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Tag: identity

  • Tell Me Más: Bodine Talks New Album “Quemo Lento” and Growing From Hardships

    Tell Me Más: Bodine Talks New Album “Quemo Lento” and Growing From Hardships

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    In the music video for her piano-driven interlude “Bambi,” Bodine poses in the middle of a dense forest, artistically garbed in assorted animal bones as she croons over the black and white footage with an ear-catching voice that straddles mezzo and alto ranges. The visual doubled as an announcement video for her sophomore EP, “Quemo Lento,” which dropped last month. Still, if anyone got the impression the project would hinge on somber instrumentals, her other tracks quickly proved them wrong. The follow-up singles “No Me Quiere Más Na’” and “Nalgaje” present a saucier and more liberated version of Bodine. But who is the real Bodine? Is it the contemplative, artsy soul hinted at in the first track, or the one who takes pride in homaging vedette Iris Chacón and singing catchy odes to booties? The answer is unsurprising to those who know her — she’s both.

    Born in Amsterdam, Bodine Koehler Peña and her family relocated to Puerto Rico when she was 8, and that’s where she spent her formative years. After a brief stint in a Catholic elementary school in Old San Juan, she enrolled in the Escuela Especializada en Ballet Julián E. Blanco. The institution offered an opportunity to learn both traditional courses and dance.

    “We trained from 7:30 in the morning until 11:30, and then took a shower, [ate] lunch, and had academics until 5,” she says. Bodine doesn’t hesitate to refer to herself as having been a “wild child” during her early teenage years, spurring her mother into finding another outlet for all that energy.

    “I never followed rules,” she says, slyly grinning. “And my mom was like, ‘Wow, I have to find things for her to do, to really keep her off the street.’ I was making too many friends too fast.”

    Her solution wasn’t far away: an old piano they had in the house often grabbed Bodine’s attention. “I would always sit down and play some disparates,” she laughs. Noting her interest in music, her mother got her formal piano classes at San Juan’s Department of Art and Culture. Soon after, her grandfather helped cover the costs of enrolling her at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music, where she eventually took courses in piano, songwriting, and opera singing.

    During this time, Bodine gained what she today calls a “survival instinct” that she’s harbored ever since. Her family relied primarily on public transportation, but the surplus of classes she was taking meant her days ended late. She and her mother would walk dimly lit streets and bridge underpasses to bus stops, often paying with coins they had scrounged up. Far from the façade of the carefree, impossibly beautiful model that came later, Bodine looks back at those days as tinged with uncertainty and worry. To hear her tell it, her ambitions were born from a desire to protect her family, whom she saw was sacrificing so much for her.

    “It was a necessity. The way it came to me, it was not even me really looking for it,” Bodine says. “I was just like, ‘I have to take care of my mom.’”

    Her most significant break came at the young age of 13 and resulted from a spur-of-the-moment decision. As she tells it, on an inspired whim, she walked into the Calle Loíza offices of notable Puerto Rican fashion designer Harry Robles and declared herself his next model. Her spunkiness and confidence impressed Robles, and the very next day, she had the gig. This was the first step on the path that led to her becoming Miss Puerto Rico and participating in Miss Universe 2012 in front of millions.

    While she tries not to dwell on her years as the reigning Miss Puerto Rico and her experiences afterward as a budding model in New York City, especially in light of the more upbeat and optimistic flavor of “Quemo Lento,” she shares that that phase of her career created an arc that has molded her into who she is today. She’s proud of the work, but readily admits she took the opportunity because of its benefits.

    “The reason I got in there was they told me, ‘Hey, you will get some money. You will get a car.’ And I needed [to pay for] school, I needed a car, I needed to buy books, I needed to help my family,” she says. What came after her participation in Miss Universe was another deck of cards, one that didn’t turn out in her favor. According to Bodine, these days, women who are successful in pageants go on to appear in TV shows or receive greater opportunities for their careers. But in her time, she says, “it wasn’t like that.”

    “I had to provide for my family, for myself, and so I had to leave and hustle.”

    She continues: “You finish, and then you’re like, ‘I need work, I need an income.’ So I had to go get that. I had to provide for my family, for myself, and so I had to leave and hustle.”

    Bodine doesn’t water down the disillusion she felt. “It was a lot. I had a lot of people around me [those days]. I had a lot of ‘friends’ around me. And the truth is I was 17, 18, 19 when all this happened,” she says. When she returned to fending for herself, reality became a cold splash in her face. “That’s when you know who your friends really are. I had no support. All my ‘friends’ were not my friends. And that gets really lonely. That was lonely, and very disappointing, and very heartbreaking.”

    The sometimes toxic negativity from the press and public that threatened to overshadow her reign was also disheartening. These days, she tackles it in a more holistic manner despite agreeing that the media’s hyper-focus on “messy” celebrities tends to be cruel.

    “It is cruel. And I think I just knew that it was part of the process. When you’re in the public eye, you need to understand that you just need to really be passionate about what you want in your life and speak to that, because no matter what, there’s always going to be negativity,” she says. “There’s always going to be people who try to push you down.”

    Even back then, Bodine was aware of the particular vitriol reserved for women, especially young women, who were scrutinized more than the average person and were given less leeway and grace to make mistakes. She’s thankful she got through it, and more so that there is accountability now that didn’t exist back then.

    “I think all women were in a situation where they were completely vulnerable. And hey, bad timing, I guess. I think today not everybody can say whatever they want about particular women,” she says. “Back then — this is before the #MeToo movement — you could say anything and everything. And I’m sure a lot of girls experienced that, not only in my world but in [other industries].”

    Her post-Miss stint as a model was also rocky and uphill at the start, owing to that same lack of support. “I didn’t know anybody. I had no agency. I applied [and] everyone said no to me. I applied to more than 20 agencies, from the most deep dungeon ones to the top. And they all said no,” she says.

    The situation became so dire it began to resemble an absurdist comedy at one point. “I remember I was so stressed that I had so much acne all over. I was so stressed I literally grew a beard,” she laughs. “I was so desperate for work that I went to the booker, and I’m like, ‘Listen to me. I need a job. I need to get booked. I’ll do anything. I could do [a] Proactiv campaign. I can do anything, I can do even Gillette.’”

    As fate would have it, she did eventually get signed, and steady work began to arrive. Still, the phantoms of her past and her survival instinct never went away. Twelve years and two albums later, Bodine looks back on what has led her to today with a mix of gratitude and melancholy. “Celos,” her underrated first EP, was imbued with a darker sound, even when it was trying to be a joint that could still pass as sensual and club-worthy. The reason for that is clear in hindsight.

    “It was a time I was really depressed,” she shares. “I was about to . . . stop being in the industry.” She ran into the same roadblocks that had pestered her for over a decade since her pageant days. Namely, people trying to box her into a persona that was nowhere close to who she felt she was. It’s a big reason she’s maintained being an independent artist so far.

    “I didn’t submit [to industry pressure],” she says. “So that project was born from a place of restarting all over.”

    She’s still striving to grow as an artist, and just as oysters create pearls from irritants that invade their system, Bodine sees everything she went through as a process that has made her more formidable than ever as a woman and a creative. She credits meditation as one of the most significant tools that helped her harness her experiences positively, saying she took it up early in her career because “there was a lot of waiting time” to indulge in it. But she also says she feels thankful for her art when it comes to shooting down any criticism or negativity.

    “I feel protected by music. I think that music, my work, will always talk for me,” she says. “Quemo Lento,” with its varied offering of genres and eclectic guest artists, tells the world that she’s feeling much more optimistic.

    “I’m in a good place — happy and really proud, and finally doing what I’ve actually wanted to do my whole life. I wish I were here before, but I just know it wasn’t my time yet,” she says. “I had to go through this whole thing to help my family and change my circumstances. And it was tough, but we’re here now.”

    It might’ve been a slow burn, but she’s made it and is ready for what’s next.

    Juan J. Arroyo is a Puerto Rican freelance music journalist. Since 2018, he’s written for PS, Remezcla, Rolling Stone, and Pitchfork. His focus is on expanding the canvas of Latin stories and making Latin culture — especially Caribbean Latin culture — more visible in the mainstream.

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    Juan Arroyo

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  • Melissa Barrera in “Abigail” Is Proof We Need More Latines in Horror

    Melissa Barrera in “Abigail” Is Proof We Need More Latines in Horror

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    The lack of Latine representation in film today is disappointing when you consider Latines accounted for 29 percent of moviegoers in the States in 2020. And here’s a fun fact you probably didn’t know: Latines also represent 26 percent of horror movie audiences, compared with 20 percent for other genres, according to a recent survey. Still, there’s a marked lack of Latine actors starring in horror films. But Melissa Barrera’s career has been challenging that. The horror and suspense queen has starred in several films within the genre in just the past few years, including “Scream,” “Scream IV,” “Bed Rest,” and “Your Monster.”

    Her latest role is as Joey in “Abigail,” a gory vampire film released April 19 about a group of criminals assigned to kidnap the 12-year-old daughter of a crooked millionaire. Like a lot of Barrera’s roles, Joey isn’t your typical in-your-face Latina character. She’s a war veteran with a dream to reunite with her son; she’s a character who could have been played by any actor regardless of race, ethnicity, or gender but whom Barrera beautifully made her own.

    “I’ve always thought that movies should be an accurate reflection of what the world looks like, and so I think as a community we’ve kind of been missing in that regard,” Barrera says of the lack of Latine representation in Hollywood films. “We’ve kind of been pushed to the side and relegated to smaller roles in all genres but specifically in the horror genre, too. . . . So, it’s nice for me as a Mexican woman to be able to get roles that weren’t necessarily written for somebody like me, but they believed in me enough and gave me the opportunity. It’s my favorite kind of representation, honestly.”

    Before diving into suspense, drama, and horror movies, and after her early career days in Mexican telenovelas, Barrera starred in films and shows that were heavily marketed as Latine projects, like her roles as Lyn in the Starz drama series “Vida,” created by Tanya Saracho, and Vanessa in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.”

    But those films, she says, were difficult to get off the ground. “Movies that have all Latino leads don’t necessarily do well at the box office all the time. It’s always been a conundrum of: what is the thing we have to figure out?” she says. “When something is marketed as the Latino thing that everybody should watch and support, it does two things, in my opinion: It turns off a lot of people. Because it’s like you don’t tell me what to do. You don’t tell me what to watch or support. And then it also puts a lot of pressure on the project to represent the entirety of the community — which is impossible to do.”

    It wasn’t until Barrera started taking on roles in films and series that weren’t marketed as Latine projects that she really started to see her career take off. We have started to see more Latine stars take on roles in horror films, like Jenna Ortega in Netflix’s “Wednesday,” Justina Machado in “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” and Jaden Michael in “Harlan Coben’s Shelter” and “Vampires vs. the Bronx.” Barrera’s characters stand apart, though, as she’s often the lone survivor who makes it in the end.

    “I think audiences really appreciate that kind of representation. It’s an honor for me to be able to do that and fight for those kinds of roles,” she says. “I usually gravitate and am attracted to roles that don’t say ‘Latina’ in parentheses.”

    A perfect example of this was Barrera’s role in “Scream” and “Scream IV,” where she played Sam Carpenter, a character who wasn’t originally Latina but was reimagined that way once she signed on.

    “The father of my character is white. But they were like, why not? She could have a white dad. Her mom could be Latina. Why couldn’t she be Latina? And so, I appreciate creatives that have a vision and can look further out and outside of the box,” she says. “I think that’s lacking in the industry, but fortunately there are people like Matt [Bettinelli-Olpin] and Tyler [Gillett] that give opportunities to people like me. I feel very fortunate, and I feel very honored, and I’m happy to represent. And I will continue to fight for more spaces for us and bring people with me.”

    Unfortunately, the Scream franchise fired Barrera last year after she made headlines for calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, which has so far killed over 33,000 Palestinians and 1,139 Israelis.

