Entertainment
Billboard Celebrates Spanish Music Leaders at Exclusive Event in Madrid: ‘Total Commitment’
MADRID — After a successful First Spanish Music Encounter at the WiZink Center in 2024, Billboard returned to Madrid on Tuesday (March 18) with “Leaders of Music in Spain,” an event that reaffirms its commitment to the country’s music scene. The cocktail event, held at the Hotel VP Plaza España Design, gathered more than a hundred executives, artists, and key industry figures to strengthen ties and boost the global projection of Spaniard music.
Among the attendees were Pino Sagliocco, president of Live Nation Spain; José Luis Sevillano, CEO of AIE; Sandra García-Sanjuán, executive president of Grupo Starlite; Claire Immoucha, head of Amazon Music Spain; Mar García, marketing director of Warner Music Spain; Narcis Rebollo, president/CEO of global talent services at Universal; and José María Barbat, president of Sony Music Iberia. Artists like Rosana, Lela Soto, Natalia Lacunza and Álvaro de Luna also joined the event, sharing their thoughts on the present and future of music in Spain.
On Billboard‘s behalf were Leila Cobo, chief content officer for Latin/Español; Pamela Bustios, senior chart and data analyst for Latin/Español; and Marcia Olival, sales director for US Hispanic, LATAM, and Iberia.
“I’ve always said that Billboard is a bridge between Spanish-language music and the Anglo market. We tell these stories to an audience that doesn’t speak Spanish, but also in Spanish, and with Spain, this idea of a bridge is literal,” Cobo emphasized during the event. “Spain has more streams than ever, ticket sales are extraordinary, and it’s the world’s top music tourism destination. We want to amplify what you do, celebrate you, and be part of your story.”
This expansion of Spaniard music beyond its borders is a reality that resonates within the industry. Alicia Arauzo, general manager of Universal Music, highlighted the importance of these networking spaces to continue building international connections. “Without a doubt, these are great initiatives because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about: Spanish artists are going further and further. It’s something that didn’t happen years ago, and it’s fantastic to be able to cross bridges and have our music reach other territories,” she said.
José María Barbat, president of Sony Music Iberia (left) and Bernardo Miranda, vp A&R at Sony Music Iberia during Billboard’s “Líderes de la Música en España” event on March 18, 2025 in Madrid.
Held at the Ginkgo Sky Bar — with panoramic views of the Royal Palace, the Almudena, and Plaza de España — the gathering served as a space for networking and dialogue about the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
In conversation with Billboard, Melanie Parejo, head of music for Spotify in Southern and Eastern Europe, emphasized Spain’s importance as a key point within the global ecosystem. “Billboard anchors here, in a country that is the gateway to Europe,” she noted. “Spanish-language music is more interconnected than ever. Gen Z doesn’t care if an artist is from Tenerife or Venezuela, and that’s incredibly powerful.”
For attendees, Billboard‘s presence in Spain represents a validation of the market’s growth and international projection. Rosana, one of the invited artists, expressed her gratitude. “Billboard opened its doors to me 15 days after releasing my first album in the U.S. and Latin America. Now that it has decided to come here, all they makes me want to do is make them feel at home,” she said.
From the business side, Blanca Salcedo, general manager of Sony Music Spain, highlighted the importance of the visibility provided by the platform. “I’d love for this to happen more in Spain,” she said. “The digital world has achieved unity and eliminated barriers.”
Attendees listen to Leila Cobo during Billboard’s “Líderes de la Música en España” event on March 18, 2025 in Madrid.
For Álvaro de Luna, being part of this celebration was a personal milestone: “Seven years ago, I wouldn’t have imagined being mentioned in anything related to Billboard. It’s a dream.”
The event was made possible thanks to the support of Hotel VP Plaza España Design, Mahou, AIE, Santander SMusic, and Tequila Patrón, which prepared the evening’s special cocktail, the Paloma Patrón.
With “Leaders of Music in Spain,” Billboard continues to bet on strengthening its presence in the country and amplifying the impact of Spanish music globally. “We have total commitment to Spanish-language music, to Spain, and to its industry,” concluded Cobo.
Myke Towers and Quevedo propel “Soleo” to the top of Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as the song jumps a spot to No. 1 on the list dated Aug. 9.
Their first collab, “Soleao” (which translates to “sunny” in English), was released May 20 on One World International/Warner Records/Warner Latina. It leads the way in its ninth chart week, after an 11% growth in audience impressions, to 9.1 million, across U.S. panel-contributing Latin radio stations in the tracking week of July 25-31, according to Luminate.
Towers claims his 15th Latin Airplay champ, and third consecutively of 2025, after one-week rulers “Otra Noche,” featuring Darell (February), and “Degenere,” featuring Benny Blanco (May).
Further, Towers adds to his satchel of wins as he accomplishes a third trio of No. 1s in a single year. Rewind to 2021, when (after landing two early chart-toppers, for that matter) the Puerto Rican delivered a streak of three straight No. 1s: “Bandido,” with Juhn; “Pareja del Año,” with Sebastián Yatra; and “Bésame,” with Luis Fonsi, that June, August and November, respectively. In 2024, Towers replicated the success with another trio of consecutive No. 1s: “Borracho y Loco,” with Yandel; “La Falda”; and “La Capi,” between that February and May.
