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Three months after Colombia's Maluma and Mexico's Carín León teamed up for "Según Quien," the duo reconnected onstage for a performance of their tears-and-beer-soaked hit. 

Maluma delivered a medley of his hits from his album Don Juan starting with "Según Quien." Looking sharp in matching black cowboy hats and dark shades, the duo kicked things off with a quick but heady taste of their corrido. León then left Maluma onstage for the more upbeat "Procura," a bachata, and the swinging salsa of "La Fórmula." Maluma had no problems bringing the firepower solo, but made sure to take a moment during his performance to leave the stage and kiss his partner, Susana Gomez.

"Según Quien" is a hit single from Don Juan, which dropped in August. Sharing songwriting duties with León, Maluma made a graceful and successful first foray into the increasingly hot world of música Mexicana with the song, adding a rhythmic touch of Latin pop in the process. The ballad's distinctive beat inspired a TikTok trend that, no doubt, contributed to its success.

Don Juan helped Maluma earn two nominations at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs, as his salsa single with Marc Anthony, "La Fórmula," is up for Record Of The Year and Best Tropical Song.

A leading light in his generation of regional Mexican music, León released his third studio album, Colmillo de Leche, in May. The 18-track project, which earned a 2023 Latin GRAMMYs nomination for Best Norteño Album, is a sweeping waltz through the sounds of banda, Norteño, and mariachi with flourishes of country and blues. Last year, the singer/songwriter won his first Latin GRAMMY for Best Regional Mexican Song for "Como lo Hice Yo," his collaboration with Matisse. 

2023 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Complete Nominations List

Song Of The Year represents one of the most coveted honors at the Latin GRAMMYs, alongside Album Of The Year, Record Of The Year and Best New Artist. Like the award ceremony itself — which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year — the 10 songs in competition for the title of Song Of The Year form a vibrant portrait of the state of Latin music in this moment.

Among the songs being recognized are several star-studded collaborations: Daymé Arocena & Vicente Garcia's "A Fuego Lento"; Gian Marco & Rubén Blades' "Aún Me Sigo Encontrando"; Elena Rose, Danny Ocean & Jerry Di's "Caracas En El 2000"; Shakira and Grupo Frontera's "(Entre Paréntesis)"; and Residente, Silvia Pérez Cruz & Penélope Cruz's "313." Two songs featuring Carin León made the list, too: his Maluma team-up "Según Quién" and his Kany García duet "Te Lo Agradezco."

The other three contenders are songs by both new and veteran stars. Rising Mexican singer Maura Nava's "A La Mitad (Banda Sonora Original De La Serie "Zorro")" earns a nomination, as well as Karol G's "Mi Ex Tenía Razón" and Jorge Drexler's "Derrumbe."

Of course, Song Of The Year is awarded to the songwriters, which means the nominees in this Category may not actually include the artists themselves. Below, learn more about the songs — and songwriters — that received a Song Of The Year nomination at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. Then be sure to tune into the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, officially known as the 25th Latin GRAMMY Awards, on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. CT) on on Univision, Galavisión and ViX to see who wins.

Read More: 2024 Latin GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominations List

Daymé Arocena & Vicente García — "A Fuego Lento"

Daymé Arocena & Vicente García, songwriters

At 32 years old, with five solo albums and a long list of accolades attached to her name, Daymé Arocena is one of the leading lights of contemporary Afro-Cuban jazz. As a member of Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, the Havana-born-and-bred singer received a GRAMMY nomination in the Best Latin Jazz Album Category, for her 2016 album Oddara. Her 2024 album, Alkemi, brought her greater attention outside of jazz circles and her native Cuba. The album leans in a more accessible, tropical-pop direction than her previous releases, while still showcasing her astounding vocal range and dynamic singing abilities.

Her fifth solo album takes its name from the Yoruba word for alchemy — and, just as alchemy is concerned with spiritual and material transformation, the music on Alkemi marks a transformative moment for Arocena. She chose to record in Puerto Rico and produce the album with Eduardo Cabra of Calle 13 out of a desire to freely explore a range of Afro-Caribbean sounds. The finished work is a unique and beautiful mix of avant-R&B, funk, Latin sounds with African roots.