    But the proud Mexican actress has refused to let the situation hinder her focus or her desire to advocate for others. Since the dismissal, Barrera has not only stood her ground in speaking out against what’s happening in Gaza but also remained committed to her craft, landing lead roles and creating the type of representation she herself has always wanted to see in film and television.

    “Even though Joey wasn’t written as a Latina, I’m glad I got to play her, and I’m glad that I got to play a veteran, because there are so many Latinos in the Army, and so it’s important to illustrate that reality as well,” she says. “I do feel very lucky that I get to play these roles and I get to create more space for more people like us, because that is the goal for me. There are roles that are going to be written for Latinos, but if we just stick to the roles that someone has decided are going to be the only roles for us, then things are never going to change.”

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, O Magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.

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    Johanna Ferreira

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  • Selena Quintanilla Deserves to Be Celebrated This Year — Not Exploited

    Selena Quintanilla Deserves to Be Celebrated This Year — Not Exploited

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    Fifty-three years ago today, the world was blessed with the birth of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who became an eternal icon in Latin pop culture and music. Selena blazed a trail for the música Mexicana explosion that we’re seeing today and the Latina pop stars who have followed in her footsteps. Her impact is often minimized in comparison to the circumstances of her tragic death. However, her music — and how she bridged the gap between her Mexican and American identities — continue to resonate with new generations of Latine fans.

    Selena Quintanilla was born on April 16, 1971, and grew up in Corpus Christi, TX. She was an Aries, a sign often described as “passionate, brave, and headstrong.” Indeed of conforming with the música Mexicana artists of the time, she paved the way for herself by proudly embracing her Chicana identity. With influences like Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Jody Watley, and Gloria Estefan, Selena pushed Tejano music forward and made the genre fresh and palatable for listeners beyond Texas. Into the late eighties, the singer became the top Tejano artist in a genre that men previously dominated. At the Tejano Music Awards, she won best female vocalist and female entertainer of the year for 12 years straight.

    After conquering Texas, Selena was ready to take on the world, and she signed with the label Latin EMI in 1989. From there, she released the most iconic albums of her career, including 1990’s “Ven Conmigo,” 1992’s “Entre a Mi Mundo,” and 1993’s “Selena Live!,” which earned her a Grammy award at the 1994 ceremony. She also became the female Tejano artist to win in the Best Mexican/American Album category.

    That year, she released the last album of her lifetime, “Amor Prohibido.” The LP yielded four No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Songs chart. Soon after, she made history as the first Tejano artist to reach the summit of Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart.

    On March 31, 1995, while Selena was preparing her first English-language album, she was tragically murdered at the age of 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, a close friend of Selena’s who ran her fan club. Since then, Selena’s family, including her father and manager Abraham Quintanilla, have kept her memory alive through several posthumous projects. In July 1995, the album “Dreaming of You” was released, which included her English classics like the beautiful title track and the haunting “I Could Fall in Love With You.” After her death, Selena continued to make history with the first Latin album to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 1997, her family authorized the “Selena” biopic, which featured Jennifer Lopez in the star-making role. Through the endearing movie, the world fell in love with Selena and saw how she was just like any other Mexican American trying to find her place between worlds. It’s a story that still resonates with Latine folks in the US today.

    It’s important to note that Selena’s music and image belong to her family, and they have a right to celebrate her legacy as they please. In the following years, Selena’s family hosted memorial concerts like Selena ¡Vive! in 2005 and Fiesta de la Flor in Corpus Christi, where her fans could unite in her honor. There was the Mirador de la Flor monument of Selena in Corpus Christi and a Netflix series later followed. There were also brand deals that Selena’s fan base loved. In 2016, MAC worked closely on a Selena makeup line with her sister, Suzette Quintanilla. Due to a high demand for cosmetics, MAC released a second capsule collection in 2020.

    While these are great ways to give back to the fans who are keeping her memory alive, Selena’s family has also been criticized for cash-grab moments that fans perceived as disrespectful to Selena. For example, in 2022, the family released the remix album “Moonchild Mixes,” in which Selena’s voice as a child was manipulated through studio technology to sound older. Amidst the discussions of the ethics of creating a project in her name in that way, the L.A. Times’ Fidel Martinez called it a “Selena robot album.”

    Thanks to the barriers Selena broke down for Latinas, Mexican Americans, and Mexican culture, her fan base has continued to grow exponentially nearly 30 years after her death. As a Mexican American myself, I’ve also found solace in her music as a gay man. Her songs like “Como La Flor” and “Amor Prohibido,” which detail forbidden romances, have become anthems for the LGBTQ+ community. While promoting “Moonchild Mixes,” I interviewed Abraham and Suzette Quintanilla. As much as it was an honor for me to talk with the family of an icon who has meant so much to me, I was a little disappointed when they appeared to brush off my question about Selena’s connection to her queer fans by changing the subject about how she connected with “everyone.” With Selena’s music being performed by drag queens and recently on “Drag Race México,” her family could try to understand better everyone who makes up her fan base now.

    It’s not only Selena’s family that has been called out for exploitative projects. Back in February, Oxygen released the most disrespectful docuseries since Selena’s death, “Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them.” The series is about Yolanda Saldívar, the woman who managed Selena’s fan club and who murdered the singer. The show, which was not authorized by Selena’s family, attempted to excuse the actions of Saldívar, and it was shameful because this woman would now be eligible to apply for parole next year.

    The media needs to move on from Selena’s death, which also keeps the name of her murderer relevant. Thanks to the barriers she broke down for Latinas, Mexican Americans, and Mexican culture, her fan base has continued to grow exponentially nearly 30 years after her death. As a Mexican American myself, I’ve also found solace in her music as a gay man. Her songs like “Como La Flor” and “Amor Prohibido,” which detail forbidden romances, have become anthems for the LGBTQ+ community. Selena’s music has become a staple for Latine drag queens to perform. It made me so happy last year to see “Como La Flor” performed on the first season of “Drag Race México,” which was like a collision of my Latine, Mexican, and queer identities. Like how she lived during her lifetime, Selena showed me to embrace everything that makes up who I am.

    To truly celebrate Selena, it’s time to focus on her life and legacy. Karol G recently sported a Selena shirt in the video for her Tejano-inspired song “Mi Ex Tenía Razón.” Shakira later paid tribute to Selena by emulating her iconic washing machine spins in “(Entre Paréntesis)” with Texas-based band Grupo Frontera.

    For Selena’s birthday this year, let’s create parties in her honor and play her music out loud. Selena’s impact will never wilt, thanks to the fans who continue to find joy and inspiration from her story.

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    Lucas Villa

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  • Bad Bunny’s First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First

    Bad Bunny’s First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First

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    When I first learned that Bad Bunny’s sold-out Most Wanted Tour included three back-to-back shows at the Barclays Center in NYC and one that landed on my birthday, April 11, it all seemed meant to be. The concert would occur three days after a highly anticipated solar eclipse, a new moon, and all during a Mercury retrograde. It would also happen during Aries season — the beginning of the astrological year and a time for new beginnings. While I had high expectations for Benito’s performance and his first NYC show from the tour, one thing that stood out most is how the Puerto Rican artist continues to appreciate and celebrate his loyal Latine fans.

    Bad Bunny is the most-streamed artist on the planet. This fun fact never loses its significance for loyal Latine fans who have witnessed the struggle for Latin music to get the respect and support it deserves here in the States. The Puerto Rican artist put on a hell of a performance at the Barclays Center on April 11. Looking around an arena with a 19,000-person capacity, there wasn’t a single empty seat in sight, at least not within my view. It was a packed house of what appeared to be a mostly Latine crowd ranging in age and ethnicity.

    There was his usual fan base — Dominican and Puerto Ricans standing in the long lines outside of the stadium with their flags tied around their necks and flowing from their backs. Even with the cold, rainy weather, everyone in those lines was decked out in Bad Bunny merch and ready to celebrate the artist. These same folks were the first to jump up and wave their flags whenever Bad Bunny made mention of his Latine fans and supporters. There were also many Latines of Central and South American descent rocking their flags and holding up signs expressing their love for the singer. Although he’s gone global, especially since the success of his 2022 record-breaking album “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Latines still appear to make up most of Bad Bunny’s concert-attending fans, from how things appeared on Thursday night.

    Regardless of how many awards he’s taken home or how many records he’s broken, Bad Bunny hasn’t lost sight of the folks that have supported his music since his early days on SoundCloud before non-Latines had any clue who el conejo malo was. He has proven that whenever he’s apologetically spoken in Spanish during an interview or at an award show. He’s proven that in the way he has continued to elevate the genre, paying his respect to OGs like Daddy Yankee, Residente, and Tego Calderon and giving his stamp of approval to rising Puerto Rican artists like Young Miko, Rainao, and Villano Antillano.

    I’ve seen Bad Bunny live in NYC twice: first in 2019 at Barclays, and then again at Yankee Stadium for his 2022 World’s Hottest tour. At all his concerts, Benito only spoke Spanish and almost exclusively addressed his Latine fans. In many ways, like with many Latin music artists today, attending a Bad Bunny concert feels like you’re exclusively a part of his crew or fan club. It doesn’t matter that he’s gone global — he’s still only speaking Spanish and shouting-out Latines.

    “New York has been very important in my career, where dreams come true,” he told fans in Spanish on Thursday. “Being on the tour feels really amazing, going to each place and seeing it, all the cities, but New York, it’s something else. It feels more amazing than usual. Seeing all those PR and DR flags makes it even more special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here; it means a lot to me.”

    The artist had a lot of emotional moments throughout the performance during which he would stare at a packed stadium filled with excited fans in complete awe and then with teary eyes right before giving his heartwarming speech to Latine fans. In many ways, Bad Bunny’s latest album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” paid homage to Puerto Rico and his Latine concert goers. It acknowledged that regardless of the fame and success that followed with “Un Verano Sin Ti,” he hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from and who his number-one fans are. The concert was very reflective of that sentiment, with half of the songs on the setlist being straight from “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” and the later half of the show including older tracks, a guest performance by Bryant Meyer, and tracks from “Un Verano Sin Ti,” including his hit track “Titi Me Pregunto.” The production at this show was also top-notch, with an orchestra that opened up the show and reappeared throughout, Benito playing “Amorforda” on the piano upside down, a cool jigsaw bridge in the middle of the stadium room, and the artist even riding into the stadium on a real-life horse looking like a ranchero-meets-lucha-libre.

    Bad Bunny went all out for us from start to end, delivering an almost-three-hour-long performance filled with so much attention to detail and deeply rooted love and appreciation for his Latine fans. The Latine community is a beautiful one. When we love — we love hard. When we support — we show up in large numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were full families in that crowd. But we’re also the quickest to criticize our own idols whenever they reach a certain level of fame. And while Bad Bunny has certainly reached a level of fame where he can probably get away with performing for less than two hours without all the cool production effects, he still put in the love he’s had for his craft and his Latine fans since the beginning, and he still let us know that he wouldn’t be here without us. And that is something I don’t think he’ll ever stop doing, regardless of how far he may go in his career.

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    Johanna Ferreira

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  • Bad Bunny’s First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First – POPSUGAR Australia

    Bad Bunny’s First NYC Show From His Most Wanted Tour Is Proof His Latine Fans Still Come First – POPSUGAR Australia

    [ad_1]

    When I first learned that Bad Bunny’s sold-out Most Wanted Tour included three back-to-back shows at the Barclays Center in NYC and one that landed on my birthday, April 11, it all seemed meant to be. The concert would occur three days after a highly anticipated solar eclipse, a new moon, and all during a Mercury retrograde. It would also happen during Aries season – the beginning of the astrological year and a time for new beginnings. While I had high expectations for Benito’s performance and his first NYC show from the tour, one thing that stood out most is how the Puerto Rican artist continues to appreciate and celebrate his loyal Latine fans.

    Bad Bunny is the most-streamed artist on the planet. This fun fact never loses its significance for loyal Latine fans who have witnessed the struggle for Latin music to get the respect and support it deserves here in the States. The Puerto Rican artist put on a hell of a performance at the Barclays Center on April 11. Looking around an arena with a 19,000-person capacity, there wasn’t a single empty seat in sight, at least not within my view. It was a packed house of what appeared to be a mostly Latine crowd ranging in age and ethnicity.