Meanwhile, Quevedo makes a comeback to No. 1 on Latin Airplay. He previously led, for four weeks, with “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” with Bizarrap, in 2022.
Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Soleao” likewise lifts 2-1 on Latin Pop Airplay. There, Towers tallies a third No. 1 and Quevedo, his first. Further, the song adds a second week atop Latin Rhythm Airplay.
Banda Carnaval Ignites Regional Mexican Airplay: Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Banda Carnaval secures its eighth No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay, and second of the year, as “Ya La Hice” bounds 9-1 with 6.6 million audience impressions, up 47%, in the tracking week. The act’s “Pude” led for a week in March.
“We are deeply grateful to our fans for taking ‘Ya La Hice’ to No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart,” Banda Carnaval tells Billboard. “This song represents a very special moment for us, and seeing it connect with people in this way fills us with pride and emotion. Thank you to everyone who has made it their own, to the composers for this great story, and to our team who continues to believe in our music. Let’s go all the way with Síganme Tirando!”
“Ya La Hice” earns Greatest Gainer honors, awarded to the song with the largest week-over-week increase in impressions at the format. Leading the charge during the tracking period are Univision stations, with standout support from KSCA-FM Los Angeles, KLNO-FM Dallas, and WOJO-FM Chicago.
Entertainment
Ice Cube’s ‘War of the Worlds’ Film Has a 0% Rating on ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ & Cube’s Son Is Weighing In
Ice Cube‘s latest movie is off to a slow start on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. According to 15 critics (and counting), War of the Worlds so far has a zero percent rating on the Tomatometer scale, while thousands of moviegoers have given it at 14 percent rating on the Popcornmeter.
One review in particular, from Variety‘s Peter Debruge knocked the film for essentially doubling as a commercial for Amazon, writing, “Even with a Prime subscription, you have to sit through two minutes of ads to watch 90 more of what amounts to a feature-length commercial for all things Amazon,” while another from The Telegraph‘s Ed Power wasn’t really into all the screen time Cube got, saying, “It is silly, shoddy and features far too much of rapper-turned-leading man Ice Cube staring at a computer screen while looking as if he’s working through a reasonably urgent digestive ailment.”
An adaptation of H. G. Wells’ classic 1898 novel The War of the Worlds, this version is an Amazon Prime production directed by Rich Lee and also starring Eva Longoria. Cube plays Will Radford, a surveillance expert at the Department of Homeland Security, and most of the movie takes place on his computer screen as he deals with a hacker and an alien invasion while trying to keep his family out of harm’s way.
The synopsis on Prime Video reads as follows: “A gargantuan invasion is coming with this fresh take on the legendary novel of the same name. Renowned actress Eva Longoria is joined by iconic rapper and actor Ice Cube, along with Michael O’Neill and Iman Benson, for a thrilling out-of-this-world adventure that is filled with present-day themes of technology, surveillance, and privacy.”
Cube’s son, actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., replied to a tweet on X of a video clip from the movie in which an Amazon Prime delivery person tells Cube’s character to cop a USB from Amazon, so he can deliver it via Prime Air with a drone. “I truly can’t believe this adaptation of War Of The Worlds is actually a real film with a real budget and Ice Cube is actually in it,” a fan posted, with Jackson replying that the movie was “Shot during the pandemic. Released 5 years later.”
Billboard has reached out to Ice Cube’s team for comment.
Entertainment
Cara Lewis Group Hires Ashley Ventura, Who Will Bring Bhad Bhabie & More to the Agency
Cara Lewis Group (CLG) has hired agent Ashley Ventura, who will bring her clients to the independent agency.
“CLG is an obvious fit for her talents,” said founder/CEO Cara Lewis in a statement. “The entire Cara Lewis Group team is thrilled to have her as a valued addition. We look forward to continuing our mantra of artist development, creating stars and long lasting careers.”
Ventura has worked as an agent in the hip-hop and R&B space for more than five years, previously working at MAC Agency. A press release announcing her hire described her as a “proven” leader and “one of the newest, most exciting agents in the industry.”
“I’m thrilled to be joining the Cara Lewis Group and to continue pushing culture forward alongside such a respected team,” added Ventura. “This new chapter marks an exciting step in my journey, and I’m looking forward to building with incredible artists and creating what’s next.”
Ventura will be bringing a number of talented artists to the CLG roster, including hip-hop icon French Montana and reality TV star and rapper Bhad Bhabie. Her other clients include Atlanta rapper Anycia, Bay Swag, Bktherula, Gashi, K Camp and Kentheman, all of whom are following her to CLG.
CLG’s roster currently includes Eminem, Travis Scott, Khalid, Don Toliver, Clipse, The Roots, Russ, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Ice Spice, BIA and Erykah Badu. Lewis is one of the most successful independent agents in hip-hop, having spent more than 20 years at William Morris as a partner, where she built the urban-pop division before joining CAA’s music department.
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