On Wednesday, October 16, Billboard Latin Music Week delivered another diverse lineup of panels, Q&As, and performances, featuring superstar artists across genres.
Highlights included exclusive Q&As with J Balvin, Pepe Aguilar and Alejandro Sanz; discussions on trailblazing legacies with Camila Fernández, Chiquis, Lupita Infante, and Majo Aguilar; a candid conversation about mental health with Thalia and Maria Becerra; and a discussion on the synergy between sports and music featuring Piso 21 with Inter Miami CF’s Leonardo “Leo” Campana and Club América’s Igor Lichnovsky from.
The day also marked  Latin Music Week’sfirst ever K-Pop x Latin Music panel, where K-pop group sensation NMIXX made history as the first K-pop act to participate in the event.

Rounding out the day were conversations about Latin and hip-hop with Fat Joe and N.O.R.E., an important and timely discussion on the Venezuelan music movement with Mau y Ricky, Danny Ocean, Elena Rose, Nacho and Lele Pons, as well as insights into the synergies between content creation and music with Domelipa, Mario Bautista, Marko, Sophia Talamas, Yeri Mua.

Day three concluded with a Next-Gen Reggaeton: An Evening Curated by J Balvin presented by Cheetos featuring performances by reggaeton stars Dei V, Omar Courtz, and Saiko. The event featured Cheetos’ House of Huella, with immersive activations that encouraged fans to leave their mark on the future.

After three days of jam-packed panels and performances featuring more than 70 artists, the festivities continue with the can’t-miss  Billboard Latin Music Week 35th Anniversary Concert Celebration on Friday, October 18 at The Fillmore Miami Beach.
The concert will feature performances by Young Miko, Tito Double P, Ana Mena, FloyyMenor, Belinda, Elvis Crespo and a comedy set by George Harris. 

See below for full highlights from Billboard Latin Music Day 3.

10/16 – Billboard Latin Music Week Day Three Highlights

• The Legacies Featuring Camila Fernández, Chiquis, Lupita Infante, and Majo Aguilar: Presented by Smirnoff Ice, these artists discussed how they are trailblazing with their own sounds while carrying on their families’ musical legacies, moderated by Luana Pagani, founder of Fairwinds.
• Mental Health: Global sensation Thalia returned to Latin Music Week for an insightful open discussion about mental health and stardom with Argentine superstar Maria Becerra. They shared the need for accessible therapy and healthcare for those struggling with mental health battles, as well as the need to amplify organizations that offer this support.
• The Winning Combination of Sports and Music, presented by Walmart: Piso 21, Inter Miami CF’s Leonardo “Leo” Campana, and Club América’s Igor Lichnovsky delved into the collaboration between sports and music, moderated by Emmy-winning Didi Sports CEO Daniella Durán.

During the panel Piso 21’s Juan David “El Profe” spoke on the mutual admiration of artists and soccer players: “Many soccer players want to be artists, and many artists have that frustrated dream of being a soccer player.” Leo Campana added ““I play soccer, but I would rather be an artist. I’m the type of person who likes to consume a music album from beginning to end.”