    There was his usual fan base – Dominican and Puerto Ricans standing in the long lines outside of the stadium with their flags tied around their necks and flowing from their backs. Even with the cold, rainy weather, everyone in those lines was decked out in Bad Bunny merch and ready to celebrate the artist. These same folks were the first to jump up and wave their flags whenever Bad Bunny made mention of his Latine fans and supporters. There were also many Latines of Central and South American descent rocking their flags and holding up signs expressing their love for the singer. Although he’s gone global, especially since the success of his 2022 record-breaking album “Un Verano Sin Ti,” Latines still appear to make up most of Bad Bunny’s concert-attending fans, from how things appeared on Thursday night.

    Regardless of how many awards he’s taken home or how many records he’s broken, Bad Bunny hasn’t lost sight of the folks that have supported his music since his early days on SoundCloud before non-Latines had any clue who el conejo malo was. He has proven that whenever he’s apologetically spoken in Spanish during an interview or at an award show. He’s proven that in the way he has continued to elevate the genre, paying his respect to OGs like Daddy Yankee, Residente, and Tego Calderon and giving his stamp of approval to rising Puerto Rican artists like Young Miko, Rainao, and Villano Antillano.

    I’ve seen Bad Bunny live in NYC twice: first in 2019 at Barclays, and then again at Yankee Stadium for his 2022 World’s Hottest tour. At all his concerts, Benito only spoke Spanish and almost exclusively addressed his Latine fans. In many ways, like with many Latin music artists today, attending a Bad Bunny concert feels like you’re exclusively a part of his crew or fan club. It doesn’t matter that he’s gone global – he’s still only speaking Spanish and shouting-out Latines.

    “New York has been very important in my career, where dreams come true,” he told fans in Spanish on Thursday. “Being on the tour feels really amazing, going to each place and seeing it, all the cities, but New York, it’s something else. It feels more amazing than usual. Seeing all those PR and DR flags makes it even more special. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being here; it means a lot to me.”

    The artist had a lot of emotional moments throughout the performance during which he would stare at a packed stadium filled with excited fans in complete awe and then with teary eyes right before giving his heartwarming speech to Latine fans. In many ways, Bad Bunny’s latest album, “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” paid homage to Puerto Rico and his Latine concert goers. It acknowledged that regardless of the fame and success that followed with “Un Verano Sin Ti,” he hasn’t forgotten where he’s come from and who his number-one fans are. The concert was very reflective of that sentiment, with half of the songs on the setlist being straight from “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana,” and the later half of the show including older tracks, a guest performance by Bryant Meyer, and tracks from “Un Verano Sin Ti,” including his hit track “Titi Me Pregunto.” The production at this show was also top-notch, with an orchestra that opened up the show and reappeared throughout, Benito playing “Amorforda” on the piano upside down, a cool jigsaw bridge in the middle of the stadium room, and the artist even riding into the stadium on a real-life horse looking like a ranchero-meets-lucha-libre.

    Bad Bunny went all out for us from start to end, delivering an almost-three-hour-long performance filled with so much attention to detail and deeply rooted love and appreciation for his Latine fans. The Latine community is a beautiful one. When we love – we love hard. When we support – we show up in large numbers. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were full families in that crowd. But we’re also the quickest to criticize our own idols whenever they reach a certain level of fame. And while Bad Bunny has certainly reached a level of fame where he can probably get away with performing for less than two hours without all the cool production effects, he still put in the love he’s had for his craft and his Latine fans since the beginning, and he still let us know that he wouldn’t be here without us. And that is something I don’t think he’ll ever stop doing, regardless of how far he may go in his career.

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  • Jennifer Lopez’s Viral “the Bronx” Controversy Proves Younger Latines Don’t Find Her Authentic

    Jennifer Lopez’s Viral “the Bronx” Controversy Proves Younger Latines Don’t Find Her Authentic

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    Jennifer Lopez has been busy. In case you missed it, the Puerto Rican singer, dancer, and actor released not one but three complementary projects to kick off the year. There’s her “This Is Me . . . Now” album; a video companion/musical to said album, “This Is Me . . . Now: A Love Story”; and a documentary that dives into said love story, “The Greatest Love Story Never Told.” It was an ambitious undertaking, no doubt. And one that has her being dragged across TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter).

    Part of the controversy lies in how Lopez represents herself and her native borough of the Bronx. In one scene from the documentary, Lopez tussles her curly hair while looking in the mirror and says, “It reminds me, like, when I was 16 in the Bronx, running up and down the block. Crazy little girl who used to fucking be wild and no limits, all dreams.” TikTok quickly jumped on this small clip, with many users commenting on how contrived the scene felt. One user noted it allegedly took numerous takes to get the finished shot. From there, it wasn’t long before social media started to mine Lopez’s old interviews for any hint of inauthenticity.

    In a resurfaced clip from Vogue’s “73 Questions” series, Lopez shares her childhood bodega order of “ham and cheese on a roll with an orange drink . . . and a small bag of chips.” This clip, too, has been flamed on social media as New Yorkers demand to know exactly what orange drink Lopez is referring to. Others have remarked it’s such a generic order that Lopez can’t be as bodega-bred as she claims.

    And then, of course, there’s the nail in the coffin: an old clip from 2014 making the rounds on social media that shows Lopez pulling up to her old house in Castle Hill, and the current resident having absolutely no idea who she is.

    It’s not that Lopez isn’t from the Bronx — of course, she is. No one can take that away from her. It’s that the image she portrays, one of a tried-and-true Bronx girl who made it to Hollywood while staying true to her roots, comes off as disingenuous. Many think she’s using the borough for relevance in an age that values authenticity more than anything. But how did she become so seemingly disconnected from the people she supposedly represents?

    Growing up in a Puerto Rican household meant Lopez could do no wrong. She was the Fly Girl who made it big. She was Selena. And when her debut album, “On the 6,” dropped, my mom had it on repeat, singing along to every word. For my mom, Lopez symbolized success. For many heads from that generation, that’s what success was — not so much repping your hood, but representing the fact that you made it out of your hood.

    Today, however, that’s not enough. That’s why Lopez’s actions are often perceived as self-serving. In part, it’s a generational difference. This is evidenced by the fact that so few of her recent critics knew what she meant by “orange drink.” For the record, I’m pretty sure she was referencing the 25-cent “quarter waters” that were a staple of bodegas back in the ’90s (you’d be hard-pressed to find them now). They didn’t have a proper name; you just asked for the color. But, bodega order aside, the fact that Lopez had to rebrand her tour amid slowing ticket sales shows how much public opinion has waned for a star who once sold out Vegas residencies with frequency.

    In this light, it’s unsurprising that people from the community and even her fans are skeptical of how she reps the Bronx — an attempt to delay the sun setting on an incredible 30-year career and energize the masses. But it’s not enough to claim NYC as your birthright and expect New Yorkers to show up. Here, trust and loyalty are won the hard way. You have to put the city on your back, elevate it, and actively participate in the culture.

    Cardi B made headlines when she donated $100,000 to her old middle school in the Bronx. Fat Joe helped organize a fundraiser for families affected by the 2022 Twin Parks fire, and he’s well-known for routinely giving back to the community. And J Lo? Well, that’s the thing. She has. In 2014, she announced a partnership with Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx to establish The Center for a Healthy Childhood, which aimed to improve children’s health and overall nutrition in the surrounding communities.

    But for many of us, the occasional philanthropic stint isn’t enough. And the fact that it’s been 10 years since her last major contribution to the borough doesn’t help Lopez’s case. Neither does the fact that she danced her way to an acting career, singing career, and millions of dollars along the way, but she hasn’t opened a single dance academy to help others do the same. I think a Jennifer Lopez-branded dance academy in the heart of Castle Hill would be a no-brainer and would help her improve her current standing in the community.

    That being said, Lopez isn’t obligated to satisfy anyone’s expectations but her own. And there are plenty of A-list New Yorkers who do less for their respective boroughs and are subject to far less criticism. At the end of the day, however, Lopez is unique in that she understands and cashes in on the social clout that comes with being from the Bronx. She understands that it distinguishes her from the majority of the Hollywood elite — she’s someone who isn’t supposed to have a seat at the table, yet now enjoys the same privileges as her silver-spoon counterparts.

    I once had a friend tell me that the hood is something no one can take from you. It’s hardwired into you, regardless of what you achieve. The lessons the streets teach are lessons for life. I truly believe that. And I’m sure Lopez does, too. In her eyes, she’ll always be Jenny from the block, regardless of what any of us have to say.

    But I also believe there’s no such thing as playing both sides. As someone who has slowly watched their neighborhood disappear because of gentrification and has had the landscape of his memories shift with each passing day, I wish I had the money to do something about it. And if I ever found myself in that position, in a position to give back, I would.

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .

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  • How I Got to Talk About Latine Representation in Hollywood on the TEDx Stage

    How I Got to Talk About Latine Representation in Hollywood on the TEDx Stage

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    Since I was a young kid, I wanted to be a writer. I spent my summers reading, lying on my bedroom floor with my glasses slipping down my nose. But despite my fascination with storytelling, pursuing a career in writing never seemed realistic. Instead, I majored in English and embarked on a somewhat related career in cause-based communications and marketing.

    At those jobs, I met a lot of women who were creating art that was meaningful to them and their communities. They weren’t household names, but they showed me that I’d been wrong. They proved to me that writers who look like me or grew up with similar experiences deserve a shot at getting our stories out there.

    At the same time, I decided to finally go for it and pursue a career as a professional writer. I couldn’t help but note the number of organizations that were embracing Latina storytelling. But back then there weren’t as many folks working on the criticism side and no one was focusing on encouraging Latinas like me to be critics. So I cofounded the indie publication LatinaMedia.Co, along with another Latina, Nicola Schulze, to give others the boost I needed — the explicit invitation to become a published critic.

    Make no mistake, film criticism is broken. According to USC Annenberg’s Inclusion Initiative, white guys write 65.7 percent of movie reviews. Meanwhile, they make up 30 percent of the population. Way on the other side, Black, Indigenous, Asian, and Latina women combined write just 3.7 percent of movie reviews, despite making up around 20 percent of the population. I suppose they don’t break it out by group because the numbers would be so small.

    And it’s not just film criticism. Journalism as a whole is too white, with Pew Research reporting that only 25 percent of reporters are people of color (and only eight percent are Hispanic, despite us being nearly 20 percent of the population). In Hollywood, the problem stretches all around the camera, with too few women-of-color executives, stars, creators, directors, and writers. Many believe that all those pledges to increase diversity and inclusion were just PR stints with not much changing in story-making fields.

    Stories matter. They help us make meaning of the world. They allow us to understand ourselves and others. But the lack of representation in the books I read growing up made me feel like my stories didn’t matter. Still, it’s funny how things work out. When I was working in nonprofits and meeting all these women storytellers, I also met a lot of activists who’d given TEDx Talks (some of them were the same lady artists). I looked at their examples and thought, I want to do that. Giving a TEDx Talk became a bucket list item for me, something I promised myself I’d be ready for someday.

    That day came last year, five years after cofounding LatinaMedia.Co and embarking on a career in entertainment journalism. From my activist circles, I knew Tabby Biddle, a TEDx speaker and coach who, among other things, leads classes to encourage more women to give TED Talks. Because yes, TED is another one of those institutions that is historically exclusionary. While they’ve made some progress over the years, 56.2 percent of their speakers are still white men. Biddle saw my work and thought I might know some Latinas interested in the scholarship she was offering. I did happen to know someone, and that someone was me.

    As the class was winding down, Tabby warned that it could take a year or more, along with multiple applications, to get on stage. I was relieved. Giving a TEDx Talk, where you share both ideas and yourself, was scary. I still struggle with that nagging voice inside of me that says, “I’m not good enough.” Still, I started a spreadsheet of potential events, sent out some initial feelers, and applied to one event.

