NEWS
Joel Deleón
Miguel Alejandro Mejía*The holiday season is upon us, and as we take this time to unwind, spend time with family and friends, it’s also time to express gratitude.
“I am most thankful for me and my family being healthy,” Joel Deleon tells Billboard. “During these hard times anything can happen, so I’m very grateful for that and also grateful for my fans. Without them, I wouldn’t be doing what I love and I’m overall grateful for my whole life.”
To celebrate Thanksgiving, Latin artists such as Deleon, Justin Quiles, Carolina Ross and Sebastian Yatra told Billboard what they are most thankful for this year, how they celebrate Thanksgiving, and some of the holiday traditions they hold near and dear to their hearts.
See the heartfelt answers, in alphabetical order by artist, below.
ALCOVER
“What I’m most thankful for this year is that compared to past years, I have been able to have a closer relationship with my family — especially my mom and my dad.”
ALEX ROSE
“One of the traditions that I have observed since I was little is bringing my brothers and cousins together to laugh at anecdotes and things we did when we were little. Remembering old times is a way of keeping the family together.”
ANDREKZA
“I celebrate Friendsgiving because my family is far away in Venezuela where we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving. I learned about the holiday here in the U.S., which is why I celebrate with friends because, in a way, they’re the family members we chose.”
AYMÉE NUVIOLA
“How I celebrate is by giving thanks to God for all the blessings that he has given me and my loved ones. I also thank God for the lessons learned. I thank God in a discreet way from the intimacy of my home. A true communion with God comes from a close relationship you can have with Him at all times. There’s no way I can sum up all I’m thankful for one day out of the year because every single thing that happens or is possible, it’s because of Him and for Him. Praise the Lord!”
BRRAY
“A tradition that I continue today is that we always take turns to host. And I celebrate by eating everything on the menu, that’s what I do on Thanksgiving.”
BRYANNE
“A Thanksgiving tradition is that I continue to help my mother with the turkey, and baking goodies. Although our tradition is more Latin, it is still one of my favorite holidays and especially this year when we could all gather again.”
CALACOTE
“I celebrate Thanksgiving by taking a break to be with friends and family.”
CARMEN DELEON
“Being Venezuelan, we didn’t celebrate Thanksgiving growing up. Since living in the U.S., I’ve enjoyed being able to take the time to focus on gratitude. I think it’s something to be mindful of at this time and throughout the year.”
CAROLINA ROSS
“I celebrate Thanksgiving with my mom, aunts, my cousins, and nephews. We all come together and eat at this really long table because we’re a big family, and that’s something I’m thankful for every year.”
CASPER MAGICO
“I’m thankful that things are going back to ‘normal.’ They’re opening many venues where we’re able to have shows and share again with our fans, obviously following protocols. I’m happy and so thankful to be able to have that contact again with our fans.”
CHEO GALLEGO
“I’m most thankful about my music reaching pockets of the world I never thought it could reach. That’s taught me to be more patient and grateful. I’ve been working on so many projects, created tons of music and I’ve been able to stay motivated to make music forever.”
DANNY (COASTCITY)
“We celebrate Thanksgiving by visiting family and eating authentic Puerto Rican food: alcapurrias, pasteles, arroz con gandules and lechón.”
JEAN (COASTCITY)
“I celebrate by spending my time with the most meaningful people in my life, laughing, smiling, and living in the moment to the fullest.”
ELADIO CARRION
“I’m thankful for my family, my team, for everything that’s happened to me this year musically that’s helped me grow as a musician and as a person.”
ELVIS CRESPO
“To this very day, we continue our family tradition of dining with some of my favorite food from the island: arroz con gandules, tembleque and coditos salad.”
PEDRO TOVAR (ESLABON ARMADO)
“I celebrate with my family and we’re not the type to eat turkey. Instead, we eat tamales, sometimes pozole, and drink champurrado. We enjoy our time with family members since I don’t have many friends.”
FEID
“It’s only my second year celebrating Thanksgiving and my first year we cooked a nice pavito (turkey). This is a new celebration for me and I know it is an important day in the U.S. so I embrace it and use the time to be thankful for everything. I have no traditions yet but maybe cook and have fun with friends. I don’t have family here so we will do Friendsgiving and be grateful. Yessir!”