The Latin GRAMMY-nominated album single, "A Fuego Lento," is, as the title suggests, a soulful and passionate slow burner that features the vocals of Dominican musician (and four-time Latin GRAMMY winner) Vicente García. This is Arocena’s first Latin GRAMMY nomination.

Maura Nava — "A La Mitad"

Julio Reyes Copello & Mariana Vega, songwriters

Emerging Mexican artist Maura Nava is a classically trained vocalist who first gained the world's attention through a popular TikTok video in which her cat, Maximino, joins in as she hits the operatic high notes in the Enrique Granados tonadilla "El Majo Discreto" ("The Discreet Lover"). The singer is endearingly unable to keep a straight face after being interrupted by her feline friend, who warbles along with the 1910 composition. (Search "opera cat" and you'll find it.)

After the young singer posted the clip online, she was scouted by producer Julio Reyes Copello and invited to attend his pop finishing school, ArtHouse Academy. Shortly after completing the program, the talented newcomer, who is now based in Miami, landed a contract with Universal Music Latin on the basis of her viral break and crystalline soprano.

Nava's debut single is "A La Mitad," an eerily pretty vehicle for her stunning range and subtle vibrato, composed for the soundtrack to the Prime Video series "Zorro." If this is the first you are hearing of Nava, stay tuned — it won't be the last time you hear her voice.

Gian Marco & Rubén Blades — "Aún Me Sigo Encontrando"

Rubén Blades, Gian Marco & Julio Reyes Copello, songwriters

To earn his fourth nomination in the Song Of The Year Category, Peruvian singer/songwriter Gian Marco linked with none other than the legendary Panamanian salsero and songwriter Rubén Blades (who is now a three-time Song Of The Year nominee himself). Their moody ballad, "Aún Me Sigo Encontrando," is the title track from his 2023 album. In it, the two seasoned artists wax philosophical about the complexities of life and finding one's place in the world, backed by a rain of percussion. The unadorned nature of the song adds to its haunting quality.

Aún Me Sigo Encontrando is one of the more rootsy additions to Marco's vast discography. The majority of its tracks are built around Afro-Caribbean percussion and finger-picked, acoustic guitar. The relatively minimalist instrumentation lends itself to the album's pensive mood, and also for thoughtful appreciation of the many collaborations with heavyweight such as Blades and revered Cuban folk singer Silvio Rodriguez.

Marco is one of Peru's foremost musical ambassadors. He has won the Latin GRAMMY for the Best Singer-Songwriter Album three times, and now counts 18 nominations total as of press time.

Watch: Gian Marco Introduces The Instrument That Links Him To His Home Country Of Peru | It Goes To 11

Elena Rose, Danny Ocean & Jerry Di — "Caracas En El 2000"

Marvin Hawkins Rodriguez, Jerry Di, La Pichu, Danny Ocean & Elena Rose, songwriters

Having written hit songs for numerous stars in Latin music, Elena Rose is a driving force behind the scenes in the current wave of Latin pop and reggaeton. The beneficiaries of her lyrical prowess have included Bad Bunny ("Party"), Jennifer Lopez and Maluma jointly ("Pa' Ti"), Selena Gomez ("De Una Vez"), and, prolifically, both Becky G and TINI. (Rose was nominated in the Songwriter Of The Year Category at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.)

After debuting as an artist in her own right in 2020 with the single "Sandunga," the Venezuelan-American has increasingly focused on her career in front of the mic. Since then, she has released more than a dozen high-performing singles as a solo artist. One of those songs, 2023's "Caracas En El 2000" earned the singer/songwriter another hit and a nomination in the Song Of The Year Category for the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. The song is a breezy earworm featuring fellow Venezuelan artists Danny Ocean and Jerry Di that joyfully celebrates the Caracas that each of the young artists knew as a child.

Including her three nominations this year (Song Of The Year, Best Pop/Rock Song for "Blanco y Negro" and Best Regional Song for "Por El Contrario"), Rose has nine Latin GRAMMY nominations to date. This marks her first in the Song Of The Year Category.

