Issue: 003
This week’s edition examines a pivotal moment for Latin music’s place within the global industry. As Bad Bunny becomes the first Latin artist to surpass $1 billion in career tour grosses and the Latin Recording Academy introduces a new category, questions surrounding recognition, institutional change, and the future of Latin music continue to take center stage. Also in this issue, #AlertaPendiente returns with a curated selection of standout releases shaping the sound of reggaeton and música del movimiento this week.
Reggaeton Weekly offers original, editorial-first reporting focused on one of the fastest-growing global music genres. The publication provides culturally grounded analysis of reggaeton and Latin urban music, combining journalism, historical context, and contemporary industry coverage.
All content is independently produced and written, with a consistent editorial schedule and a defined cultural niche that is underrepresented in mainstream music media. The publication contributes original reporting and commentary to the global music journalism landscape.
THE BIZZ of Perreo
Reggaeton Weekly offers original, editorial-first reporting focused on one of the fastest-growing global music genres. The publication provides culturally grounded analysis of reggaeton and Latin urban music, combining journalism, historical context, and contemporary industry coverage.
All content is independently produced and written, with a consistent editorial schedule and a defined cultural niche that is underrepresented in mainstream music media. The publication contributes original reporting and commentary to the global music journalism landscape.
BIZZ OF PERREO: New GRAMMYs category of Best Latin Song
The Recording Academy has spent decades evolving alongside music itself, continuously reshaping its categories to reflect the sounds and communities driving culture forward. From Jazz and R&B to Country, Hip Hop, and beyond, the GRAMMYs have sought to recognize the diversity woven into the fabric of American music. As representation expands, however, so do questions surrounding access, recognition, and fairness.
There is no shortage of Black excellence across every genre. Artists from historically marginalized communities have consistently broken barriers, challenged conventions, and redefined what mainstream success looks like. The creation of the Latin GRAMMYs in 2000 made sense within that framework. It established a dedicated institution to celebrate music created primarily in Spanish and Portuguese, expanding recognition beyond the limitations of the U.S. market and acknowledging the global reach of Latin music.
But the recent introduction of a “Best Latin Song” category at the GRAMMY Awards raises a different set of questions. Announced months after Bad Bunny’s historic Artist of the Year win in 2025, the move can be interpreted in multiple ways. Is it a genuine effort to increase inclusion within the existing structure of the GRAMMYs, or does it create a separate lane for artists who were already proving they could compete and win alongside everyone else?
This is not the first time such questions have surfaced. Critics made similar observations when the Academy introduced “Best Traditional Country Album” in the wake of Beyoncé’s highly visible entry into the country music conversation. Whether intentional or not, these moments invite scrutiny regarding how institutions respond when genre boundaries are challenged and longstanding gatekeepers are forced to expand their definitions of who belongs.
Music is ultimately about culture, community, and connection. The recording industry, however, is also driven by commerce, market share, and competition. When new categories emerge immediately after artists from underrepresented communities achieve unprecedented success in traditionally mainstream spaces, it is reasonable to ask whether recognition is being expanded or redirected.
The larger question is not whether Latin artists, Black artists, or any marginalized group deserve dedicated categories. They do. The question is whether new categories are being created to celebrate excellence, or to preserve existing hierarchies by moving the goalposts once certain artists begin excelling within them.
GLOBAL HEADLINES: BAD BUNNY MAKES A NEW RECORD AS THE FIRST LATIN ARTIST TO GROSS $1 BILLION IN TOUR SALES
Bad Bunny has officially surpassed $1 billion in career tour grosses, becoming the first Latin artist and the first artist who does not primarily perform in English to reach the milestone. The achievement places him among fewer than 25 acts in Billboard Boxscore’s 40 year history to cross the billion dollar mark, further cementing his status as one of the most commercially successful touring artists of all time.
The milestone arrives amid the historic success of his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour, which has already grossed $360 million and sold 2.4 million tickets across its first 41 reported shows. Powered by stadium dates throughout South America, Australia, Japan, and Europe, the tour has become the highest grossing and highest attended tour in Boxscore history that has not included a single performance in the United States.
The tour’s European leg has been particularly significant. Through shows in Barcelona, Lisbon, and a massive ten night run in Madrid, Bad Bunny has already generated nearly $130 million in ticket sales and sold more than 861,000 tickets. The Madrid residency alone grossed $96.1 million and attracted over 623,000 fans, helping propel the tour to new records before its European run has even concluded.
In doing so, Bad Bunny surpassed the previous benchmark set by British pop group Take That’s Progress Live tour, which grossed $185.2 million and sold 1.8 million tickets in 2011. While Bad Bunny overtook the revenue record months ago during his sold out stadium dates in Buenos Aires, his recent Madrid shows pushed him ahead in total attendance as well.
The success of Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour has also made it the biggest tour of Bad Bunny’s career, surpassing the record setting World’s Hottest Tour from 2022. That earlier stadium run generated $314.1 million and sold 1.9 million tickets across the United States and Latin America. Combined with tours including Most Wanted Tour, El Último Tour del Mundo, and his pre pandemic runs, Bad Bunny has now sold approximately 6.4 million tickets across 260 reported shows throughout his career.
The accomplishment adds to a growing list of historic firsts for the Puerto Rican superstar. In 2020, El Último Tour del Mundo became the first all Spanish language album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Two years later, he became the first non English language artist to finish the year atop Billboard’s Top Artists ranking and the first to lead the year end Top Tours chart. With fifteen additional European dates still remaining before the tour concludes in Brussels later this summer, industry projections estimate the Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour could ultimately finish with more than $450 million in total grosses, extending Bad Bunny’s record setting run and further proving that global audiences continue to embrace Spanish language music on an unprecedented scale.
ALERTA PENDIENTE *
ALERTA PENDIENTE *
The latest and greatest songs según yo in my #AlertaPendiente series. Songs that passed #TheAuxTest with flying colors.
The latest and greatest songs según yo in my #AlertaPendiente series. Songs that passed #TheAuxTest with flying colors.
THAT’S ALL FOR ISSUE 003
How’d we do?
