From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.
Bruno Mars Opens New Album With Stunning Mariachi Bolero
Bruno Mars returns with The Romantic, his first solo album in a decade, opening with the stunning bolero “Risk It All.” Backed by a mariachi ensemble — featuring trumpets, violins, guitarrón, and vihuela — the singer, dressed in a classic matador suit in the song’s music video, strums a nylon guitar in a scene straight out of a dream. Co-directed by Mars and Daniel Ramos, the musicians are seen in the video performing in front of a vintage Catholic church, golden hour lighting them like a painting, before transitioning into a wedding scene.
“I would run through the fire just to be by your side/ If your heart’s on the line you could take mine/ It’s crazy but it’s true/ There’s nothing I won’t do/ I’d risk it all for you,” Mars sings, embodying a lovelorn troubadour pouring his heart out. The video garnered excitement across the Latin community, with Rancho Humilde founder Jimmy Humilde commenting on Bruno Mars’ Instagram post sharing a snippet of the clip: “I love this. Thank you for embracing our roots. Glad to be part of it.” Fuerza Regida’s JOP added, “This is history. United States is full of cultures,” while Ivan Cornejo simply chimed in, “LFGGGGGG” (or “LET’S GO”). Watch the video below.
Xavi’s breakthrough “La Diabla” Joins Spotify’s Billions Club
Xavi’s “La Diabla” has officially entered Spotify’s prestigious Billions Club, surpassing one billion streams with a total of 1,002,857,857 plays and counting. Released in November 2023, the track quickly became a cultural phenomenon, propelling the Mexican American singer-songwriter to prominence by early 2024. It earned Xavi his first No. 1 on the Hot Latin Songs chart — an impressive feat for a newcomer — and solidified his role as a standout voice in the regional Mexican music wave. This corridos tumbados kiss-off marked Xavi’s rise to global recognition, cementing his status as a rising household name. Watch the video below, and maybe soon, it’ll also join the Billion Views Club.
Trueno On Collaborating With Gorillaz on “The Manifesto”
Trueno teams up with Gorillaz on the collective’s new album The Mountain, delivering a fiery Spanish-language rap performance on “The Manifesto,” alongside the late Proof of D12. Buoyed by Indian-leaning instrumentation, and a haunting beat-switching production, the Argentine rapper explores themes of life, death and ambition in his freewheeling verse. The collaboration came after a 12-hour studio session with Damon Albarn, who later invited Trueno to open Gorillaz’ upcoming arena and stadium tour across England, Scotland, and Ireland, with stops in cities like Manchester, Glasgow, and Dublin.
“These are countries where I’ve never had [the opportunity to perform] in my life,” Trueno tells Billboard in a video interview. Gorillaz’s new album also features Bizarrap on the song “Orange County,” alongside Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar. Check out “The Manifesto” below.