FLORES
“I think as the Pandemic has unfolded, it has changed many of our perspectives on what we can be thankful for. It has put more of the most important things in our lives into hyper-focus. That for me has been the safety of my family, here and abroad. That we are able to wake up and say hello to my mothers, sisters, and brothers. Knowing so many have lost their loved ones, myself having lost friends to COVID. This year, I am deeply thankful for the fact we have a vaccine and we are all safe.”
FOREIGN TECK
“Thanksgiving for me is usually small, I don’t have a very big family. I’m an only child and my family is scattered between New York, Florida & the Dominican Republic so it’s usually a few of us but it’s more about spending it with the people I always love.”
GERARDO ORTIZ
“Thanksgiving is a very special holiday for me because I can reunite with my family to give thanks for all the blessings. On Thanksgiving, we eat tons of delicious food, we laugh, drink and share stories.”
GRUPO DIEZ 4TRO
“I celebrate Thanksgiving by being together with my family and eating a traditional [Mexican] meal: tamales and pozole.
JAY WHEELER
“I’m thankful for all the incredible things that happened in my career thanks to my fans. I’m also thankful that my mom recovered from cancer and that I’m at a really beautiful point in my career. That I’m about to embark on my first tour and that that I am alive and healthy.”
JENCARLOS CANELA
“I am most thankful for mine, my family, and my friends’ health. I am thankful to see everyone going out, traveling, and having fun again. I am also thankful for the things I’ve taken for granted like having a roof over my head, food to eat, water to drink, generating income doing what I love. So many people are really struggling pre and post-pandemic. I’m blessed and grateful.”
JOEL DELEON
“To be quite honest, I don’t remember the last time I was home for Thanksgiving. I would say maybe about three years ago, but we would always usually go to my grandma’s house, which is right next to my house. Everyone brings a little bit of food, someone would bring the pies, someone would bring the turkey, the mash potatoes then we would sit down talk, laugh. And at the end of the day, each of us would say one thing we are grateful for.”
JONATAN SANCHEZ
“I’m thankful for how magical 2021 has been, for the songs I’ve been able to write. But what I’m most thankful for is that after so much time, to have been able to reunite with the people I love most. To see and be able to hug them made my heart full.”
JOSSEF
“I celebrate Thanksgiving with the family. Normally, we would go on a cruise trip this time of year, but there is COVID! So we’ll celebrate it at home in Puerto Rico. We have parties anywhere so it doesn’t matter where we are, we always have the best time!”
JUSTIN QUILES
“I celebrate with my family, my mother, my siblings, and my grandmother. We typically have turkey, arroz con gandules, potato salad, pasteles, a little bit of everything. There’s music playing, we’re dancing and having some good drinks.”
KEVIN ORTIZ
“Some of the traditions we have as a family is that we each bring a different type of dish that we can all share. And we always try to spend as much time together as possible, which makes my parents very happy and they feel loved.”
LENIN RAMIREZ
“I spend Thanksgiving with my family. We eat turkey, potatoes, corn and we pray and give thanks to God for being alive, healthy, for our food, work, and our family.”
LITO MC CASSIDY
“First and foremost I’m thankful for being alive. The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard for many families around the world. For me, being alive is now more precious than ever.”
LUIS CORONEL
“This year brought many challenges, most of which we have gone through the worst part. First and foremost, I am thankful for my health, having gone through COVID was not fun at all and I am glad I had no trouble after. I am thankful for my family not only this year but every year. Finally, I am thankful for new beginnings.”
MAFFIO
“My favorite tradition is to go around the table and say what we are thankful for. This is something I do every day with my family and it takes on a special meaning in Thanksgiving. Being grateful for what you have instead of focusing on what you don’t have is the key to happiness.”
CAMILO LARA (MEXICAN INSTITUTE OF SOUND)
“I’m really thankful to continue doing what I do. My Studio has been my sanctuary to try to connect with positive things during the pandemic.”
MANU MANZO
“I’m very thankful for the fact that life is going back to our ‘new normal’ and really absolutely love everything in my life. But one thing to point out this year is my little puppy who I’m obsessed with and brightens my days and is my bestie.”
