NEWS
Rauw Alejandro
90thshooterRauw Alejandro blasts from No. 31 to No. 3 on the June 12-dated Billboard Global 200 with "Todo de Ti" (and 18-3 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart). It's the Puerto Rican rapper, singer-songwriter and producer's first top three (or even top 20) hit on the worldwide ranking. More rare, it's only the third all-Spanish-language song to hit the top three since the chart premiered in September 2020.
Since the list launched, 35 songs have graced the top three. Most of those are sung entirely in English.
Six top-three hits break the mold, however, and can be split into two categories. The first is for songs in a mix of languages, one of which is English. The second is for songs written and performed entirely in languages other than English.
The former category includes three Korean/English-language songs, two of which held the top two positions on the Oct. 17, 2020, chart. That week, Jawsh 685, Jason Derulo and BTS ruled the ranking with "Savage Love – Laxed (Siren Beat)." The then-new BTS remix of the track added lyrics in Korean in addition to the song's original English blueprint. Directly beneath was BLACKPINK with a No. 2 debut for "Lovesick Girls," with verses trading off between the two languages.
In December, BTS was back atop the list with "Life Goes On," a primarily Korean-language song that features some prominent English lyrics in its chorus.
The second category, for songs with no English, includes three hits, all in Spanish.
Again, two of those songs charted in the top three simultaneously. Bad Bunny and Jhay Cortez's "Dakiti" ruled the Nov. 21-dated ranking, while Maluma's "Hawái" rose to No. 3. Ultimately, "Dakiti" scored three weeks at No. 1 in November-December and stretched to a total of 10 nonconsecutive weeks in the top three, becoming the only song with non-English vocals to rank in the top three for more than one week so far.
While holding the same position on the Global Excl. U.S. chart, the song performed better internationally, with 91% of its streams and 54% of its sales from outside the U.S., compared to the week's respective averages of 75% and 46%.
And while the track's streams split 55% vs. 45% in terms of audio vs. video, that breakdown slants closer toward video than the average song on the Global 200 this week, which derived 78% of all streams from audio services. The song's giddy roller-rink themed (and Shaquille O'Neal-featuring) official video drew 45.7 million streams worldwide in the tracking week, helping the song, which Alejandro teased on social media ahead of its official May 21 release, further cut through the competition on the global stage.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