    And they picked me. The good people at TEDx Cherry Creek, a nonprofit staffed by volunteers and founded by current Colorado State Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet working to get more women on the TED stage (see a trend here), selected me. Based on the super-quick video I submitted (it had to be 40 seconds or less!) and a handful of short essays, the event organizers selected me and 17 other women out of the 175 people who applied. I was thrilled, shocked, and nervous.

    I then had three months to work with them and my cohort of truly impressive women to put together the talk that I had dreamed of giving, the one where I tell my story and make the case for more diversity in media criticism.

    I argued that TV and movies hold a special place in our culture, influencing how we see ourselves and how we see others, which in turn affects how we build our systems and institutions. If we want this world to be for everyone, everyone needs a chance to tell stories and evaluate them — that was my thesis. But I didn’t stop there. I used myself as a test case for how this influence can be damaging, telling my story of losing and finding my voice again. I went on to explain how I’m paying it forward with LatinaMedia.Co. Then I ended the talk by inviting the audience to join me, giving everyone a three-step plan on how to change the face of media criticism and, from there, the world.

    To get ready, I practiced every day. I conscripted friends and family members to listen. I guest spoke at a class at a community college for practice. When the day came, I was still scared. But I wasn’t nervous about my performance. I was anxious about standing in front of the world without armor, sharing my truth. I did it anyway. I cried for a moment once I got off stage, relieved and exhausted. I hugged my parents and husband, who’d traveled to hear me speak. And then I had to wait.

    The event organizers had to edit the video, the TEDx people had to approve and post it. When it finally came out, I felt relieved and nervous all over again, this time about sharing it with the world.

    Now here I am, a long way from the pink carpet of my childhood bedroom. And I’m here not because I’m some fearless shero. I’m here because I had so many examples of women seeing the hard thing and still going for it. I strive to be one of them. I think with this talk, with LatinaMedia.Co, with this article and the others I tap out, I’m doing my part to show my community that we belong anywhere we want to go. Because if I’ve learned anything over my years of working with Latina writers and thinkers, it’s that we’re just getting started.

    Cristina Escobar is a POPSUGAR contributor who writes at the intersection of race, gender, and pop culture. She’s the cofounder and editor in chief of LatinaMedia.Co, a digital publication uplifting Latina and gender-nonconforming Latine perspectives in media.

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  • No, the Hate Angel Reese Keeps Getting Isn’t “Normal” – POPSUGAR Australia

    No, the Hate Angel Reese Keeps Getting Isn’t “Normal” – POPSUGAR Australia

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    Angel Reese appeared on billboards in New York City for her Reebok endorsement. Flau’jae Johnson signed a rap contract with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and an apparel deal with Puma. Mikaylah Williams recently inked a deal with Jordan Brand. And several other Louisiana State University women’s basketball team players as well – a squad mainly made of Black collegiate athletes – have excelled just as strongly in the outside world as they have on the court. Witnessing it all has ushered in a new era of Black Girl Magic for myself and many other Black women I know.

    It’s the same joy and insane pride I felt as a Black woman when Reese and her team won the NCAA tournament last year with their edges completely intact, when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman and Black vice president in 2021, and when I screamed front row as Beyoncé became the first Black woman to headline Coachella back in 2018. Things are changing. Awareness is growing. In each of these iconic moments, I thought: people are celebrating us, and soon marginalized communities will no longer be marginalized.

    But similarly to last year’s hard-earned win, LSU’s celebration has been short-lived during this year’s March Madness tournament. Instead of relishing in their success and additional fame, Reese and the rest of the team’s experience has been marked and stained with discrimination, misogyny, and racism.

    “I’ve been through so much. I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats. I’ve been sexualized. I’ve been threatened,” Reese said tearfully in a post-game interview after their 94-87 loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on Monday night, which took LSU out of the 2024 NCAA tournament.

    “I’ve been attacked so many times. Death threats.”

    Reese was referring to the public’s relentless interest in attacking her every move. You might remember how she was ridiculed last year for throwing up John Cena’s infamous “you can’t see me” gesture to Hawkeyes star player Caitlin Clark while pointing to her own ring finger to indicate where the championship ring would land. More recently, The Los Angeles Times, which primarily covers UCLA sports, received backlash for an opinion piece that stated LSU is “seemingly hellbent on dividing women’s college basketball” and that Reese is a “taunter.”

    But despite the media painting a picture of Reese as a villain who is undeserving of praise, the people who take the time to get to know her are continuing to back her. In the post-game interview, Johnson strongly defended her teammate: “Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’t know her. I know the real Angel Reese, and the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person. But the crown she wears is heavy.” Teammate Hailey Van Lith also came to her defense and said, “I think Angel is one of the toughest people I’ve been around. People speak hate into her life. I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her, and it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day. She lives her life every day.”

    While sisterhood is a beautiful necessity (and I’m happy to see Reese’s teammates stand up for her), the support needs to go more mainstream. In addition to blatant racism, it seems much of the public has failed to realize Reese is a 21-year-old woman. And the most intense bashing of someone so young has come from the likes of white, middle-aged men. It’s the David Portnoys of the world who can shamelessly rattle off “classless piece of shit,” or white sports commentators like Keith Olbermann who utter, “What a fucking idiot.”

    History has taught Black athletes, especially women, to be strong and hold their head high amid adversity. “There are so many things, and I’ve stood strong every single time,” Reese said on Monday night. “I just try to stand strong for my teammates because I don’t want them to see me down and not be there for them.” The fact that Reese and other Black athletes feel they need to curb their emotions, trash-talking skills, and other elements of the game exemplifies the double standards placed on Black women athletes. As writer Sumiko Wilson recently put it: “When Black women use their voices, the lightheartedness tends to disappear and the professional consequences and impact to their reputations can be significant. So who is actually allowed to engage?”

    Reese and many other Black women athletes are symbols of hope for me, Black women, and many other misrepresented communities. What she does on the court is a reflection of what can be achieved for those of us who are so often othered. And to continuously overlook her talent and humanity because of her skin color is a disservice to our hard, tireless battle toward equality for Black women athletes.

    Although I am glad that women’s sports viewings have gone up significantly in the last decade – with more new fans understanding that women’s athleticism can be just as exciting as their men counterparts’ – I am growing very weary waiting for the majority to come around. Reese, like so many Black people in the eye of discrimination, is determined to turn the other cheek and take one for the team. “I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that,” she said. “Hopefully the little girls that look up to me, hopefully I give them some type of inspiration.”

    Black women, like all other people, should have the freedom to show up how they choose, despite preconceived standards that have not been set by them. For Black people, our unwavering resilience is the byproduct of this constant adversity. Although I too take pride in this character trait, I wait with eager anticipation for the day where navigating the sports world doesn’t force us to show our resilience.

    As Reese concluded for us all: “Hopefully it’s not this hard and all the things that come at you, but keep being who you are, keep waking up every day, keep being motivated, staying who you are, staying 10 toes down, don’t back down and just be confident.”

    Natasha Marsh is a freelance writer who writes about fashion, beauty, and lifestyle. Prior to freelancing, she held styling staff positions at The Wall Street Journal, Burberry, Cosmopolitan Magazine, British GQ, and Harpers Bazaar.

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  • “Gordita Chronicles” Finally Gets a Second Life on Tubi, Hulu and Disney+

    “Gordita Chronicles” Finally Gets a Second Life on Tubi, Hulu and Disney+

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    According to new McKinsey & Company research, there are over 62 million Latinos living in the United States who not only account for more than $3 trillion of GDP but are also avid consumers of film and TV. US Latinos account for 24 percent of box office ticket sales and 24 percent of streaming subscribers. Yet somehow, there still aren’t enough Latines behind and in front of the camera even though our viewership doubles when we see ourselves represented on or off screen.

    Today, we still don’t have enough TV programming that accurately represents us — and the few shows that have been created for us and by us, like “Vida,” “One Day at a Time,” “Promised Land,” and “Gentefied,” were eventually all canceled despite their popularity. Among these many cancellations was Dominican American creator Claudia Forestieri’s beloved “Gordita Chronicles,” which was released in June 2022 on HBO Max and was canceled after just one season. Despite having a 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, Max removed it from their platform altogether, breaking the hearts of fans and the creators who brought it to life. Now more than a year later, the 10-episode series is getting a second chance at life as it returns to not one but three streamers: Tubi, Disney+, and Hulu.

    “After over a year of hoping and praying for the show to get a second life, it was like having Christmas Day three days in a row. [I] still can’t believe it,” Forestieri tells PS. “First, we found out about the show streaming on Tubi, which was like the answer to all my prayers. Then we found [out] we were also going to be on Hulu, and I could barely believe it. Then, last Friday, the day the episodes went on Tubi and Hulu, I got this photo from one of our actors showing me the show was also on the Disney+ platform, too.”

    “Gordita Chronicles” included Zoe Saldaña and Eva Longoria’s backing as executive producers, and it is one of the rare TV shows that represents the Dominican American family experience. For years, the only Latine family shows available either depicted Mexican American stories, like “The George Lopez Show,” or occasionally the Puerto Rican or Cuban narrative. That was part of Forestieri’s inspiration behind creating the show. She wanted to develop a program inspired by her own life growing up as a gordita and a Dominican immigrant navigating life in Miami in the 1980s — something that touched on important themes around immigration, the pressure to assimilate to American culture, as well as Dominican family values and traditions. Colombian American Brigitte Muñoz joined forces with Forestieri as the first Latina showrunner and creator duo.

    The show also featured an impressive cast, including Olivia Goncalves, who played the show’s protagonist, 12-year-old Carlota “Cucu” Castelli, Diana Maria Riva, who played the mom (Adela), Juan Javier Cardenas, who played the dad (Victor), a Dominican of Italian descent hence the last name, and Savannah Nicole Ruiz, who played Cucu’s older sister, Emilia.

    But despite its high ratings and continued support from the community, the show just couldn’t survive the brutality of Hollywood. Its cancellation caused so much outrage among Latine viewers that fans eventually went on to create the #SaveGordita digital campaign across social media in hopes that another streamer would pick it up. Forestieri believes the reason why Latine shows constantly get canceled is because streamers and networks don’t allow them the time to really build their audience.

    “If you take a show off a platform too fast, you don’t give it a chance to build an audience. In the ’90s, ‘Seinfield,’ which is my favorite TV comedy of all time, didn’t initially do that well,” she explains. “I don’t even think it did that well by season two. I think it was season three when it started becoming a hit, but the network believed in the show and gave it time to find an audience and grow into this phenomenon.”

    Forestieri, who has written for shows like “Selena: The Series” and “Good Trouble,” started her career as a journalist working in Spanish-language media. The cancellation of “Gordita Chronicles” left her frustrated by the lack of transparency behind the decision to cancel the show. Streamers rarely provide show creators with data or analytics on how a show performs, according to Forestieri.

    “My career started in media working at Telemundo, and we had what they called overnight ratings . . . you’d see what percentage of the audience you have. There was more transparency with numbers,” she says. “That system wasn’t perfect either . . . but what I loved about that system is any TV station could have access to those ratings and you could immediately see if a show was being watched or not. Now with the streamers, they keep that info very close to their chest.”

    But, as Forestieri explains, Sony believed in the “Gordita Chronicles” and has for the past year been working hard to find another platform for the show to live on.

    “I’m so grateful to all the streamers who saw the value in our show and paid to have it on their platforms and to the wonderful distribution team at Sony who made it all happen,” she adds.

    The show’s second chance at life gives Forestieri and fans not just hope for a second season, but reinforces that Latine storytelling matters. In fact, during the time that “Gordita Chronicles” has been off the streamers, Forestieri has not only been fighting hard to get it back on a streamer, she’s also been working on new show ideas — all centered around Latine narratives.

    “Personally, for me, I feel that the timing couldn’t have been better, because I am in the middle of pitching a reboot of the ‘The Nanny’ called ‘La Nanny.’ We’re in the middle of pitching that, which I’m really excited about,” she says. Forestieri shares that the show which she created with comedy writer Shawn Wines, is set in Manhattan with a Dominican American single mom who was raised in Washington Heights but currently lives in the Meat Packing District as a divorced fashion designer with her two kids. “It’s these themes of new arrivals versus first and second generation. It’s kind of going to be the same tone as ‘Gordita Chronicles,” she adds.