MARIELLE HAZLO
“A tradition I have with my family is that each member has to cook their best dish or side for dinner. It’s not a successful Thanksgiving in my household if we don’t end up bickering, laughing, repeating family stories, and end up stuffed from dinner. Nothing like a nap after a thanksgiving meal!”
NIO GARCIA
“One thing I’m thankful for today and always is there we are alive, we are healthy. I am thankful for that every single day. When it comes to traditions, we definitely eat turkey and not only on Thursday but the rest of the week … and the following week.”
BEBO (NUEVO ELEMENTO)
“We eat turkey as is the American tradition, but we also have our own traditions that I’ve cherished since childhood. Music in my household is what unites us most, and we sing karaoke as a family every Thanksgiving. We also spend the day telling stories and jokes, and traditional Mexican food is a must at our tables.”
DANNY (NUEVO ELEMENTO)
“Our Thanksgiving is very traditional. We have turkey, lots of food, and we enjoy our time as a family laughing, drinking, and singing.”
OSMANI GARCIA
“I am most thankful that God brought my girlfriend Laura into my life, an angel that has changed me for the better, has brought out the best in me, and has given me happiness I never knew. I am also thankful for being Cuban and being able to fight alongside my colleagues and Cuban people all over the world for a free country #SOSCUBA.”
PAULA ARENAS
“I am thankful for Mis Amores, my family, health, and love. It’s been a challenging year for my family so now more than ever, there’s so much to be thankful for. To do what I love and for people to love it back, to touch souls with my music made independently in my home with and for love. I’m thankful for my entire team of united women that have given me strength and have believed in me.”
PITIZION
“I have so many things to be thankful for this year starting with the love I have received from my fans, the opportunities that the industry is giving me on a daily basis, my health, my family, the projects we managed to carry out despite the obstacles. Having the opportunity to write songs with such talented people. I am very grateful to my team and I hope that next year will be full of more good news.”
SARAI
“My uncle cooks for three days before Thanksgiving and we all celebrate and eat together. After dinner, we go around the table and say what we are thankful for. It is a great holiday I enjoy with my entire family.”
SEBASTIAN YATRA
“I am thankful for everything I’ve learned. It’s been a challenging year for me emotionally, in my work, in my personal life. I think that it’s brought the best out of me to be a better person and fall back in love with every single part of what a music career is. This year I’ll be celebrating at home in Colombia with my family. Thanksgiving is basically the same day as my mother’s birthday so we’ll be having fun and giving thanks to her.”
SESSI
“I celebrate thanksgiving with loud salsa music in the background, everyone dressed up and my grandma’s arroz con gandules and my titi’s flan. I don’t eat turkey but the smell of it makes me miss the greasy quero and the big baked ham my mom makes with the pineapple on the side. The Cuban side isn’t too far from the Puerto Rican side but we sure combine the cultures. Nine times out of 10 I have my own coquito bottle and sing La India’s “Ese Hombre” with my titi and also talk about family memories. These are great traditions my family and I have. I love being with my family.”
ULICES CHAIDEZ
“We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Mexico but I’ve been in the U.S. a few times for and I’d spend time with family and friends. This year, I’ll be in the U.S. so I’ll be able to enjoy being with family again. It’s a really beautiful holiday that I don’t typically get to celebrate so looking forward to being able to do it this year.”
NEWS
Harry Styles paid tribute to the late David Hockney and reflected on his time in One Direction last night (June 12), as he kicked off his record-breaking residency at Wembley Stadium.
Hockney – whose painting of Styles was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery in 2023 – died on June 11, aged 88, and the musician honoured him during his set by sharing a quote from the painter on the big screens.
“What an artist is trying to do for people is bring them closer to something, because of course art is about sharing,” the quote read. “You wouldn’t be an artist unless you wanted to share an experience, a thought.”
Styles’ gig last night marked the first of 12 gigs at Wembley, which will see the star break the record for the most shows at the venue in a single tour. Coldplay previously held the record, delivering 10 gigs at the stadium last year as part of their Music Of The Spheres tour.
The London residency follows the Together, Together tour beginning in Amsterdam in May, and will be followed by stops in São Paulo, Mexico City, New York, Melbourne and Sydney. He will be supported by a different artist in each city, joined by Shania Twain in London, who delivered a set of hits and new tracks from her upcoming album, ‘Little Miss Twain’.
