Josh Glicksman

Dec 20, 2024 | billboard.com | Josh Glicksman

Argentina and Uruguay are two nations with deep-rooted connections to cumbia. Throughout history, artists of the genre have emerged from both sides of the Río de la Plata, becoming the soundtrack of daily life for millions of families in both countries. This past year, that cultural legacy was further strengthened by Valentino Merlo and The La Planta. At 15 years old, Merlo has already established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in the Argentine music scene.

Dec 18, 2024 | billboard.com | Josh Glicksman

There lies an immense honor in the title “The Nation’s Girl Group.” In South Korea, fans have bestowed the distinguished designation on K-pop juggernauts like Girls’ Generation and TWICE over the years. Yet only one group throughout the Philippines’ rich musical history has received the honorific: Star Music’s eight-member girl group BINI.

Dec 18, 2024 | billboard.com | Josh Glicksman

The most listened-to artist in Italy in 2024 (according to Luminate) does not, exactly, rap in Italian. Naples’ own Geolier raps in his native dialect — the very musical language spoken on the streets of his neighborhood, Rione Gescal, and now spoken by kids in every corner of Italy who, through Geolier, have learned it.

Dec 17, 2024 | billboard.com | Josh Glicksman

From making music to acting on screen, IU can seemingly do it all — and she commands unparalleled love and support from K-pop fans and the broader Korean music community. Her generation-spanning popularity was on display in 2024, when she dominated the charts. Her single, “Love Wins All,” climbed to the No. 1 spot on Melon’s TOP100 chart just an hour after its Jan. 24 release, becoming the second song to achieve this feat since the platform’s chart reform.

Dec 17, 2024 | billboard.com | Josh Glicksman

It was November 2023 when I first met Ana Castela. She was backstage at Caldas Country, the festival in Caldas Novas in the Brazilian state of Goiás. At the time, she avoided speaking to the press before her show and seemed serious and shy as she prepared to take the stage. It was only her second time at the festival — just over a year had passed since her name first appeared in the media thanks to her song “Pipoco,” a collaboration with Melody and DJ Chris no Beat.