• The Sony Music Publishing Icon Q&A With JOP (Jesús Ortiz Paz): Fuerza Regida’s frontman JOP discussed his career and vision in an exclusive conversation introduced by Jorge Mejia, President/CEO of Sony Music Publishing Latin America and U.S. Latin.
• Venezuela Rising: Artists Danny Ocean, Lele Pons, Mau y Ricky, and Nacho explored the role of Venezuelan music during this time of cultural and political change, moderated by Sigal Ratner-Arias, Deputy Editor of Billboard Español. The group discussed the responsibility artists have to speak about more than just music, using their platform to raise awareness and enact change.
  During the panel Lele Pons talked about using her social platform to address Venezuela misinformation: “Everyone has a voice and it is very important to use it. As an influencer, I have done many things in my career. I told my mom and dad that this is the most important thing I can do. When Danny told me he wanted to do something, I said how can I not do it if it is our country. People did not know what was going on? Who is going to tell them? The most important thing I have done in my career is to be a voice for someone who needs a voice. And this was very important for me at that time.”
• Icon Q&A Featuring Pepe Aguilar: The legendary artist shared insights into his near four-decade career, his family dynasty, and current projects with Leila Cobo, Chief Content Officer, Billboard Latin/Español. Pepe Aguilar will receive the Hall of Fame Award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will broadcast Sunday (Oct. 20) on Telemundo.
• Pepe Aguilar said of a family dynasty: “Having that last name was a blessing and a curse because the common denominator was Antonio Aguilar and Flor silvestre, it was always a tremendous pride to be their son. For me it was normal to grow up in the family of two famous people, normal to get to Madison Square Garden often. I never felt it was a competition with my dad, especially when my dad was 87 years old and I was in my prime, it’s not about comparisons. With my children it’s the same. Even if they have the same last name, people don’t do favors, people will consume what they actually like, whatever your name is, they will support you.”
• K-Pop Goes Latin With NMIXX: In Billboard Latin Music Week’s first K-pop x Latin music panel, moderated by Lyndsey Havens, Deputy Editor of Billboard, K-pop group sensation talked about how their genre has exploded in the Latin market and its future in Spanish.
  On collaborating with Latin artists: NMIXX shared that they would like to collaborate with Rosalía, J Balvin, Gloria Estefan and Danna. One of the members even said in Spanish, “I really like Rosalía’s music. That’s why it would be great to collaborate together someday, please, please!”
  To learn Spanish, they’ve been taking weekly classes and were excited to release the Spanish version of their songs as a gift to their Latin fans. During the panel, NMIXX premiered a fragment of a Spanish version of their song “Soñar,” which they sang a cappella. They also performed the chorus of Karol G’s “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.”
• Icon Q&A Featuring Alejandro Sanz: The internationally renowned artist engaged in an in-depth conversation with Leila Cobo where he teased his upcoming single “Palmeras en el Jardin.” Sanz will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Billboard Latin Music Awards, which will broadcast Oct. 20 on Telemundo.
  Alejandro Sanz said of his new song “Palmeras en el Jardín”: “It’s a story of love and of wanting to change everything in your life so that someone feels comfortable. You thought you were doing a lot by planting palm trees but in the end it wasn’t enough and it turns out that you keep all the palm trees and she is left with her loneliness.”
• From Viral Hits to Billboard Charts: The Power of Content Creators: Content creators Domelipa, Mario Bautista, Marko, Sophia Talamas, and Yeri Mua discussed the intersection of content creation and music, moderated by Kunno.
• The Intersection of Latin and Hip-Hop With Fat Joe and N.O.R.E.: Hip-hop legends Fat Joe and N.O.R.E. explored the merging of Latin music and hip-hop, moderated by Jesús Triviño, Senior Director of Industry Relations and Global Latin Culture and Content at TIDAL.
  • N.O.R.E on transitioning to the Reggaeton genre following his success in hip-hop: “Maybe it’s my turn to test my creativity.”
  • Fat Joe shared, “The one time I touched it, it went number 1” when reminiscing on his and N.O.R.E.’s  collaboration and he discussed how music seminars 25 years ago projected that Latinos would be big in 2024 and now to see it “come to fruition” it’s a dream come true.
• The Superstar Q&A Featuring J Balvin, presented by Cheetos: Global superstar J Balvin discussed his career, entrepreneurial pursuits and his Coachella collaboration with Will Smith in an exclusive Q&A with Leila Cobo.
  • J Balvin on discussing his career trajectory and breaking into the industry: “We didn’t have a map, but we had the drive, and I think that’s the most important thing. We have Shakira, we have Carlos Vives, we have Juanes, but we’re missing a reggaeton artist who represents Colombia, and I saw the opportunity to achieve that.”
  • J Balvin spoke about his Coachella collaboration with Will Smith, sharing how he has a fascination with extraterrestrials and always strives to make his inner child happy. One thing that fulfilled both interests was Men in Black and Will Smith. Balvin reached out to Will, explained his vision, and Smith asked for a week to consider it. During that week, Balvin sent Smith a different picture of a spiritual object each day to help persuade him.
  • During the Q&A with the audience, J Balvin allowed a young boy from the audience on-stage as he wanted J Balvin to listen to his music. The young future artist then gave an impromptu performance (see clip).
• Next-Gen Reggaeton: An Evening Curated by J Balvin Featuring Dei V, Omar Courtz, Saiko, and the Cheetos House of Huella: J Balvin presented rising reggaeton stars at a special event, featuring immersive activations at Wynwood Marketplace.
• Regional Mexican Music Showcase, presented by Infinifox Group Company and Vizual: A showcase at Azteca South Beach highlighting emerging talent in Regional Mexican music.