As the sounds of Simon And Garfunkel’s ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ played over the stadium PA, Styles made his way to the stage, kicking off his set with ‘Are You Listening Yet?’, from his latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’. Between renditions of ‘Golden’ and ‘Adore You’, he addressed the crowd for the first time, saying: “Our job tonight is to entertain you. Your job is to have as much fun as you possibly can.
“If you want to sing, if you want to dance, please feel free. Please feel free to be whoever it is you’ve always wanted to be tonight. We’ve got each other’s backs.”
Throughout the night, Styles subtly reworked some of the songs on the setlist. He dedicated ‘Taste Back’ “to all the ravers in the house”, as a snippet of Underworld’s ‘Born Slippy’ was interpolated into the song, while a brief burst of Talking Heads’ ‘This Must Be The Place’ was introduced to ‘Treat People With Kindness’. During ‘Dance No More’, the pop star’s band played part of the groove from Happy Mondays’ ‘Step On’, while Styles sang a snatch of Gorillaz’s ‘Clint Eastwood’.
There were also nods to Styles’ days in One Direction early in the set. As the musician left the stage after ‘Fine Line’, the string section on stage played a medley featuring clips of the group’s hits ‘Night Changes’ and ‘History’, plus Styles’ own track ‘Falling’. After ‘Keep Driving’, he took the time to reflect on Wembley’s connections to his and the boyband’s journeys.
“Just outside of this building, just next door, is Wembley Arena, and 16 years ago, my sister brought me to London for the very first time for my X Factor audition,” he said. “So driving here today, and any time I come through Wembley, means so much to me, ‘cause right in that building next door, I was put into a band. We were called One Direction.
The Together, Together setlist features a different surprise song each night at the start of the encore. Last night, Styles treated the Wembley audience to ‘Little Freak’, taken from ‘Harry’s House’, for the first time since 2023. After the song, he spoke to the audience for the final time, saying: “I don’t know if you’ve been listening to me for a week, or a month, or a year, or five years, or 10 years, or 16 years, or whatever it is, but you have changed my life over and over again. Thank you so much for being here and allowing us to do these shows. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
“Finally, 16 years ago, my mother signed me up for the X Factor without my knowledge. I wouldn’t be here today if she hadn’t done that. She’s here today – thank you so much. You’ve changed my life, all of you.” Referencing a lyric in ‘Dance No More’, he added: “Remember – respect your mother.”
‘Are You Listening Yet?’
‘Golden’
‘Adore You’
‘Watermelon Sugar’
‘Music From A Sushi Restaurant’
‘Taste Back’
‘Coming Up Roses’
‘Fine Line’
‘Italian Girls’
‘American Girls’
‘Keep Driving’
‘Ready, Steady, Go!’
‘Dance No More’
‘Treat People With Kindness’
‘Pop’
‘Season 2 Weight Loss’
‘Carla’s Song’
‘Aperture’
‘Little Freak’
‘Sign Of The Times’
‘As It Was’
The Together, Together, London residency continues at Wembley Stadium tonight, with further dates on June 17, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 29 and July 1, 3, and 4. Visit here for any remaining UK tickets and check out doors and stage times here.
The gigs will see Styles donate £1 from every ticket sold to LIVE’s levy to help protect UK grassroots music venues and support emerging talent, and before Styles’ headline performance, the big screens at the venue encouraged fans to support Music Venues Trust.
The tour is in support of the star’s latest album, ‘Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally’, which was released in March. In a four-star review, NME described it as “an album that you’ll really want to spend a lot of time with, letting all its layers envelope you”. It added: “It’s the most exploratory album of his career so far, trying out new things and steering his ship in new directions.”
Meanwhile, Styles has also curated this year’s Meltdown Festival at the Southbank Centre. The line-up chosen by the star includes Stephen Fretwell, Nilüfer Yanya, Orlando Weeks, Bar Italia, Dev Hynes, Jon Hopkins, Getdown Services, LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy, Soulwax and more, as well as an intimate gig from Styles himself.
The festival kicked off earlier this week (June 11) with a performance from Los Angeles’ Warpaint, whose show was their first in nearly two years. During the gig, they shared fan favourites like ‘Love Is To Die, ‘Billie Holiday’ and ‘Disco//Very’, plus a cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’.