Jorge Drexler — "Derrumbe"

Jorge Drexler, songwriter

Singer/songwriter Jorge Drexler has risen to a position of international renown with tuneful folk pop that draws on the musical traditions of his native Uruguay. His work has garnered repeated recognition from the Latin Recording Academy, with 13 wins, including two awards for Song Of The Year. He is nominated in the Category again this year for his simple, but wrenching ballad "Derrumbe." The standalone single tells the story of a relationship's disintegration in poetic, metaphorical terms, characterizing it as a house of cards that crumbles when one partner removes a single card.

Accompanied only by guitar, the troubadour mourns the loss, lamenting "Nuestro amor cedió por las costuras" ("Our love gave way at the seams"). "Quedamos a la intemperie/ Sin un "tal vez" que nos resguardara," he sings. ("We are left out in the open/ Without a "maybe to protect us.") Though somber, the song reflects Drexler's prodigious skill in songcraft and economy of storytelling in song.

Watch: Jorge Drexler's Favorite Guitar Has A Special Story | It Goes To 11

Shakira & Grupo Frontera — "(Entre Paréntesis)"

Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Manuel Lorente Freire, Lenin Yorney Palacios & Shakira, songwriters

A few of the artists nominated in the Song Of The Year Category also had one of the year's biggest albums. Shakira, for one, is also up for Album Of The Year for her triumphant comeback album Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (Women Don't Cry Anymore). In the category at hand, she received a nod for the 2024 album single with Mexican-American band Grupo Frontera.

The Colombian singer/songwriter and the regional Mexican group's joint effort, "(Entre Paréntesis)," is a reminder of Shakira's chameleon-like gift for expressing herself in seemingly any language or genre. An emotional cumbia with a distinctly Mexican flavor, the song is one of the most delightful collaborations on an album that saw her duet with Rauw Alejandro, Cardi B, Ozuna, Manuel Turizo, Fuerza Regida, and Karol G.

If Shakira takes home Song Of The Year at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, she will be a back-to-back winner in the Category. Her internet-breaking collab with Bizarrap, "Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53," won Song Of The Year at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs.

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

Karol G — "Mi Ex Tenía Razón"

Edgar Barrera, Andres Jael Correa Rios, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz Moreno, Karol G & MAG, songwriters

Mexican and Mexican-American influences have been omnipresent in Latin music for the past two years. In that light, it comes as little surprise that Karol G's hat tip in this year's Song Of The Year Category is the Tex-Mex flavored pop-cumbia of "Mi Ex Tenía Razón" from Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season), the companion mixtape to her 2023 album, also titled Mañana Será Bonito.

Karol has shared that the song's sweet melody and regional accent were inspired by the music of Selena Quintanilla, one of the reggaeton superstar's all-time idols. Recording the mixtape allowed Karol G to try out new musical modes as she did with "Mi Ex Tenía Razón" and the dub reggae of "Me Tengo Que Ir," a collaboration with Kali Uchis.

After a huge night at the 2023 Latin GRAMMYs — where Karol G took home three awards, including Album Of The Year — the Colombian star could have an even bigger night at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs. She tallies eight nominations this year, including Album Of The Year for Mañana Será Bonito (Bichota Season) and Record Of The Year for "Mi Ex Tenía Razón."

Watch: 2024 GRAMMYs: Karol G Wins The First GRAMMY Award Of Her Career For Best Música Urbana Album

Maluma & Carin León — "Según Quién"

Edgar Barrera, Kevyn Mauricio Cruz, Luís Miguel Gómez Castaño, Maluma, Lenin Yorney Palacios & Juan Camilo Vargas, songwriters

In recent years, música Mexicana has become the genre to watch, and dabble with, in the world of Latin music. Maluma could not resist its allure and tried his hand with "Según Quién," an irreverent norteño duet with Mexican regional music standard bearer — and sought after musical collaborator — Carin León. Both Maluma and León took the opportunity to let their respective devil-may-care, bad boy sides out to play on the invective-filled track, which winkingly suggests the Colombian urbano star has found his way to Mexico in order to drown his sorrows and forget a toxic relationship.

The single, which appears on Maluma's successful 2023 album, Don Juan, has been a significant hit for him, reaching No. 5 on Billboard's Hot Latin Songs chart. This is his sixth nomination in the Song Of The Year Category, and his 18th Latin GRAMMY nomination overall.

