Europe and the U.S.

Marc Anthony: Viviendo Tour
Feb. 9 - March 9
North America

Latin and Salsa star Marc Anthony can't hide his excitement for his upcoming tour: "See you in 2024 with many moments to write about," Mark shared in his Instagram tour announcement. "We are going to live nights like no other."

Juanes: Vida Cotidiana World Tour
Feb. 13 - March 30
North America

In support of his Vida Cotidiana album, Colombian rock legend Juanes is making stops around North America to celebrate the project.

Los Angeles Azules: El Amor de mi Vida Tour
Feb. 13 - April 20
U.S.

Marking their epic return to the United States, the Cumbia sibling group are kicking off their tour in support of their upcoming album —which is set to be released this year.

Jon Batiste: UNEASY Tour
Feb. 16 - April 27
U.S.

Five-time GRAMMY winner and 20-time nominee Jon Batiste isn't known as a traditional touring act — extemporaneous solo performances and orchestral works tend to be his jam. That's what makes his upcoming North American tour so enticing — how will this consummate shape-shifter approach the headline-touring model?

Chelsea Cutler: The Beauty Is Everywhere Tour
Feb. 16 - March 30
North America

Singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and engineer Chelsea Cutler has revealed a 2024 headline tour titled The Beauty Is Everywhere Tour, in support of her new album Stellaria.

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Unlimited Love Tour
Feb. 17 - July 30
North America

The veteran rockers are still supporting 2022's Unlimited Love and Return of the Dream Canteen; in 2024, they'll go out with Kid Cudi, Ice Cube, Ken Carson, Otoboke Beaver, Seun Kuti, Wand, and Irontom.

PinkPantheress: Capable of Love Tour
Feb. 20 - April 30
North America, UK & Europe

The TikTok sensation turned pop phenomenon will head out on her Capable of Love Tour, following the release of her debut album Heaven Knows. Rising artists Bktherula and Kanii will join her.

Niall Horan
Feb. 21 - July 31
North America, Europe, & Australia

The Irish singer/songwriter has announced "THE SHOW" LIVE ON TOUR 2024 – his biggest tour yet and first headline run since 2018's Flicker world tour.

Bad Bunny - Most Wanted Tour
Feb. 21 - May 26
U.S.

Bad Bunny's Most Wanted Tour will take him across 47 dates across North America — including three shows in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.

Olivia Rodrigo: 2024 Tour
Feb. 23 - Aug. 14
UK, Europe, & U.S.

Olivia Rodrigo will make a jaunt around the world with support from the Breeders, Chappell Roan and Pink Pantheress.

Sampha: North America 2024 Tour
Feb. 23 - April 14
North America & Australia

South London singer/songwriter Sampha recently released a music video for "Can't Go Back," from his new album, Lahai. With it come North American dates for 2024.

Mon Laferte: Autopoiética Tour
Feb. 29 - June 2
U.S. & Latin America

Chilean artist Mon Laferte's new album, Autopoiética, has been released to a clamorous response. In 2024, she'll bring the music across Latin America and the U.S.

Idles
Feb. 29 - Dec. 7
North America, UK, & Europe

The purveyors of wild-eyed rock have extended their previously announced 2024 international tour with new dates across North America, Mexico, the UK, and Ireland.

Styx & Foreigner: Renegades & Juke Box Heroes Tour
March 1 - Nov. 9
North America

Don't miss this classic rock heroes together, for the last time ever. Check out dates, along with heartfelt statements from both bands.

Nicki Minaj: Pink Friday 2 Tour
March 1 - June 7
UK, Europe, & U.S.

The Harajuku Barbie is back with a new album, Pink Friday 2, which landed Dec. 8. How will tunes like "Super Freaky Girl" and "Last Time I Saw You" translate to the stage? Don't miss her North American and European tour, which stretches from late March to early June.

Danny Brown: Quaranta '24 Tour
March 3 - April 14
North America

The idiosyncratic MC is riding high off the release of his introspective new album, Quaranta. He's heading across North America in support of it.