    Forestieri wants to continue to create shows that make Latines feel seen with accurate representation and thoughtful storytelling, and she also wants to counter negative stereotypes about Latines, particularly Latine immigrants. She believes now, more than ever, our stories matter and deserve to be seen on screen.

    “I just think erasure is the worst thing you can do to a community — to not see them. It really affects your psyche growing up,” she says. “Our contributions need to be felt on TV, film, and more. Sometimes it feels like one step forward and two steps back. But there’s a lot of us fighting the good fight, writing good scripts, and developing really good TV show ideas and putting our heart and souls into it because we love it and we know at its best it can really touch people.”

    “Gordita Chronicles” season one is available now to stream on Tubi, Disney+, and Hulu. Check out the trailer below:

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .

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  • Shakira Thinks the “Barbie” Movie Is Emasculating — Here’s How She Missed the Point

    Shakira Thinks the “Barbie” Movie Is Emasculating — Here’s How She Missed the Point

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    There’s no arguing that Shakira is a feminist icon. Entering the year on the heels of a very public split from her long-term partner and the father of her two sons, Gerard Piqué, she managed to take a painful experience and turn it into a shared triumph. Her latest studio album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” is a testament to independence and the strength that comes with it. It’s a sentiment that many, especially women, will be able to relate to. In her recent Allure cover interview published on April 1, Shakira delves into what that strength looks like and what it means to be a woman healing today. But one thing that stood out from the interview was the singer’s controversial take on another feminist pop culture pillar: the “Barbie” movie.

    Shakira shares her sons “absolutely hated” the film because they “felt it was emasculating.” “I like pop culture when it attempts to empower women without robbing men of their possibility to be men,” the singer says.

    And while part of me understands that reaction, I cannot help but respectfully disagree with her. Feminism isn’t just a theory, it’s a practice, and different people practice it differently. Shakira not liking the “Barbie” movie doesn’t make her less of a feminist. However, her opinion of the film is one shared by a vocal minority, and one I’ve heard reiterated by a lot of men (and right-wing politicians like Ted Cruz), many of whom won’t even see a “girl’s movie.”

    So, as a man who not only thoroughly enjoyed “Barbie” but found the message to be more subtle than “men suck, women are better,” I wanted to examine how so many people could misconstrue Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach’s script. For starters, the movie doesn’t portray men as bubbly and shallow characters just for the sake of emasculating them. The movie portrays them as what they are: victims. The Kens have been robbed of any real agency and opportunity to be anything more than eye candy by Barbieland’s matriarchy, a system that, conversely, places women in every major role throughout society. Sound familiar? It is the exact opposite of a patriarchy and yet still manages to achieve the same results: oppression of the opposite sex.

    Yes, much of the Kens’ dilemma and ensuing takeover of Barbieland sees the dumb dial turned up to the max — taking the piss out of machismo culture. But at its core, it’s a commentary on the importance of being valued on a societal level. At every corner, the Kens are marginalized in the society they serve. This puts them at odds with the Barbies — not with women. Instead, the Kens’ struggle is meant to parallel the struggle women experience in real life. It also shows how patriarchy can be destructive for the men it empowers.

    By adopting patriarchy, the Kens rope themselves into accepting the often rigid criteria to which men must conform to be considered manly. Hence, the overabundance of cowboy hats, trucks, horses, and Mojo Dojo Casa Houses, regardless of whether or not the individual Ken has an affinity for these things. They gain power, yes, but they are still denied individuality, only this time by their own hand.

    Shakira mentions that “men have their purpose too” and that “she wants her sons to feel powerful . . . while respecting women.” But this is exactly the note the movie ends on. For the first time, the Kens are allowed to decide what their role in society will be. And for the first time, it won’t be centered around supporting the Barbies’ wants or needs, but instead on what they want for themselves.

    But what about the notion that the movie “emasculates” the men? Sure, the Kens could have had more depth than having “beach” as a job, but I don’t think it would have been as funny or as effective an allegory for the loss of agency that comes with oppression. I didn’t find it emasculating. But I do find the uproar around it telling.

    As an afropuertorriqueño, I don’t often benefit from narrative plurality, or the existence of a multitude of films, shows, or other media that showcase my people in a variety of different roles and perspectives. But as a man? Absolutely, I do. I can turn on my TV right now and find a movie about a badass killing machine who loves dogs (“John Wick”), a show about a physically lacking, neglected child who uses his wits to outsmart and outlive multiple empires (“Game of Thrones”), a movie about a reluctant savior who inherits his mother’s magic and his father’s kingdom and uses both to become a literal fucking messiah (“Dune”), and the list goes on. Narrative plurality means that there are enough positive depictions of characters like us that the negative depictions don’t hold as much weight. Or at least you’d think.

    But you make one movie in which the men — or in this case the Kens — are portrayed as superficial accessories in constant competition for the affections of a woman and have no purpose other than to service her desires, and it undoes all the rest of it. Perhaps, in the same vein, we should consider the impact of the negative portrayals of women and people of color on screen.

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .

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    Miguel Machado

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  • Emira D’Spain Wants Every Trans Kid to “Give Yourself Grace”

    Emira D’Spain Wants Every Trans Kid to “Give Yourself Grace”

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    NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 10: Emira D'Spain attends the alice + olivia by Stacey Bendet Fall 2024 Presentation on February 10, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images for alice + olivia )
    Getty Images for alice + olivia | Astrid Stawiarz
    Getty Images for alice + olivia | Astrid Stawiarz

    You might recognize Emira D’Spain for her GRWM-style beauty videos, or you might know that she was the first ever Black trans Victoria’s Secret model. On TikTok, she shares different aspects of her trans identity with her million-plus followers, and ahead of Trans Day of Visibility on March 31, she spoke to PS about her own journey, gender euphoria, and more. Read it all, in her own words, below.

    When did I first experience gender euphoria? My parents are so accepting of me, so that’s, for me, truly when I always have the most gender euphoria. Just being around my family. And knowing that that’s not an experience that a lot of LGBTQ kids and adults get to experience, that’s something that I become more and more grateful for the more people I meet in the community. It’s something that I hold very close to my heart.

    Lady Gaga is not queer, but she is someone I always looked to because she had such an impact in my coming-of-age as an adult. During middle school, when Gaga was first topping the charts — the era of “Born This Way” and all those songs — she made me feel so empowered that I could be myself and live my truth.

    “[L]ife unfolds in the way it’s supposed to.”

    These days, I have made myself known not only for being trans; a lot of my audience doesn’t even know that I’m trans. I feel like whenever I do talk about it, it’s almost like, “Oh, whoa, I didn’t know that about her.” I think that’s always really interesting. I think most creators who are trans make it part of their content, and it’s something I talk about every now and then. I think it’s cool for me to do that, because people who don’t know that about me now have this different perspective of me. But right now, it’s really inspiring to see other queer creators who are gaining so much success: people living their lives and building their careers.

    My own message for other young trans folks is that it’s all going to work out, things are going to get better. If you’re struggling with people accepting you, you accepting yourself, you living in your truth — everything does truly work out in the end. It’s hard to remember in the moment of course, but over time, life unfolds in the way it’s supposed to. Just give yourself grace and give yourself time.

    — As told to Lena Felton

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    Emira D’Spain

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  • Tell Me Más: Alex Ferreira Talks Fatherhood, New Music, and the Importance of Making Music With Passion

    Tell Me Más: Alex Ferreira Talks Fatherhood, New Music, and the Importance of Making Music With Passion

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    In our Q&A /feature series Tell Me Más, we ask some of our favorite Latine artists to share some inside info about their lives and habits, revealing everything from their most recent read to the songs that get them hyped. This month, we trekked out to Joe’s Pub in the historic East Village to see Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Alex Ferreira take the stage and chatted with him about his latest project, fatherhood, and how he’s balancing the two.

    Alex Ferreira’s dressing room at Joe’s Pub is small and sparse, without much in the way of personal belongings or even instruments. There’s a guitar case to one side, a knapsack nearby on a leather chair, and the singer himself sitting sideways in front of the lighted vanity — his trademark curls falling in front of his face. It’s a stripped environment, a fitting one given that later in the evening Ferreira will hit the stage with just a guitar and a soundboard and take the crowd on a full spectrum journey of love, heartbreak, and everything in between. But right now, he’s smiling, seemingly in his element: in a back room, in a big city, while on the road.

    “I love touring. I love going to different countries, meeting different people. It’s such an inspiration for me,” the artist tells PS.

    As a completely independent artist, Ferreira understands that he’s incredibly fortunate to be able to live off his music. But that often comes with long stretches far away from home, so it’s good that he loves to tour. This current tour has seen him on the go since last year. He’s performed all over Spain and has upcoming stops in Mexico. His two-night stint in New York caps the US section that had him in Miami and Puerto Rico. However, having recently become a father, Ferreira admits that he doesn’t have much time to hang out in these places like he once did.

    “I want to be with my daughter. I feel like this is a very important time in her life, her first year . . . the responsibility I have as a father is much greater than that of my artistic life,” he says.

    This is especially true since, in his artistic life, Ferreira is pretty well-established. Having made waves since 2010 with a singer-songwriter style that incorporates a healthy dose of experimentation and genre-bending, he knows who he is as an artist. And his fans do too.

    Later on in the night, the crowd will swell in unison, singing along with the crooner in such a natural way that it seems rehearsed. That’s the kind of musician Ferreira is known for. It’s music that can make the room small. He’s cracking jokes one minute and, the next, singing with such vulnerability that it’s hard not to be moved.

    Yet, at home, he is still adjusting to his role as a father.

    “Everything is new. Every stage of the process brings a new challenge. Every stage is a learning process and there’s no manual, no university to tell you these things. You learn on the fly,” Ferreira muses.

    One such challenge? Finding the time to write and work on his upcoming album while being a full-time dad.

    “Before, I could — and I hate this word but — I could procrastinate a little. Now I can’t,” he says. “If I have one hour to work, I can’t waste time. So now my creative process is much more efficient.”

    He now views composing, like going to the gym. To get it done he needs a little bit of consistency, dedicating a few hours out of the day to play, write, and practice before he can put pen to paper and come up with a song.

    But that doesn’t mean that making music has become just another exercise for the veteran artist. Talking about his upcoming project, “Versiones Para El Tiempo Y La Distancia Vol. 2,” Ferreira shares that he wants to continue to refine the sound he’s been crafting over the last decade while also experimenting further with blending elements of rock, bachata, and other genres into a unique experience. We can expect more of this from his upcoming album.

    “In a similar way to how fatherhood is a process of change, I think my career and my discography can also be seen in that light. I like to have a little doubt, to not know what I’m going to do,” he says.”I’ve also realized that my fans don’t come with that prejudice of, ‘Oh, he’s a singer-songwriter, everything is going to sound the same.’ The people who come to see me know that I’m not committed to any one genre. The common denominator is my voice. My lyrics.”

    Ferreira possesses an uncanny ability to peer into the connections we all share and transpose them into poetry. In “Me La Saludan” he uses sarcasm to express the weight of wounds that have yet to heal. On his new track, “De Verdad” he pleads for love in all its complexity. Love “as a decision,” the artist muses.

    The official version of the song is a jazzy, upbeat fusion. But on stage, in Joe’s Pub’s small theater, Ferreira turns it into a touching, acoustic ode to the long run — a relationship measured not in days or months, but in the moments that make up a life together. Even if you’ve listened to his music for years, hearing him perform live is an experience. His voice takes on a quality that doesn’t translate through speakers, it’s more vulnerable, more dimensional, and able to not only touch but bring the audience closer.