Learn More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: The Magnificent, Magnetic Maluma

Kany García & Carin León — "Te Lo Agradezco"

Rafa Arcaute, Kany García, Carin León & Richi López, songwriters

Kany García's ninth studio album, titled García, is a deeply felt meditation on a personal life and career well spent. Nominated in the Album Of The Year Category, García features more than one hit single for the Puerto Rican singer/songwriter. One of those, a collaboration with regional Mexican music star Carin León, is a candidate for Song Of The Year.

Eloquent and pugnacious, "Te Lo Agradezco" tells off a no-good ex with flourishes of flamenco and country. Opening with a jaunty tuba intro, the smash hit makes no bones about its Mexican influence. When the duo performed the song together live in Mexico, the more than enthusiastic crowd response made it clear that the ballad had connected with fans of both artists.

García has been a mainstay of the Latin GRAMMYs for more than a decade. She has won five Latin GRAMMYs since her first victories for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Album (Cualquier Día) in 2008. This is her fifth Song Of The Year nomination, but could be her first win in the Category.

León is a two-time Latin GRAMMY winner himself. He earned a total of four nominations at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs, including Song Of The Year, Record Of The Year ("Una Vida Pasada" with Camilo), Album Of The Year (Boca Chueca, Vol. 1), and Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album (Boca Chueca, Vol. 1).

Residente, Silvia Pérez Cruz & Penélope Cruz — "313"

Leo Genovese, Residente & Silvia Pérez Cruz, songwriters

The rollout for Residente's second solo album, Las Letras Ya No Importan, has been a lengthy one — so lengthy, in fact, that one single from the album, "René," has already received an award in the Song Of The Year Category, at the 2020 Latin GRAMMYs.

Four years later, Las Letras Ya No Importan earned the politically outspoken Puerto Rican rapper another Song Of The Year nomination, this time for "313." The album single features the voices of actress Penélope Cruz and Spanish singer Silvia Pérez Cruz. In it, the veteran rapper reflects deeply on the past and the experience of time. The riveting and surreal video for the song stars Penélope Cruz and vividly underscores the themes of the song. 

Residente has a significant past with the Latin GRAMMYs. As a member of the seminal hip-hop duo Calle 13, he won 22 awards, starting Best New Artist at the 2006 Latin GRAMMY Awards; since becoming a solo artist, he's added another six wins. With three more nominations at the 2024 Latin GRAMMYs (Song Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best Short Form Music Video), Residente may have even more to celebrate this year.

We're still a couple of weeks away from the summer solstice, but the smell of cookouts and chlorine is already in the air. As parts of the country experience summer weather, there's plenty of musical delights ready to soundtrack the start of summer.

From pop to alt-country to rap, this New Music Friday sprouted sounds for listeners of all persuasions. Here's a cross-section of today's songs and albums to check out, from Peggy Gou's debut album to the latest single from Jungkook.

Just a few weeks before Meghan Trainor's breakthrough smash, "All About That Bass," turns 10, the GRAMMY winner rings in the anniversary in major fashion: a brand new album.

Trainor's sixth LP, Timeless, an irresistible split difference between bubblegum pop and woo-wop. Back in March, she released the lead single "Been Like This" with T-Pain; the "Buy U a Drank" star also appears on "Love on Hold."

"I cannot believe it has been 10 years since this all started. I have never been more grateful for this life that my incredible Megatronz have gifted me with," Trainor said in a statement — "Megatronz" referring to her rabid fanbase. "This new album and tour are all for them and my beautiful family."

I Hear You might be South Korean DJ and singer Peggy Gou's debut album, but she declares it to be much more than that.

"It embodies countless hours of dedication in my journey to create something timeless, and is a testament to the power of listening, to ourselves and to each other," Gou said in a statement. 

And of the video to "1+1=11," in all of its shadowplay: "By bringing together dance — embodied exploration of space — with colorful shadows, lights, and mirrors, I was able to bring some of the key interests that have long shaped my art into an entirely new context."

If all this resonates with you, I Hear You is — well, a must-hear.

Listen: Leap Into AAPI Month 2024 With A Playlist Featuring Laufey, Diljit Dosanjh, & Peggy Gou

As Pride Month kicked off, Kylie Minogue brought out two very special guests at Outloud Fest at West Hollywood Pride: her newest collaborators, Orville Peck and Diplo. The trio debuted the slinky, sparkling "Midnight Ride," a winning trifecta of their diverse talent pools.