Don Omar
March 7 - April 21
North America

The reggaeton pioneer has announced he will be back in arenas in 2024 and bringing fans "Back to Reggaeton," a 20-date trek across North America that spans the artist's decades-long career.

Judas Priest: Invisible Shield Tour
March 11 - May 22
Europe, UK, & U.S.

Metal titans Judas Priest are still going strong; they just announced a Spring 2024 U.S. tour with supporting act abaton.

Busta Rhymes
March 13 - April 21
North America

Rap heavyweight Busta Rhymes has announced his Blockbusta Tour, which will bring him across the U.S. and Canada starting in March.

Tim McGraw: 2024 Standing Room Only Tour
March 14 - June 27
U.S.

The country great's upcoming jaunt kicks off on March 14 and will stop through more than 40 cities. Carly Pearce will be a special guest.

Bleachers: From The Studio To The Stage
March 19 - June 15
U.S. & UK

In late spring and early summer 2024, the Jack Antonoff-led rockers are hitting the road in support of their self-titled new album, which arrives March 8.

Tyla
March 21 - May 28
UK, Europe, & U.S.

The unstoppable, GRAMMY-nominated R&B, amapiano singer Tyla will venture across the UK and Europe in spring 2024.

Adam Ant: ANTMUSIC Tour
March 21 - May 11
U.S.

English post-punk and new wave legend Adam Ant is headed out on his ANTMUSIC tour, his first U.S. trek in five years. The day after it wraps up, he'll appear at the Cruel World 2024 festival.

The Slackers
April 4 - April 14
North America

The revered, long-time purveyors of ska, reggae, dub and more have announced a spring tour across the US and Canada.

Alvvays: US Spring Tour 2024
April 4 - Aug. 8
North America, UK, & Europe

The indie darlings will traverse the United States in April and May, then head to Europe in late June for festival dates.

Tate Mcrae: Think Later World Tour
April 17 - Nov 21
North America, UK, Europe, & Australia

Multi-platinum singer/songwriter Tate McRae will support her second album, THINK LATER, with a world tour in 2024.

The Rolling Stones: Hackney Diamonds Tour
April 18 - July 17
North America

If the Rolling Stones' secret NYC show with Lady Gaga was any indication, the Stones' stadium run around Hackney Diamonds — their first album of new material in 18 years — will be one for the books. For now, only stateside shows have been announced, but keep your eyes peeled for an expansion.

Hozier: Unreal Unearth Tour
April 20 - Sept. 17
U.S.

Singer/songwriter Hozier is undertaking a headline tour of the UK and Ireland next summer, supporting his third album Unreal Unearth.

Alanis Morissette with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Triple Moon Tour
June 9 - Aug. 10
North America

Two female pioneers are hitting the road, with special guest Morgan Wade. See where they're heading in the U.S. and Canada.

Pink: Summer Carnival Tour 2024
June 11 - Nov. 23
North America, UK, & Europe

Pink will continue to support her new album Trustfall with her Summer Carnival tour, which returns to North America in 2024. 

The Killers
June 12 - July 11
UK & Ireland

The Killers have reached that stage where they're looking back on the hits. Following the recent release of their best-of compilation album Rebels Diamonds, shout along at these UK and Ireland dates.

Def Leppard, Journey, Steve Miller: 2024 Summer Stadium Tour
July 6 - Sept. 8
U.S.

More oldies favorites, banding together for a U.S. stadium tour in 2024: Def Leppard and Journey will be near you soon. In select markets, Heart and Cheap Trick will also appear.

Earth Wind & Fire and Chicago: Heart & Soul Tour 2024
July 10 - Sept. 7
U.S.

These retro, AOR favorites are hitting the road together for the Heart & Soul Tour 2024, including an encore with both bands on stage. Check out the North American dates.

Sepultura: Farewell Tour
Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
UK & Europe

The Brazilian metal heroes are calling it quits — but not before a final trek, just in time for their 40th anniversary.

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