    It’s this ability to tap into emotion, to expose life’s raw nerves with tenderness, while at the same time cracking jokes on stage, that has led to Ferreira’s enduring success and relevance, even as the industry experiences an indie boom. Silvana Estrada, Daniél, Me Estás Matando, Guitarricadelafuente — these are today’s Latin music indie darlings. Ferreira has worked with many of them. The members of Daniél, Me Estás Matando were a part of his band at one point. But when asked about his role or standing in the current scene, Ferreira, despite his legacy and achievements, maintains his humility.

    “I’ve never thought of it in terms of a role . . . for me [Latin music] is like a chain and I think that I’m just another link in that chain,” he says.”I think it’s so cool that this music can connect with not just first-gen Latinos, but second and third-gen as well, Latinos that don’t even speak Spanish, people that don’t even speak Spanish. For me, it’s a pleasure to be a part of that, like a little grain of sand.”

    It gives Ferreira joy seeing his friends and the artists that have come after him find so much success. But he is also wary of the direction of the industry as a whole with everything moving towards songs created in minutes to achieve virality rather than expression.

    That’s not to say that he’s anti-electronic. Ferreira has often added electronic elements to his music and is a fan of experimentally-minded artists like James Blake and Bjork. He’s more concerned about the use of things like autotune and AI as a shortcut to artistry rather than as a means to enhance it.

    “When everything starts to sound the same, when the beats are all the same, with the same musical structure, with the same effects, and the same melody, I feel like that’s when the machine wins,” he says.

    But until then, he has faith in the process of making “imperfect art” and has some sage advice for those looking to make it in music in the current climate.

    “Everyone always wants more than they have. Don’t fall into that dynamic. Make music because it’s your passion, because you love it, [and] because you can’t live without it. Because, as a business model, there are better ones out there,” Ferreira says with a wink and a smile.

    Read on to find out about Ferreira’s morning ritual, who his favorite artist of the moment is, and his secret to finding peace.

    PS: What is your morning ritual?

    Ferreira: Coffee and music. If I don’t have my coffee I’ll have a stroke.

    PS: If you had to choose just one place to spend the rest of your days, where would it be?

    Ferreira: Madrid

    PS: Who is your favorite artist at the moment?

    Ferreira: Adrianne Lenker.

    PS: You have a song called “Sonrisa Valiente.” Who in your life would you say has the most valiant smile?

    Ferreira: My daughter.

    PS: What’s your method for finding peace?

    Ferreira: Music. Singing it, playing it, listening to it, whatever it happens to be, is therapeutic for me.

    PS: The best part of being a father?

    Ferreira: Connecting with my inner child again. Tapping into that childishness that we lose in life.

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    Miguel Machado

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  • Shakira’s New Album “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” Turns Tears Into Diamonds

    Shakira’s New Album “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” Turns Tears Into Diamonds

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    When life gives you lemons, you have to make lemonade — and that’s exactly what Shakira did after heartbreak. When the Colombian pop star learned in 2022 that Gerard Piqué, her partner of 11 years and the father of her two sons, was cheating on her, I’m sure it felt as if her life was falling apart. But when she couldn’t bear the pain and the betrayal, she did what most musicians do — she turned it into art.

    The first song Shakira released that was directly related to the breakup was 2022’s “Te Felicito” with Puerto Rican Latin trap artist Rauw Alejandro. The song not only marked Shakira’s comeback, it was also the first in a string of singles that would display her healing journey to the world and eventually become part of her latest highly anticipated album, “Las Mujeres Ya no Lloran,” which was released on March 22.

    Following “Te Felicito,” a sarcastic song about congratulating her ex for finding new love, Shakira released a hit song with Ozuna titled “Monotonía.” But it was Shakira’s famous diss track that redirected her career. The track “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” a collaboration with Argentine producer Bizarrap, resonated so much with fans that it racked up more than 63 million YouTube views in 24 hours, becoming the most-watched Latin debut song in YouTube history. The song also skyrocketed to Spotify’s Top 50 Global chart, breaking the record of the most-streamed track in a single day in Spotify history, and eventually it landed Shakira the Latin Grammy for song of the year.

    And it’s the song that ultimately set the theme for her first album in seven years. “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is literally a line taken from “Shakira: Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53,” only in the track she completes the thought by singing “Las mujeres ya no lloran, las mujeres facturan,” which translates to “Women don’t cry anymore, they cash in.”

    Every song Shakira released in 2022 and 2023 played a different role in the Colombiana’s healing and rebuilding process. “TQG,” a track in collaboration with Karol G that also appeared in her 2023 album “Mañana Serà Bonito,” is a song about being too good for a man who hurt her — referring to Piquè and Karol G’s ex Anuel AA. “Copa Vacía” is a pop-reggaetón song she did in collaboration with Colombian singer Manuel Turizo about not receiving enough love and affection from a partner, while “El Jefe” is a norteño Mexican song with Fuerza Regida about taking control of your destiny, something fans have witnessed the artist do since publicly announcing her split. “Última” is a moving track that Shakira told the New York Times is the last song she will release about her ex Piquè.

    “In the journey of picking up the pieces after a very public breakup, Shakira is showing us that although dreams don’t always turn out to be what we envisioned them to be, she is not shying away from her scars,” says Nicolas Barili, an award-winning journalist and creator/host of Paramount+’s Latin music docuseries “De La Calle.” “By controlling her own narrative, Shakira is empowering listeners to be inspired by her bold transformation, while proving to our community and the world that vulnerability is the greatest strength.”

    What makes this album such a masterpiece isn’t just the journey we see Shakira take in healing her heartache, but how it invites hope and new beginnings. Tracks like “Cohete” with Rauw Alejandro and “Puntería” with Cardi B acknowledge the allure of experiencing a new love — even though Shakira has shared she can’t imagine herself falling in love again.

    Then there’s “Acróstico,” a beautiful piano-led ballad that emphasizes Shakira’s role as a mother and includes her two sons, Milan and Sasha. This one stood out most to Barili.

    “Having been raised by a single mom myself, the love letter between her and her sons speaks to those of us that are what’s left over after parents break up, reminding us that some bonds will never be broken,” Barili says. “Shakira has provided a cathartic release for not only herself but for anyone that has ever gone through break ups, all while proving that she is still the queen of Latin pop.”

    “La Mujeres Ya No Lloran” is Shakira’s first album in seven years since releasing her 2017 album “El Dorado.” If this album did anything, it proved that the greatest and most impactful art is often created from pain and heartache — hence Shakira’s diamond tears displayed in the cover art.

    “It’s the same reason why an artist’s debut album is often their best work, because struggle often elicits masterpieces,” says Jesús Trivino, a Latin pop culture expert and Tidal’s senior content and music executive. “Similarly, whenever there are challenges in your life, you take it as an experience and learn from it. If you’re a creative like Shakira, you dive into your work, and usually introspective, empowering music comes out. With ‘Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,’ Shaki has done that.”

    That Shakira’s extraordinary comeback album is filled with back-to-back hits and major collaborations with artists including Cardi B, Rauw Alejandro, Ozuna, and more also speaks to how relevant she’s managed to remain despite how saturated the Latin music world has become. If anything, the breakup needed to happen to inspire her to use her pain, anger, and sadness to create her rawest and most vulnerable work. As she has said in numerous interviews, the experience allowed her to “transform pain into productivity.”

    “One of the superstars who started the late ’90s, early 2000s Latin boom still has it and never lost it. Shakira, more than other Latin acts of that era, had to introduce herself and an entire country (Colombia) to the US and global market,” Trivino says. “On this album, she’s uplifting her fellow Colombianas (Karol G), co-signing the stars of today (Rauw Alejandro), as well as shining a light on other genres (Mexican music). I hope listeners don’t waste their time in gossip but rather enjoy Shakira in all her greatness while she’s on this planet.”

    Sometimes it takes our worlds falling apart to get us back in line with our passion and our purpose. One thing is for sure: our favorite loba is here to stay.

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    Johanna Ferreira

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  • Don Omar’s “Back to Reggaeton” US Tour Shows How Far the Genre Has Come

    Don Omar’s “Back to Reggaeton” US Tour Shows How Far the Genre Has Come

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    As reggaetón continues to dominate the music charts, the genre’s legends, including Daddy Yankee, Tego Calderón, Ivy Queen, and Don Omar remain more relevant than ever for their roles in shaping a movement that originated in Puerto Rico and eventually went global. But Don Omar’s comeback has been a long-awaited one. The leyenda known for his early 2000s hits like “Dale Don,” “Sácala,” and “Salió el Sol,” has officially returned to the scene with his “Back to Reggateon” US Tour, produced by CMN. The tour not only marks his highly anticipated return to the stage but also beautifully celebrates his two-decade-long career and its impactful contributions to the genre.

    On Saturday, March 9, Don Omar took to the Barclays Center stage to perform a sold-out show that left the audience filled with joy and nostalgia. Most importantly, it proved that 20 years later, his music still hits. The Puerto Rican reggaetónero has been slowly making his way back in the game since 2021, dropping singles that led to his 2023 LP “Forever King.” His new music has been an impressive blend of his signature early 2000s reggaetón with the modern sounds that have been taking over the genre. But his current tour, which kicked off in Reading, PA, on March 7, speaks to the way the community has continued to honor and celebrate the OGs who pioneered the movement.

    It’s so easy to forget the originators behind a trend or a movement and focus on the big stars of today, like Bad Bunny, Karol G, Young Miko, or J Balvin. But today’s reggaetón and Latin trap fans know to pay their respects — that much was clear at Barclays, which was filled with fans who uttered all the lyrics to the majority of Don Omar’s two-hour set list (especially when he rapped his greatest hits, like “Pobre Diabla” and “Mayor Que Yo 3”).

    The show also made it clear that both reggaetón’s OGs and its current stars are crediting others and their contributions to the genre’s popularity. Don Omar did a few tributes throughout the night, including performing “Gata Gangster” and “Desafío,” during which he shouted-out Daddy Yankee as a legend.

    “[Daddy Yankee] dedicated 35 years of his life to reggaetón. I don’t have anyone to argue with anymore,” he said jokingly, alluding to their previous feud.

    During his performance of “Entre Tú y Yo,” Don Omar shouted-out Luny Tunes and other Dominicans’ contributions to reggaetón, which often get overlooked.

    While the show and the tour celebrate Don Omar’s two-decade-long career, in many ways it also pays homage to the genre, its beginnings, and the evolution of what it’s become today. Seeing Don Omar’s rise — an Afro-Boricua artist from Puerto Rico who kicked off his career when reggaetón was banned by the Puerto Rican government — also speaks to how far the genre has come.

    “Thank you for making my dream come true. I was a high school dropout, a church pastor, and in the best moment of my life, you allowed me to be Don Omar,” he said while closing the show. “I have made so many mistakes in my life, and at my age, it is clear to me that having made mistakes is what has me where I am today because, from each one of them, I learned. I learned that on this planet, no one has the key to heaven. The only key to heaven is your direct relationship with what is in heaven.”

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .

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    Johanna Ferreira

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  • America Ferrera Didn’t Win an Oscar, but Her Monologue Will Live on For Latinas

    America Ferrera Didn’t Win an Oscar, but Her Monologue Will Live on For Latinas

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    There’s a reason why we’re still talking about America Ferrera’s “Barbie” monologue months after the blockbuster was released. While presenting the Best Supporting Actress award during the 2024 Oscars, Rita Moreno gave an emotional speech about Ferrera, who was nominated for her role of Gloria in the pink-filled film. While Ferrera didn’t wind up taking home an Oscar — the award instead went to Da’Vine Joy Randolph for her role in “The Holdovers” — Moreno’s speech left folks in the audience trying to understand why.

    “America. Your powerful Barbie monologue is perhaps the most talked-about moment in the most talked-about movie of the past year,” Moreno said. “Your words and the passion with which you delivered them about the most impossible standards females must try to live up to galvanized not only women but everyone with a pulse.”

    Even the way Moreno pronounced “America,” with a Spanish accent and in a sing-song-y voice referencing her iconic role in “West Side Story,” was powerful. It made the statement that women like Ferrera are just as American as anyone else living in this country.