Just a few days later, the studio version has arrived. In its full-fledged wonder, the track is just as much of a ride on record as it was on stage.

The single is the latest offering from Peck's forthcoming duets album, Stampede; though the full album's release date has yet to be announced, the alt-country star teased the exciting collabs to come with the seven-song Stampede, Vol. 1 on May 10, which featured Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Nathaniel Rateliff and more.

On July 19, English indie favorites Glass Animals will declare I Love You So F***ing Much with their fourth album. They previously released the advance single "Creatures in Heaven." "A Tear in Space (Airlock)" arrives from smack in the middle of the forthcoming album.

A celestial, pulsing track replete with delicious production details, "A Tear in Space (Airlock)" marks another evolutionary step for the Oxford-rooted group. Their smash "Heat Waves" might be in the rearview, but they still know how to craft a song for just that.

Read More: Meet The First-Time GRAMMY Nominee: Glass Animals' Dave Bayley On The Group's Slow Burn To Massive Success With "Heat Waves" — And How It Almost Never Happened

Where would BTS be without its ARMY? It's an unthinkable prospect — and the boy band giants' beloved Jungkook has penned a worthy tribute to the fanbase that made them.

Released for BTS' annual debut anniversary celebration, Festa, "Never Let Go" opens its heart completely. "Without your love, I'm nothing/ You mean more than you know/ And words escape me whenever you're close," he croons. "I tried to put it into words but it don't measure up/ My pen and paper could never do quite enough."

Believe us: the radiant "Never Let Go" is more than enough. "It's the truth, it's the truth," Jungkook concludes. "We got something rеal nothing could break."

Learn more: Breaking Down Every Solo Act From BTS: Singles, Debut Albums & What's Next For The Septet

The Haitian-Canadian producer, rapper, singer, and DJ born Louis Celestin has produced everyone from Anderson .Paak to Alicia Keys to Victoria Monét, but he's just as compelling when it's his name on the record sleeve.

The two-time GRAMMY winner proves just that with his third album, TIMELESS. Of course, the producer recruited several collaborators for the project, and the list is a panoply of associates from across his career — not only .Paak, but Childish Gambino, Don Toliver, and more.

"A full production between two Colombian artists had never been done before," rapper and singer Maluma brassily proclaimed in a recent press statement. "If it's the first, it can't be done twice."

He's referring to the (aptly titled) 1 of 1, his new EP with fellow Colombian great Blessd. Co-produced by MadMuscik and the RudeBoyz, this six-pack is a reflection of the clear admiration and respect between the two reggaetón practitioners.

This pre-summer weekend, grab a bestie, hit the road, crank up tunes like "Call Me" and "Goyard/GTA," and let that feeling flow through you, too.

Five years after his last LP, Floridan rap phenom Ski Mask the Slump God returns by taking listeners to the 11th Dimension.

If 11th Dimension's advance singles — the jovial "Ooga Booga!", the propulsive "Headrush" — whetted your thirst, get ready for the other 19 tracks, like head-spinning highlights "By Myself," "KillStreak" and "Him Jung Un."

And while Ski Mask the Slump God takes most of those tracks himself, the album's five features are equally as thrilling: Future and ATL Jacob, Skillibeng, Corbin, and two posthumous duets with late rap stars XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld.

Generally, when an artist has a blast making music, it seeps through the grooves — and Thomas Rhett had an absolute ball making his new album, About A Woman, out Aug. 23.

"I did this with a new batch of producers, a lot of different songwriters. This is the funnest album that I've made, I think," he told Backstage Country. "This is a very, very 'me' album. If you liked Tangled Up and Life Changes, Center Point Road, this album is sort of that on steroids."

He's already revealed the first single, "Beautiful as You"; its follow-up, "Gone Country," is a rough-hewn statement of down-home purpose. Every line and lick is true to his dictum that he "got back to the root of why I love to make music and put smiles on faces." 

Let that smile cross your face as you prepare for your summer adventures — and we'll see you on next week's New Music Friday!

On This Day In Music: 2 Live Crew's 'As Nasty As They Wanna Be' Becomes First Album Declared Legally Obscene, Anticipates First Amendment Cases

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.

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A post shared by Shakira (@shakira)

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

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. 

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.  

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