    By now, many people have seen Gloria’s impactful speech in which she tells Margot Robbie’s Barbie the truth of what it means to be a woman. She breaks down all the impossible and contradicting expectations that are constantly placed on women.

    The moving monologue pulled at the audience’s heart strings because it put in plain terms what women have had to endure for centuries and in today’s still very patriarchal society. The fact that this speech was delivered by a Latina actress playing a Latina character made it resonate that much more for me. For any woman who holds intersectional identities, society’s impossible expectations become that much more impossible.

    As Latinas, we’re told we need to be thin regardless of if we’ve had children or not and regardless of any health issues we might have. But we also need to have big boobs, a big butt, and wide hips — hence why plastic surgery is so popular in our communities. We have to be strong but we also are expected to be submissive, especially with our partners. We’re told we need to lead and carry everyone from our spouses to our children, but if we pour into ourselves, we’re selfish. We’re supposed to be beautiful and sexy enough to make any man lust over us, but if we’re too sexy, we’re sluts and we deserve whatever disrespect men throw at us.

    While we still very much live in a patriarchal society, I am proud to be a Latina living in a time where we are finally encouraged to love ourselves and recognize that despite the unrealistic expectations that are constantly placed on us, we are in fact, enough. I am proud to be living at a time when women are finally throwing those oppressive expectations out the window and giving less f*cks about existing to please the male gaze. We are loving ourselves regardless of our body shape or size. We are embracing aging and recognizing our worth, even if that means being “boy sober” or refusing to allow the biological clock dictate our lives.

    Ferrera ends her powerful speech saying, “I’m just tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll representing women, then I don’t even know.”

    While the patriarchy has continued to exist since the “Barbie” movie came out and since Ferrera’s monologue went viral, I am proud of the impact it has had on so many girls and women. Sometimes all it takes is having our experiences explained right back at us for us to decide we’re no longer giving in to the pressure.

    Ferrera might not have taken home an award Sunday night, but like the true artist and changemaker she is, she left a mark with that speech that is already creating shifts in our culture. Her performance is just one step forward toward future generations of girls and women not having to experience the impossible expectations that have given us so much grief for centuries. That’s worth more than any Oscar in my book.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqlDWHkdHk

    Johanna Ferreira is the content director for POPSUGAR Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity. .

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    Johanna Ferreira

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  • Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Journey Is “Every Immigrant’s Story”

    Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s Journey Is “Every Immigrant’s Story”

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    Rep. Pramila Jayapal, of Washington state, is known for being an outspoken advocate of social justice, reproductive freedoms, and immigrants’ rights. Ahead of International Women’s Day, we wanted to hear more about her own immigration story and her message to young voters in a crucial election year. Read it all, in her own words, below.

    It was a dream of my parents to give me the opportunity of education in the United States and everything that would provide, so they really made that ultimate sacrifice. I don’t know if any of us really understood what a sacrifice it would be, because I would never end up living on the same continent as them again. Now, decades later, I understand what that meant, and I’m very, very grateful. I think it’s part of what drove me as a teenager — I was only 16, I was here by myself and in a brand-new country, trying to make my way on my own — I think I have this sense of, I have to pay it forward, I have to be successful, I have to make sure I make my parents’ sacrifice worthwhile. Maybe it’s every immigrant’s story.

    Immigrants are huge to building this country. They’re doing all types of jobs, from low-skilled to high-skilled. But if you look at how families survive, if you look at the food that people eat, the hotels or restaurants that they eat or sleep in, if you look at domestic work, care work, across the board, so much of this is powered by immigrants and immigrant women. The level of deep resilience, courage, and contribution to community, family, and country that immigrants bring — I see how that contribution is really not recognized in policy and that the other side puts immigrants through so much nasty rhetoric. I feel that even Democrats don’t always stand up in the way we should for immigrants, without whom we literally would not be able to function as a country.

    I know we say that it’s incredibly important to vote in multiple elections — we certainly said it in 2016 and we saw what happened when Donald Trump came in and worked to destroy everything we hold dear, including our democracy. And he’s back. So the stakes are incredibly high. And at the same time, I know it is deeply frustrating for young people in particular to look at how screwed up the world is and to feel like somehow maybe they can’t make a difference. And the message I have is: you absolutely can make a difference. We don’t have perfection in our democracy, we don’t have perfection on our ballots, but we do have progress. And the most progress is made when people use their voices and use their votes to demand better.

    We don’t have perfection in our democracy, we don’t have perfection on our ballots, but we do have progress.

    I think this is going to be a very tough election, and I’ve come out strong for a cease-fire. I think the Gaza war is an issue that people feel are deep moral issues. So I know there’s a lot of work to do. But I also know that what we got done in the first two years of a Democratic White House, barely Democratic Senate, and a Democratic House was kind of incredible. Because of young people, we got the first gun legislation passed in decades. Because of young people, we got the biggest investment ever in climate change. There’s so much more I could go through. It’s not to say we’re done, it’s to say that people can make a difference, that it matters who controls Congress. And it matters to get more of us who are women of color, immigrants, Gen Z into Congress who can help to shift from the inside as well as the outside.

    I’m inspired every day by my grandmother, who is an incredible woman who got a high school education and married very young and would still go out there and do things that just weren’t done. A woman who would go out there and play tennis in a sari. She’s passed, but I still feel her presence with me. Also women whose shoulders I stand on, and for me, Sojourner Truth is a really important figure in my life because of who she was, because of the courage she had to speak truth to power, and because she was fundamentally shifting public perception of what was possible. She’s incredibly important. And then the third is — I have been on the streets and in civil disobedience protests, getting arrested with undocumented women and immigrant women from all over the world, and I bring them into every room with me. The joy, the courage, the resilience, the risk I take — it reminds me every day that what I’m doing is nothing compared to what they’re doing, and it gives me the courage to keep fighting.

    — As told to Lena Felton

    Lena Felton is the senior director of features and special content at POPSUGAR, where she oversees feature stories, special projects, and identity content. Previously, she was an editor at The Washington Post, where she led a team covering issues of gender and identity.

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    Rep. Pramila Jayapal

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  • “The Morning Show”‘s Karen Pittman Would Love to Just Act, but the System Is Broken

    “The Morning Show”‘s Karen Pittman Would Love to Just Act, but the System Is Broken

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    In season three of “The Morning Show,” a race scandal rocks UBA, the broadcast network that serves as the show’s backdrop. The storyline sees Karen Pittman’s Mia and Greta Lee’s Stella strikingly depict the realities of women of color in largely white, corporate spaces like network television. “That’s me and Greta actually, in a real way,” Pittman tells POPSUGAR after speaking at the 2024 Makers Conference on Feb. 28.

    Through characters like Mia and Nya on “And Just Like That…,” Pittman brings incredible nuance to her portrayal of strong Black women who navigate their race in their respective environments, which she opened up about in conversation with “Succession” actor J. Smith-Cameron. The two spoke at the three-day summit hosted by Makers, a community-focused media brand owned by Yahoo that’s focused on accelerating equity for women in the workplace.

    “I pride myself on having characters that don’t resemble me as an actor.”

    For Pittman, identity-driven storytelling is inherently intentional. “I think the storytellers and writers are always looking for ways to imbue your personal, authentic perspective, whatever you have been through in your life,” she says. But for the actor and activist, that authenticity is less about sharing her lived experiences and more about bringing complex emotions to her characters. “I pride myself on having characters that don’t resemble me as an actor,” she explains. “I don’t see any of myself in Mia, and I hope to never see any of myself.”

    THE MORNING SHOW, from left: Greta Lee, Karen Pittman, 'White Noise', (Season 3, ep. 303, aired Sept. 20, 2023). photo: Erin Simkin /Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett CollectionTHE MORNING SHOW, from left: Greta Lee, Karen Pittman, 'White Noise', (Season 3, ep. 303, aired Sept. 20, 2023). photo: Erin Simkin /Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett Collection
    Everett Collection

    Instead, she “influences the storytelling” by ensuring there’s depth to her characters. “I remind [writers], ‘Let’s make sure we show the heart of this character instead of just showing she’s a strong woman.’ That can end up being a trope,” she says. She likes to create characters through their “emotional landscape” in particular. “Knowing what the heart of that woman is and being able to convey that to the camera visually is really where I feel like the greatest influence I have as an actor in any story. That is what makes an audience connect.”

    With a high-powered, independent TV producer like Mia, she’s focused on channeling vulnerability, a quality not often associated with Black women on screen. “The writers of [‘The Morning Show’] are always hoping to reflect back the strength and the nimbleness of African American women,” she says. “Sometimes that can be one-sided, so I’m always trying to infuse moments of fragility, softness, tenderness, and suppleness of what it means to be a woman in that job, in the same ways that you might see a white woman in those jobs.”

    Max

    When it comes to Nya, Miranda’s professor-turned-friend on “And Just Like That…,” it was important to Pittman — and creator Michael Patrick King — that she wear her hair in braids. As she puts it, “I think it is important to reflect, especially on that platform, what it is to have an African American woman who completely accepts her naturalness, who isn’t trying to change or look different, who is embodying this construct of Blackness completely, and has decided that she’s going to live in a place of love and education — and to share that intelligence on the show.” Pittman also understands that Nya’s friendship with Miranda allows the opportunity to show viewers what it looks like for a woman of color to build a relationship with a white woman who may not know any other WOC. That’s especially impactful in a series with so much fanfare and generational popularity.

    But while she’s able to start conversations about her characters in some ways, she also acknowledges the challenges that come with being a Black woman in the acting world. In her conversation with Smith-Cameron, Pittman shed light on Hollywood’s cultural reckoning in response to George Floyd’s murder by police in 2020. While there was an initial shift in the industry, she believes it’s since reverted back to the status quo.

    “My white colleagues don’t have to have these conversations.”

    “People are forgetful,” she tells POPSUGAR. “People forget, and as an actor, you don’t want to always have your finger on the pulse of culture trying to teach them or remind them, ‘Hey, we need to pump some life into this.’ My white colleagues don’t have to have these conversations.”

    As with women of color in any field, she’d like to solely focus on the job at hand: acting. “I would love to go into an experience where the only thing that I’m called to do is to bring the full breadth of my craft and not have to concern myself with anything else,” she says. But, as she reminds us, this is the reality for any othered person in our society.

    As Pittman underscored in her conversation with Smith-Cameron, “the system is broken,” and she knows it’ll take time for the industry to progress. But what she can do is collaborate with allies to advocate for the stories and characters they feel are important. “I want to be a human that builds coalition, that keeps common ground,” she tells POPSUGAR. “One of the reasons I love portraying these characters is because they have their hand out for connection; they are reflecting back to the culture. There is space for all of us. Certainly in my career, as a mother, as a human being, that is the way I am in the world.”

    She’s also hopeful for change. “If you’re an actor or if you’re an artist, you are an optimist and an activist,” she says. “And if you’re an activist or an optimist, you believe that humanity can do something different.”

    Yerin Kim is the features editor at POPSUGAR, where she helps shape the vision for special features and packages across the network. A graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, she has over five years of experience in the pop culture and women’s lifestyle spaces. She’s passionate about spreading cultural sensitivity through the lenses of lifestyle, entertainment, and style.

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    Yerin Kim

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  • The Undeniable Influence of Black Latine Artists on Latin Music

    The Undeniable Influence of Black Latine Artists on Latin Music

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    Black. It is the color that absorbs all colors, the shade that holds the sun’s warmth as it moves east to west. It is the color of a people, not just African but Caribbean, Middle Eastern, American, and more. But it is also music: the color at the center of the trumpet’s brass ring, the shadow that fills the club when the lights get low and the party begins. Over the decades, Latin music has built a reputation for being wildly popular, no doubt in part due to its danceable nature. But what often gets lost in the conversation is the contribution that Black Latines had in cultivating the sound that, today, many of us regard as uniquely “Latin.”

    As a kid, I was guilty of just that. It wasn’t until years later that I came to understand the importance of claiming my Afro-Puerto Rican heritage and how it shaped not only my identity but also the rhythms that moved me. Yes, that’s rhythms, plural. From salsa to cumbia to reggaetón, an undeniable Africanía drives these genres. And it’s just as much a part of our music’s DNA as the language we sing it in.

    The Rise of Machito, Afro-Cuban Jazz, and La Clave

    We can’t talk about the influence of Black Latines and not mention Machito. Frank “Machito” Grillo, along with band director Mario Bauzá, pioneered the sound of Afro-Cuban jazz in New York City in the 1940s. They took the Big Band format that was popular at that time and added conga, bongos, and timbales.

    These instruments are staples of traditional African music and provide Latin jazz with signature percussive elements and rhythmic structure. These elements would later become the foundation of salsa music, which evolved from son montuno and Latin jazz; it upped the tempo but kept the African fundamentals, especially “la clave.”

    Growing up, my mother used to tell me that la clave was the heartbeat of salsa and, therefore, it was our heartbeat as well. However, while I thought of the clave as something uniquely Latino, the origins of the iconic “ta, ta, ta . . . ta, ta” began in Africa; la clave is an essential part of traditional African music. And even as the first slaves were ripped from their homes and crossed the Caribbean Sea with nothing but a lifetime of servitude awaiting them, la clave came with them. It was as simple as taking two sticks and knocking them together in rhythm, and it would become a staple of the music they produced. It would also eventually embed itself in Latin Caribbean music — not just salsa and son montuno, but other genres as well like danza, rumba, and mambo.

    Similarly to jazz in the US, these musical genres would become an avenue to success for Black Latines worldwide and give rise to artists that would forever change the game, like Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Roberto Roena, Mongo Santamaría, and “El Sonero Mayor” Ismael Rivera.

    The African Origins of Merengue, Cumbia, y Más

    But it’s not just salsa and its predecessors that are heavily influenced by our African ancestry. Merengue, as we know it today, has its roots in the leisure time given to slaves, during which they would imitate the balls and ballroom dances of their European masters, creating something entirely new in the process. This music would remain mostly confined to the Dominican Republic until the 1930s when pioneer Eduardo Brito brought the music to New York. During the 1960s, merengue would experience another surge in popularity as Dominicans migrated en masse to the city, and Afro-Latino merengueros like Joseíto Mateo would help bring the art form to new heights.

    Cumbia music, like merengue, has its origins in dances practiced by the slaves brought to Colombia. Over the years, it evolved to incorporate traditional European instruments and became popular across Latin America. While the sound became extremely popular during the ’90s thanks to pop artists like the late Selena Quintanilla and others, it’s important to remember that the first person to record a cumbia song was the Afro-Colombian artist Luis Carlos Meyer.

    Yet another example of this fusion of African and European is the Mexican folk genre of son jarocho. It’s a staple of the Caribbean town of Veracruz, and I first heard of it when I interviewed singer-songwriter Silvana Estrada. When asked about her unique style and influences, the Veracruzan songstress spoke at length about the town’s African history and how it led to the creation of son jarocho’s unique sound.

    Before Reggaeton, It Was “La Música Negra”

    Before it was known by its current name, reggaetón went through a series of names and transformations. Reggae en español, melaza, underground, rap y reggae —the list goes on. But maybe the most fitting name for it was “La Música Negra.” Not only did this name epitomize the status of the underground movement that was burgeoning in the barrios, but it also identified it as a product of the Black Latines and Afro-descendientes that lived in them.

    From El General and Nando Boom in Panama to DJ Negro and Tego Calderón in Puerto Rico, many of the genre’s pioneers in the ’90s and early 2000s were Black Latines. But beyond just the faces that flashed across the television during the music videos, the music itself was inherently African. Pulling from American hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall, reggaetón saw the European elements of Latin music scaled back in favor of an emphasis on heavy percussion. The dembow itself, though taken directly from riddims created by Jamaican producers, correlates with rhythms already found in traditional African music and Caribbean genres (such as Puerto Rican bomba).

    The Issue of “Blanqueamiento” and the Invisibility of Black Latines

    African influence has been a part of Latin culture since the very beginning, and that’s not even bringing Spain’s mixed African heritage into the mix. And yet today, if we look at all the genres mentioned above, we see that what started as Black music sung by Black artists has become progressively lighter. Reggaetón is a prime example of this, with artists like Karol G, J Balvin, and Bad Bunny all being lighter skinned. For this reason, remembering the African contribution to our music and our culture in its entirety is incredibly important. We must pay homage to the pioneers of these genres and also make space for today’s Black Latine artists to grow alongside their lighter-skinned counterparts.

    Because at the end of the day, from the lightest to the darkest of us, our African heritage is something that we share; it connects us. And as we see when we take a closer look at our music, Latin music IS Black music. It’s high time we recognize it as such.

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    Miguel Machado

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  • How Laufey’s Chinese Icelandic Upbringing Shaped Her Unique Jazz Sound

    How Laufey’s Chinese Icelandic Upbringing Shaped Her Unique Jazz Sound

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    Laufey has always felt “undefined.” Whether it was her unique, modern jazz sound or her identity as a Chinese Icelandic artist, the 24-year-old singer-songwriter and producer tells POPSUGAR she “always felt like an anomaly and a bit of an outsider in my communities.”

    “Being a bit different became my status quo.”

    The artist, who recently took home her first Grammy for best traditional pop vocal album, has taken the music world — and TikTok — by storm. Since going viral on the platform in early 2022, she’s released two albums, the second of which earned her the accolade. “Being a bit different became my status quo. I took my experience of being undefined into the music industry,” she says.

    Laufey’s background growing up with Chinese and Icelandic parents in Iceland and later living in the US was pivotal to building her sound and, eventually, her career in music. “I had such a mix of experiences learning music,” she says. Her first foray into music was connected to her Chinese culture — through her mother, a world-class violinist, and her maternal grandfather, who taught the instrument.

    Laufey took piano lessons at Beijing’s prestigious Central Conservatory of Music, and she performed as a solo cellist for the Iceland Symphony Orchestra at 15. When she started attending Berklee College of Music in Boston, she learned jazz and pop for the first time. “All of those experiences allowed me to grow up hearing the different sounds of each of my cultures and taught me about the things that bind different musical disciplines together and what sets them apart,” she explains. Her blend of jazz, classical, and pop is so unique that there’s often debate over defining her exact genre of music.

    In addition to influencing her music, her college experience allowed her to embrace more of her Asian heritage, which she says she wasn’t exposed to growing up in Iceland. “Living in the US has given me exposure to bigger Asian communities that I didn’t necessarily have growing up in Iceland, where my mother and a few of her friends were the extent of my Asian community,” she says. “Outside of the music industry, I’ve been able to embrace my identity as an Asian and be more proud of that side of me.” In turn, that shift has given her the opportunity to “connect on a deeper level” with her fans of Asian descent.

    And now, as a young woman in the music industry, Laufey is passionate about opening up opportunities for other women artists, particularly those of color. She can count the number of women producers she’s worked with on one hand. Through Bose’s Turn the Dial initiative, which aims to close the gender gap in music production, the musician collaborated with Eunike Tanzil, a rising producer and composer, to create a song from scratch in just three hours. “Eunike has such a beautiful way of approaching a simple melody, which is what drew me to her in the beginning,” Laufey says. “It’s an honor to create music with other Asian women in the industry. Together, we bring to our music a type of sincerity that is unique to our backgrounds.”

    click to play video

    As she continues to climb the charts, Laufey understands her undefined genre and identity represent what mainstream music and media have been missing. For Laufey, her recent Grammy win was “for those who couldn’t figure out who they wanted to be.”

    As she puts it: “It was a stamp of approval proving that you don’t have to follow a certain path in order to succeed in music.”

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    Yerin Kim

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  • Jennifer Lopez’s New Doc Is Less About Ben Affleck and More About Self-Love

    Jennifer Lopez’s New Doc Is Less About Ben Affleck and More About Self-Love

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    Amazon MGM Studios
    Amazon MGM Studios

    If you had a hard time understanding Jennifer Lopez’s recent music video project “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story,” her documentary “The Greatest Love Story Never Told” might answer some of your questions. In the doc, Lopez shares that the inspiration behind both “This Is Me… Now: A Love Story” and her ninth studio album, “This Is Me… Now” (both of which released on Feb. 16), was to finally set the record straight about her love life.

    “I’ve been married four times now. I’m sure people watching from the outside were like, ‘What is this girl’s fucking problem?’ You saw kind of a compulsive behavior,” Lopez says in the documentary’s introduction. “What I portrayed to the world was, ‘Oh this didn’t work out and it’s fine and I’m good and they’re good.’ And all of that was kind of bullshit.”

    The documentary goes behind the scenes in the making of both the film and the album, and Lopez also walks viewers down the last two decades of her personal life. She admits all those back-to-back marriages and relationships were a result of not being good with herself.

    “I didn’t think much of myself. So the world didn’t think much of me. That lined up,” she says in tears.

    Amazon MGM Studios

    She also reveals that part of the inspiration behind her self-financed multimedia project was getting back with the love of her life and now-husband, Ben Affleck, who appears in both the musical (as an incognito character) and the documentary. Lopez shares that she was completely devastated after their 2004 breakup because she felt like she didn’t just lose the love of her life but also the best friend she’d ever had. The public scrutiny that followed only made things worse.

    Similarly to the musical film, the documentary touches on Lopez’s love life for the past 20 years, the reason she was in constant search for love, and her love story with Affleck. But more importantly, it highlights her self-love journey and explores why it took her so long to get to a better relationship with herself.

    “‘This Is Me… Now’ is about truth and facing the truth of who you really are and embracing that, and the truth is I’m not the same as I was 20 years ago,” she says.

    In the documentary, Lopez shares how being the middle child made her constantly feel a need to show her parents and family that she had value and worth. She felt ignored by her dad, who was always working, and her mom, whom she claims was always the center of attention. Feeling emotionally neglected forced her to become hardworking and disciplined, she says, and somewhere down the line she started seeking the love she didn’t feel she received growing up from men.

    Amazon MGM Studios

    At first, it was hard for me to believe that Lopez isn’t the same person she was 20 years ago — at least when it comes to her love life and her need to constantly be in a romantic relationship. When have we ever seen her single? Very shortly after her breakup with baseball star Alex Rodriguez in 2021, she was already being publicly seen with Affleck. Can someone really get over their fear of being alone and their need to constantly be in partnership without ever taking a significant break from dating? I’d argue no. But in the doc, Lopez admits there was a period when she did finally embrace singlehood.

    In the musical, there’s a scene where Fat Joe, who plays her fictional therapist, asks her if she has “ever considered being alone for a minute.” Her incognito character begins to break down in tears. Lopez admits in the documentary that the scene with Fat Joe parallels an actual conversation she had with a therapist.

    “I used to be terrified to be alone,” Lopez shares. “I didn’t know what I was going to do by myself. Who was going to take care of me? Who was going to protect me? This one therapist said to me, ‘Can you be alone?’ And I was like, ‘I can do it. I can be alone. I can be alone. I’ll be alone until Christmas.’”

    Lopez’s therapist suggested she erase everyone from her phone who might pose temptation. According to Lopez, she listened and took some significant time to be alone and address whatever it was she needed to heal — like feeling emotionally abandoned as a child.

    It’s been easy for some fans to dismiss Lopez’s recent projects — the film, the album, and the doc — as silly or unnecessary. But I couldn’t help but empathize with her after having more insight into her journey and the things she’s struggled with when it comes to love and relationships. I now believe Lopez when she says she took the time to be alone and heal — whenever that was.

    Ultimately, it’s clear that investing $20 million in this project was for herself, not for fans or viewers. Documenting her own journey was more a therapeutic act of self-love than anything else. Lopez likely didn’t put out these projects to be nominated for awards or because she believes they’ll be major hits; she put them out because they were the final process in her healing journey.

    If these projects do anything, I hope they inspire viewers struggling with self-worth to take the time to reflect, heal, and give themselves the self-love they’ve always deserved. Because at the end of the day, the only love that we can guarantee in this life is the love we can give ourselves.

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    Johanna Ferreira

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